BALDWINSVILLE — Donna T. Ascenzi, who operates an accounting firm in the village of Baldwinsville, has been named the 2015 Greater Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year. 

Awarded since 1988, the honor recognizes the contributions of outstanding business people in the Baldwinsville community, and celebrates a businessperson who has demonstrated a commitment to local economic development, the Greater Baldwinsville Chamber said in a news release. The recipient also embodies exemplary and ethical business practices in addressing quality, customer service, and social responsibility. 

Since 2005, Donna T. Ascenzi, CPA, has provided accounting services to individuals and small businesses throughout the Central New York region and beyond. Ascenzi has recently expanded her firm, which is located at 15 E. Genesee St. in the village, by adding Bernie Corbishley as a partner and Mandy Boyce as staff accountant. 

An active member of the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance, the New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA), and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), Ascenzi has also educated aspiring accountants at local colleges and is currently an adjunct instructor at Le Moyne College, according to the Greater Baldwinsville Chamber’s release. Ascenzi is a member and “enthusiastic supporter” of the chamber, who has helped select its annual scholarship recipient. 

Gina Tonello, owner of Gina Tonello Designs, nominated Ascenzi for the Business Person of the Year award. In her letter of support, Tonello wrote, “I hired Donna to be the CPA for my small business last year. As a new and uninformed entrepreneur, I was searching for help with my financials. She calmed my nerves, corrected my books, and became a trusted business partner for me.” 

Ascenzi will be honored at the Greater Baldwinsville Chamber’s Business Person of the Year Dinner on Sept. 24 at The Red Mill Inn in Baldwinsville. 

The three other people nominated for the award Ascenzi won were: Michael Carr, president of Carr Recruiting Solutions; Pauline Majchrzak, owner of WTM Accounting Services; and Mary Slater, business manager for Friends of Beaver Lake, according to the release.