SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Le Moyne College President Linda LeMura was among three women recognized during KeyBank’s Key4Women Forum held Tuesday morning at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown in Syracuse.
More than 200 guests attended the event, which “celebrates, supports and encourages the progress of women in business,” KeyBank said.
LeMura was honored with the Key4Women Achieve Award for the “positive impact she’s had and inclusive vision she’s brought to Central New York, both inside and outside of the college,” per a KeyBank news release.
Key4Women also honored Janet Agostini, president and CEO of Friends of Rosamond Zoo, for her efforts to help the zoo.
In addition, Laura Ratcliffe, owner and operator of O’Baby’s Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe in New Hartford, was honored with the Key4Women Small Business Achieve Award “for the success she’s enjoyed, and the uplifting effect she … had on her employees and fellow business owners,” per the release.
“All of these women have not only had success in business, culture and academia, but they’ve also had a transformative impact on this community,” Stephen Fournier, Central New York market president for KeyBank, said. “They’ve all helped our great community grow and thrive and we are delighted to recognize their achievements and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that Key4Women promotes and celebrates.”
KeyBank (NYSE: KEY) — which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio — operates several dozen branches across the 16-county Central New York region.
In addition to the awards, Susan Taylor, founder and CEO of the National CARES Mentoring Movement and editor-in-chief emeritus of Essence magazine, provided the event’s keynote address.
The New York City–based National CARES Mentoring Movement works to “secure, heal and transform the lives of impoverished Black children by inspiring, recruiting and mobilizing masses of caring Black men and women to mentor and nourish them,” per its website.
Taylor shared anecdotes and lessons learned from her career along with “her vision for calling together a critical mass of caring people to work strategically, peacefully and passionately to heal all that is hurting our children, communities and country,” KeyBank said.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com