Congratulations to our 2022 Fall Award Winners
2022 Non-Profit Executive of the Year Award
Presented to: Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference
Accepted by: George Dermody, President & CEO
This award recognizes an organization for their excellence in innovative programming and their community impact. The organization must exemplify leadership, outstanding success in the non-profit sector and excellence and innovation in utilizing their resources to benefit the greater Binghamton community.
The Children’s Home mission is to partner with children, families and communities to inspire hope, develop skills, and cultivate healthy relationships for positive futures. Their philosophy emphasizes the importance of permanence, which is keeping children connected to their families and communities.
The Children’s Home currently has over twenty-five individual programs, remaining on the leading edge of community, state and federal social service and intervention initiatives.
The Children’s Home is a leading provider in facilitating and supporting adoptions. In the last twelve years, one hundred and seventy-five adoptions have been completed, creating new forever families!
In 2019 the Children’s Home purchased the Southern Tier Community Center after the community lost critical programming and services due to the closure of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Broome. Through the completion of essential repairs, maintenance and upgrades, the building’s infrastructure was redeveloped and is now a state of the art 21st century community hub which will improve the quality of life of Broome and Eastern Tioga County children, families and seniors and create a legacy for generations to come.
2022 Community Advocate of the Year Award
Presented to: Support Black Business 607
Accepted by: Sulaiminah Burns, Founder
This Award is given in recognition of a grass-roots organization, event, or festival that has made an extraordinary contribution to the improvement and/or enrichment of the neighborhood that it serves within the Greater Binghamton community.
Support Black Business 607 started as a Facebook group by their founder, Sulaiminah Burns, and boasts nearly seven thousand members. Seeing the hardship caused by the pandemic and wanting to promote equality in the regional small business community, Sula created a platform where Black-owned businesses could gain exposure and an opportunity to showcase their products and services, as well as support and uplift fellow business owners.
Sula’s efforts are making a difference – many of the over fifty businesses have experienced increased revenue between 40 and 100% within weeks of joining the Facebook group!
Sula expanded her efforts beyond social media, by organizing several public events throughout the year, including the Economic Empowerment Cookout, Blackity Black Friday, the Black Fly Market, and the Bing Black History Expo.
In conjunction with the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, Sula’s most recent initiative launched a series of business accelerator programs tailored to Support Black Business 607 members, in addition to securing a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for South Central New York to support program operations as well as distribute micro-grants for participants.
As Brianna Salazar-Olaiya, Banking Officer at M&T Bank says, “Support Black Business 607 has given hope to many Black, Caribbean and Latino businesses.”
In October 2020, Sulaiminah received the Economic Game Changer Award from the Broome Tioga NAACP Chapter and we are thrilled to honor her today.
2022 Corporate Citizen of the Year Award
Presented to: Levene Gouldin & Thompson, LLP
Accepted by: Scott Kurkoski, Managing Partner
This award recognizes a company that has made significant contributions and commitments to the greater Binghamton area through active involvement with events and community organizations.
Since 1927, Levene Gouldin and Thompson has provided legal services throughout the Southern Tier of New York and the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania to families and businesses on a variety of legal matters including, but not limited to, Trusts and Estates, Elder Law, Energy, Family Law and Real Estate Law.
Today we are here to honor LGT for their contributions to our community. Not only do they sponsor a large number of organizations and causes from the arts, sports, healthcare and human services, but their employees serve on the leadership boards of many of these organizations including the American Heart Association, AVRE, Broome County Arts Council, Habitat for Humanity, Tri-Cities Opera and Kopernik Observatory and Science Center. Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said: “Virtually every major community organization can claim some connection to LGT, with company officers and staff assuming key roles on the boards and committees that form the region’s leadership network.”
In December of 2021, LGT hosted a CHOW Distribution Day at the Vestal office. Along with a $2,000 donation, five pallets of chicken breasts, fruits and vegetables and food boxes were distributed. The plan is to make this a yearly event.
The breadth and scope of the organizations they contribute to and support is beyond the time I have here today however I do want to mention the LGT Tennis Challenger. As many of you know, LGT is the Title Sponsor for the Levene Gouldin and Thompson Tennis Challenger. Though the tournament was placed on hold during the pandemic, there are plans for its return in July of 2023. This $75,000 Men’s Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour tournament has been held since 1994. If you have attended, you know it is a week of United States Tennis Association Pro Circuit which brings professionals from all over the world getting ready for the US Open. LGT strives to showcase our community and attract tennis fans from all over to visit, dine, stay and enjoy the attractions our area has to offer.