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Tompkins Connect announces winners of the 6th Annual Fab5 Awards
ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Connect, a local young-professional organization in Tompkins County, recently announced the winners of the 6th Annual Fab5 Young Professional Awards, sponsored by the Tompkins Trust Company. The Fab5 Awards highlight and celebrate the achievements of young professionals ages 21-40 who are excelling in their fields and making an impact in Tompkins […]
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ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Connect, a local young-professional organization in Tompkins County, recently announced the winners of the 6th Annual Fab5 Young Professional Awards, sponsored by the Tompkins Trust Company.
The Fab5 Awards highlight and celebrate the achievements of young professionals ages 21-40 who are excelling in their fields and making an impact in Tompkins County.
This year, the Fab5 Committee sought young professionals who have been able to shine and excel despite the unprecedented challenges the community has faced. The committee said in a news release that it “received a historic number of nominations for individuals who did remarkable things this past year.”
Tompkins Connect added two additional awards this year. The Essential Worker “Hero” award was created to recognize a young professional who was considered “essential” throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Above and Beyond award was added to recognize an outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to the area community.
This year’s winners are the following individuals.
• Not-for-Profit Leader of the Year — Johanna Anderson, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services — for her remarkable leadership during this challenging time.
• Business Leader of the Year — Patrick Blackman, Coltivare — for his inspiring leadership to the Coltivare staff, TC3 students, and Ithaca community.
• Rookie of the Year — Ben Sandberg, The History Center in Tompkins County — for his creativity and commitment as a new leader of The History Center during this challenging year.
• Entrepreneur of the Year — Olivia Ashline-Royale, Easy Living Hats — for her exceptional entrepreneurship and dedication to supporting the Ithaca community.
• Volunteer of the Year — Juliana Garcia, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County — for her contributions toward developing the Tompkins County Mutual Aid response, with the help of her team.
• Essential Worker “Hero” Award — Emily Mallar, Cayuga Health Partners — for her exceptional efforts of providing rapid medical communications throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling the medical community to reduce the number of hospitalizations and emergency-room visits.
• Above and Beyond Award — Melissa Madden, PressBay Food Hub — for her work in bringing fresh, local food to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tompkins Connect says it is inviting all members of the community to honor and celebrate these young professionals at the free, virtual 2021 Fab5 Young Professional Awards Celebration on Thursday, March 4, from 6-7:30 p.m.
The event will be live-streamed with a watch-party option for those who would like to virtually see and chat with other guests attending the event.
“Fab5 is a unique event that showcases the great work young professionals are doing in our community,” David Walton, event and program manager at the Tompkins Chamber and member of the Fab5 planning committee, said in the release. “This past year has been challenging in so many ways, but it has been inspiring to see so many people step up and help each other out.”
Tompkins Trust Company President and CEO Greg Hartz says young professionals like those honored in these awards are critical to the community’s future.
“There are countless young professionals living and working in our community who are shaping both the short-term and long-term success of our organizations. Our young professionals are so important to the healthy future of our community and we are pleased to honor these young professionals for their achievements,” he said. “It is especially important to recognize the accomplishments of our young professionals who have stepped up to help our community this past year, as COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on our community.”
The Fab5 Awards are co-sponsored by Communiqué Design & Marketing and the Tompkins Chamber. Visit http://www.tompkinschamber.org/Fab5Awards to learn more about the winners and to register for the event.
Tompkins Connect is a local young professional organization, which was formed in 2010 and currently has more than 700 members. Tompkins Connect is housed within the Tompkins Chamber. The mission is to connect young professionals and emerging leaders through networking, community building, and volunteerism in Tompkins County.
OPINION: Cuomo’s nursing-home coverup needs to be fully investigated
It has never been clearer that there must be a full and immediate investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s nursing-home coverup and the circumstances surrounding the loss of 15,000 senior citizens to COVID-19. A report from the state attorney general indicated missteps by the administration, namely underreporting the true death toll by 50 percent and requiring the homes
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It has never been clearer that there must be a full and immediate investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s nursing-home coverup and the circumstances surrounding the loss of 15,000 senior citizens to COVID-19. A report from the state attorney general indicated missteps by the administration, namely underreporting the true death toll by 50 percent and requiring the homes to admit COVID-19 positive residents, which greatly contributed to the spread of the disease.
The governor’s deflections and finger-pointing have run their course. [In a Feb. 15 COVID-19 briefing], he blamed the failures of the state’s nursing-home response on political attacks, delays caused by his own staff, and a previously unmentioned “void,” which provided a space for conspiracies to take root.
If, as the governor claims, the inquiry from the federal Department of Justice occupied so much time and attention, why not release the information that was ultimately given to federal authorities? Additionally, the state Department of Health has more than 5,000 professionals working for the agency. That would seem to be enough manpower to ensure requests are fulfilled in an efficient manner.
The time for the governor’s spin is over. The time to act is now. Anyone involved in the [state’s nursing-home] decisions must be accountable for their decisions, and right now every possible mechanism to find accountability is on the table.
The New York Legislature must remove Gov. Cuomo’s emergency authorities and initiate subpoena-driven public hearings. The state attorney general’s office and federal Department of Justice must continue with expanded investigations until we arrive at the truth.
William (Will) A. Barclay, Republican, is the New York Assembly Minority Leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact Barclay at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us. This article is drawn and edited from a statement Barclay issued on Feb. 15 and a Feb. 12 column he wrote.
OPINION: Good Foreign Policy is Good Domestic Policy, and Vice-Versa
There was an interesting moment in Washington, D.C. at the end of January, on Antony Blinken’s first full day as secretary of state. Meeting with the press corps that covers the State Department, he called an independent press “a cornerstone of our democracy,” and told the assembled reporters, “You keep the American people and the world informed
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There was an interesting moment in Washington, D.C. at the end of January, on Antony Blinken’s first full day as secretary of state. Meeting with the press corps that covers the State Department, he called an independent press “a cornerstone of our democracy,” and told the assembled reporters, “You keep the American people and the world informed about what we do here. That’s key to our mission.”
I have no doubt that there will be plenty of tense moments between Blinken and the journalists who cover U.S. foreign policy. But Blinken’s comment — meant to signal a change from the hostile relationship that developed under the previous administration —underscored a key facet of American diplomacy: what happens at home affects our posture and capabilities abroad. Just as important, how we conduct ourselves abroad says a great deal about who we are at home.
One way to think about this is to imagine a foreign policy that puts us at the forefront of curbing human-rights abuses around the world or that makes certain that in cases of major natural disasters, the U.S. leads the way in providing disaster relief. These actions send messages about who we are as a nation — and as the American people — that resonate with ordinary people the world over, even if foreign regimes sometimes resent them.
Boiled down, we ought not to apologize for trying to do the right thing as a country. If we can be a factor for improvement and a force for good in the world, that will have profound consequences for the way the world looks at us and the way we look at ourselves. Trying to do good in the world is good foreign policy, and I would argue makes us stronger and safer at home.
But you can see the issue. We are only as strong abroad as we are at home. A nation incapable of managing a pandemic response or riven by conspiracy theories and misinformation or unable to nurture its economy in ways that improve the lives of those who are not already wealthy will struggle to project strength and confidence abroad. That is because there is a direct line between the ideals we seek to communicate and our ability to practice them at home. I have never yet heard of “do as I say, not as I do” turning out to be a good strategy.
This is why I believe our struggles at home over basic democratic processes — over the right to vote and the way those votes are counted — leave us weaker abroad. It is hard to take the greatest democracy in the world seriously when many of its elected leaders were willing to seek to overturn the results of a legitimate election, or when state leaders pursue policies aimed at limiting the ability of voters to cast their ballots.
In the end, you cannot separate foreign and domestic policy. They are different aspects of the same world. What you do about one affects the other.
Over the next few years, if we can do the right thing regarding domestic issues — from the environment to ballot access to the economy — it will strengthen our hand in foreign policy, since of course the rest of the world watches us closely. And if we can use our dealings and posture abroad to stand for the best of American ideals — promoting decency, respecting individuals’ rights, settling disputes as often as possible through responsible negotiation, nurturing democracy and the institutions that sustain it — we will undoubtedly reap the benefits at home. That would come in the form of strong political and economic relationships, healthy alliances with friendly nations, and a position as a world leader widely seen as deserving the role.
Lee Hamilton, 89, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south central Indiana.
WILL LANDRY recently joined ABC Creative as media coordinator. In this position, he will gather information, build media strategies, and analyze campaigns at completion. Landry brings years of sales experience and media expertise to the firm. Some of his previous positions included media buyer, account manager, corporate-partnerships executive, and sales manager. Landry is a mass
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WILL LANDRY recently joined ABC Creative as media coordinator. In this position, he will gather information, build media strategies, and analyze campaigns at completion. Landry brings years of sales experience and media expertise to the firm. Some of his previous positions included media buyer, account manager, corporate-partnerships executive, and sales manager. Landry is a mass communications and media studies graduate of SUNY Oswego.
Digital Hyve recently hired MEGHAN ROSS, a Syracuse University alumna, as the newest senior account manager on the account-services team. In this position, she supports the account-services team and Digital Hyve’s clients in the development and execution of digital-marketing strategies and campaigns to reach client goals. JULIA BOYER has joined the execution team as the
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Digital Hyve recently hired MEGHAN ROSS, a Syracuse University alumna, as the newest senior account manager on the account-services team. In this position, she supports the account-services team and Digital Hyve’s clients in the development and execution of digital-marketing strategies and campaigns to reach client goals.
JULIA BOYER has joined the execution team as the company’s newest digital-marketing producer. She brings previous organic-marketing experience to her new position. Boyer will be executing digital-marketing campaigns for a variety of clients as well as providing support and working closely with the Digital Hyve team.
PETE THOMSON has been named VP, commercial credit officer in the business lending department at Empower Federal Credit Union. A graduate of the University at Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he has more than 30 years of banking experience, including 13 years in commercial lending to businesses in New York state. MIKE
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PETE THOMSON has been named VP, commercial credit officer in the business lending department at Empower Federal Credit Union. A graduate of the University at Buffalo with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he has more than 30 years of banking experience, including 13 years in commercial lending to businesses in New York state.
MIKE DUNNE has been named VP, commercial loan officer in the business lending department at Empower. He graduated from Siena College, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration-accounting, and has more than 30 years of commercial-lending experience. Dunne is also a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army, having served five tours of duty in Desert Storm, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq (two).
The Hangar Theatre has named SHIRLEY SEROTSKY artistic director. She served as the Hangar Theatre associate artistic director and education director from September 2019 to October 2020, and as interim artistic director since October 2020. Serotsky succeeds Michael Barakiva, who served as the theatre’s artistic director from September 2016 to October 2020. R.J. Lavine was
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The Hangar Theatre has named SHIRLEY SEROTSKY artistic director. She served as the Hangar Theatre associate artistic director and education director from September 2019 to October 2020, and as interim artistic director since October 2020. Serotsky succeeds Michael Barakiva, who served as the theatre’s artistic director from September 2016 to October 2020. R.J. Lavine was recently appointed as the Hangar Theatre managing director, and Lavine and Serotsky will co-lead the Hangar. A native of Rochester, Serotsky holds a master’s degree in directing and theatrical production from Catholic University and a bachelor’s degree in drama and directing from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She also studied musical theatre at the University of Michigan. Serotsky participated as an actor in the Hangar Theatre Lab Company during college and after college, spent almost two decades in the Washington, D.C. area-honing her craft as a theatre director, artistic producer, dramaturg, and educator. She held leadership and educational positions while conducting an active freelance directing career. She most recently served as staff dramaturg and public programmer for Mosaic Theater Company, and as a co-director of the Director’s Intensive for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Between 2008 and 2016 she served in a series of leadership positions. Serotsky has taught and mentored students from the age of six to 86 in the fields of directing, acting, improvisation, dramaturgy, play analysis, theatre appreciation, new-play development, and auditioning techniques in both a classroom setting and for resident theatre education programs.
DAWN S. MCWILLIAMS has been appointed director of marketing and communications at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, effective Feb. 15. She brings 30 years of higher-education experience from various colleges and universities in New York state. McWilliams recently served as director of marketing and communications at Cornell University’s College of
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DAWN S. MCWILLIAMS has been appointed director of marketing and communications at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, effective Feb. 15. She brings 30 years of higher-education experience from various colleges and universities in New York state. McWilliams recently served as director of marketing and communications at Cornell University’s College of Engineering, where she had been since 2011. Prior to that, she was the executive director for marketing and communications at the University of Rochester’s William E. Simon School of Business. Her track record of success at the two universities included managing the strategic marketing and communications functions, developing high-performing teams, managing high-level public relations campaigns, and integrating the brands and concepts worldwide. In addition, McWilliams has sat on Cornell Engineering’s Diversity & Inclusion Internal Advisory group and brings strong leadership skills. She has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, as well as an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
DAN D’ANDREANO has joined S.E.E.D. Planning Group as a wealth manager in the firm’s Syracuse office. He will be working with individuals and families, coordinating their financial plans, including their investments, estates, and taxes. D’Andreano has acquired more than 26 years of experience working as a financial advisor. Prior to joining S.E.E.D., he worked at
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DAN D’ANDREANO has joined S.E.E.D. Planning Group as a wealth manager in the firm’s Syracuse office. He will be working with individuals and families, coordinating their financial plans, including their investments, estates, and taxes. D’Andreano has acquired more than 26 years of experience working as a financial advisor. Prior to joining S.E.E.D., he worked at TIAA-CREF for seven years serving as a wealth-manager advisor, primarily to Syracuse University and SUNY Upstate Medical University. D’Andreano also worked at M&T Securities and First Niagara Bank as a VP and financial advisor.
DICK WORDEN will retire as New York Chiropractic College’s (NYCC) associate VP of administrative services on April 30, after 30 years of service. He came to the college after a number of years as office manager of the Hogan-Souhan Dairy in Auburn, and as general manager of Seneca Falls’ Gould Hotel. Worden joined NYCC as
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DICK WORDEN will retire as New York Chiropractic College’s (NYCC) associate VP of administrative services on April 30, after 30 years of service. He came to the college after a number of years as office manager of the Hogan-Souhan Dairy in Auburn, and as general manager of Seneca Falls’ Gould Hotel. Worden joined NYCC as director of purchasing in 1991, just before the college’s move to Seneca Falls, and was instrumental in the openings of the new campus and NYCC health centers across New York state. Throughout his time at the college, Worden was promoted to assistant VP of administrative services and then associate VP of administrative services. He has served as a member of the college’s senior staff for the last 20 years. Worden has also provided service to the professions as a long-time test administrator for the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and has held leadership positions and served on the boards of the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP) and the United Way of Seneca County.
Current associate VP of information technology, CHRISTOPHER MCQUEENEY, was promoted to VP of administrative services and will oversee the newly established Administrative Services Division. The division includes IT, facilities, purchasing, the health and fitness center, the mailroom, and central duplication. McQueeney has been with NYCC since October 2013. He earned a bachelor’s degree in corporate communications from Ithaca College and an MBA from Syracuse University. Immediately prior to NYCC, McQueeney worked for Empower Federal Credit Union in Syracuse, where he served as VP of information technology and VP of risk management and facilities, respectively.
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