Bettiol, NBT Honored

At Chamber Dinner

By PARKER FISH • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – The crowd rose to its feet with a roaring applause at the annual Otsego County Chamber of Commerce dinner Thursday evening as Betty Bettiol made her way to the podium to accept the Distinguished Citizen Award, given posthumously to her husband, Eugene A. Bettiol Sr.

Accepting the award for her husband that was named in honor of her late son, Gene Bettiol, Jr., was an emotional moment for everyone in attendance, most of which knew Gene through many years of business in Oneonta.

Betty, her daughter Jaci, and her two grandsons Ryan Laytham and Eric Michelitch took to the stage to accept the award, with Jaci making an acceptance speech in her father’s honor.

“My father was not fond of receiving recognition, and would always say, ‘it’s not my time’,” said  Jaci. “Well dad, time is up, and this is for you.”

The Distinguished Business Award was given to NBT Bank, who recently celebrated 20 years of business in Oneonta, and consolidated offices to relocate 14 new professionals to the downtown Oneonta district. Senior Vice President and REgional Manager Jamie Reynolds accepted the award, thanking the community, and Gene Bettiol in particular, who was instrumental in bringing NBT Bank to Oneonta 20 years ago.

“The bank is honored to be receiving this recognition of course,” said Reynolds. “But it truly is special to be joined with Gene being honored as well.”

After the awards were given out, state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, presented NBT Bank and the Bettiol family with special resolutions, which were both passed unanimously by the state senate, honoring the two recipients.