Pride of Ownership Awards 2019

Frost Travis opened the Pride of Ownership Awards presentation at our December 4 meeting, introducing the committee and the history of the awards.

Susan Blumenthal served on the City's Planning Board in the early 1990s, when the City started doing site plan review. She felt strongly that property owners and developers who went the extra mile with new projects and renovations of their properties should receive recognition for their contribution. Susan approached Don Kompf, then president of Ithaca Rotary, when she was on Common Council and he agreed. Thus the Rotary/City partnership was born in 1997, with first awards made in 1998. Susan is retiring from the Awards Committee this year, 2019.

Nominations for awards are made by members of the public, the Rotary Club of Ithaca and the Pride of Ownership Committee. All nominated properties lie within the boundaries of the City of Ithaca and are referenced from a public road or street without regard to interior workings. Criteria for the award are the project’s contributions to the betterment of the community by its addition to the cityscape. Over the years a wide variety of projects have been recognized. The focus is on honoring owners for having the acumen to decide on a projects constructs.

The committee is Frost Travis, Susan Blumenthal, Scott Whitham, John Barradas, Brett Bossard, and Margaret Hobbie.

The winning properties are

• 323 Taughannock Blvd. Boat House Landing
• 319 Pleasant Street
• 324 E. State Street, The Canopy Hotel
• 105 Dearborn Road
• 433 West Buffalo Street
• 301 State Street, City Centre
• 238 Linden Avenue

Please download the official awards document, with sometimes striking before and after photos, and John Barradas’ iconic drawings. Click here.

 

Pride of Workmanship Award Winners for 2019

AT THE Club’s October 23rd meeting, Katie Flynn introduced the 21st annual Pride of Workmanship Awards, honoring individuals who were nominated by co-workers, bosses, or even customers. Katie worked with committee members Dale Flinn and Brett Bossard, who joined her to present the awards.

Brett Bossard introduced Mary Berens and Joanne Lamoureux, who had nominated Dan Cole (far right), manager at Joanne’s Pack ’n Ship Store.
Mary said that whatever her needs are, Dan has the solution! He consistently provides excellent customer service to everyone who walks into the Pack ’n Ship Store. “Dan is personable, professional, knowledgeable, and always has the customer’s best interest in mind. Working for a small, sole proprietor service business, customer satisfaction means everything, and Dan earns the respect and trust of Pack ’n Ship Store customers every day.”

Joanne had thought of nominating Dan previously, but felt uncomfortable doing so with her role as Club secretary. “I had worked with Dan in a vendor-customer relationship before he came to work with me two years ago. And while we knew each other, I still couldn’t have predicted how ideal he is for the work we do. He is possibly more compulsively organized than I am, and manages the business as if it were is own.”

Dale Flinn introduced Dr. Josephine McAllister of Dermatology Associates of Ithaca, who introduced her office manager Ashley Dickson.
“Since she joined our team five years ago, Ashley (left in photo) has become an exceptional team leader whose work we rely on in vital ways seen and unseen, throughout every moment of the workday and beyond,” Dr. McAllister (center) said. “She excels in every aspect of her role of office manager; keeping our team running smoothly, ensuring regulatory compliance, and keeping patients happy — and does it with a smile. I don’t know how she does it, but I am so thankful for Ashley and the incredible blessing she is to our practice and community.”

Brett Bossard introduced Peter Radez (right) from the Boyce Thompson Institute, representing nominator Sophia Darling, V.P. for Finance & Operations.
Pete presented awardee Gary Horvath (left), Safety and Laboratory Services Supervisor. Gary’s job at BTI is two-fold. On one hand, he oversees the Laboratory Services department where he is adept at motivating his people to change directions and tackle new problems as issues arise. On the other hand, he is the “safety guy” for the institute, a responsibility that he embraces with enthusiasm. No matter the problem or frustration, he simply exudes a can-do temperament while seeking a solution. Combining humor and humility, his constant pursuit of excellence displays a distinct “Pride of Workmanship.”

Dale Flinn invited Bob Gravani (center) and Matt Stratton (left) to the podium.
Rotarian Bob Gravani nominated Matthieu Stratton, who has been the Business Administrator for the Department of Food Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell since 2008. The department has 25 faculty, 258 students, and 100 research and extension staff members with a budget of 12 million dollars.

“Matt is a CPA who is a hardworking, dedicated employee who always goes above and beyond to achieve the mission and goals of the department,” Bob said. “He is an extraordinary colleague who is cheerful, upbeat, and gets along very well with all of the faculty, staff, and students who interact with him. Matt is a true leader who demonstrates the practices of exemplary leadership in his daily responsibilities and takes great pride in the quality of his work.”

In closing, Katie Flynn thanked all of the nominators, and invited everyone to send in nominations for next year!