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job development board

Job Development Board presents awards at annual breakfast

By Howard B. Owens

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CY Farms was named Business of the Year for Genesee County by the GLOW Workforce Development Board at a breakfast this morning at Terry Hills.

The Elba-based company was honored by for its contributions to agriculture, the local business community and employee development. 

Founded in 1951 by Carl Yunker, the farm has grown from 25 cows and a tractor to more than 6,000 acres of crops, 3,800 dairy replacement cattle, and Batavia Turf. CY Farms supports numerous community activities and has hosted job development tours and education programs. The company was also honored because one of its employees is a man with disabilities that the Yunkers worked with to help tailor a job to suit his needs.

"The man is now able to support his family," said Veronica Frost during the presentation of the award to CEO Craig Yunker.

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Christi Lotempio was named Participant of the Year for Genesee County. Frost also presented this award.

Lotempio was laid off by Muller Quaker and when she entered the job bureau she had no college education experience.

She enrolled at Genesee Community College and completed a two-year degree in 18 months with a major in Business. She also studied Accounting. She graduated with a 3.94 GPA despite big changes in her life -- being forced to move because the home she was renting got sold; her uncle died; she was in a car wreck; and she got married.

Now she's employed at Genesee Lumber.

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Lisa Smith presented Samantha Strumph with the Youth Recognition Award. Smith described Samantha as quiet and shy when she first entered the Job Bureau in Batavia. Now, she said, she's bursting with confidence after working at the Byron-Bergen Library.

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