By Terry Hannum

and denise ricHardson

Oneonta: Its a great place in which to work, grow and
enjoy life.
Oneonta Mayor Dick Miller uses those words as a wel-
come to visitors to the city and its website.
Like some residents, he came to Oneonta to join
Hartwick College and decided to stay. Since 2003, he has
shared his business background in academic, municipal,
economic and arts settings.
The Otsego County Chamber will recognize Miller as
a Eugene A. Bettiol Jr. Distinguished Citizen during the
annual Celebration of Business dinner on Saturday.
See Miller on page 3
By sHirley osHea
Contributing Writer
Springbrook, a nonprofit organiza-
tion that has been serving the needs
of children and adults with devel-
opmental disabilities in locations
throughout Central New York since
the 1960s, is the 2011 winner of the
Otsego Chambers NBT Bank Distin-
guished Business award.
Patricia Kennedy, chief executive
officer of Springbrook, said recently
that her first response to learning
of the Chambers recognition of the
organization was to think back over
Springbrooks accomplishments dur-
ing the past year, and of the dedicat-
ed staff and board and the strategic
vision that have made Springbrooks
growth possible.
The NBT award is really reflec-
tive of years of hard work, Kennedy
said.
See Springbrook on page2
and
The Eugene A. Bettiol Jr.
Distinguished Citizen
of the Year
Richard P. Miller Jr.
Julie leWiS | the Daily Star
City of oneonta Mayor Richard P. Miller sits at his desk in City Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2011, one year after taking
office.
The NBT Bank Distinguished Business of the year
Springbrook
The Otsego County Chamber salutes
A supplement to The Daily Star and The Cooperstown Crier on Thursday, March 22, 2012
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Erna Morgan McReynolds
& Country Club Auto Group
We appreciate your commitment
to Hospice and to our
community!
Congratulations...
Springbrook is one
of those businesses that
relies on lots of people
doing the right thing all
the time, Kennedy said.
Its really a hands-on
business. Im so proud of
all the people at Spring-
brook _ all the workers.
Springbrook employ-
ees number 980 as of Jan.
12, making it one of the
regions largest employ-
ers, according to Kira
DeLanoy, the organiza-
tions assistant director
of marketing and public
relations. They come
from more than 100
towns and villages in
central New York, and
nearly 300 of those em-
ployees live in Oneonta.
Springbrooks employ-
ees include teachers,
nurses, physical and
occupational therapists
and direct-care provid-
ers, DeLanoy said.
The workers are ex-
tremely dedicated and
absolutely knowledge-
able about what they
do, DeLanoy said.
According to Spring-
brooks website, Spring-
brook employees provide
services to approximate-
ly 700 individuals with
special needs.
Springbrook began in
1925 as Upstate Homes
for Children, provid-
ing care and placement
services for orphans,
DeLanoy said.
However, in the late
1960s, Upstate Homes
saw the need to serve
children with develop-
mental disabilities,
DeLanoy explained.
Upstate Homes started a
school and expanded its
programming to include
adults.
In 1925, Upstate
Homes began its work
with a donation of $100
from the First Baptist
Church, Kennedy said.
Eighty years later, the
organization, renamed
Springbrook in 2005, has
$40 million in revenue.
Springbrooks annual
operating budget is $36
million.
Educational services
include a school for in-
dividuals age 5 through
21 and a pre-school,
Kids Unlimited, which
features an integrated
program for typical
children and those with
disabilities.
Springbrook operates
21 community homes
located in Otsego,
Chenango and Madison
counties, as well as five
community-based day
habilitation programs,
DeLanoy said.
Funding for Spring-
brooks services comes
largely from New York
state, as well as from do-
nations from individuals
and foundations, accord-
ing to DeLanoy. Fund-
raising efforts are coor-
dinated by Springbrooks
Office of Marketing and
Fund Development.
Kennedy said that
Springbrooks success
is the result of a lot of
things coming together at
the right time for us.
The
organi-
zations
recently
completed
$5 million
capital
campaign,
which
involved
raising matching funds,
has helped to make
possible a $25 million
expansion of its main
campus in Portlandville.
The whole campus (is
being) revitalized, Ken-
nedy said, with improve-
ments including a new
lunchroom and cafeteria,
new classrooms, a gym,
and redone roadways,
pedestrian pathways and
septic system.
The kids are excited.
Weve never had a gym
where we could play bas-
ketball, Kennedy said.
Kennedy said the ex-
tensive campus improve-
ments have positioned
us for the next 50 years.
According to Kennedy,
Springbrooks core vi-
sion has remained the
same _ helping those
people who most need
our help. She said the
organization achieves
its goal by following an
efficient and effective
business model.
We are strategic in
our vision, Kennedy
said. The key tenets of
that vision include being
a leader in the field of
services to individuals
with developmental dis-
abilities and the best em-
ployer in the region, with
a skilled and compas-
sionate workforce.
Kennedy said Spring-
brook administrators are
collaborative in devel-
opment of ideas and
operate the organization
according to a basic
code of ethics about
whats important.
Kennedy said that the
organization seeks to act
on opportunities as they
present themselves. A
case in point is Spring-
brooks recent purchase
of the former St. Marys
School in Oneonta.
According to DeLanoy,
the St. Marys facility
will house an employee
training center, IT and
purchasing departments,
administrative offices
for community programs,
service coordination and
consolidated supports
and services, respite and
rehabilitation services,
and community recre-
ational services. The
campus will also serve
as the home for Spring-
brooks pre-school
program.
DeLanoy said that she
anticipates staff will be
moved into the new facil-
ity by July or August.
Springbrook will open
the Golisano School,
named for donor B.
Thomas Golisano, this
summer. The Golisano
School will offer a very
clinical approach to
individuals with autism
(with) best practices in
our educational setting,
Kennedy said.
Another recently an-
nounced initiative is the
partnership between
Springbrook and SUNY
Oneonta in offering a
Master of Science degree
in special education to
teaching assistants in
Springbrook classrooms
for students with autism.
According to a Spring-
brook media release,
the program will enable
employees to receive
tuition reimbursement
upon completion of the
degree program.
Roxana Hurlburt,
Otsego County Chamber
Board Chairwoman,
said that Springbrook is
a great partner in the
community.
The organizations ex-
pansion has enhanced
the number of employees
in our community, Hurl-
burt said.
Hurlburt said Spring-
brooks employees are
very caring people.
What they do for the
students is phenomenal,
Hurlburt said.
Springbrook will be
honored at the cham-
bers annual dinner and
Celebration of Business
on at 7 p.m. March 24,
in the State University
College at Oneonta Hunt
Union Ballroom.
springbrook
continued from page 1
Kennedy
3

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The event will be in
the Hunt Union Ball-
room of the State Univer-
sity College at Oneonta
starting at 5:45 p.m.
Bettiol, a businessman
and supporter of the arts,
recognized possibili-
ties of Oneonta, and in
his memory, the Otsego
County Chamber be-
stows an annual award.
Presenters will highlight
contributions Miller has
made to area.
Mayor Miller has
given a great deal back
to the community and
county, said Roxana
Hurlburt, chairwoman
of the Otsego County
Chamber Board of Direc-
tors.
During his campaign
to become mayor, Miller
emphasized several
goals, and a review of
those objectives reveals
he has been true to his
pre-election words focus-
ing on youth recreation,
improved relations be-
tween the local colleges
and the community, ad-
dressing factions among
local government enti-
ties and enhancement of
theater and performing
arts.
Millers work toward
reviving a financially un-
stable Foothills Perform-
ing Arts and Civic Center
was particularly note-
worthy, Hurlburt said.
Miller, who previously
said he was humbled to
be named as a recipient,
said the reference to the
arts center was especial-
ly meaningful because
Bettiol was an advocate
and founding board
member of Foothills.
In 2009, Miller ran for
office as an independent
candidate in his Collabo-
rate for Oneonta party
and on the Democratic
line. When announcing
his candidacy, after
retiring from Hartwick
College, he said, In my
six years in Oneonta, I
have fallen deeply in
love with this commu-
nity. The closeness and
lack of pretentiousness
here is very appealing.
There is little town-gown
friction, and people like
one another.
``Those who have come
before us have created
that environment, and
I am committed to the
task of maintaining and
enhancing it, he told
The Daily Star.
Before his election to
the mayors office, Miller
made positive changes
in institutions of higher
education, promoted the
importance of local busi-
nesses and encouraged
others to become in-
volved. He is in the third
year of a four-year term.
From 2003 to 2008,
Miller served as the
ninth president of Hart-
wick College, a private
liberal arts and science
institution with about
1,500 students.
Previously, he was a
vice chancellor and
chief operating officer
of the State University
of New York, and before
that, he worked 13 years
in vice presidential
roles at the University of
Rochester.
Miller was president
and chief executive of-
ficer of Case-Hoyt, with
which he was affiliated
from 1974 through 1987.
He studied sociology
at Middlebury College
and served in the Army,
returning to civilian life
in 1967 a decorated Viet-
nam veteran, according
to his biography.
At Hartwick, Miller
was committed to the
importance of making
liberal arts in practice
a reality, a college biog-
raphy said, and he was
credited with attract-
ing $35 million in new
gifts and commitments,
boosting the colleges
endowment by nearly 50
percent and leading ef-
forts to improve campus
buildings.
Enrollment increased,
even as Miller advocated
to preserve a low stu-
dent-to-faculty ratio.
Now as the 20th mayor
of the city, Miller is
working to strengthen
Oneonta, its assets and
community.
Julie leWis | file
RichaRd P. MilleR JR. stands on the Hartwick College
campus overlooking an infrastructure project of new sidewalks
and steps near Dewar Hall on June 19, 2008.
Miller
continued froM page 1
NBT Bank is pleased to partner with
The Otsego County Chamber
in honoring our area businesses, recognizing
Springbrook
as the
NBT Bank Distinguished Business of the Year
Congratulations to Honoree
Mayor Richard P. Miller, Jr.
Eugene Bettiol, Jr. Distinguished Citizen of the Year
Member FDIC
Congratulations!
CHERRY VALLEY COOPERSTOWN EDMESTON ONEONTA RICHFIELD SPRINGS
Richard P. MiIIer, Jr.
eciier c he
Loere /. Leic, Jr.
Lisiroishec Ciizer
/varc
8
SprinQbrook
he Csec Ccor,
ChanLer/L Larl
Lisiroishec Losiress
hcrcree
Congratulations
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4
George Allen
George Allen is vice
president of Northern Eagle
Beverages in Oneonta.
Allen, 47, has worked for
Northern
Eagle Bever-
ages since
1988.
He was
born in One-
onta and is
an Oneonta
High School
graduate.
He attended
the State University College
of Technology at Delhi and
University of South Florida.
He graduated from the State
University College at Oneonta
with a Bachelor of Arts de-
gree in English.
Allen lives in Oneonta with
his fiancee, Elizabeth Murwin,
and two Labrador retrievers,
Buckley and Higgins.
He is a member of the
Oneonta Elks Club and the
Oneonta Country Club, is
on the board of directors
for the New York State Beer
Wholesalers Association, is a
past president of the board
of directors for the United
Way of Otsego and Delaware
Counties and was just named
to the Hartwick College Citi-
zens Board.
This is his fifth year on The
Otsego County Chamber
Board of Directors. He is
chairman of the Special Proj-
ects Committee, and is on the
Business Action and Technol-
ogy committees.
Over the past few years
we have seen businesses
both large and small struggle
in this economy, he said.
Having a strong Chamber
of Commerce is an essential
tool for these local businesses
to not only survive, but also
prosper. It is an honor to
serve on this board. We are all
volunteers that are working
together to improve the busi-
ness environment of Otsego
Country for now and the
future.
Scott Bonderoff
Scott Bonderoff is vice pres-
ident of Patient Services for
Bassett Medical Center and is
responsible for administrative
oversight of several clinical
and support departments. He
sits on hospital committees
for safety, service excellence,
quality management and
patient flow, among others.
In addition to services on
the Cooperstown campus,
his work
reaches into
Oneonta,
Herkimer
County and
Bassetts
affiliates
around
the region.
Before work-
ing for Bassett Healthcare,
Bonderoff worked in manage-
ment for Rehabilitation Sup-
port Services Inc. in Otsego
County and Albany.
Bonderoff has a Bachelor
of Science degree in psychol-
ogy from the State University
College at Oneonta and a
Master of Business Adminis-
tration degree in health care
administration from Bingham-
ton University. He is a member
of the American College of
Healthcare Executives and the
Medical Group Management
Association.
For the past three years,
Bonderoff has served on The
Otsego County Chamber
board of directors and sits on
the Special Projects Commit-
tee. Bonderoff has lived in
Otsego County for 27 years
and for the past 20 years in
the Cooperstown area with
his wife, Mary, and three sons,
David, Max and Sam.
He is a coach for the Coo-
perstown Youth Little League
and is a board member for
Cooperstown Youth Football.
He enjoys baseball,
downhill skiing and cycling,
and volunteers as a certified
ski patroller. Bonderoff also
volunteers for community
projects as a member of the
Cooperstown Lions Club.
Colleen Brannan
Colleen Brannan is senior
assistant to the president at
the State University College
at Oneonta and a 27-year
veteran of the college.
She joined the SUNY
Oneonta staff as a residence
hall director in 1985 and was
appointed assistant dean of
students in 1988. She served
in that role until her second
child was born in 2000.
From 2001 through 2010,
she worked for Oneonta Aux-
iliary Services, the nonprofit
corporation that oversees
services at the college. With
OAS, she served as special
projects assistant, marketing
and communications man-
ager and assistant executive
director.
Brannan
holds a
Bachelor
of Science
degree in
elementary
educa-
tion and
a Master
of Science
degree in counseling, both
from SUNY Oneonta.
She served as president of
the colleges Alumni Associa-
tion Board of Directors from
2004 until 2006.
In the community, Brannan
serves on the Main Street
Oneonta board, the Educa-
tion and Business Action
committees of The Otsego
County Chamber.
She and her husband,
Alex, who teaches math and
coaches soccer at Oneonta
High School, live in Oneonta
with their son, Alex.
Their daughter, Megan, is a
junior at the State University
College at New Paltz.
Scott Davis
Scott Davis is a graduate of
Keystone College in La Plum,
Pa., with a major in business.
He is chief
executive
officer of
The Coun-
try Club
Automotive
Group, a
seven-fran-
chise auto
group that
sells Buick, Cadillac, GMC,
Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Kia and
Nissan vehicles, on Oneida
Street in Oneonta.
He is president of Oneonta
Automotive Lease & Rental
Center Inc., an automobile
rental car company with
Rent-A-Wreck and Priceless
car rental franchises and
a 50-car rental fleet, at 48
Oneida St. in Oneonta. Davis
is also president of West End
Self Storage, a 100-unit self-
storage business at 48 Oneida
St. in Oneonta, which is also
a Penske Truck Rental Dealer
specializing in local and one-
way moving truck rentals.
He is a member of the
board of directors of A.O.
Fox Memorial Hospital in
Oneonta and member of
the board of directors of the
technology division of the
State University College of
Technology at Delhi.
Davis and his wife, Kathy,
live in Otego and have two
daughters, Heather and Erin.
A fourth-year member of
The Otsego County Chamber
Board of Directors, Davis
serves on the Member Ser-
vices Committee.
Sean Gahagan
Sean Gahagan, a Bing-
hamton native, is the vice
president of retail merchan-
dising and
licensing for
the National
Baseball
Hall of
Fame and
Museum
in Coo-
perstown.
Before join-
ing the Baseball Hall of Fame,
Gahagan worked in various
brand management positions
for licensees of Ralph Lauren,
Nike and Wilson Sporting
Goods.
He received his undergrad-
uate degree from the State
University College at Oneon-
ta, and a Master of Business
Administration degree from
Binghamton University.
Now serving his fourth
year on the Otsego County
Chamber board, Gahagan
is a member of the boards
Membership Committee and
is chairman of its Education
Committee.
Gahagan and his wife, Kelly,
live in Binghamton and have
two children, Grace and Ryan.
Marc Kingsley
Marc Kingsley is a native
upstate New Yorker and the
owner/innkeeper of the Inn
at Cooperstown, an 18-room
restored historic hotel in
downtown Cooperstown.
He is responsible for all daily
aspects of running and man-
aging the hotel.
He served in the U.S. Air
Force for 10 years before
receiving an honorable
discharge and moving to
Atlanta, Ga. He met his wife,
Sherrie, in
Georgia,
and she
persuaded
him to
move back
to upstate
New York.
They now
live in Coo-
perstown.
He serves on The Otsego
County Chamber Board of
Directors. Kingsley also serves
on the Community Board for
the Bank of Cooperstown.
Mark Grygiel
Mark Grygiel is assistant
vice president at New York
Central Mutual Fire Insurance
Co. in Edmeston.
A lifelong
resident of
Oneonta, he
graduated
from Drew
University
with a Bach-
elor of Arts
degree in
economics
and political science in 1990.
He joined The Otsego
County Chamber in January
2007, and is the past chair-
man of the board of directors.
I am very fortunate that
New York Central is such a
strong advocate of communi-
ty involvement, he said. It is
because of their support and
encouragement I am getting
more involved.
His wife, Michelle, is an
English teacher at Oneonta
High School. They have a
6-year-old son, Zachary.
The challenges the busi-
ness and residents of Otsego
County face this year are ones
many of us have never been
confronted with before, Gry-
giel said. The Otsego County
Chamber has always been on
the front line battling for local
business in Albany and we
will continue that fight, but
the time has come for all of us
to stand together and let our
voices be heard.
Douglas C. Gulotty
Douglas C. Gulotty, 48, and
his wife, Cherie, an elemena-
try mathematics teacher live
in Westford.
He operates Douglas Gulot-
ty and Associates Inc., apply-
ing his 27 years of business
experience to the benefit of
business clients throughout
upstate New York. Gulotty is
skilled in strategic planning,
analyzing capital structure
and cash flow, credit-wor-
thiness, marketing and sales
strategies, operations and
personnel management. He
also teaches
manage-
ment to
upper class
students at
the State
University
College of
Technology
at Delhi.
Gulotty is
a graduate of the State Uni-
versity College at Oneonta,
with a Bachelor of Science
degree in political science
and economics, graduating
magna cum laude. He is also a
1995 graduate of the Stonier
Graduate School of Banking
at the University of Delaware,
graduating cum laude.
Gulotty serves as a trustee
for Schenevus Central School.
He is president and direc-
tor of the Otsego County
Development Corp., and a
director and chairman of
Membership Committee for
The Otsego County Chamber.
He has served on numerous
boards for nonprofits serving
children and the develop-
mentally challenged.
Jon Hansen
Jon Hansen is serving his
sixth term on The Otsego
County Chamber board after
joining in January 2006.
He has been in the insur-
ance busi-
ness since
1980 and is
a partner at
the Gordon
B. Roberts
Agency Inc.
He is a
member of
the Cham-
bers Business Action and
Executive committees.
Hansen lives in Oneonta
with his wife, Maureen.
MORE CHAMBER BOARD MEMBER
BIOS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 5
Allen
Bonderoff
Davis
Gahagan
Kingsley
Grygiel
Gulotty
Hansen
OTSEGO COUNTY CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brannan
Roxana Hurlburt
Roxana Hurlburt is vice
president of Information Sys-
tems Division Inc. ISD is a full
service technology company
with a staff of 15 profession-
als. ISDs
dedicated
staff pro-
vides the
highest
levels of
service and
support and
as a strate-
gic business
partner. ISD provides a wide
range of technology solutions
to businesses large and small.
Hurlburt joined the Otsego
County Chamber Board in
2008. She served on the
Member Services Committee
before appointment to the
Executive Board of the Cham-
ber. She is serving as 2012
chairwoman of the Board of
Directors.
It is a wonderful opportuni-
ty to serve as a voice for busi-
ness. Our Chamber connects
its members to the people,
issues and information that
matter most to business in
these very complex economic
times. In todays environment
it is our civic responsibility to
give back to our communi-
ties, she said. We are so very
fortunate to live and work in
the greater Otsego County
where we retain a close and
personal hands on approach
to the growth and expansion
that serve our citizens.
In addition to her Chamber
work, her involvement in
other civic duties have given
her the opportunity to work
with many organizations, non-
profits, individuals and events
in our locale. Always actively
involved, she is serving her
community as Parent Teacher
Organization president at
Unatego, on the Otego Little
League and as past president
of Otego Fire Department
Auxiliary. She was instrumen-
tal in the establishment and
was a charter member on
the Board of Directors of the
Unatego Dollars For Scholars
Program.
Lifelong residents of the
area, Hurlburt and her hus-
band, Jim, live in Otego and
enjoy the wonderful quality of
life this area has to offer.
Brian Hutzley
Brian Hutzley is vice chan-
cellor for financial services
and chief financial officer for
the State University of New
York.
In this capacity, he is
responsible
for SUNYs
$10 billion
annual
all-funds
budget
as well as
strategic in-
frastructure
manage-
ment and operations of the
university.
His administrative responsi-
bilities also include oversight
of the offices of finance and
budget, business affairs, and
university accounting. Hutzley
also works on the universitys
strategic planning, shared ser-
vices and strategic sourcing
initiatives.
Before joining system
administration in June,
Hutzley was vice president
for business and finance at
the State University College
of Technology at Delhi, where
his responsibilities included
strategic visioning and
oversight of budget and plan-
ning, computer information
systems, accounting, purchas-
ing, food service, campus
bookstore, and community
service, including continuing
education programs.
At the college, he was also
the president of the College
Association of Delhi Inc.,
a member of the Board of
Trustees for the College Foun-
dation at Delhi Inc., and the
operations manager for the
Research Foundation.
He also serves on numerous
SUNY Strategic Initiatives in-
cluding Leadership Advisory,
Budget Task Force, Resource
Allocation and Information
Technology Transformation.
Hutzley is also chair of the
SUNY-wide Entrepreneurial
Century Strategic initiative,
which includes research and
innovation, small business
and entrepreneurship, as
well as student sandbox and
competitions.
Hutzley was the president
of the State University of
New York Business Officers
Association, providing invalu-
able vision, insight, and policy
support for the entire SUNY
system.
His previous positions in-
clude director of finance and
strategy for Mead in Sidney,
where he drove acquisitions
and alliances processes, bud-
geting, credit and collection
and accounting services. Be-
fore Mead, he held manage-
ment positions at Amphenol
Aerospace, AT&T and NCR.
His expertise includes stra-
tegic planning and implemen-
tation, financial planning and
controls and organizational
and leadership development.
He is on the board of
directors of The Otsego
County Chamber and on the
Chambers Business Action
Committee. Hutzley is also
on the boards of directors for
the Otschodela Council for
the Boy Scouts of America, the
Sidney Community Founda-
tion, the Art and Soul of the
Catskills Festival and the
Delaware County Empire Zone
Administration Board.
Hutzley has a Master of
Business Administration de-
gree from Syracuse University
and a bachelors degree from
Michigan State University.
He is originally from Michi-
gan and now lives in Gilberts-
ville.
Eric Jervis
Eric Jervis is a partner in the
law firm of Harlem & Jervis.
Jervis, 31, is a lifelong resident
of Oneonta, and graduated
from Oneonta High School in
1998.
Following graduation, he
attended Canisius College.
There he
obtained
a degree
in political
science and
a minor in
business.
He was also
a four-year
member
of the football team, and an
academic All-American his
senior year.
After graduation from
Canisius, he attended Albany
Law School.
He lives in Oneonta with his
wife, Melissa, and sons, Chase
and Trey.
He is a member of the New
York State, Otsego County and
Delaware County bar associa-
tions, as well as a member of
the New York State Academy
of Trial Lawyers.
He is also on the Board of
Directors for the Oneonta
Family YMCA, and is a Rotar-
ian.
Rachel Lutz Jessup
Rachel Lutz Jessup is
banking officer and assistant
branch manager for NBT Bank
of Oneonta.
Jessup was
born and
raised in
Oneonta,
the daugh-
ter of Al
Sayers and
the late Joan
Lutz, both
who have
been active members of the
Chamber. Joan Lutz was the
first recipient of the Cham-
bers Distinguished Citizen
Award.
Jessup has been in the
banking profession since
1986, the past 10 years with
NBT Bank. She graduated from
Oneonta High School and has
her Bachelor of Arts degree
in psychology from Alfred
University.
Jessup is vice president and
an active volunteer for Main
Street Oneonta, a member
(and first female member) of
the Oneonta Rotary Club and
a member of the First Presby-
terian Church in Oneonta.
This is her fifth year on the
Otsego County Chamber
Board of Directors. She is a
longtime member of its Spe-
cial Projects Committee.
Jessup lives in Oneonta with
her twin daughters, Kacey and
Jamie, and her son, Andrew.
Paul A. Lawrence
Paul A. Lawrence is general
manager of the Holiday Inn
in Oneonta. He and his family
moved to Oneonta six years
ago from Gainesville, Fla.,
because of a transfer with his
company, Charter One Hotels
Inc.
He is a graduate of Concord
University in Athens, W.Va.,
with a degree in travel indus-
try management.
Lawrence is a fourth-year
member on The Otsego
County Chamber Board of
Directors and serves on the
Tourism Committee.
Lawrence and his wife, Che-
rie, have four boys, Taharen,
17, Anthony,
13, Zyeir, 9,
and Karri, 8,
which keep
them very
active in
school func-
tions and
sporting
events. The
Lawrences
also have a 2-year-old daugh-
ter, Naomi.
He has been the manager
of the Country Club Minor
League Baseball Team for
three seasons, and supports
Oneonta High School athletics
as a member of the Booster
Club.
The Lawrences purchased a
house in Oneonta and live in a
neighborhood that has made
them feel welcome, he said.
Carolyn Lewis
Carolyn Lewis is the eco-
nomic developer for Otsego
County. She was appointed
member to The Otsego Coun-
ty Chamber Board of Directors
in 2010, but has served on the
Chambers
Business
Action and
Technology
committees
for several
years.
Lewis
said she
is pleased
to assist The Otsego County
Chamber as it represents and
serves the interests of mem-
ber business while working
to create an environment and
economic climate for success.
In addition to serving on
several industry-related
boards, Lewis is vice president
of the board of directors for
Opportunities for Otsego.
Originally from Glen Rock,
N.J., Lewis graduated from
the University of Rhode Island
with a Bachelor of Arts degree
in psychology and sociology.
Upon graduation, she
moved to Boston, where she
was a marketing assistant for
Wellington Management Co.,
and for two years she lived in
Chicago, employed by Murray
Johnstone International as a
data analyst.
Lewis moved to Otsego
County in 2000 with her
husband, Philip, a Cooper-
stown native. They have three
children, Spencer, Addison
and Ben.
Armand Nardi
Armand Nardi is a former
publisher of The Daily Star,
The Cooperstown Crier, The
O-Town Scene and Upstate
Life magazine. He arrived to
the region in May 2010.
He moved from Gainesville,
Texas, where he was the pub-
lisher of the Gainesville Daily
Register, a CNHI newspaper.
CNHI also owns The Daily Star.
Nardi entered the newspa-
per industry
in 1989
where he
began his
career in
advertis-
ing sales in
Waldorf, Md.
Before that
he was an
evidence
analyst for the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, White Collar
Crime Division, in Washington,
D.C.
He serves on the board
of directors for The Otsego
County Chamber and is on the
Chambers Special Projects
Committee. Additionally, he
serves on the Events Com-
mittee for the Main Street
Oneonta Board of Directors
and serves on the board for
Foothills Performing Arts and
Civic Center.
Nardi grew up in Colts Neck,
N.J., and attended high school
at The Pennington School in
Pennington, N.J. He received
his bachelors degree from
Lycoming College in William-
sport, Pa. Nardi enjoys life in
Upstate New York.
With a great sense of com-
munity and limitless outdoor
activities, Otsego County is
a wonderful place to raise
a family. He said, We enjoy
taking in all the treasures of
the region.
He lives in Otego with his
wife, Cathy, their 6-year-old
son, Armand, and multi-mix
dog, Daisy.
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OTSEGO COUNTY CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Hurlburt
Hutzley
Jessup
Jervis
Lawrence
Lewis
Nardi
Bill Reeves
Bill Reeves is employed by
the Country Club Automotive
Group as a sales professional
with Country Club Used Car
Supercenter on Southside
Oneonta.
Reeves is
co-founder
and former
publisher of
Hometown
Oneonta,
a weekly
newspaper
mailed to
more than 9,000 homes in
Oneonta and West One-
onta every Friday. Hometown
Oneonta began operations in
September 2008.
Before becoming pub-
lisher of the Hometown paper,
Reeves was advertising direc-
tor of The Daily Star.
Bill attended Bemidji State
University in Bemidji, Minn.,
and moved back east and has
been living in the area since
1993.
Reeves enjoys golfing and
fishing and is an avid Boston
sports fan.
He lives in Laurens with his
wife, Linda.
They have three children,
Danielle, Scott and Matthew.
Nicholas Savin
Nicholas Savin is the district
superintendent for the Otsego
Northern Catskills Board of
Cooperative Educational
Services.
With the
exception
of work-
ing in the
Adirondacks
as the super-
intendent of
the Hadley-
Luzerne
School Dis-
trict, he has lived and worked
in the greater Oneonta area
since 1992.
He served as the assis-
tant superintendent and
high school principal of
Stamford Central School for
several years, and before
his appointment as district
superintendent, served as
the superintendent of Cherry
Valley-Springfield Central
School.
Savin earned his Bachelor of
Science in education degree
from the State University
College at Oswego. Later, he
graduated with a Master of
Science degree in education
administration from Fairfield
University in Fairfield, Conn.
Soon after, he also received
additional certification in
special education.
Savin lives in Springfield
Center with his wife, Judy.
Their three daughters are
Stamford Central School
alumnae.
Tanya Shalor
Head Start director for
Opportunities for Otsego
Inc., Tanya Shalor is a board
member of
the Otsego
Chamber.
Previously,
she served
as pub-
lisher of The
Daily Star for
three years.
She started
her newspa-
per career with the company
as the comptroller and human
resource director in 2000 and
was promoted in 2007. Before
her position with the local
newspaper, Shalor worked
with Morgan Stanley Dean
Witter in Manhattan as a fund
accountant, and with a local
Oneonta waste disposal firm.
Shalor received her bachelors
degree, with honors, in ac-
counting from Elmira College.
She is a graduate of the
Leadership Otsego program
and serves on the Advisory
Council for the organization.
She is also a board member of
the Tri-County Young Profes-
sionals and a Rotarian.
Shalor serves on The Otsego
County Chambers board of
directors and on the Cham-
bers Business Action Com-
mittee and Special Projects
committee. She serves on
the board of the Catskill Area
Hospice and Palliative Care.
Shalor and her husband,
Kevin, a contractor, live in
Worcester with their 5-year-
old daughter, Hailey.
Steve Sinniger
Steve Sinniger is a lifelong
resident of Otego. He grew up
on a dairy farm and graduated
from Unatego High School in
1977. He attended Hartwick
College, where he majored in
geology and anthropology
and graduated in 1981 with a
Bachelor of Arts degree.
After college, Sinniger re-
turned to work on the family
dairy farm with his parents.
The farm was sold in 2000, but
he continues to rent the land
from the new owners and
produces hay for a number
of equine operations in the
area. He said
hes a strong
supporter
of agricul-
ture. As a
member
of the New
York Farm
Bureau, he
tries to help
others who
make farming their livelihood.
Sinniger has served on the
Otsego County Farm Bureau
Board of Directors since 2003.
Four of those years, he served
as the county president. He
also serves as a director on the
New York Center of Agricultur-
al Medicine and Health Safety
Advisory Board.
He is also active in the
Otsego County Federation
of Sportsmens Clubs and is a
Grange member.
He serves on the Chambers
Education and Business Ac-
tion committees.
I know the Chamber
does great things for local
businesses, he said. In my
opinion, one of a Chambers
greatest achievements was
the creation of Farm Bureau
by the Binghamton Chamber
of Commerce in 1911.
Joseph E. Sutaris
Joseph E. Sutaris is senior
vice president and regional
banking executive of Com-
munity Bank N.A. in Oneonta.
He serves
as lead
executive
for CBNAs
Central New
York Region
and is
responsible
for the per-
formance
of 22 branches located in the
eight county CBNA Central
New York Region. He joined
CBNA in April 2011 after serv-
ing Wilber National Bank for
16 years, following a merger
of the two banks.
Committed to his commu-
nity, Sutaris serves on several
local boards, including the
Oneonta Family YMCA Board
of Trustees, A.O. Fox Memorial
Hospital, SUNY Delhi College
Council and the Otsego Coun-
ty Chamber of Commerce. He
is a past board member of the
National Soccer Hall of Fame
and former member of the
Oneonta Kiwanis Club. Sutaris
also served several years as a
coach for the Oneonta Little
League and Oneonta Soccer
Club.
Sutaris holds a Master of
Business Administration de-
gree in finance and a Bachelor
of Arts degree in economics
from Rutgers University.
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Shalor
OTSEGO COUNTY CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Reeves
Savin
Sinniger
Sutaris
Leif Van Cott
Leif Van Cott is director of
operations at Unadilla Silo Co.
Inc.
Van Cott
was born in
Sidney and
lived in One-
onta until
the age of 6.
His familys
business,
Unadilla Silo
Co. Inc., has
been operating in Otsego
County for more than 100
years. His involvement in the
company represents the sixth
generation of Van Cotts.
At 13, he began attending
Eaglebrook School, a small
boarding school in Deerfield,
Mass. After graduating in
1994, he attended Phillips Ex-
eter Academy in Exeter, N.H.
After graduating from Ex-
eter in 1997, he attended Bos-
ton University. He then gradu-
ated from BUs School of
Management in 2001 with a
bachelors degree in finance.
During his high school and
college years, he interned at
Unadilla Silo in the estimating
and accounting department
to become familiar with the
family business. Shortly after
graduating, he moved to New
Hampshire and took a posi-
tion in the human resources
department at Wheelabrator
Technologies, a subsidiary of
Waste Management Corp.
In late 2004, he returned to
upstate New York and took
over as director of operations
at Unadilla Silo Co. He lives
in Oneonta with his children,
Xander and Gwyneth.
Of The Otsego County
Chamber, he said, I feel great
being able to work for an
organization that is deeply
committed to fostering the
financial success of Otsego
County businesses.
Romona N. Wenck
Romona N. Wenck is the
superintendent at Laurens
Central School, a position she
has held since 1998.
Before that, she served the
district as an interim super-
intendent for the 1997-98
school year, as well as serving
as a dean of students for
one year, and as a physical
education teacher for about
19 years.
Wenck began teaching in
the district during the 1977-
78 school year, serving as a
physical education teacher
and coach.
Over the years, she coached
the girls varsity soccer, volley-
ball, basketball and softball
teams, as well as establishing
and coaching the boys modi-
fied soccer team.
Wenck was the director/
instructor of the Laurens
Jaguars Drill
Colorguard
Program for
almost 20
years, work-
ing with the
winter and
summer col-
orguards.
Wenck
hails from Waverly, where
she attended elementary
and high school. From 1973
to 1977, she attended and
graduated from the State Uni-
versity College at Cortland,
where she earned a Bachelor
of Science degree, with a
major in physical education
and concentrations in athletic
training and psychology.
Wenck returned to Cortland
to earn a masters degree in
physical education with a
focus in the area of percep-
tual motor development. Dur-
ing the early 1990s, Wenck
attended the College of St.
Rose to obtain her degree/
certification in school district
administration.
Wenck serves on a variety
of committees and organi-
zations within the Laurens
Central School District and
the Otsego Northern Catskills
Board of Cooperative Educa-
tional Services. At Laurens,
she is an active member of
the Shared Decision Making
and Technology Commit-
tees, the Athletic Booster
Club, POMP (Patrons of Music
People) and the Colorguard
Advocate group. At ONC BOC-
ES, she serves on the Execu-
tive Committee, Instructional
Support/Student Programs
Advisory Committee, and the
CASEBP Long Range Plan-
ning/Executive Committee.
In addition, Wenck serves as
the vice president to the New
York State Public High School
Athletic Association Section
IV Executive Committee.
Wenck was first asked and
accepted to serve on the
Education Committee of the
Otsego County Chamber of
Commerce. In January 2011,
she began serving on the
board of directors.
My goals in serving on
the committees are to help
build bridges, to serve as a
conduit of information, and
to create an higher level of
understanding between the
needs and requirements
placed upon local school
districts and the needs of the
businesses in our communi-
ties, she said. I look forward
to this challenge, especially
in light of the fiscal crisis of
the state, and the resulting
impact this has on schools
and local businesses.
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OTSEGO COUNTY CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Van Cott
Wenck
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Thank you!
We are honored to receive the
Otsego County Chambers NBT
Distinguished Business Award.
105 Campus Drive
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-286-7171
www.springbrookny.org
Our employees are the heart of Springbrook
and this honor was made possible by their
hard work and dedication.
Thank you to the most highly trained,
compassionate, and skilled staff in
Otsego County.
Our congratulations to Mayor Richard Miller
The Eugene A. Bettiol, Jr Distinguished
Citizen Award Winner
Springbrook.
The leader in providing
innovative supports for
people of all ages with
developmental disabilities.