Area localities get Climate Smart Community project funds

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Communities in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and the Southern Tier were among those recently awarded funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Climate Smart Communities grant program. In all, $11 million went to municipalities as part of the $196 million in Regional Economic Development Council awards, Basil Seggos, commissioner of […]

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

In all, $11 million went to municipalities as part of the $196 million in Regional Economic Development Council awards, Basil Seggos, commissioner of the DEC, said in a release.

The projects will help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and adapt to the ongoing impacts of climate change, including reducing flood risk, increasing natural resiliency, and relocating or retrofitting critical infrastructure, the DEC said.

Established in 2016, this 50/50 matching-grant program supports municipalities seeking to become certified Climate Smart Communities and implement projects that advance that state’s climate-change goals, the DEC said.

The program is jointly sponsored by seven state agencies: the DEC, NYSERDA, New York Power Authority, as well as the state Departments of State, Health, Transportation, and Public Service.

The program supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which requires New York to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Since the program’s inception, DEC has awarded more than $50 million to municipalities in support of local climate mitigation and adaptation projects, the department said.

The 2021 Climate Smart Communities Grant awards are as follows.

Central New York

The Town of Cazenovia will use $232,000 in funding for stormwater-flood mitigation. This project addresses two locations in the town where the existing stormwater infrastructure is increasingly unable to capture and convey runoff from intense rainfall events. Work includes the removal and replacement of collapsed and inadequate culverts and improperly located catch basins and storm piping to increase flow capture, removal of curbing and catch basins and repaving to provide sheet flow, a new storm sewer and swale system to intercept runoff, and a hydrodynamic separator unit for one site that will provide sediment removal to improve the quality of runoff water into a tributary of Cazenovia Lake.

The Town of Geddes received a grant of $219,000 for improvements at the Westvale Plaza. The town will implement a key recommendation from a recently adopted comprehensive plan to incorporate sidewalk extensions to Westvale Plaza and provide improved multi-modal connectivity between current and future developments along the corridor. Pedestrians are frequently observed attempting to cross busy intersections in this area and this route is used by bicyclists riding to and from the city of Syracuse.

The Town of Manlius will use $22,000 in funding on climate-action plans. The town will develop two plans for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, including one that’s focused on government operations and a second one addressing emissions from the whole community.

Mohawk Valley

In the Mohawk Valley, the Town of Whitestown in Oneida County will use $210,000 for work on the third phase of the Sauquoit Creek Flood Bench. Phase three of the Sauquoit Creek channel and floodplain-restoration program involves the construction of three floodplain benches. These benches will reduce flood stage during extreme-weather events, cut impacts of flooding to town and village properties, and restore natural riverine processes by connecting Sauquoit Creek to its original floodplain.

The Town of Oneonta will use a $14,000 award for a comprehensive-plan update. The town will update its 2014 plan to include sustainability, smart growth, and climate-resiliency elements.

The Town of Otsego will also use its $14,000 grant for a comprehensive-plan update. The town will update its 2008 plan to include sustainability elements in alignment with the related Climate Smart Communities certification action and the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the DEC said.

Southern Tier

In the Southern Tier, the Town of Sherburne will use a $30,000 grant award to update its comprehensive plan. Town officials will update their 2004 plan to include sustainability and resiliency elements in alignment with the related Climate Smart Communities certification action.

ICS expands Northeast footprint by acquiring Massachusetts firm

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Regional News, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

ENDICOTT, N.Y. — ICS has expanded with the acquisition of a company in Raynham, Massachusetts. It purchased Unified Networking Solutions, a provider of information-technology (IT) services in the Southeastern Massachusetts market. ICS didn’t disclose any financial terms of its acquisition agreement in its news release announcing it. Founded in 1986, ICS is an Endicott–based provider

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

M&T Bank names two to CNY Directors Advisory Council

Banks & Credit Unions, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, People on the Move, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — M&T Bank recently appointed Alicia Dicks and Sheena Solomon to its Directors Advisory Council for the Central New York region. This 11-member council meets regularly to discuss business, customer, and community issues and provides insights to support M&T’s ongoing efforts to develop locally customized solutions and service models, the bank said in

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — M&T Bank recently appointed Alicia Dicks and Sheena Solomon to its Directors Advisory Council for the Central New York region.

This 11-member council meets regularly to discuss business, customer, and community issues and provides insights to support M&T’s ongoing efforts to develop locally customized solutions and service models, the bank said in a news release.

Dicks is president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, an organization with stewardship over more than $175 million in charitable community assets. She is deeply involved in Utica and the Mohawk Valley, sharing her expertise to foster inclusive growth and positive change.

Solomon is the executive director of the Gifford Foundation. Under her leadership, the Gifford Foundation is creating lasting community change and advancing racial justice and equity through various projects, M&T Bank said.

“M&T’s Central New York Directors Advisory Council plays an important role in helping us to ensure the bank is consistently making a difference in people’s lives throughout our region. The local business and community leaders on our board care deeply about Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. Working together, we identify new and different ways to uplift our communities and strengthen the local economy,” M&T Bank Regional President Steve Gorczynski said.

“I’m incredibly excited Alicia Dicks and Sheena Solomon have decided to join the council,” he added. “For years, they have worked tirelessly to advance social justice and racial equity, creating positive change through major initiatives and everyday moments to lend support. Their perspectives and insights will help inform and augment our enduring commitment to meet the changing needs of our community.”

In addition to Solomon and Dicks, M&T Bank’s Directors Advisory Council for the Central New York region consists of J. Andrew Breuer, president of Hueber-Breuer Construction; Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling, franchise owner of EventPrep Inc. and executive director of the Upstate Minority Economic Alliance; Mara Charlamb, VP and owner of United Radio; James A. Fox, managing director and president of Ramboll Group; Karyn Korteling, owner of Pastabilities; Joseph Mancuso, partner at Hancock & Estabrook LLP; Scott Shatraw, president of Utica First Insurance; Meg Tidd, CEO of VIP Structures; and Melissa Zell of The Pioneer Companies.

M&T Bank has 41 offices and employs nearly 360 people in its Central New York region, which covers Onondaga, Cayuga, Oswego, Madison, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, and Seneca Counties. It operates a regional headquarters on South Clinton Street in downtown Syracuse. M&T says it holds the region’s highest deposit share and is the top Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in Central New York. Each year, the bank also contributes more than $1 million to dozens of nonprofit organizations in the Central New York region.

Crouse to offer path to nuclear-medicine technologist certification

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Crouse Health is partnering with a Massachusetts college to provide local health professionals a chance to become a certified nuclear-medicine technologist. Crouse is working on the initiative with the School of Nuclear Medicine at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MSCPHS) in Boston. The 12 to 14-month program is designed

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Crouse Health is partnering with a Massachusetts college to provide local health professionals a chance to become a certified nuclear-medicine technologist.

Crouse is working on the initiative with the School of Nuclear Medicine at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MSCPHS) in Boston.

The 12 to 14-month program is designed for students located in the upstate New York region who hold an associate degree in medical imaging or a bachelor’s degree “in any field,” Crouse Health said in a release.

The program builds on previous college studies, preparing participants to become a board-certified nuclear-medicine technologist licensed in New York State for the practice of nuclear-medicine technology. It also teaches participants how to “safely and compassionately” administer radioactive drugs, or radiopharmaceuticals, to patients.

Those taking part will complete course work online through MSCPHS, with Crouse Hospital providing clinical training. Crouse is one of three hospitals in New York state to participate in the program, the organization said.

Students will learn how to obtain rapid-succession images of where radiopharmaceuticals concentrate in the body, giving the medical team insight that’s essential to diagnosing patients. Students will also discover the functions of the many organs and tissues found in the human anatomy and learn how to treat several medical conditions using targeted radiation, per the release.

“We’re excited to partner with MSCPHS on this innovative educational and clinical opportunity,” Brad Hellwig, director of medical imaging at Crouse Health, said.

Students will follow a synchronous distance/online class schedule, offering the flexibility of online education coupled with the community-building experience associated with classroom learning, according to Crouse Health.

“Program participants will work alongside industry experts and gain firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to be a nuclear-medicine technologist,” Hellwig added.

Cayuga Health buys space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Regional News, Small Business, Subscriber Only

LANSING, N.Y. — Cayuga Health plans to redevelop the former retail space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall into a new mixed-use health-care facility. Plans will also include the development of a new health-education center in partnership with Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College. The health-care system on March 15 announced that

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

LANSING, N.Y. — Cayuga Health plans to redevelop the former retail space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall into a new mixed-use health-care facility.

Plans will also include the development of a new health-education center in partnership with Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins Cortland Community College.

The health-care system on March 15 announced that it bought 108,000 square feet of space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall and proposes to redevelop, relocate, and consolidate existing medical practices into one location.

The organization says it spent $8.5 million to acquire the former big-box retail parcels where Bon Ton and Sears previously operated, per its news release.

Cayuga Health contends the move is “making access more convenient for patients.” The health system plans to lease some of the space to prospective new vendors as well.

The Shops at Ithaca Mall is located at 40 Catherwood Road, near Route 13 in the village of Lansing.

“We see this capital expansion as a necessary next step in our strategic plan as we continue to reimagine our operations by making health care more accessible to everyone in the communities we serve,” Dr. Martin Stallone, president & CEO of Cayuga Health, said in the release. “This acquisition allows us to consolidate existing practices into one location for efficiency and improved patient access. We have been operating at The Shops at Ithaca Mall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and it has been proven to be a valuable location within the community and for our health system.”

Cayuga Health acquired the property from an ownership group that includes Mason Asset Management and Namdar Realty Group, two Long Island–based real-estate investment companies that oversee leasing and management efforts at the mall.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cayuga Health as a permanent fixture of The Shops at Ithaca,” said Elliot Nassim, president at Mason Asset Management, which is responsible for leasing efforts at the mall. “Our team has worked closely with Cayuga Health over the last few years and is excited to see that relationship we’ve built come to fruition in a way that will benefit the community and create a mixed-used shopping experience offering convenience for many people.”

Cayuga Health has retained HOLT Architects of Ithaca to lead the redevelopment plans for the newly acquired space. Renderings of the designs will be on display at The Shops of Ithaca Mall for anyone interested in seeing the new capital-project planning.

“Malls around America were a beacon of success for decades, unfortunately with increased globalization and ecommerce they have seen a decline,” Tom LiVigne, chairman of the Cayuga Health board of directors, said. “Adapting and reusing big-box retail space like this supports our local economy, including The Shops at Ithaca Mall, by driving increased foot traffic to the businesses remaining and prospects.”

Cayuga Health has been occupying the retail space since March 2020 when it identified the facility as an “ideal location for critical” COVID-19 operations.

Its partnership started with the opening of a mass drive-through COVID testing center, which “proved to be essential during the height of pandemic.” The partnership expanded with an indoor vaccination clinic (the previous Sears location), occupying 200,000 square feet when the vaccines became available for distribution.

Willie’s opens new café location in Utica

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Regional News, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

UTICA , N.Y.— After five years with just one location, Willie’s Bagel Café is bringing its New York City–style bagels to even more people with a second location in the former Patio Drive-In property on Oriskany Street. Willie’s Gourmet Cafe, which opened in early March, fulfills a longtime dream for owner William Rodriguez, who always

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Willie’s Gourmet Cafe, which opened in early March, fulfills a longtime dream for owner William Rodriguez, who always wanted a location on Oriskany Street, says his son Ronny, who manages the new café.

When Patio Drive-In owner Lawrence Gurdo decided to retire and sell the building last summer, Rodriguez says he jumped on the opportunity. According to online real-estate records, Rodriguez purchased the property and its 2,532-square-foot building for $265,000.

The first Willie’s Bagel Café opened in 2016 and has done well, Rodriguez says. The location at 219 North Genesee St., however, is a little out of the way for some customers. Close to the Thruway and a number of hotels nearby, that café does a brisk business with travelers looking to grab a quick breakfast or lunch to go.

The new Willie’s Bagel Café at 1401 Oriskany St. still offers meals to go, but also has something the original spot doesn’t.

“The biggest difference is dining in,” Rodriguez says. The new café features a large dining area where customers can sit and enjoy their meal. It’s a great fit for the more residential neighborhood, he says.

It is also a prime location to serve employees at the Wynn Hospital of the Mohawk Valley Health System once it opens just a short drive away. Projected to open in 2023, the hospital will employ about 3,000 to 3,500 people.

“It’s a place for families to gather and co-workers to come to lunch together,” Rodriguez says.

The Oriskany Street site is one that’s important to many people who live in the area and were used to visiting the Patio throughout its 65 years in business. Rodriguez is proud that they have brought back an option for breakfast and lunch to people in the neighborhood.

There are several competitors nearby, including a Dunkin’ Donuts just a few blocks away, but Rodriguez isn’t worried.

“What sets us apart in general is we provide New York City bagels to Central New York,” he says. Willie’s also offers Boar’s Head brand meats for its sandwiches. “For any NYC natives, that’s a big deal,” Rodriguez notes.

On top of the bagel recipe perfected by his father — who ran a bagel shop on Long Island for 20 years — the freshness of their food sets them apart. “You can see us cooking,” Rodriguez says.

Both locations serve a variety of bagels including seasonally colored bagels, flavored cream cheeses made in house, wraps, sandwiches, salads, soups, pastries, and more. Many of the sandwiches are named after family members, and those same family members help run the family-oriented business.

Willie’s Bagel Café was fortunate through the pandemic to still do well, Rodriguez says. But now that cases have been dropping, he’s excited to welcome both old and new customers to the new location where they can relax and dine in. To help facilitate things, they invested in a pager system so customers can place their order and find a table while they wait. Just in case the COVID landscape changes yet again, the new café has a pick-up window it can use if the need arises, Rodriguez says.

Next on the agenda for the new Willie’s Bagel Café is an addition of a conference room. “We want to build a conference room with a projector where people can host their meetings here,” he says.

Federal-spending plan includes funding for Syracuse projects

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Construction-job training efforts and police-body cameras are earmarked for federal funding in the recently signed fiscal year 2022 spending plan. That’s according to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.), who announced the funding March 10. President Joe Biden signed the measure into law March 15

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Construction-job training efforts and police-body cameras are earmarked for federal funding in the recently signed fiscal year 2022 spending plan.

That’s according to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.), who announced the funding March 10.

President Joe Biden signed the measure into law March 15 after both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives approved the spending bill days earlier. It funds the federal government for the current fiscal year, which started back in October.

The Syracuse projects include $300,000 for the Syracuse Build initiative to train Syracuse youth for construction jobs with the Interstate 81 (I-81) viaduct-replacement project, the lawmakers said.

The federal plan will also provide $1 million to help Syracuse’s Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative to build 50 new homes for income-qualified homeowners, and 150 rental units.

In addition, $3 million is set aside to help pay for the construction and renovation of the new Catholic Charities of Syracuse Housing Services Center for emergency homeless housing and mental-health services.

Besides the construction-related projects, the City of Syracuse and Syracuse Police Department will get $140,000 to continue efforts to equip all uniform officers and supervisors with body-worn cameras, the lawmakers said.

Additional project details

Schumer and Gillibrand explained that the $300,000 they secured for I-81 construction-job training will help young people who are not enrolled in school or participating in the formal labor market get the support and training they need to start careers in construction, specifically working with the I-81 redevelopment project.

Last year, the lawmakers brought Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Syracuse to visit I-81 and to push for the use of a local-hire program to connect “disadvantaged workers, including disadvantaged young people,” to construction jobs created by the I-81 project, Schumer’s office said.

The senators were able to eventually include a permanent local hire program in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs law.

Syracuse’s Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative will use the $1 million to bolster the city’s ongoing project to increase the city’s inventory of “quality, affordable” homes. Specifically, the funding will help pay to build the final 19 of 50 planned homes.

In addition to their joint requests, Schumer personally secured $3 million for the construction and renovation of the new Catholic Charities Housing Services Center, his office said. It will include an 80-bed emergency shelter for homeless men.

The new facility is expected to include six apartments for homeless men who are either living on the streets or in a shelter. It will also offer on-site health and mental-health services, case management, a job training program, and will establish a large office space for the Catholic Charities staff who are currently spread out throughout Syracuse.

Besides the construction-related projects, the proposal also offers $140,000 to outfit the remaining 14 uniformed sergeants of the Syracuse Police Department with body-worn cameras, “promoting public safety and accountability.”

In recent years, the City of Syracuse and Syracuse Police Department have worked to equip the majority of their uniformed police officers with body-worn cameras. This expansion will put body-worn cameras on all uniformed officers and supervisors, Schumer’s office said.

Cornish becomes 10th president of Ithaca College

Health Care, Regional News, Subscriber Only

ITHACA, N.Y. — Since her arrival at Ithaca College as provost, La Jerne Terry Cornish has played a significant role in decision-making processes targeting the school’s academic direction. That includes the launch of the physician-assistant studies graduate program and the recently announced creation of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Ithaca College said. Cornish

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

ITHACA, N.Y. — Since her arrival at Ithaca College as provost, La Jerne Terry Cornish has played a significant role in decision-making processes targeting the school’s academic direction.

That includes the launch of the physician-assistant studies graduate program and the recently announced creation of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Ithaca College said.

Cornish had also been leading the college as interim president since Aug. 30. The interim tag is now gone as the Ithaca College board of trustees on March 7 announced Cornish would become the college’s 10th president.

She assumed the role of interim president following the departure of Shirley Collado who accepted a job as president and CEO of College Track, which is described as a college-completion program.

In an announcement to the campus community, David Lissy, chairman of the Ithaca College board of trustees, said that Cornish “has the character, the fortitude, and the passion to lead the institution at this important, transformational moment,” per the school’s news release.

“Her appointment ensures a seamless transition and unimpeded progress in advancing the college’s vision, mission, and values,” Lissy said. “Building on the foundation and the momentum of the Ithaca Forever strategic plan, Dr. Cornish represents a new era of leadership for the college. She has a thorough grasp of the challenges before us and is ready to work collaboratively with the members of the IC community on campus and around the world to ensure that we lean into the significant opportunities that we have to secure a bright future for Ithaca College.”

Cornish joined Ithaca College as provost and senior VP for academic affairs in July 2018 and was later named provost and executive VP. Prior to joining Ithaca College, Cornish taught at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland and served from 2014-18 as associate provost for undergraduate studies.

“I feel honored and blessed to have been chosen as the 10th president of Ithaca College, and I wish to thank the board of trustees, the presidential search committee, and our Ithaca College community for your trust in my leadership,” Cornish said. “This is a time of challenge but also of opportunity for the college. Together — with our commitment to the IC student experience firmly centered as our guide — we will move our college ever forward as we work to realize our vision to become a global destination for bold thinkers seeking to build thriving communities.”

Lissy thanked the presidential search committee for its diligence in conducting a “thorough and comprehensive” five-month national search.

VIEWPOINT: Seniors’ use of smart phones, computers is on the rise

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only, Technology

It turns out that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Just look at how America’s seniors have adopted cellphones, computers, and laptops. Middle-age children of today’s seniors may soon start complaining that their moms and dads are spending too much time online and on their iPhones, says Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

She notes that the 50-plus set has been adopting technology at a steady rate for years now, but the COVID pandemic has speeded things up. A Pew Research study, she points out, shows that 73 percent of the 50-64 age group and 45 percent of Americans 65 and older are familiar with and use social-media sites.

Meanwhile, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) tells us that a 2016 survey of seniors 75 years of age and older showed that just 11 percent of them were using smart phones. The same survey conducted in 2020 showed that senior smart-phone usage had skyrocketed to 60 percent. The survey showed that only eight percent of 75-plus seniors were familiar with and used the Internet in 2016. [However] by 2020, 46 percent of super seniors were regularly online.

A lot of research has been conducted regarding the “hows” and “whys” of technology adoption among the elderly, according to the Journal of Geriatric Mental Health. They show that, “once their initial resistance of learning new technology was overcome — ‘enjoying the experience’ of using the mobile phone motivated them to use the device. Other contributory factors were ‘heightened self-esteem’ when they could perform certain chores by themselves, such as paying bills, buying groceries, or navigating around, and ‘feeling secure’ (because of various safety measures available on the cell phone), as well as more realistic, goal-directed outcomes such as information retrieval and communication. In addition, social influence or subjective norm in the theory of reasoned action research also influenced the use of mobile phones. Other studies too have identified different possible motivators for senior mobile-phone use, including social influence, safety, security, autonomy, relatedness, and usefulness.”

Ageists will tell you that the elderly are not capable of navigating the intricate pathways of computer and smart-phone communication. It’s not true. In a scholarly paper by Morgan Van Vleck, a master’s research fellow in aging at Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, argues that the use of social media and technology by seniors is a welcoming development.

“The growing intergenerational nature of social media has been beneficial in allowing a place for people to build relationships based on common interests rather than age. The future of social media is an intergenerational one, with the aging population only set to increase. Instead of viewing a growing social media use among older adults as the “death” of these sites, it should be viewed as an avenue for possibility that arises when everyone is given a platform,” Van Vleck says.

John Grimaldi writes for the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), a senior-advocacy organization with 2.4 million members. He also is a founding member of the board of directors of Priva Technologies, Inc.

Westbrooks to start as Cornell University librarian on July 1

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, New York News, Nonprofits, People on the Move, Regional News, Subscriber Only

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University has named Elaine L. Westbrooks as its next university librarian, starting July 1. Cornell Provost Michael Kotlikoff appointed, and the Cornell Board of Trustees approved, Westbrooks as the Carl A. Kroch University Librarian, according to a news release on the Cornell Chronicle website. Westbrooks is currently vice provost and university

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University has named Elaine L. Westbrooks as its next university librarian, starting July 1.

Cornell Provost Michael Kotlikoff appointed, and the Cornell Board of Trustees approved, Westbrooks as the Carl A. Kroch University Librarian, according to a news release on the Cornell Chronicle website. Westbrooks is currently vice provost and university librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This marks a return to Cornell for Westbrooks, who previously worked at the university as a metadata librarian for eight years.

“Elaine has the knowledge, experience, and passion to ensure that a world-class research university with a global reach like Cornell has the library it depends on,” Kotlikoff contended. “Under her leadership, Cornell University Library and Cornell University Press will continue to thrive in the digital age.”

In her role at the University of North Carolina, Westbrooks oversees a library system that includes 10 libraries, nearly 10 million volumes, and 300 librarians, archivists, and staff members.

“I’m passionate about creating a better world,” she said. “I’m passionate about the important role that libraries play in democracy, and the important roles that the library plays in advancing the mission of a university like Cornell: a land-grant, an Ivy, a New York state school, all the special things about Cornell; you have to have a great library. And a library can’t be great if it’s not truly committed to being the best library it can be for everybody.”

At Cornell, Westbrooks plans to focus on ensuring that the library has and can retain a skilled, knowledgeable workforce that is diverse and inclusive. She also aims to ensure the library continues in this digital age to get information and primary resources into the hands of people who need them the most — researchers, students, and citizens.

Westbrooks succeeds Gerald R. Beasley, Cornell’s 12th university librarian, who announced in April 2021 that he would not seek to renew his five-year term, which ends July 31. During the transition, Beasley has been focused on his research efforts on the changing roles of academic libraries, and Senior Vice Provost Judy Appleton has overseen library operations.

The university librarian at Cornell is the chief academic and administrative officer for the library and the press, overseeing a combined budget of about $69 million and about 350 staff members. Cornell University Library houses more than 8 million volumes, as well as millions of electronic resources in 20 constituent libraries in Ithaca and New York City.

Westbrook’s experience

Westbrooks served as metadata librarian, then senior metadata librarian at Cornell’s Albert R. Mann Library from 2000-2006. She then led metadata services for Cornell University Library until 2008. Westbrooks went on to hold leadership positions at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and the University of Michigan, before moving onto North Carolina in 2017.

Westbrooks holds a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and a master’s degree in library and information science from University of Pittsburgh. Westbrooks is the co-editor of three books: “Metadata in Practice” with Diane Hillmann, “Metadata and Digital Collections: A Festschrift in Honor of Tom Turner” with Keith Jenkins, and “Academic Library Management: Case Studies” with Tammy Nickelson Dearie and Michael Meth.

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Get our email updates

What's New

Upcoming Events

Project Homecoming Job & Career Fair 2025

Annual Nonprofit Conference 2026

2026 CenterState CEO Economic Forecast Breakfast

CNYBJ Job Board

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get our email updates