Locals: People and Businesses in the News
SCHUERMANN SUCCEEDS: Meagan Schuermann of Cooperstown graduated with High Academic Honors from Wilbraham & Monson Academy on May 27, 2023. Schuermann served as captain of the women’s basketball team, scoring her 1000th point as a senior. She led her team in the All-New England Private School Athletic Conference Championship game, and was named 1st Team All-NEPSAC. Schuermann will be attending Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts this fall, pursuing an interest in business and African American studies. Schuermann will also compete on the women’s basketball team for Emmanuel College. (Photo provided)
PROVOST PICK: Sophia Lorens of Edmeston was among 243 students at Genesee Community College named to the Provost’s List for the spring 2023 semester. To qualify, students must maintain part-time enrollment and earn a quality point index of 3.75 (roughly equivalent to an A) or better. Genesee Community College educates over 6,000 students in more than 70 academic programs and certificates. It operates seven campus locations in western New York, at Batavia, Arcade, Dansville, Lima, Medina, Albion and Warsaw.
LOCALS LISTED: More than 670 students were named to the Dean’s List at St. Lawrence University for the spring 2023 semester. To be eligible, a student must complete at least four classes and attain a GPA of at least 3.6. Local students named to the list include: Lily English, a senior psychology major from Richmondville; John Hill-Edgar, a rising junior finance major from Cooperstown; Madyson McCarthy, a rising junior history major from New Berlin; and Autumn Nealis, a rising junior history major from Oneonta. Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, independent liberal arts institution of more than 2,000 students in Canton, New York.
GENESEE GREAT: Daniel Ceacareanu of Oneonta was among 176 students named to the Dean’s List at Genesee Community College for the spring 2023 semester. To qualify, a full-time or part-time student must earn a quality point index between 3.5 and 3.74.
CORTLAND COMMENCEMENT: More than 950 students received bachelor’s degrees from the State University of New York at Cortland this spring. Coverage of the 2023 commencement ceremonies, including video footage, may be found at www2.cortland.edu/commencement. Local students who graduated included: Star Banner, a school building leader major from Maryland; Rhiannon Beers, of Mount Vision, with a degree in exercise science; Justin Cornia, a physical education major from Oneonta; and Jordyn Lang, of Sidney, a sociology student. SUNY Cortland is one of New York’s top public universities, with 68 undergraduate majors.
BEST BANK: For the second year in a row, Community Bank has been recognized as one of America’s Most Trusted Companies by Newsweek and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. In addition to the Newsweek recognition, Community Bank was honored by Forbes as one of America’s Best Banks for the 14th consecutive year. “To be recognized for a second consecutive year as one of the most trusted companies in America is an honor, but more importantly, it’s proof that we’re doing right by our customers,” Community Bank Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Tryniski said. “Giving them the best possible financial guidance is and always will be our first priority. Thank you, Newsweek and Forbes, for the recognition, and to our employees, local communities, investors, and customers for putting your trust in us.”
EDWARDS EXCELS: Nathaniel Edwards of Morris was named to the Dean’s List at Wilkes University for the spring 2023 semester. To be named to the Dean’s List, students must obtain a minimum 3.5 grade point average and carry at least 12 credits. Wilkes University is located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
CAMP COUNSELOR: Graham Wooden of Oneonta was one of two SUNY Oneonta students to assist in the first collaborative Nike multi-sport camp held June 11-12 at Hartwick College. SUNY Oneonta Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Science Dr. Katherine Griffes, Hartwick Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach and Assistant Athletic Director Don LaSala, Cooperstown All Star Village and Nike Sports Camp developed the multi-sport camp for young kids. Wooden is an exercise science major at SUNY Oneonta who has taken courses in human growth and development, sport psychology and motor learning. The two-day camp provided a wide range of sports and basic movement activities for the siblings of kids in the area for the CASV baseball tournament. Some activities included basketball, soccer, kickball and football, endurance and agility games, and drills and low-intensity activities like yard games and sidewalk chalk.
DEGREE FOR DEVITA: Pamela DeVita of Cooperstown graduated from Missouri State University on May 19 with a Master of Science, Defense and Strategic Studies. MSU awarded 2,953 degrees to students this spring. The commencement ceremonies took place at Great Southern Bank Arena on the MSU campus in Springfield, Missouri.
CERTIFICATION SECURED: HCR Home Care has earned Home Health Heart Failure certification from the American Heart Association®, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all. The certification provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating home health agencies against the American Heart Association’s rigorous science-based standards for heart failure patients, including program management, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management and quality improvement. “Obtaining American Heart Association certification for our heart failure program is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Adrianne Mann, RN, BSN, MSHA, chief nursing officer and administrator of HCR’s Certified Home Health Agency. “Our staff provides quality care to our patients, and it is great to be recognized for all of their hard work and dedication.” The certification signifies confidence that: An agency’s heart failure program is based on standards aligned with the American Heart Association science; the agency is recognized by the American Heart Association, based on professional evaluation criteria designed by heart failure and home care experts, and: care is coordinated from pre-admission through working with the home health agency to discharge. Recognized as a top workplace six years in a row and as a top-ranked woman-owned business, HCR Home Care is headquartered in Rochester and operates in 25 counties across the Catskill, Central New York, Finger Lakes and North Country regions.
CURTIN AND CORDES: Two local students earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Vermont as UVM President Suresh Garimella conferred degrees on an estimated 3,383 graduates at the university’s 222nd commencement ceremony. Helaina Curtin of Oneonta graduated with a bachelor’s in community and international development. Bernardina Cordes of Sidney graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in environmental sciences. Garimella invoked words of writer Vladamir Nabokov to encourage graduates forward: “The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible,” he read. He urged students to follow the same spirit. “Go forth and write your next chapter in bold strokes. Go dauntlessly wherever your stories take you.” Speaking on the spirit of excellence, the Honorable Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation, delivered the keynote address.
FAN FAVORITES: The results of the Cooperstown Art Association’s 88th Annual National Juried Exhibition Popular Vote have been tallied. First place went to “Deconstruction and Reconstruction” by Carol Saggese; Jonathan Schubert took second place with “Chestnut Street Drizzle,” and “Yvette” by Herman Roggeman placed third in the voting. According to the CAA, this year’s exhibit featured 148 works on display from 126 individual artists representing 13 states.
STRIKES AND STRIFE: Dr. John Nader (above), former mayor of Oneonta, is writing a book about the history of the Sixth Ward. He addressed a crowd of 40-50 people on Saturday, July 8 as a guest speaker for the Greater Oneonta Historical Society. His talk, titled “Troubles Ahead, Troubles Behind,” detailed strikes and strife on the Delaware & Hudson Railroad between 1910-1922. The vast majority of the 1,100 trackmen who struck in 1910 were bilingual Italian Americans. At least 200 lived in the Sixth Ward. Dr. Nader is currently president of SUNY Farmingdale on Long Island. (Photo provided)
MILFORD DELEGATE: Jack Yorke, a junior at Milford Central School, was selected by The Lauren’s American Legion Post #1688 as a delegate for the 2023 American Legion Boys State in Morrisville this past June. Boys State was founded in 1935 to counter the socialism-inspired Young Pioneer Camps. Students participating in the week-long program learn the “practical aspects of government as it exists in New York State, and come to recognize that the individual is integral to the character and success of government” under the guidance of American Legion counselors and U.S. Marines. Those selected to attend have demonstrated outstanding character and leadership and are immersed at Boys State in both citizenship and leadership training. Yorke is the son of Heidi and Daniel Yorke. He is pictured here with U.S. 1st Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Niles Ceasar, who led some of the programs at Boys State this year. (Photo provided)
NEW DEAN DAVIS: SUNY Delhi has appointed Daniel Davis as dean of the School of Applied Technologies and Architecture. Davis, who has served as interim dean for the past year, has been a faculty member at SUNY Delhi for 17 years. He holds a master’s degree in curriculum development from State University at Albany and a bachelor’s degree in career and technical educator preparation from SUNY Oswego. “Daniel Davis brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this critical position. With an impressive background in automotive technology and higher education, he has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to academic excellence throughout his career,” said Dr. David Brower, interim provost at SUNY Delhi. In his new role, Davis will be responsible for providing visionary leadership and strategic direction to advance the school’s mission of excellence in applied learning, student engagement, and community outreach. He will oversee cutting-edge academic programs that prepare students for successful careers in high-demand professions with the knowledge and skills to tackle complex challenges. Delhi graduates are highly sought after and enjoy a wealth of employment opportunities in their fields.
MUSIC MAN: The Catskill Symphony Orchestra has hired Glen Cortese (right) as interim music director for the 2023-2024 season. According to the CSO website, Cortese has appeared with the New Jersey Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony, the Florida Philharmonic, the Belarus State Philharmonic, Sofia Philharmonic, the National Romanian Radio Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Orchestra and the Mexico City Philharmonic. His opera credits include the New York City Opera, the Florida Grand Opera, Wolftrap Opera, the Cleveland Lyric Opera and the Eugene Opera. His credits in the world of dance include performances with the Connecticut Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, the Elisa Monte Dance Company and was music director for the Erick Hawkins Dance Company at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Joyce Theatre and on national tours. Cortese has conducted more than 150 premieres, working in direct collaboration with composers, and he himself is an award-winning composer, having won the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a two-time winner of the Joseph E. Bearns Prize. He was an assistant conductor to the New York Philharmonic from 1990–92 for Zubin Mehta and in July of 1993, he was invited by Kurt Masur to guest conduct a reading with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. “We are thrilled to announce that Glen Cortese has joined the CSO as our new music director, and we couldn’t be more excited about the future,” officials said. “With his exceptional talent, profound musical insight and boundless passion, Glen is set to take the symphony experience to new heights.” CSO’s 70th season begins on September 30 with “Heroes and Legends,” featuring acclaimed pianist Philip Fisher, as the orchestra performs Rossini’s “William Tell,” Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” and Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite.” (Photo provided)