Mildred Faulkner Truman Foundation awards TC3 grant money to support Tioga County students

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DRYDEN, N.Y. — Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) says it will use a $15,000 grant to support Tioga County residents studying at the school during the 2024-25 academic year. TC3 is located in Dryden in Tompkins County, not far from the Cortland County border. The Owego–based Mildred Faulkner Truman Foundation awarded the grant money. It […]

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Miss Prissy’s to open location at Syracuse airport

Small Business, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Featured, New York News, Nonprofits, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Miss Prissy’s, a Syracuse eatery specializing in American soul food, will soon open a location at Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR). The restaurant, one of the original vendors at the Salt City Market, recently made headlines when Onondaga County awarded it a $100,000 grant for its renovation work at 431 S. Warren

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Five startups complete CenterState CEO’s Syracuse Surge Accelerator program

Nonprofits, Education & Training, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The inaugural group of five startups involved in CenterState CEO’s Syracuse Surge Accelerator has completed the yearlong program. A recognition event held Wednesday at Le Moyne College included presentations by Surge Accelerator team founders, a keynote address, and the chance to network with the teams, CenterState CEO said. The startups included Clutch

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The inaugural group of five startups involved in CenterState CEO’s Syracuse Surge Accelerator has completed the yearlong program.

A recognition event held Wednesday at Le Moyne College included presentations by Surge Accelerator team founders, a keynote address, and the chance to network with the teams, CenterState CEO said.

The startups included Clutch Delivery; Certainty Analytical Labs; HippoH Apparel; Sign-Speak; and Talkadot.

“We are so lucky to be a part of these five incredible companies’ journeys. Over the course of the year, they have all been able to advance their businesses, bringing their innovative ideas to life,” Emad Rahim, Syracuse Surge Accelerator program manager, said in the announcement. “The perspectives and experiences shared by these five founders will continue to shape CenterState CEO programming as we seek to continually build a more inclusive economy.”

Syracuse Surge is described as an “inclusive community plan to ignite economic growth and neighborhood transformation in the city of Syracuse and the Central New York region. It builds on a massive investment in technology infrastructure to drive new strategic investment,” per the CenterState CEO announcement.

The program provides Black-Indigenous-Persons of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs who want to launch and accelerate tech-related and tech-adjacent startups with supports needed to grow a successful business.

The companies had access to free workspace at the Syracuse Tech Garden, extensive programming, executive advisors, and marketing and fundraising support. Each startup also received financial support — such as ignition grants and monthly stipends — totaling more than $50,000.

Funding for the Syracuse Surge Accelerator was provided, in part, by JPMorgan Chase Foundation and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT).

“This program was created in response to a critical gap in the innovation ecosystem. Fewer than 25% of tech startups in the United States have founders of color, which is fueled by structural and cultural barriers,” Robert Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO. “The Syracuse Surge Accelerator gives BIPOC entrepreneurs direct access to resources and expertise, and with this support, each founder advanced their business and gained skills they’ll use to continue their success. I can’t wait to see all that they accomplish in the future.”

The Syracuse Surge Accelerator has not yet started accepting applications for the next cohort. Those interested in applying should complete the interest form and will be notified when the application period opens. The link to the interest form is: https://fs4.formsite.com/2yTmtI/SurgeAccel/index

McGrogan named executive director of Utica Children’s Museum

Mohawk Valley, Education & Training, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, New York News, Nonprofits, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

UTICA, N.Y. — Meghan Fraser McGrogan is no longer the interim director of the Utica Children’s Museum as she takes on the role more permanently as its executive director, the museum’s board of directors announced. McGrogan first became involved with the museum when she joined the board in 2021, serving as board president for two

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McGrogan first became involved with the museum when she joined the board in 2021, serving as board president for two years, board liaison for four months, and lastly as the museum’s interim director for the past six months.

As executive director, she will oversee the opening of the museum later this year as well as leading the onboarding and growth of the museum’s team and building operational systems. McGrogan also has an active role in donor relations, marketing, and public relations.

“We’re all ecstatic about Meghan stepping into the role of executive director,” Adam Pawlick, the museum’s board president, said in a news release. “It’s not every day you get to work with such a dynamic and seasoned professional, especially on a transformative project such as this. I am beyond excited about what lies ahead and believe we will achieve extraordinary things with her vision and direction.”

McGrogan began her career at the F.X. Matt Brewing Company in marketing and public relations before joining the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce in 2014 as its director of membership and events. She later became the chamber’s executive director. In 2020, she and her husband, Ryan, opened Commonworker, a shared office space for small businesses. She joined him at his McGrogan Design firm in 2021 and founded MFM Consulting in 2022.

As executive director of the Utica Children’s Museum, McGrogan’s focus is on fostering an environment of learning, curiosity, and fun for children and families. She also serves as the regional and national voice for the museum and its unique offerings. This past spring, she presented at the Association of Children’s Museums’ national conference on Universal Design. The Utica Children’s Museum is the first in the country to integrate Universal Design principles from concept through construction.

McGrogan holds a bachelor’s degree in English from SUNY Oswego. She volunteers with the Boilermaker Road Race as its media coordinator and has previously served on committees for many community organizations.

Tompkins Financial Advisors names new president

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Banks & Credit Unions, Insurance & Financial Services, New York News, Small Business, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Financial Corp. (NYSE: TMP) announced it has appointed Eric Taylor as its new executive VP and president of its Tompkins Financial Advisors unit. In this role, Taylor leads Tompkins Financial Advisors, a holistic financial-services firm, to bring customized wealth management, financial planning, and trust services to individuals and businesses. He reports

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Wynn Hospital receives Get With The Guidelines stroke award

Health Care, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

UTICA, N.Y. — The Wynn Hospital, part of Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS), received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke Gold Plus Award for the 14th straight year, MVHS announced. The award recognizes Wynn’s performance in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment, according to nationally recognized guidelines

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The award recognizes Wynn’s performance in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment, according to nationally recognized guidelines based on the latest scientific research and evidence.

The hospital earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period, including evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments, offering care-transition interventions, and meeting specific scientific guidelines as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

“The Wynn Hospital is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” MVHS Stroke Program Clinical Coordinator Melissa Kelly said in a news release. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in the Mohawk Valley can experience longer, healthier lives.”

In addition to the Gold Plus Award for stroke, MVHS also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll awards.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke honor, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombolytic therapy.

The Target: Type 2 Diabetes honor aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death and a major cause of serious disability for adults in the U.S. On average, someone in this nation suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability, and speeding recovery times.

Get With The Guidelines is a hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to the latest research-based guidelines.

Manager of Bassett school-based health program receives award

Health Care, Education & Training, Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

COOPERSTOWN — The National School-Based Health Alliance honored Bassett Healthcare Network’s School-Based Health Program Practice Manager Jane Hamilton with its 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, presented on July 2. The award celebrates a leader who has demonstrated a strong commitment to making an impact on school-based health. “I cannot think of a more deserving person for

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The award celebrates a leader who has demonstrated a strong commitment to making an impact on school-based health.

“I cannot think of a more deserving person for this award than Jane,” William Fredette, program co-director, said in a news release. “She pours her heart and soul every day into making this program a part of the fabric of our schools and communities. Because of Jane’s remarkable dedication, our communities and children are healthier.”

Hamilton helped establish Bassett’s program when it opened its first clinic in 1992. Since then, she has helped expand and develop the program to include 22 clinics across 18 school districts. The program serves more than 7,000 students who receive medical, dental, and mental health care at no out-of-pocket cost to families.

“Bassett’s School-Based Health Program is not only connecting children and families with needed care; it is teaching children how to be good health consumers,” Hamilton said. “School-based health helps kids understand the responsibility they have to take care of themselves, what to expect from a health-care provider, and empowers them to be their own advocates and become healthy adults.”

Services are available for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Bassett’s program is the largest rural program of its kind in the state and works to overcome barriers to care in rural areas including lack of insurance, lack of transportation, and other socioeconomic factors, the release stated.

The first center opened more than 30 years ago in Delhi. “Today we are caring for the children of the students who were first in our care, and few things are more rewarding than seeing the next generation of patients build healthy lives,” Hamilton said.

The program is one offering of Bassett Healthcare Network, which also operates five hospitals, more than two dozen community-based health centers, and two skilled-nursing facilities.

Onondaga County hotels see slight business improvement in June

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SYRACUSE — Onondaga County hotels posted a small uptick in overnight guests in June, but saw larger increases in two other key benchmarks of business performance in the month. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in Central New York’s largest county edged up 0.4 percent to 66.8 percent in the

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Mirabito raises $65K for UHS Foundation to support Wilson Main Tower

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GREENE — Mirabito Convenience Stores says it raised $65,000 to support the UHS Foundation’s Journey Campaign for the Wilson Main Tower during June. The effort was part of the Mirabito Cares Round-Up campaign, per the Aug. 1 announcement. Mirabito Convenience Stores is a division of Mirabito Energy Products, a family-owned energy provider since 1927. This

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GREENE — Mirabito Convenience Stores says it raised $65,000 to support the UHS Foundation’s Journey Campaign for the Wilson Main Tower during June.

The effort was part of the Mirabito Cares Round-Up campaign, per the Aug. 1 announcement. Mirabito Convenience Stores is a division of Mirabito Energy Products, a family-owned energy provider since 1927.

This fundraising effort was a collaborative initiative between Mirabito and the communities we proudly serve. The success of the campaign will provide enhanced healthcare services to our immediate community and neighboring areas, ensuring more individuals have access to high-quality, affordable health care.

“We are so incredibly grateful to Mirabito’s staff, customers and the community for their generous support of this campaign for the UHS Foundation,” Cory Jacobs, executive director of the UHS Foundation, said in the Mirabito announcement. “We are proud to serve the Southern Tier community in many ways, and this donation in support of the Wilson Main Tower will help support the quality of care available and expand our ability to recruit and retain outstanding healthcare providers.”

The UHS Wilson Main Tower will benefit health care in the Southern Tier with “state-of-the-art” facilities and expanded care options. Serving as the new front door to the UHS Wilson Medical Center, the Wilson Main Tower began welcoming patients and visitors on June 26.

“At Mirabito, we believe in giving back to the community that supports us,” Marissa Sweeney, marketing director at Mirabito. “The success of our Round-Up campaign is a testament to the generosity of our customers and their commitment to improving local healthcare. We are proud to support the UHS Wilson Main Tower and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our community’s health and well-being.”

The Round-Up campaign invited customers to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, with the difference going directly to support the UHS Wilson Main Tower.

A check presentation took place at the Mirabito Convenience Store in Greene where members of the UHS team and Mirabito employees shared a photo to commemorate the Round-Up.

Pomeroy Foundation executive director Bill Brower

Former Le Moyne official set to lead Pomeroy Foundation

Education & Training, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The next executive director of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation is set to begin his new duties. The board of trustees of the Pomeroy Foundation appointed Bill Brower to the role, effective Aug. 12. Brower has worked for the last decade at Le Moyne College, serving as VP of advancement and special assistant

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SYRACUSE — The next executive director of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation is set to begin his new duties.

The board of trustees of the Pomeroy Foundation appointed Bill Brower to the role, effective Aug. 12.

Brower has worked for the last decade at Le Moyne College, serving as VP of advancement and special assistant to the president for strategic partnerships and workforce innovation.

He’s worked for most of his career in educational advancement, per the July 23 announcement.

Brower will succeed Carrie Berse in the executive director’s role, the foundation tells CNYBJ in an email. Berse retired last September.

The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is one of the largest foundations in Central New York. The organization is “committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history and working to improve the probability of finding appropriate donor matches or other life-saving treatments for blood cancer patients,” per the announcement.

Pomeroy is the founder and former owner of technology companies CXtec & TERACAI.

“The Board and I are attracted to Bill Brower’s commitment to service and the consistent success he achieves in everything he does,” Pomeroy said of his new executive director. “He is a leader, a genuine relationship builder, and a creative thinker. His personal story and his interest in American history make him an exceptionally strong fit. I have no doubt he is the best person to lead the Foundation to ever greater successes in the coming years.”

“The opportunity to work with and grow with Bill Pomeroy and his team of high-achieving professionals is exciting,” Brower said in the Pomeroy announcement. “Bill Pomeroy and I developed a quick rapport. As the brother and the son of a sister and father who fought cancer with courage, his personal story of courage and his generosity to help as many people as possible beat cancer resonates deeply. As a history major and lifelong learner, Bill Pomeroy’s focus on educating and celebrating history via the Foundation’s historic marker program is exciting. I’m looking forward to helping Bill achieve his growth vision and propel the mission of the Pomeroy Foundation for years to come.”

Brower at Le Moyne

As the longest-serving advancement VP in Le Moyne’s history, Brower completed a $100 million comprehensive campaign, per the foundation’s announcement.

Under his leadership, the number of volunteers actively engaged with the college increased 10-fold; he led the effort to diversify Le Moyne’s board of trustees and other volunteer bodies; and he managed marketing and communications and career advising and development.

His work with foundations, corporations, and public funders since 2021 also resulted in over $45 million in commitments.

Brower created and implemented Le Moyne’s ERIE21 (Educating for our Rising Innovation Economy) program, which has served more than 2,500 individuals who are underrepresented in technology careers and attracted more than $10 million in support.

As special assistant to Le Moyne College President Linda LeMura, Brower was the lead on developing the school’s relationship with Micron, representing the college on Micron’s Future Ready Workforce Innovation Consortium and its Northeast University Semiconductor Network.

About the Foundation

The Pomeroy Foundation began in 2005 when Pomeroy was fighting acute myeloid leukemia, and “his survival was in doubt.” He was matched with a donor and received a lifesaving stem-cell transplant. Pomeroy felt that, should he survive, he would help others in a similar situation, per the announcement.

The foundation’s other focus is helping people to celebrate their community’s history. It provides grants to obtain signage in the form of roadside markers and plaques. Since 2005, it has funded more than 2,400 signs across the U.S., from Central New York to Alaska.

The organization operates at 492 E. Brighton Ave. in Syracuse.

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