OCC signs partnership agreement, offers manufacturing certificate

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ONONDAGA — Onondaga Community College (OCC) and Cazenovia College on July 22 signed a “2+2” partnership agreement. The pact allows students at OCC who earn an associate degree to continue their education and pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at Cazenovia. OCC president Casey Crabill and Cazenovia College president Mark Tierno signed the agreement in a […]

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ONONDAGA — Onondaga Community College (OCC) and Cazenovia College on July 22 signed a “2+2” partnership agreement.

The pact allows students at OCC who earn an associate degree to continue their education and pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at Cazenovia.

OCC president Casey Crabill and Cazenovia College president Mark Tierno signed the agreement in a ceremony in OCC’s Whitney Applied Technology Center.

The accord covers 13 degree programs at OCC, including business administration, interior design, and photography, OCC said in a news release.

The agreement also covers 26 degree programs at Cazenovia College including criminal justice, human services, studio art, visual communications, interior design and management programs.

Cazenovia College presented some factors that were “very compelling” for this type of partnership, Crabill said in speaking with reporters following the ceremony.

“We had students who had made successful transitions there … We know that [Cazenovia officials] understood the associate degree,” said Crabill.

And in initial discussions, Tierno says he mentioned to Crabill his awareness that students who earn associate degrees are more likely to complete the pursuit of a bachelor’s degree.

“And that is supported in the national research, but you don’t always meet four-year presidents who know that,” Crabill said.

With the partnership, both schools are providing a “clear path” to a “cost effective” approach to earning a bachelor’s degree, Tierno said in his remarks at the morning ceremony.

“That kind of efficacy is very important to students and families in today’s … challenging economy,” said Tierno.

Students enrolled in the 2+2 partnership will receive academic advising from both OCC and Cazenovia College throughout the program.

With the signing, OCC now has 2+2 agreements with seven schools:

Besides Cazenovia College, OCC also has partnerships with Syracuse University; Le Moyne College; the University at Buffalo; the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Technology at Alfred; St. John Fisher College, and SUNY Potsdam.

Cazenovia College has similar agreements with Mohawk Valley Community College, Herkimer College, Monroe Community College, and Hudson Valley Community College, according to the OCC news release.

Manufacturing-certificate
The New York State Education Department has approved a one-year certificate program in advanced manufacturing-machining at OCC.

OCC announced the program in a news release distributed June 25.

The program is designed to provide students the skills necessary for employment in the machining industry, including the coursework and hands-on skills necessary to enter the workforce, OCC said in a news release.

The community college will offer the certificate program beginning in the fall 2014 semester.

OCC, citing Manufacturers Association of New York (or MACNY) information, said the program is needed because area manufacturers find it challenging to recruit the skilled labor necessary to handle “sophisticated” production processes and tasks required in a manufacturing plant.

Students who successfully complete the advanced manufacturing-machining certificate program will have the skills necessary to apply for positions such as machinists and apprentices, machine operators, tool and die makers, machine setters, and tool grinders.

The school conducted research on the region’s manufacturers and partnered with the Manufacturers Association of Central New York to see if an educational program might help reduce the “skills gap,” said Casey Crabill, OCC president.

Crabill spoke with the Business Journal News Network following the 2+2 announcement with Cazenovia College.

“And so, out of that came this one year, hands on, certificate in machining. It’s essentially employer-designed, if you will, but because it’s a college-credit certificate, we’re able to offer it to a broad range of people in an affordable way, so that people who are interested in the jobs that our local manufacturers have, now have a clear route to train and to become valuable in that market,” said Crabill.

OCC created the program as part of a statewide consortium focused on helping people who have lost their jobs or may lose them because of foreign trade.

The efforts are part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants (TAACCCT) program.

The department awarded OCC $1.2 million for equipment and curriculum development focused on manufacturing areas.

Displaced workers and unemployed veterans are eligible for the program tuition free, pending verification of their qualifications.

For students entering the program with real-world experience, a learning assessment taken in advance may reward credit for years worked in a machine shop, OCC said.

The OCC certificate program represents the State University of New York’s (SUNY) first new program developed with TAACCCT funds, Nancy Zimpher, SUNY Chancellor, said in the OCC news release.

“SUNY’s 30 community colleges are workforce development engines for all of New York, and we are proud to be preparing thousands of students for careers in advanced manufacturing and technology as a result of the TAACCCT program,” said Zimpher.

Students who earn the advanced manufacturing-machining certificate may also apply the credits to the mechanical-technology degree program at OCC, the school said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

What Do Your Marketing Tools Say About You?

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

Reading a question and answer article about proper distribution of business cards made me pause to think about my own. Are my business cards good representatives of me and what I do? This led me to examine other marketing tools — asking is it enough just to get our names out there or is more

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What do your marketing tools say about you? Take a hard look at the cards, brochures, flyers, stationery, and all the promotional items that represent you and your business. Are you satisfied with the message they deliver? What is there about your materials that sets you apart from others in your field? Do your marketing materials say, “Come do business with us,” or do they create a too-formal or snobbish image?

Chances are your materials contain all the right information: name, address, location, contact numbers, email, and Web addresses. That’s critical. But, are they beckoning? Do your prospects have a clear idea of what atmosphere will surround them when they embark on this relationship?

To assess your marketing materials, put them in front of you and your colleagues and ask the following questions:

If I had no prior knowledge of this person’s business, would I accurately determine it through this information? If no, what is lacking?
Do these materials convey to the reader, “what’s in it for them”?
Is the logo significant to the business mission? Does it provide “brand recognition?” Are we consistent with it?
How do we disseminate our materials? Do we just leave them anywhere, hoping the right people will pick them up? Or, are we judicious about giving them to people with whom we have made personal contact?

When was the last time we updated all of our representative marketing tools? And, have we cleared the storeroom of all the old literature? (If that would be too costly, use all the old first so you do not distribute different materials). Set up a calendar for regular assessment meetings (at least once a year) with all staff.

Take as much pride in your marketing tools as you do in your professional attire.

Nancy Ansteth is a New York State certified business advisor with the Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College. Contact her at anstethn@sunyocc.edu or (315) 498-6072.

N.Y. manufacturing index rises in July to highest mark in four years

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported July 15 that its Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index climbed more than six points to 25.9 in July, its highest level in more than four years. In its news release, the New York Fed said business conditions “improved significantly” for a third consecutive month for

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In its news release, the New York Fed said business conditions “improved significantly” for a third consecutive month for New York manufacturers.

The index in May rose nearly 18 points to 19.0, its highest level in nearly four years and then inched up 0.3 points to 19.3 in June.

The July survey found 41 percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, while 15 percent reported that conditions had worsened.

“It matches up well with my experiences that the manufacturing sector is seeing incremental improvement in New York and that continues to remain positive,” says Randall Wolken, president of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY).

The new-orders index was “little changed” at 18.8, while the shipments index rose nine points to 23.6, according to the New York Fed.

Both indexes were at their highest levels since early 2010, it added.

“New orders remain high and [the] shipment index actually rose, so both of these indexes are at multi-year highs,” says Wolken.

The unfilled-orders index fell six points to -6.8, suggesting that fewer orders remained unfilled.

The delivery-time index fell two points to -1.1, and the inventories index fell 13 points to -3.4, pointing to a small decline in inventory levels.

The indexes for both prices paid and prices received were higher this month, indicating a “pickup in the pace” of price increases, the New York Fed said.

The prices-paid index rose eight points to 25.0, and the prices-received index inched up three points to 6.8.

Labor market conditions continued to improve, with indexes pointing to a “solid” increase in employment levels and a slight increase in hours worked.

The index for number of employees climbed six points to 17.0, a level that indicated a “solid” increase in employment levels, according to the New York Fed.

The average-workweek index retreated seven points to 2.3, and pointed to a slight increase in hours worked.

“When [firms] start adding people, and then, they’re also adding a slight increase in hours worked, these are all positive indicators,” says Wolken.

Optimism about future slips
Despite the steep gains in many of the survey’s indexes for current conditions, optimism about future conditions, while still strong, diminished, according to the New York Fed.

The index for future general-business conditions fell 11 points to 28.5.

The future new-orders index dropped 19 points to 25.6, and the future-shipments index tumbled 21 points to 24.6.

The index for expected number of employees fell three points to 17.1, and the future average-workweek index turned “slightly negative,” according to the New York Fed.

The capital-expenditures index fell three points to 9.1, and the technology-spending index rose seven points to 10.2.

The New York Fed distributes the Empire State Manufacturing Survey on the first day of each month to the same pool of about 200 manufacturing executives in New York.

On average, about 100 executives return responses, it says.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Owner of Albany, Buffalo New Horizons teams up with brother to buy DeWitt location

Health Care, Subscriber Only

DeWITT, N.Y. — The DeWitt location of New Horizons Computer Learning Center has new owners. Jason Krolak, the owner of the firm’s locations in Albany and Buffalo, partnered with his brother, Todd, to purchase the local New Horizons facility, the company said in a news release. Todd Krolak is currently the CFO of New Horizons

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DeWITT, N.Y. — The DeWitt location of New Horizons Computer Learning Center has new owners.

Jason Krolak, the owner of the firm’s locations in Albany and Buffalo, partnered with his brother, Todd, to purchase the local New Horizons facility, the company said in a news release.

Todd Krolak is currently the CFO of New Horizons of Albany.

Jason Krolak bought New Horizons of Albany in 2012 and the Buffalo location the following year, the company said.

New Horizons, headquartered in West Conshohocken, Pa., describes itself as the “world’s largest independent [information-technology] training company.”

The brothers believed that purchasing the DeWitt facility was a “perfect way” to link the Albany and Buffalo locations, Jason Krolak said in the news release.

“Linus Dirnberger and Margie Polis, the former owners, invested 13 years in building this business and we will continue operations at New Horizons of Syracuse seamlessly, providing the same commitment and quality training to all of our clients throughout upstate and western New York,” said Jason Krolak.

The news release didn’t include any details about the terms of the purchase agreement.

The Syracuse center has 10 full-time staff and six classrooms that seat 14 students each.

The facility offers classes that include business and technical training on information-technology products from vendors that include Redmond, Wash.–based Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MFST); San Jose, Calif.–based Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO); Palo Alto, Calif.–based VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW); Armonk, N.Y.–based IBM (NYSE: IBM); Redwood City, Calif.–based Oracle Corp. (NYSE: ORCL), and Downers Grove, Ill.–based CompTIA, a nonprofit trade association, according to the news release.

The DeWitt facility recently partnered with Syracuse University to create a custom training class titled, “Accessibility Fundamentals for Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat.”

The class, geared toward colleges and universities, focuses on creating documents that are electronically accessible to everyone.

The previous owners are “extremely proud” of the success the local team has achieved at New Horizons of Syracuse, Dirnberger said in the news release.

“When considering the sale of our business, we looked for owners who have a dedication to community and who can build on the foundation we created. We found that in the new owners, Jason and Todd Krolak; in their hands, we expect a smooth transition with tremendous growth potential for Syracuse as a connective piece between Albany and Buffalo,” said Dirnberger.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

POMCO trains 65 new employees to service CO-OP plan

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Insurance & Financial Services, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — POMCO Group, a Syracuse–based third-party administrator of self-funded health-care and risk-management plans, has added 65 new employees at its corporate headquarters as it administers a new plan offered through the Affordable Care Act. “The 65 … are hired. They are in training and they’ll be working within weeks,” says Donald Napier, senior executive

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“The 65 … are hired. They are in training and they’ll be working within weeks,” says Donald Napier, senior executive vice president at POMCO Group.

Napier spoke with the Business Journal News Network on July 17 at POMCO’s headquarters at 2425 James Street in the Eastwood section of Syracuse.

The employee growth is to accommodate the “continual rapid growth of the company’s plan membership” due to the impact of Health Republic Insurance of New York (HRINY), the Affordable Care Act’s consumer operated and oriented plan (CO-OP), according to POMCO.

CO-OPs are private, member-governed, health-insurance companies that are forming nationwide as part of the Affordable Care Act.

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services used $174 million in no-interest and low-interest loans to launch the New York CO-OP. The Brooklyn–based Freelancers Union, a national nonprofit organization that serves independent workers and has 170,000 members, is sponsoring the CO-OP.

Freelancers Union was also responsible for choosing POMCO to administer the CO-OP’s benefits.

Health Republic Insurance of New York is one of 23 CO-OPs nationally and offers health benefits for both individuals and small businesses, POMCO said.

POMCO Group partnered with HRINY at the start of 2014 to serve as its claims administrator, customer-service call center, and medical-management provider.

The HRINY plans are not part of the self-funded plans that POMCO Group is also known for administering.

“[Those plans] are an insurance product but, because we’re an administrator, we administer for them,” says Napier.

POMCO Group manages HRINY as if it was a “large, self-funded employer,” he adds.

POMCO Group’s partnership with HRINY is the “largest factor” behind the firm’s need to recruit additional people, the firm said.

Upon the completion of its July training class, POMCO Group will have hired 157 new employees since the beginning of 2013, bringing the company’s total staff to 610, it said.

It also cited the “organic” growth of its benefits administration and risk-management services, along with the expansion of its services into Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and California as reasons for adding employees.

Most of the new hires at POMCO will work in the Syracuse headquarters with the capabilities of serving clients in California from the local office.

“Our technology allows people to be pretty much anywhere,” says Napier.

Enrollment in the CO-OP has “vastly exceeded all expectations,” which has provided POMCO Group with a chance to expand the team that focuses on HRINY with additional “highly trained” customer service and claims specialists, the firm said.

“Our partnership with Health Republic Insurance of New York has not only allowed us to assist underserved members across the state of New York with their health-coverage needs, it has also given us an opportunity to bring more employment opportunities to Syracuse,” Bob Pomfrey, president and CEO of POMCO Group, said in a July 1 news release.

Expansion
A recent expansion of POMCO Group’s headquarters at 2425 James St. provided the “necessary space” for the new employees, the company said.

However, in order to accommodate this latest staff expansion, POMCO Group is looking at possible new options for both training and future worksite locations.

“We are currently out … in the market looking at different places. It’s one of those where we need to balance that against what our future growth is looking like,” says Napier.

When asked if POMCO Group anticipates additional hiring in 2014, Napier says the firm could add and 60 or 70 people in the fall.

This current round of hiring is the third “large-scale” recruitment effort that POMCO Group has conducted in the past year, the company said.

In the fall of 2013, the benefits administrator hired more than 40 customer service and claims associates in its Syracuse headquarters.

Six months later, POMCO recruited, trained, and added another 55 customer service and claims specialists.

In total, the staffing increases over the past year represent the “largest period of growth” in the firm’s 35 year history, POMCO Group said in its release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Local investment advisor finds time for world championship lacrosse

Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Matthew Abbott, an investment advisor with Armory Capital Management, LLC, participated on the U.S. team that lost to Canada, 8-5 at the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Lacrosse Championship in Commerce City, Colo., near Denver, on July 19. “It was unique. It was something that I’d been looking forward to for a

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“It was unique. It was something that I’d been looking forward to for a long, long time. I was honored and humbled to be part of it all,” says Abbott.

He spoke with the Business Journal News Network on July 23.

The U.S. squad was among 38 nations that competed, representing the highest number of participating countries in the championship event that happens once every four years.

”It’s great to see the growth of the sport overall,” he says.

Abbott was also a co-captain on the 2009 Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team that captured the NCAA national championship, beating Cornell University.

Abbott, who currently plays professionally for the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), earned a spot on the U.S. world championship roster after a try out process that started about a year ago, he says.

U.S. Lacrosse, the organization that governs the American squad, and the coaching staff invited nearly 100 players to a three-day training camp. After several scrimmages, the coaches cut about half those who tried out.

The remaining hopefuls continued playing scrimmage events throughout last fall and winter.

The cut downs continued as the team played the MLL All Stars at the end of June. When Abbott made the final 23-player roster, he joined the national team for a final training camp in early July at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

When asked if he had to take vacation time to participate with Team USA, Abbott indicated Armory Capital Management afforded him “flexible scheduling.” He was also able to remotely access necessary computer files while on the road.

“It worked out well on both ends,” says Abbott.

“Weekend warrior”
The situation is similar for his involvement with the Bayhawks in Major League Lacrosse.

“The term is weekend warriors … because a lot of the guys have a full-time job and then we’re traveling on the weekends for games,” says Abbott.

In his role as an investment advisor, Abbott handles a lot of research on stocks, bonds, and mutual funds for clients and their portfolios, he says. Abbott joined Armory Capital Management in 2011.

Armory Capital Management is an independent investment advisory firm, associated with Grossman St. Amour CPAs, PLLC. It is located at One Lincoln Center at 110 W. Fayette St. in Syracuse.

Abbott is a 2009 graduate of Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting. He also earned his master’s degree in finance from SU the following year, he says.

He is a 2005 graduate of Nottingham High School.

Abbott was the third member of his family to play lacrosse at SU, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Larry Abbott who played between 1950 and 1952 and father, Tom Abbott, who suited up for the Orange between 1975 and 1978, he says.

In addition to his involvement with the Bayhawks and the U.S. national team, Abbott also serves as the volunteer assistant men’s lacrosse coach at Colgate University in Hamilton.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Ephesus announces first outdoor LED lighting-system installation

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — After illuminating more than two dozen sports venues across North America with its LED arena lights, Syracuse–based Ephesus Lighting, Inc. recently announced it is taking its LED lighting system outdoors. Duke University’s Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium — a multi-purpose outdoor stadium that is home to the university’s women’s field hockey team and

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Duke University’s Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium — a multi-purpose outdoor stadium that is home to the university’s women’s field hockey team and is also used for campus recreation and club sports — will become the first NCAA Division I outdoor college sports stadium to be lit with LED lighting, according to an Ephesus news release.

Ephesus Lighting will provide its new Stadium Series lights, powered by LEDs from Durham, N.C.–based Cree, Inc., to replace the 1,500-watt metal-halide fixtures currently installed. The new system will also use Ephesus’ integrated wireless controls to operate the lighting and maintain constant light output for 25 years, the company said.

Despite reducing the number of fixtures by more than one-third, the Ephesus lighting systems will “dramatically increase light to 75-foot candles” and yield a projected energy savings of more than 70 percent, Ephesus contends.

“Sports-facility operators now understand that LED lights are the natural evolution of arena and stadium lighting as it provides an optimal stage for events in person and on high-definition television,” Amy Casper, CEO of Ephesus Lighting, said in the news release.

Williams Field at Jack Katz Stadium, located on Duke’s East Campus was built in 1996 and renovated in 2011, will host the 2014 ACC field hockey championships in November. Syracuse University is a member of the ACC.

First NHL arena installation
Ephesus also recently announced it will provide the LED lighting system for the Canadian Tire Centre, the arena that is home to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). It’s the first NHL arena to be lit with Ephesus LED lights, the company said. Ephesus lights already illuminate a number of minor-league hockey arenas, including the home venues of the Syracuse Crunch and Binghamton Senators (Ottawa’s farm team).

Crouse starts posting prices on common medical procedures

Health Care, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Just how much could that upcoming surgery cost? Saying it’s the first Central New York hospital to do so, Crouse Hospital has posted the average prices for its “most common” medical procedures on its website. Estimated average prices for more than 300 medical services are included on the site, according to Crouse. It

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SYRACUSE — Just how much could that upcoming surgery cost?

Saying it’s the first Central New York hospital to do so, Crouse Hospital has posted the average prices for its “most common” medical procedures on its website.

Estimated average prices for more than 300 medical services are included on the site, according to Crouse.

It includes inpatient and outpatient procedures, obstetrics procedures, robotic-surgery procedures, and medical and other surgical procedures.

The information is available at www.crouse.org/prices.

For example, the estimated average price of delivering a baby at Crouse is more than $3,800. The average Medicaid payment for that procedure is nearly $1,800, while the average insurance payment is more than $2,100, according to the site.

Crouse Hospital has been thinking about this since the summer of last year, since it could soon become a federal mandate, says Kelli Harris, CFO of Crouse Hospital.

“We started working on it in the fall, so it’s taken about nine months for us to gather all the data, look at the data, research other facilities, what are other facilities within the state and outside the state doing and really tweaking the website,” says Harris.

She spoke with the Business Journal News Network on July 17, Crouse wanted to be a “pioneer” with the project, she says.

“We had a core group of about five individuals spanning across information technology, finance, the business office, communications,” she adds.

The process didn’t cost Crouse any money because “in-house” staff members handled the project, says Robert Allen, vice president of communications & government affairs at Crouse, who joined Harris for the interview.

“We didn’t use any outside consultants or outside web-development people. We just utilized our own internal resources,” says Allen

Crouse announced the availability of the average-price information in a July 1 news release. The work on placing the information on the website continued through the last week in June, according to Harris.

“[A potential patient] would see from the day that they were admitted to the day that they’re discharged the average price of their whole stay,” she adds.

Prices listed on the website may vary based on pre-existing health conditions, severity of the illness, and the actual procedure performed, Harris noted.

In addition, prices listed do not include physician fees, which individual providers typically bill separately from the hospital’s charges, according to Crouse.

Examples include charges from a surgeon, anesthesiologist or radiologist, said Harris, who encourages patients and consumers to contact their insurance provider to help determine their out-of-pocket costs.

Prices listed on the Crouse website are current as of June 2014, the hospital said. Crouse will update the information annually, it added.

The site may not reflect any recent pricing changes that may occur, Crouse said.

Patients should also research the quality of care provided at a particular hospital, as that that does not always correlate with pricing, Harris adds.

Harris recommends www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, the federal-government site for Medicare, but notes “numerous” online sites include information about hospital quality.

In addition to the prices, the Crouse site also contains a list of frequently asked questions, along with the total number of times a particular procedure or test was performed at Crouse in the previous year.

The site also includes other information, such as the average age of patients who have undergone a given medical test or procedure; the average amount that Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance pays; and a link to additional information about that particular medical service.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

CCC announces nursing-student exam, placement results

Health Care, Subscriber Only

AUBURN — Cayuga Community College (CCC) announced the National Council Licensure Exam (or NCLEX) score of its 2013 nursing class. The most recent graduates of the school’s two-year associate-in-applied-science degree achieved a 100 percent pass rate for a third straight year, according to a news release from the college. CCC’s 2013 class surpassed the state

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Community Foundation announces grant to Symphoria for multi-media orchestra program at four local middle schools

Health Care, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The Central New York Community Foundation recently awarded an $18,000 grant to Symphoria to bring what it says is an innovative multi-media orchestra program to four local middle schools. This is the Community Foundation’s first community grant to Symphoria, which was established in 2013 to serve as the region’s new source for orchestral

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Reductions in public education funding have led to fewer opportunities for students to experience the arts through traditional field trips, according to a news release from the foundation. In response to these dynamics, Symphoria is taking its talent on the road to host in-school presentations that connect students with live musical performance.

Symphoria’s Sound of Nature program includes multimedia elements and encourages audience participation. Middle-school students in the Chittenango, West Genesee, and Fabius-Pompey school districts, along with a fourth district that is yet to be named, will experience this program, the news release stated.

Symphoria is comprised of more than 50 musicians. By the completion of its first year, it had acquired about 1,300 season subscribers and more than 34,000 in overall attendance, according to the release.

“Community outreach is a vital piece of Symphoria’s mission as it seeks to build new and lasting connections within the region,” Peter Dunn, Community Foundation president and CEO, said. “We are happy to support this program to help share music and knowledge with our community’s youngest residents.”

The Community Foundation also awarded the following grants to other area programs in the fields of arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and civic affairs:

American Farmland Trust received $15,000 to establish the Local Agriculture and Land Leadership Institute.
American Red Cross of Central New York received $20,000 to implement its Community Resilience Strategy.
Farmers Market Federation was allocated $5,000 to establish the Mohawk Valley Farmers Market Managers Alliance.
Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society received $35,000 to purchase new computers as they install a web-based case and document management system.
Learning Disabilities of CNY was provided $20,000 to improve client service by installing a new telephone system.
Matthew 25 Farm received $20,000 to purchase farm equipment that will increase its yield of fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution at Central New York food pantries and soup kitchens.
Onondaga Earth Corps obtained $20,500 to purchase a truck to transport its expanded youth-volunteer force to ongoing conservation activities.
Rescue Mission Alliance received $100,000 to expand its emergency shelter in Syracuse, to address a growing need for overnight services.
Skaneateles Library Association was given $10,366 toward a kiosk that will be part of a satellite station at the Skaneateles YMCA allowing library cardholders to pick up and drop off books from the Onondaga County Public Library catalogue.
Westcott Community Center received $12,243 to upgrade its computer lab utilized for several training programs.

These grants were funded by the Community Foundation’s unrestricted and field-of-interest funds.

Established in 1927, the Central New York Community Foundation says it encourages local philanthropy by supporting the growth of permanent charitable endowments for the betterment of the region. It says it is the largest charitable foundation in the region with assets of more than $172 million.

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