Brockport college president honored with ATHENA award

Photo courtesy of Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce: The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and its Women’s Council affiliate presented ATHENA awards on Thursday to, from left: Kimberly Jones, CEO of Butler/Till Media Services; Dr. Heidi Macpherson, president of The College at Brockport – State University of New York; and  Julie Camardo, Zweigle’s owner and CEO.

ROCEHSTER – Dr. Heidi Macpherson, president of The College at Brockport, was presented with the ATHENA International Award on Thursday by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and its Women’s Council affiliate.

The award is given annually to a professional female leader who has demonstrated significant achievements in business, community service, and the professional advancement of women.

Macpherson is the seventh president of The College at Brockport and the first woman to hold this role. Macpherson has 25 years of experience in higher education as an English professor and administrator in both the United States and England, having previously held positions of Provost, Pro Vice Chancellor, and Dean.

She has written or edited seven books, including a three-volume encyclopedia set. She is the chair of the Rochester Area Colleges Presidents Network. She has held a number of positions on national education bodies and volunteer boards in the UK, Wisconsin, and New York.

Currently she serves as co-chair of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council and on the boards of the Rochester and Monroe County YWCA, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, the Willow Domestic Violence Center, the United Way of Greater Rochester, and Roc the Future Convenors Group. She is also an active member of Rotary International.

The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce also on Thursday presented its ATHENA Young Professional Award to Julie Camardo, the fifth-generation owner and CEO of Zweigle’s.

The ATHENA Young Professional Award recognizes emerging leaders in the 30 to 45 year old range who demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession. Recipients also provide valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life of others in the community while serving as a role model for young women both personally and professionally.

Camardo started in the office environment and then transitioned to sales while both her grandfather and mother were still at Zweigle’s. In 2005, Camardo was named vice president. She took over as president of Zweigle’s in 2009 after her mother passed away. In 2015, the Zweigle’s Board of Directors named her CEO.

Under Camardo, Zweigle’s expanded two times and has grown in product diversification, sales and employees. The company is guided by four core values of quality, caring, accountability, and integrity, each representative of one of the prior generations.

Camardo is committed to the community where she lives. She sits on the boards of the MCC Foundation, ESL, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Holy Childhood, and Special Touch Bakery. She is a strong supporter of the Golisano Children’s Hospital, Susan B. Anthony House, United Way, and The Strong.  She is also a current member of the Vistage organization.

The ATHENA Organizational Award was presented to Butler/Till Media Services. The award goes to a woman-owned or woman-led business or organization that creates a culture encouraging women employees to achieve their full leadership potential and supports leadership development opportunities for women and girls in the community.

Butler/Till is home to more than 150 employees, of which 65% are female. It remains headquartered in Rochester and has added satellite offices in New York City and San Francisco. With a strong women leadership team as a significant driver of organizational growth and prosperity at Butler/Till, the company has experienced double-digit revenue increases in each of the past eight years.

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