Provided photo: Renee Hungerford, director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, is shown accepting an Innovation Award from the New York State Community Action Association, presented at the annual Professional Development Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Rochester on Sept. 29.

ROCHESTER – Renee Hungerford, director of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, and Community Action have been chosen as the recipient of the 2022 Innovation Award for their work with the Axis of Care Pilot.

Axis of Care was developed by Hungerford to increase access to healthcare for the homeless and housing for insecure families across Orleans County. The award is given by the New York State Community Action Association’s Membership Development Committee and was presented Sept. 29 at the 2022 Annual Professional Development Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rochester.

“I want to express my congratulations to Renee and the agency on their exemplary work that led to this award,” said Charles Barbay, project manager with New York State Community Action Association, in a letter to Hungerford.

The award is presented to a Community Action agency’s current project, program or initiative that demonstrated an innovative and effective response to a community challenge, addressing a need in the community, according to Barbay.

“I am honored that NYSCAA has chosen us as the recipient of the Innovation Award for our Axis of Care program,” Hungerford said. “This program is a one-year pilot, funded by the Finger Lakes Performing Providers Association, with the goal of demonstrating the critical role that community-based organizations like Community Action of Orleans and Genesee play in healthcare and wellness.

“The program will demonstrate how health outcomes can be improved with lowered costs by addressing social determinants of health, along with connecting individuals to healthcare services,” she said. “This program was developed primarily to help individuals in need, but is also intended to demonstrate why community-based organizations are a vital part of healthcare delivery and why we deserve a seat at the table in value-based contracting and SDOH service insurance reimbursement.”

Hungerford co-presented about the program with their partners at Continual Care Solutions, the creator of ImPowr. In addition, Melinda Chaffee and Hungerford were honored to be asked to participate in a recorded panel discussion about Community Action. This recording will be available at NYSCAA Learns in the near future.

Press release and photo courtesy of Orleans/Niagara BOCES

The Orleans/Niagara BOCES recently named its employees of the year for the 2021-2022 school year. Employees are nominated by their peers and a committee selects an awardee in each of these categories: Administrator, Clerical, Continuing Education, Custodial/Maintenance, Staff Specialist, Substitute, Teacher Aide and Teacher.

Amanda Bennett is the Administrator of the Year. She is the former Principal at the Niagara Academy. She worked there for the past seven years. Bennett said her favorite part of her job was the people.  “I loved the kids and being able to help them and watch them succeed. The graduation ceremony was always an emotional time with saying good-bye to them and reflecting on the graduates. I love the staff, especially my office staff. The people at BOCES really have their hearts in the right place. They are all about the kids.”

On learning she was named an employee of the year, she said, “I felt humbled to receive Administrator of the Year. My colleagues in administration are the hardest working people I have ever met in my life. To be selected amongst that group is an incredible honor.”

Bernadette George is the Clerical Person of the Year. She started her position as Senior Clerk in the Labor Relations Department in December 2014.

“I like the people that I work with and that makes any job a lot better,” she said. “I also like creating databases and helping others.”

She is honored being awarded Clerical Person of the Year. “It felt nice. It was a total surprise and the pat on the back was appreciated.”

Jennifer Moreland is the Continuing Education Employee of the Year. She has worked as a case manager at the Lockport Community Education building since 2017. Moreland said her favorite part of her job is her students.

“They are wonderful, hardworking people seeking opportunities,” she said. “In my current position, I serve students with ingenuity and creativity while collaborating with hardworking colleagues who each bring a new perspective and a plethora of experience. There is never a dull moment in our program!”

“I was so grateful to have received this award. I was nice to be nominated and I am appreciative of the people with whom I work.”

Mark Vivian is the Custodian/Maintenance Person of the Year. He has been a maintenance worker at Orleans/Niagara BOCES since 1979.  “My favorite part of my job that every day is different.  It is never the same and I work with great people,” he said.

Vivian said he was very surprised to win the award.  “It was unexpected and very nice to receive it. I am retiring shortly and it was a great going away present.”

Cheryl Herman is the Staff Specialist of the Year. She has been the Director of the Orleans-Niagara Teacher Center since 2007. “I actually started at BOCES in 2001 as a Computer Support Specialist for the career and technical education teachers and the Teacher Center. I left for a couple of years to teach high school Business in Medina from 2003-2005 and returned as a Computer Specialist. So all together I have been at BOCES for almost 18 years!”

When asked her favorite part of her job, she answered, “I love to collaborate and share with fellow colleagues. I love being able to bring awareness about new technologies to teachers and also train them in essential topics like Social Emotional Learning, Culturally Responsive Teaching and Educational Technology. Our NYS Teacher Center Network enables me to make connections across New York that most people do not get to make and these connections provide me the ability to bring vital information and knowledge to all of my consortium teachers.”

She said, “I was very excited and surprised to win Employee of the Year! Our staff specialist group has so many amazing employees and I am honored and humbled to have been chosen to be this year’s recipient. I would not be where I was without the support and friendship of all my colleagues.  A huge thank you and shout out to all of them!”

Mandy Baker was named the Substitute of the Year. She has been a substitute at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center for the past two years and is starting her third year.

Baker said her favorite part is that she is different places every day.  “I love getting to meet all the students!”  She had this to say about winning the Employee of the Year award: “This is very exciting and I feel very blessed. I am glad my hard work pays off for people to notice!”

Jeff LaFountain is the Teacher Aide of the Year. He is currently working at the Orleans Learning Center and has been working with BOCES for 20 years.

“My favorite part of my job working and interacting with the students and my coworkers,” he said. “Winning the award was a pleasant surprise. I thank my coworkers and employers for this honor.”

Richard Tynan was named the Teacher of the Year. He retired this past school year and taught English at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center since 2004. Before that he subbed and taught adult education.

When asked his favorite part of his career, “Undoubtedly the way academics were embedded into the various curricula. Students could see that literacy skills are necessary and helpful to completion of real-world tasks. I also liked working with students as they grappled with more adult workplace situations in which they assumed (sometimes) more adult responsibilities. It was fun to see their enthusiasm and engagement and to see glimmers of the amazing adults many are becoming.”

He had this to say about winning Teacher of the Year, “I am undeserving of the honor, but grateful for the recognition. It has been lots of fun. I’d like to imagine that I did some good. There are many teachers I feel are more deserving than I. The skill and dedication of the O-N BOCES staff has always made me proud to be part of the organization.”

Press Release, Daughters of American Revolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 4,000 members of the Daughters of the American Revolution gathered this past week in the nation’s capital for their 131st Continental Congress, the service organization’s annual meeting.

Patrice Powley Birner

The week-long convention, which was projected to draw the largest attendance in the organization’s history, consisted of business sessions, committee meetings and social functions, in addition to formal evening ceremonies that honored national award winners and featured outstanding keynote speakers. This year’s convention was the first in-person gathering in three years, after the 2020 and 2021 editions were conducted virtually due to the pandemic.

In attendance was New York State Regent Patrice Powley Birner, a member of the Orleans Chapter in Albion. Birner was elected to the office of Vice President General at this year’s Continental Congress. She will serve a term of three years with NSDAR’s National Board of Management. Each year, seven new Vice Presidents General are elected for a total of twenty-one serving at any one time. These National officers advise and guide the work of the society.

Patrice Powley Birner has served the NSDAR since becoming a member in 2004. At the chapter level, she has served as Treasurer, Regent, and Vice Regent. In 2015, she was selected as the New York State Organization’s State Outstanding Chapter Regent.

While serving as State Historian, she managed the digitizing and rebinding of 102 volumes of state history. During her term as State Regent, Birner’s State Regent’s Project has raised awareness about General Lafayette and his 1824-1825 Farewell Tour by placing historic markers across New York and sponsoring webisodes of “Follow the Frenchmen” as part of the national Lafayette Trail project. In addition to serving as State Regent, she currently serves on the National Board of Management and as National Chair of the VanBuren President General’s Project. Birner also served on the Continental Congress House Committee – President General’s Project Sales, 2013-2016, and participated in the 2019 National DAR Schools Tour.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Patrice Birner, state regent of the DAR, spoke on April 14, 2021 at the dedication event for a new historical marker in Albion to recognize the farewell tour in 1824-1825 to honor Marquis de Lafayette, a young French aristocrat and military officer served with George Washington. Lafayette traveled on the Erie Canal from Lockport to Rochester in June 1825 to great fanfare.

The DAR Continental Congress is a time-honored annual event that has been held in Washington, D.C. since the organization’s founding. Members from across the country and around the world gather at the DAR National Headquarters to report on the year’s work, honor outstanding award recipients, plan future initiatives and reconnect with friends.

To learn more about its important work, visit www.DAR.org.

Press Release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Photo courtesy of DEC: Thomas Russell Jr. of Albion caught this record-setting fish on June 15  at Cayuga Lake in Seneca County.

ALBION – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced a new state record for smallmouth bass was set on June 15, opening day for bass harvest season.

Thomas Russell Jr. of Albion reeled in an eight-pound, six-ounce smallmouth bass from Cayuga Lake, Seneca County. Russell’s bass surpassed the previous record by two ounces, a tie between fish caught on Lake Erie in 1995, and in the St. Lawrence River in 2016.

“Smallmouth bass are one of New York’s most popular freshwater sportfish and it’s exciting to share the great news of Mr. Russell’s record-breaking catch,” Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “New York’s Finger Lakes are truly an angler’s paradise, providing exceptional fishing opportunities for a variety of sportfish.”

Pound for pound, smallmouth bass are considered one of the hardest-fighting freshwater fish in New York. When hooked, they will often leap acrobatically out of the water, making them a highly desirable sportfish for anglers to target. They can be found across the state in cooler lakes, rivers and creeks in rocky/gravelly areas.

Mr. Russell submitted details of his winning catch as part of DEC’s Angler Achievement Awards Program, which keeps track of state record fish. Through this program, anglers can enter freshwater fish that meet specific qualifying criteria and receive official recognition of their catch and an embroidered patch commemorating their achievement.

This is the second state record set this year. On May 8, the state record for channel catfish was broken when Bailey Williams of Watertown reeled in a 35-pound, 12-ounce channel catfish from the Black River in Jefferson County.

Provided photos: The Eng Tech Team includes Alavaro Atolaguirre (Christian Academy of Western New York), Caleb Poeller (Christian Academy of Western New York) and Liam Robinson (Lewiston-Porter).

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

Orleans/Niagara BOCES could not be prouder of all of their students who competed at the National SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

More than 6,500 outstanding career and technical education students – all contest winners – competed in 108 different trade, technical and leadership fields.

Four students from the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center brought home gold medals and one student from the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center brought home a silver medal.

Gold Medal Winners – Caleb Poeller (Christian Academy), Liam Robinson (Lewiston-Porter) and Alvaro Altolaguirre (Christian Academy) in the Eng Tech/Design Team competition. The students are in Scott Brauer’s Project Based Engineering program at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center.

Travis Franke of Starpoint celebrates with his teachers, Logan Spain (left),Travis Franke and Bob Fritton.

Gold Medal Winner – Travis Franke (Starpoint) in the Industrial Motor Controls competition. He is a student of Bob Fritton and Logan Spain in the Electricity/Electronics program at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center.

Silver Medal Winner – Zachary Luick (Lockport) in the Electronics Technology competition. Zach is a student of Bill Leggett’s Electricity/Electronics program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center.

The students competed against the state champions from all over the country and three US territories.

Teacher Bill Leggett congratulates Zachary Luick of Lockport for his silver medal.

Photo by Ginny Kropf: The Central Western Zone of the New York State Retired Educators’ Association awarded a grant to Dudley Gilbert, a security and law enforcement teacher at Niagara/Orleans BOCES. From left are Michael Mann, principal; Dudley Gilbert; Frank Berger, president of the Orleans County Retired Teachers Association, who made the presentation; and Nicole Goyette, assistant principal.

MEDINA – It is customary for the Central Western Zone of the Retired Educators of New York to recognize active educators who have shown exemplary service and leadership in their school and community located within the Central Western Zone.

On Thursday, Frank Berger, president of the Orleans County Retired Teachers’ Association, presented a Barrie Fleegel Memorial Active Educator Grant Award to Dudley Gilbert, security and law enforcement teacher at Niagara/Orleans BOCES.

Fleegel was a resident of the Central Western Zone who accomplished great things and also strongly believed and acted on his dreams. He was a family man who deeply loved his wife and daughters and son-in-law. He adored his grandchildren and was involved in many activities at St. Gregory’s Catholic Church.

Fleegel began his educational career as a science teach in Marion in 1955 and was also curriculum coordinator during this period. He became high school principal in 1971 and two years later, he was elevated to the position of Marion superintendent. After retiring in 1995, he immediately became a member of New York State Retired Teachers Association.

The then served as Wayne County president and Central Western Zone vice president from 1998-2000. He was elected zone president from 2000-2003, then moved to the position of NYSRTA senior vice president.

In spite of his busy involvement, Fleegel also supervised student teachers from Oswego State College until his illness in the fall of 2005.

Gilbert, a resident of Buffalo, has a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies from the University of Buffalo. He has taught security and law enforcement at BOCES for the last 4 1/2 years.

A condition of his employment requires him to take six mandatory classes. He took the first five at Buffalo State College and is completing the sixth class there.

Gilbert said he did not receive any financial aid for any of the classes. He has awards for perfect attendance and is tenured.

He has been involved in extracurricular activities at BOCES, including Skills USA, a craft fair which is a major fundraiser for the organization. He employs his student volunteers to act as traffic security officers, which he supervises on his own time.

With commuting 100 miles a day to BOCES and taking extra classes, Gilbert said he is not able at this time to be involved in community service. However, in the past, he was involved with the Boys and Girls Club of America and the African-American Heritage Corridor in Buffalo/Lewiston/Niagara Falls.

He was previously a state trooper, and upon completion of that career he wanted to do something that kept young people out of the back of a troop car, he said.

“I also wanted to teach them not only lesson in my curriculum, but also lessons for life,” Gilbert said. “Every year on the first day of school I write the number of days remaining in the year. If it is 180, I tell my seniors, ‘This is how many days you have remaining in the program. But my real job is to prepare you for day 181.’”

Most completed their college work through GCC’s STEM enrichment program

Press release and photo courtesy of Genesee Community College

BATAVIA – Genesee Community College celebrated its 54th annual commencement ceremony on May 21 with a group of 15 students from area high schools and homeschools deserving special mention.

They completed their GCC degree requirements concurrently with their high school diplomas or New York State Equivalents. These 15 graduates participated in the fourth annual cohort of the College’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) enrichment program through GCC’s Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) Office.

These high achieving individuals include the following: Alexander Wright (Perry), Chase Graham (Alexander), Corden Zimmerman (Byron-Bergen), Elizabeth McCarthy (Batavia), Elli Schelemanow (Byron-Bergen), Jordyn Tobolski (Oakfield), Katarina Luker (Alexander), McKenna Johnson (Oakfield), Megan Zakes (Medina), Rebecca Clemens (Lyndonville), Samantha Nusstein (Attica), Sarah Volpe (Elba), Sophie Fulton (Batavia), Zachary Neal (Homeschool), Bethany Faben (Homeschool) and Markus Faben (Homeschool). Emily Harling (Albion) did not take part in the STEM Enrichment Program, but did earn a GCC degree alongside her high school diploma.

The STEM Enrichment program began in 2012 allowing the students to start their college studies as early as the seventh grade. In addition to their traditional schoolwork, they enrolled in college level coursework each year taking advantage of many academic opportunities and successfully completing all of the rigorous challenges of an associate degree.

“Once again this year, we are delighted to celebrate the achievements of our STEM program students who have worked hard to earn GCC degrees along with their high school diplomas or the New York State Equivalent, in the case of our homeschooled students,” said Ed Levinstein, associate dean of GCC’s ACE program. “I commend their hard work and dedication to their studies, as well as the excellent contributions they make to GCC’s classes and college community.”

Genesee Community College’s 54th annual commencement was held in-person at the Richard C. Call Arena and featured special guest Keynote Speaker Daniel P. Ireland, president of United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.

College recognizes other staff for achievement during past year

Photo courtesy of GCC: The 2022 SUNY Chancellor Award winners at GCC are, from left: Rachel A. Czechonski, Karen K. Wicka, Esq., Florence A. Radley and Thomas W. Kinsey. Absent: Lina M. LaMattina, Ed. D.

Press Release, Genesee Community College

BATAVIA – Genesee Community College held its fifth annual Employees Serving Beyond Expectations ceremony on May 17 when the college formally honored the many outstanding achievements of GCC’s faculty and staff.

Among the highest honors were recognizing the recipients of the prestigious 2022 State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Award for Excellence, which includes the following:

• Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching – Rachel A. Czechonski, Adjunct Instructor
• Award for Excellence in Classified Service – Florence A. Radley, Financial Aid Clerk Typist
• Award for Excellence in Faculty Service – Karen K. Wicka, Esq., Criminal Justice Professor
• Award for Excellence in Professional Service – Thomas W. Kinsey, Institutional Research and Planning Reporting Analyst
• Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities – Lina M. LaMattina, Ed. D., Director of Business Programs, Assistant Professor

“The past few years at Genesee Community College have been unlike any other years we have been through,” GCC’s President James M. Sunser said. “Like our students, GCC faculty and staff have continually adapted to provide the best possible campus environment. For that reason, it is important for all of us to recognize our achievements in serving beyond expectations.”

In addition to the SUNY Chancellors Awards, the “Serving Beyond Expectations” ceremony also recognized 31 employees with extensive years of service with benchmarks of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service to GCC. The college also recognized individuals in seven unique categories of service known as the “Cougar Awards,” which were awarded in the following areas:

• Innovation Award for one who’s implemented idea made a positive impact on GCC – Karlyn M. Backus, Registrar
• Cougar Salute for a supervisor or manager consistently demonstrating GCC’s core values – Shelitha W. Williams, Vice President for Student & Enrollment Services
• Inclusive Excellence Award for a significant role in embracing the diversity, equity and inclusiveness of the campus community – Madeline E. Reichler, Community, Equity & Diversity Specialist
• Rookie of the Year Award for the outstanding achievements of a new staff member – Allison McAdoo, Student Financial Services Advisor
• Spirit and Community Award for exemplary school spirit – Deborah A. Erion, Student Success Coach
• President’s Award for the efforts and services of an individual in support of the college’s mission and strategic priorities – Macy A. Reyngoudt, Counselor
• Teamwork Award for superior performance by a department or cross functional team –Campus Safety – Erik L. Anderson, Alex C. Brownlie, David P. Childs, Gregg A. Evans, Edgardo Guzman, Randal J. Henning, Brenda D. Hoffman-Case, David J. Lester, Joseph D. Meacham, Elizabeth A. Mills, Allison R. Parente, Daniel J. Wendling, Hunter S. Webster and Stephen P. Wise

The Cougar Award nominees were kept secret until the awards ceremony and recipients were named live during the event.

Seven staff who retired after September 1, 2021 were acknowledged by the college president. They include: Ricky Bezon, Michele Bokman, Donna Ehrhart, Daniel Hoffman, Raymond Strzelecki, Gail Schnabl and Eileen Wekenmann.

Lastly, but no less important, the “Serving Beyond Expectations” ceremony recognizes the numerous accomplishments and contributions made by GCC’s faculty and staff throughout the past academic year.

The number and breadth of these achievements exemplifies the quality and compassion that seems near endemic across all departments and divisions at GCC. Thirty-nine members of GCC’s staff, and many of them with multiple honors and recognitions, are listed under the general awards category.

From Athletic Director of the Year to professional association officers, to serving as a presenter or a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, from furthering their own education to membership on local community committees and boards, and even a costume designer, GCC employees are an active collection of top-notch professionals motivated by passion, patriotism and the idea of making the community a better place to live and work.