Locals-People & Businesses in the News: July 12, 2023

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: The Oneonta chapter of PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding on Thursday, June 8 at the First Presbyterian Church in Oneonta. PEO’s mission is helping women fulfill their educational goals through loans and scholarships. For further information, visit www.peointernational.org or call (607) 267-0539. Pictured above are: seated, Norrie Beken; front row, Fran Bliven, Georgia Meeter, PEO President Cindy Korb, Roxanne Murray, Terry Gorman, Nicki McNeil, Ginger Heitz, and Betsy O’Brien; back row: Kim and baby Alana Wooden, Cynthia Goertemoeller, Bonnie Lado, Dolores Noonan, Kay Moore, Margret Welsh, Adrienne Lentini, Bobbie Frazier, Kay Additon and Helen Rees. (Photo provided)

DEPUTY DESIGNATION: Ana J. Almanzar, a 2000 graduate of SUNY Delhi, has been appointed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams as deputy mayor for strategic initiatives. Her appointment was announced at a press conference on May 26. “For more than a decade, Ana Almanzar has built bridges between non-profits and government,” said Mayor Adams. “From improving health outcomes in diverse communities at the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to overseeing a $25 million poverty reduction initiative on the state level, Ana has shown her ability to ‘get stuff done’ for New Yorkers. Moving to New York City from the Dominican Republic, she has turned her American Dream into a reality.” As deputy mayor, Almanzar will oversee a large portfolio. Reporting to her in this role are the commissioners and executive directors of the Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence, City University of the City of New York, New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, Mayor’s Office of Equity, Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, Mayor’s Office of Nonprofits, and the Mayor’s Fund and City Affiliated Nonprofits. Almanzar, who earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Delhi in 2000, also serves as a trustee of the College Foundation at Delhi, Inc. The 501c3 non-profit accepts and manages charitable gifts and grants to support SUNY Delhi. “I am pleased to offer my enthusiastic support for Ana Almanzar for this important role,” said Dr. Mary Bonderoff, officer-in-charge at SUNY Delhi. “Ana serves as a trustee and leadership volunteer on our College Foundation Board of Trustees. Her commitment to student success and the life-changing opportunities that public higher education provides is extraordinary. The SUNY Delhi community is so proud to have one of our own serve New York in this way.” After receiving a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Delhi, Almanzar went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia University.

EXPANDED BOARD: The Otsego Land Trust recently welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors. Sara Albright is the director of advisory services at Optum and vice president of data analytics for the Bassett Optum partnership. She has worked with Bassett for more than 30 years. In her free time, Albright is a musician and gardener. A New Lisbon resident, she lives with her husband, Matthew Albright, assistant to the director of the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station. The Albrights have conserved their large parcel of land through Otsego Land Trust and have purchased surrounding parcels to add to the conservation easement over the years. “Conservation has always been a priority for our family,” said Sara. “I am hoping to persuade other property owners to make the same commitment.” Dietrich L. Snell is a partner in the Litigation Department at Proskauer, a major international law firm based in Manhattan, with extensive experience in federal and state-level prosecutorial and investigative work. He previously oversaw the Environmental Protection Bureau, including enforcement and policy, with the New York Deputy Attorney General. Snell has deep roots in the Otsego region. “My father, George Snell, was from Herkimer and was one of the founders of Otsego Land Trust,” he recalled. “We vacationed on Otsego Lake and I attended summer camps in the area. Now we own the home my parents built in the 1980s.” Snell is very interested in preserving the area’s beautiful landscapes and recreational opportunities for generations to come. Joan Fox is the owner of Keller Williams Upstate New York Properties and has been a real estate broker in the region for many years. Residing in Oneonta, Fox specializes in residential, commercial, luxury, land and farm real estate sales. She has a strong background in business, negotiation, training, marketing and creative problem-solving, Fox is hoping to use these skills to help Otsego Land Trust conserve more of the region’s natural resources. Otsego Land Trust works in communities throughout Otsego, Schoharie and Delaware counties. It is the only local organization that protects land in perpetuity.

MULTIPLE HONORS: Adrianna Dugan of Oneonta was recognized with several awards during Hartwick College’s Honors Convocation held on May 3. Dugan was recognized as an Andrew B. Saxton Undergraduate Fellow in Chemistry. A fellow is selected by the faculty to recognize outstanding achievement. Fellows serve as student assistants in their major department and receive a tuition credit. Dugan also received the Otto Steinbach Memorial Scholarship in Chemistry. Established in memory of Chemistry Professor Dr. Otto Steinbach by his wife, Grace Steinbach, Hartwick Class of 1938, and former student Elizabeth Lamphere, Class of 1938, the scholarship is awarded to a rising junior or senior chemistry or biochemistry major who has demonstrated high academic achievement. Additionally, Dugan was awarded the Behrend Mehrtens ‘47 Memorial Scholarship, which was established in memory of Dr. Behrend Mehrtens, a former professor of religion. It is given to a rising junior with demonstrated excellence in music.

IMPRESSIVE INTERVIEW: Cooperstown native and three-time National Book Award finalist Lauren Groff released the cover of her upcoming novel in an interview with “Elle” magazine on March 29. Groff has been working on “The Vaster Wilds” since 2017. The novel is set in Colonial Jamestown during the “starving time,” the winter of 1609-1610, in which all but 61 of the settlement’s 500 residents died. Its protagonist, a young serving girl, escapes the collapsing settlement into the wild Virginia winter to risk survival on her own. Like Groff’s previous work, “The Vaster Wilds” uses fantastic historical settings to examine modern issues like religion, climate change and misogyny. The cover features a brightly-colored, vaguely off-putting gnarled tree. Groff told “Elle” that the warped tree, which is in full bloom despite the book’s wintry setting, matches the novel’s attention to detail. “The Vaster Wilds” is expected from Riverhead Books on September 12, 2023. The full “Elle” interview with Groff can be found at https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a43452536/lauren-groff-the-vaster-wilds-cover-reveal/. (Graphic provided)

DEAN’S DESIGNATION: Genesis Bushnell of Laurens has been named to Commonwealth University-Mansfield’s (Pennsylvania) Dean’s List for the spring 2023 semester. To be named to the Dean’s List, a student must attend the university full-time and earn a 3.5 grade point average. Renate Carrabba of Morris has been named to Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg’s Dean’s List for the spring 2023 Dean’s List. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher (based on 4.0) during the semester.