27 complete year-long Leadership Orleans program
‘I’ve always loved Orleans County but now I have a better understanding of it’
Photos by Tom Rivers: The class of the 2024 Leadership Orleans program is pictured after the graduation program on Thursday evening at the White Birch Golf Course in Lyndonville. Pictured front row from left: Marsha Rivers, Courtney Henderson, Barbara Koert, Reita Fletcher, Melinda Daniels, Melinda Rhim, Linda Weller, Pam Rounds and Tina Bell. Second row: Lisa Stenshorn, Lisa Bors, June Robinson, Tiffany Smith, Rebecca Robinson, Stacy Silker, Mike Winter, J.T. Thomas and Darren Brodie. Back row: Liz Mastromatteo, Gregory Hallock, Betty Sue Miller, Scott Robinson and Jeffrey Pasnik. Missing from photo: Walt Breese, Justin Robinson, Brad Pritchard and Deborah Schiavone.
LYNDONVILLE – The seventh class of Leadership Orleans has completed the year-long program where 27 people learned about different sectors of the county each month.
The new class of graduates brings the total to 176 who have completed the program in its seven years.
Skip Helfrich, the program’s director since it started in 2018, commended the class for committing to learn about themselves and the local community.
“We are making people more aware of what this county is all about,” he said during the graduation program on Thursday evening at the White Birch Golf Course.
Orleans County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson addressed the group, and said their talents and commitment to the community are needed in Orleans County.
The county needs more people to serve on boards, in elected positions, as coaches and other leadership roles, she said.
Many are deterred because of the time commitment, the workload and the criticism that comes from being in a leadership position, she said.
“Our community thrives when the best and the brightest – and that includes all of you – are actively engaged, sharing ideas, challenging each other in constructive ways and ultimately offering solutions that move our community forward,” Johnson said.
The graduates include:
- Tina Bell, office manager for Art Hill Excavating in Medina
- Lisa Bors, public relations director for Arc GLOW
- Walt Breese, president of Subway in Albion
- Darren Brodie, environmental health director for Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
- Melinda Daniels, executive assistant for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
- Reita Fletcher, branch manager of M&T Bank in Lyndonville
- Gregory Hallock, executive director of Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council (GO Art!)
- Courtney Henderson, owner of Babe Cave Inc. in Albion
- Barbara Koert, assistant director of UConnectCare (formerly GCASA) in Albion
- Liz Mastromatteo, coordinator/assistant principal of Orleans/Niagara BOCES in Medina
- Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library in Albion
- Jeffrey Pasnik, council rep for North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters in Cheektowaga
- Brad Pritchard, principal of Albion Middle School
- Melinda Rhim, coordinator of care management for Orleans County Mental Health Department
- Marsha Rivers, pastor of First Baptist Church in Albion
- Becky Robinson, partner with The Vintage Cigar in Medina
- June Robinson, associate director of quality at Baxter Healthcare in Medina
- Justin Robinson, dairy farmer with Poverty Hill Farms in Albion
- Scott Robinson, director of marketing for Orleans Community Health
- Pam Rounds, supervisor at Baxter Healthcare in Medina
- Debbie Schiavone, payroll administrator for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee
- Stacy Silker, court clerk for Town of Ridgeway and Town of Yates
- Tiffany Smith, assistant chief of nursing for Rochester Regional Health
- Lisa Stenshorn, clerk of the Orleans County Legislature
- JT Thomas, operations director at Iroquois Job Corps in Medina
- Linda Weller of Albion, president of Info Advantage Inc. in Rochester
- Mike Winter, controller for Western New York Energy in Medina
Melinda Daniels, executive assistant for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, is congratulated for completing the Leadership Orleans program. She received a certificate from the New York State Assembly and a Special Recognition Award from the Orleans County Legislature. The people offering congratulations include County Legislator Skip Draper; Eileen Banker, Assemblyman Steve Hawley’s chief of staff; Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson; Jackie Dunham, member of Leadership Orleans steering committee; and Kelly Kiebala, chairwoman of the steering committee.
The program aims to build the “citizen capital” of the community, helping develop leaders who are educated on the many facets of the community.
The class in the opening retreat did many ice-breaker activities to get to know each other. They also learned about their individual strengths and weaknesses, their personality types and how that shapes their decision-making and tendencies.
The class then met monthly, building leadership skills and gaining knowledge, experiences and meeting people from many different sectors in the community, from agriculture, non-profit organizations, government services, small and larger businesses, tourism, arts and culture, community health and economic development. Next year the program will add a day focused on law enforcement.
The program receives a stipend from the county, and there are many sponsors of programs throughout the years. The class members also pay tuition to be in Leadership Orleans.
Photo by Marsha Rivers: Michelle Kingdollar, chief financial officer for Western New York Energy and a Leadership Orleans graduate, leads a tour of the ethanol plant in March. WNY Energy won the “First Impression Award” among the host sites in the past year. Leadership Orleans visited 34 sites in the past year.
Bill Lattin, retired as Orleans County historian and director of the Cobblestone Museum, won the award as “Presenter of the Year.” He was called a master storyteller and a “local legend.” He was among 53 presenters for the program in 2024.
Lattin shared a famous quote from Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
And he shared a quote from Robert G. Ingersoll: “Life is a narrow vale between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, and the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry.”
Lattin said we are all given a short time on Earth to make a difference. We need leaders with talent and vision to serve the community.
Susan Howard, a graduate from the 2022 Leadership Orleans program, was named “Alumnus of the Year.” Howard, the county’s first assistant district attorney, was elected district attorney in November and starts on Jan. 1, replacing Joe Cardone who is retiring. Howard said the program helped convince her to step up her involvement in the community and to seek being the DA, the county’s top prosecutor.
Linda Weller, president of Hoag Library and president of Info Advantage Inc., is hugged by Kelly Kiebala. Weller has lived in Orleans County for nearly 40 years. She learned many new things about the county, including its status as a “fishing mecca” drawing thousands of fishermen each year, especially for the fall tributary season.
Weller she was inspired by many of the presenters throughout the year who shared a passion for their careers.
“I learned so much about our county and the resources that we have here,” she said. “So many people are doing the best they can for our community.”
Tiffany Smith, assistant chief of nursing for Rochester Regional Health, completed the year-long Leadership Orleans.
Scott Robinson, director of marketing for Orleans Community Health, is commended for his participation in the program.
Betty Sue Miller, director of Hoag Library, was picked by the class to share reflections on the past year for the group. She said the class all learned about themselves, each other and opportunities and challenges in the county.
Miller said people bring different backgrounds, different personalities, and different ways of learning.
“As leaders, we can’t pigeon-hole our employees or volunteers,” she said.
Miller said she is the oldest person in the class this year. She learned more about the community, and saw passion from people who are often overlooked.
She highlighted a tour of the Albion sewer plant, led by chief operator Aric Albright. He has worked there for 30 years.
“It was just amazing,” she said about the tour of the plant on Densmore Road in Albion. “Aric, there is a man who loves his job.”
JT Thomas, operations director at the Iroquois Job Corps, accepts his certificates for completing the program.
Thomas was pleased to meet people from many different employment backgrounds in the class.
He feels more pride in the county after completing the program.
“I’ve always loved Orleans County but now I have a better understanding of it,” he said.
