Business

Press release:

Genesee Community College will host a Job and Transfer Fair dedicated to careers in the health care industry from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 9 at the College's centrally located William Stuart Forum.

The event is designed to introduce potential new employees to employers, and also provides health care businesses an opportunity to present their trade and services to the local community. Local and regional health care companies will be available to answer questions, accept resumes and distribute material relating to their company. Area colleges will also be present to discuss transfer opportunities within their programs.

The following employers and colleges will be available to distribute career information and other printed materials, answer questions and receive resumes (this list is subject to change):

Employers:

ACM Global Laboratories

Ardda Animal Hospital

Crossroads House

Erie Canal Animal Hospital

Fidelis Care

Finger Lakes DDSO

Heritage Christian Services

Highland Hospital

HomeCare & Hospice

Livingston County Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation

Maple City Physical Therapy

Maxim Healthcare Services

Rehab Resources

Rochester Psychiatric Center

Tender Loving Family Care

Thompson Health

Army National Guard

Marine Corps

Navy

Colleges:

SUNY Alfred State

Chamberlain College of Nursing

The College at Brockport (SUNY) Army ROTC

The College at Brockport (SUNY) – Department of Nursing

Daemen College

Roberts Wesleyan College

SUNY Empire State College

St. John Fisher College – Wegmans School of Nursing

Positions being recruited include: Veterinary Technology, Medical Administrative Assistant, Registered Nurse, Physical Therapist Assistant, Respiratory Care and Polysomnographic Technology.

The job fair is FREE and open to the general public. For the most current listing of registered employers, please visit the Career Services Web page at www.genesee.edu.career/events. Employers interested in attending the fair should contact the Career Services office at 585-345-6888 to register for this event.

Give and it will be given unto you.

“When we took over operations in Thanksgiving of 2015, we had one goal – to give back to the local community,” said Steve Foster who, along with business partner Tim Adams, has successfully tied charitable giving with quality food and service to make the Red Osier® Restaurant in Stafford a premier dining destination of Western New York.

“Genesee County has been forgotten over the years here,” Adams said. “We believe that the more we support local organizations, the more success we will have.”

Foster, an Alexander native, and Adams, who grew up in East Bethany, officially took ownership of the restaurant – known throughout WNY for its prime rib – on April 20 of last year, and have displayed a large measure of generosity to the people of Genesee County through event sponsorships, donations and employee-supported fundraising.

As a result, the Red Osier® Restaurant has been selected as the Special Service Recognition of the Year award from the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

Foster and Adams, who also own Adams’ Welding & Fabrication in Stafford, will be honored at the 45^th annual Awards Ceremony on March 4 at Quality Inn & Suites on Park Road.

In her nomination letter, Lynette Skelton of Starowitz Farms in Byron praised Foster and Adams for purchasing the restaurant – possibly saving it from closing for good and saving the jobs of around 60 employees.

“The two men decided to take the chance, and the opportunity to save the local landmark and the local jobs in their community,” Skelton wrote.

Foster, a Red Osier® employee since 1998, said he was hesitant about buying the business – “it needed a lot of help,” he said – but finally agreed. Since then, and he and Adams have moved full speed ahead.

The list of the duo’s Genesee County civic contributions over the past 18 months is impressive, to say the least:

-- The Genesee County 4H program. Tim is a former Geneseean of the Year for his service to 4H and Cornell Cooperative Extension, and he is continuing his support by purchasing two pigs (which have been processed for special dishes at the restaurant).

-- GO ART!’s Picnic in the Park. The restaurant was the major sponsor for the July 4^th event last year, coming to the forefront at the last minute to prevent the event from being canceled.

-- Genesee Cancer Assistance. A joint venture between the restaurant and welding shop last Thanksgiving resulted in the presentation of $10,000 to GCA – money derived from proceeds of diners that day and a contribution from the welding shop.

-- Le Roy Food Pantry, Genesee County Animal Shelter, Crossroads House, Michael Napoleone Foundation. The two men contributed to fundraisers supporting these causes.

-- Oatka Festival, American Warrior Event at Frost Ridge, Le Roy Youth Football.  The restaurant signed on as major sponsors for these events, and also has sponsored individuals participating in horse shows, cheerleading contests, and other endeavors.

-- Spirits & Skivvies. An employee-led initiative, more than 600 pairs of socks and underwear were donated to the homeless.

“Our staff is right with us every step of the way,” Foster said. “They are on board with our donation program.”

On the business side, the owners said they have “broken every record” for sales – seeing repeat and new customer and raising the average per capita bill from about $25 to around $45.

“Everything here is made from scratch – the meals, desserts, salad, bread; it’s all fresh,” Foster said.

While prime rib is the main attraction, the menu includes a variety of dishes, and much of the food and some of the spirits and liquors are purchased from local vendors.

The owners also reported that, upon their return from a recent trip to Nashville, they have purchased a custom-built, 24-foot food trailer with a full kitchen “to take our chefs out on the road.”

They said they will be able to cater weddings, parties, graduations and other gatherings, and hope to get that started in May.

“It’s a replica of our kitchen,” Foster said.

The Red Osier® opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, check out its website – www.redosier.com.

Press release:

When members of the Class of 2018 graduate from Byron-Bergen and Le Roy Central school districts next June, their high school transcripts will include a certificate, endorsed by the Genesee County Economic Development Center, indicating completion of a training program in professional skills.

With support from the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation and the America’s Best Communities grant, a timely program is being developed in the two districts to provide graduating seniors with a repertoire of skills that employers perceive as lacking in the majority of first-time job applicants.

“We are constantly looking for strategies to develop our local workforce in preparation for emerging career opportunities,” said John Jakubowski, GCEDC Workforce Development consultant. “Honing professional skills gives our students the edge in a competitive market.”

Professional skills, sometimes referred to as “soft” skills, include effective communication, teamwork and collaboration, problem solving, critical observation, and conflict resolution. While they may be difficult to quantify, their absence is obvious and problematic for conducting business efficiently and professionally.

“Our students are developing a growth mindset as early as elementary school,” said Byron-Bergen Superintendent Mickey Edwards. “We reinforce the belief throughout all grades that intelligence and character can be developed and that human potential really is without limits.

"With this new program for seniors on their way out our doors to higher education, the service or employment, we are equipping them with a refinement of skills to position them for success in whatever route they take.”

The professional skills training will rely on the expertise of school counseling staff, the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership Business Education coordinator, and local employers as guest presenters. 

“When our students can interact with a company president or a human resources manager from our geographical area, they not only learn the importance of professional skills, they also get a feel for the wide variety of opportunities that exist close to home," said incoming Le Roy Superintendent Merritt Holly.

"With the exciting initiatives transpiring in projects like the Le Roy Food & Tech Park, we want our graduates to be ready to take advantage of any career path that presents itself. But professional skills are universally in demand and will serve our children well for a lifetime.” 

While the professional skills training program is being designed specifically for Byron-Bergen and Le Roy high school seniors, the model is highly replicable and can be adapted easily in other districts.

Press release:

The Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation has appointed Genesee County Legislator Gregg Torrey to the organization’s Board of Directors. Torrey represents the towns of Alexander, Bethany and Pavilion. 

Torrey is a commercial real estate agent and licensed real estate appraiser across New York state and is the managing partner of Springbrooke Properties LLC.

“I look forward to applying my years of experience in real estate to enhance opportunities for development at the various industrial parks throughout the county and in particular our continued efforts to make STAMP shovel ready,” Torrey said.

Torrey is past president of the Batavia Development Corporation and past member of the City of Batavia Planning and Development Committee. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District, Genesee Cancer Assistance and the Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union.

A 1994 graduate of Notre Dame High School, he graduated from Canisius College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MBA in Finance.

Torrey and his family reside in Bethany.

Press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) continues to pursue a $1.2 million phase one shovel-ready project to build a business park on a 75-acre parcel in the Town of Le Roy. Similar efforts in the towns of Batavia, Pembroke and Bergen have yielded major corporate investment. The plan for the GCEDC is to replicate this business attraction model in Le Roy.

The GCEDC has purchased the land for the project, requested a rezoning of the property from the Town of Le Roy and has received an award through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process administered by the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council for $420,000 to begin site engineering and infrastructure construction.

The GCEDC estimates that at full build out, the Le Roy Food & Tech Park will have approximately 600,000 square feet for office, advanced manufacturing and distribution/warehousing space that could employ as many as 1,000 people.

“The GCEDC has a proven track record in making sites shovel ready through smart investments and market these sites to businesses locally, regionally, nationally and internationally and we are confident that this can be accomplished in Le Roy,” said Genesee County Legislator Shelley Stein (Le Roy). 

“Collaboration is critical to this type of effort and it’s good to see how our local government leaders and economic development and education professionals are working together to make this project a reality,” said Genesee County Legislator Robert J. Basuch (Elba, Byron and Bergen).

“We continue to move forward with the GCEDC to make this site shovel ready,” said Le Roy Town Supervisor Stephen R. Barbeau. “We have the real potential to create new jobs, secure new investment and grow the tax base in our community.”

“We think our strategy of building a shovel-ready site in Le Roy will enhance market opportunities for existing buildings and infrastructure in the vicinity of the park,” said Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the GCEDC. “This is similar to the development strategy deployed around the county where shovel-ready parks are located at the edge of population centers.”

The Le Roy Food & Tech Park is located on a 75-acre parcel on Route 19 and West Bergen Road in the Town of Le Roy bordering the Village of LebRoy. The GCEDC estimates that when developed it will be able to attract companies and investment to the site that will enable additional commercial infill into the Village.

To prepare the local workforce for these new jobs, the towns are partnering with Le Roy Central School and Byron-Bergen Central School through a Professional Skills Training program.  The program is being funded through a grant from America’s Best Communities award that the towns of Le Roy and Bergen won in 2015. 

Professional skills include various interpersonal skills such as how to interact with people, emotional intelligence, verbal communications skills and other skills to help people perform in the workplace. The lack of professional skills has been identified by employers as one of the biggest challenges for the next generation of workers. 

“We need to work together to not only bring new jobs to our community but also to provide the next generation of our workforce the tools to be successful once they graduate from school,” said Donald S. Cunningham, Town of Bergen supervisor.

“There are a number of exciting initiatives taking place in Bergen and Le Roy and this project has the potential to really have a positive impact on both communities,” said Anna Marie Barclay, Village of Bergen mayor.

Batavia Downs hosted a bridal show today.

The inventors of MöbileSchlägen hosted a party at Ken's Charcoal Pits & Bar-B-Q to kick off their Kickstarter campaign, aimed at raising $150,000 so they can begin production of their hammer, nail and log game based on a popular game with a German ancestry. 

Photos: Co-owner Marc Johnson demonstrates how to play the game.

National retailer JCPenney reported today a continued decline in sales and as a result the intention to close from 130 to 140 stores nationwide.

The list of stores that will be closed has not been released, so we don't know yet if the Batavia location will be on the chopping block.

The Batavia store has survived a previous round of JCPenney's cost-cutting.

According to Reuters, JCPenney continues to struggle in an era of dying shopping malls and increased competition from online retailers.

The store in Batavia is the lone anchor tenant of the long-struggling City Centre Mall in Downtown.

City Manager Jason Molino told WBTA, “We just spoke with JCPenney as early as last week. They did not relay that message to us and they did not tell us that was going to be the case, so as far as we know that is new news or it's nothing that I can confirm.”

The Business After Hours gathering for the Chamber of Commerce yesterday was also a celebration of the arrival of a news director for Business Improvement District.

Beth Kemp moved into the BID office more than a month ago and she and her husband, Brian, co-owners of T-Shirts Etc. and both artists, went right to work redecorating the space, so for many of the people attending the event were seeing the bright and attractive revamped space for the first time.

Sometime in 2017, there may be beer on tap in the former JJ Newberry building on Main Street, Downtown Batavia.

Matt Gray (top photo, pointing toward the back of the room to his partner in the Batavia Brewing Co. venture, Jon Mager) made the announcement during a Start Up Genesee event at the location yesterday, and said that the Fresh Labs concept for the Newberry building is ready to go forward.

The blueprints are in place, permits pulled and a contractor selected and Gray believes all of the work -- a brewery, a restaurant and two additional full kitchens for start-up restaurants along with seven apartments on the second and third floors -- will be completed by the end of the year.

The Fresh Labs concept was taken on by Gray and Mager in cooperation with the Batavia Development Corp. to help achieve several local goals, he said -- bring more people downtown, provide a way for aspiring restaurateurs to start their businesses and help the city retain some of the $28 million being spent by local residents on food and entertainment in Rochester and Buffalo. 

Gray said Fresh Lab will give people looking to break into the restaurant business a supportive environment throughout the process of developing a concept, getting it launched and helping it grow.

"We want to take the person who has the drive and the skill and work them through the point where they're ready to launch," Gray said. "We will give them direction and resources but then we don't walk way."

Julie Pacatte, economic development coordinator for BDC, said the BDC is working on a competition, sort of a taste challenge, as part of selecting the first two businesses that will be given space in Fresh Lab.

The building, which was a mortuary before it was Newberry's (it was Newberry's for 70 years), is three stories high with a large basement. Each level is 10,000 square feet. There will be seven studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments on the second and third floors. Those floors were once office space for doctors, lawyers and at one time, Batavia Area Jaycees, according to the sign on one door.

Start Up Genesee is organized by Genesee County Economic Development Center and this was the initiative's third event. Bob Capurso was at the first, where he spoke with Chris Suozzi about the business idea he had: producing Boy Scout grave marker medallions. Suozzi, a VP with GCEDC, helped connect Capurso with advisors who were able to assist him in getting his business launched. He's gone from a concept six months ago, to a design to a prototype and now he's had the first 50 medallions produced and ready for sale. 

“My main goal on this is not to make a ton of money on this, but to get the commemoration out there to the people who earned it through their dedication to scouting,” he said.

Another local start-up at the event was Eichenfeld LLC, makers of the game MöbileSchlägen. The company will hold a Kickstarter fundraising campaign this Saturday at City Slickers starting at 7 p.m.

After a ceremony honoring the wound care team at UMMC, a patient who had sat quietly at the back of the room spoke up and said, “I want to thank everyone here because if it wasn’t for you, I would have lost my leg. I’m just grateful.”

That was the message of the award, according to Stacey Bancker, a representative of Healogics, the nation’s largest wound care management company, which presented the award.

Of nearly 400 patients treated by the team, 94 percent had their wounds healed, Bancker said. There was a 92 percent patient satisfaction rate and the median number of days to heal was 21.

"We can talk about the numbers, but this really is a patient care ward," Bancker said.

That was a point stressed by Dan Ireland, the hospital's CEO when he spoke to congratulate the team members.

"This isn’t about the metrics," Ireland said. "It isn’t about the numbers. It’s about the real people and the patients. Our mission statement at Rochester Regional Health, United Memorial, starts with preserving health and enhancing the life of patients. There isn’t a better example of where we can do that than in the heal rate we see here and in the care the patients receive."

Bancker said there were 800 wound centers in the nation eligible for the award and only 334 were recognized for outstanding patient care results.

Dr. Mohamed M Ibrahim, a general surgeon before joining the wound care team nearly two and a half years ago, said he was really proud to be part of the team. As a surgeon he had been on the other end of the wound care process, he said, and then he didn't realize how much more there was to know about wound care. 

“I have to say, I’ve learned a lot from our nurses," he said. "Our nurses are very knowledgeable, so I would like to thank everybody on our great team.”

Program Director Lisa Albanese also emphasized the team aspect of the effort and how the numbers are merely a reflection of the team's focus on taking care of patients.

"Even though the numbers are driven by KPIs (key performance indicators), the bottom line is every day we make a difference in the lives or our patients," said. "You guys are dedicated to making that difference and every day we have stories that we share with our administration."

Ireland said he hears those stories.

"I get countless emails, phone calls and letters from patients telling me real stories, stories about how they've been to five or 10 other centers or doctors and they've not been healed," Ireland said. "Then they come here and they are healed."

The patients also always note the compassion of the team, Ireland said. 

"They talk about the personal care they get, that the team cares about them as a person, not just as a person with a wound on their skin," Ireland said.

Photo: Dr. Mohamed M Ibrahim, Michelle Rector, Emily Casacelik Alicia Prusinowski, Holly Siverling, Alissa Gorman, John Wickett, Joseph Canzoneri, and Lisa Albanese.

Press release:

Tickets are still available for the 15th Annual Celebrate Agriculture Dinner which will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, at the Alexander Fire Hall.

This annual event is a celebration of Genesee County’s number one industry – Agriculture. The highlight of the night is a delicious meal using locally produced foods prepared by Penna’s Catering. The dinner is open to the public.

Tickets can be purchased at the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, 8276 Park Road, Batavia. Tickets are $30 each or a table of 10 can be purchased for $275. Sponsorships are also available which help support agriculture educational events in Genesee County. Only 400 tickets will be sold. Tickets will not be available at the door.

The Celebrate Ag Dinner is coordinated by the following partners: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County, Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District and Genesee County Farm Bureau.

For ticket information contact the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce at 585-343-7440, ext. 1027, or chamber@geneseeny.com.

Press release:

Eichenfeld LLC, a company based in Oakfield, will be launching a MöbileSchlägen Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign on Feb. 27^th at midnight. To celebrate, Eichenfeld owners Marc Johnson, James Betters and Dan Manges invite the public to a MöbileSchlägen Launch Party on Saturday, Feb 25, 7 p.m., at Ken’s Charcoal Pits & Bar-B-Q (formerly, City Slickers Bar & Grill) located at 59 Main St., Batavia.

The traditional nail-pounding game of skill, strategy and fun, can only be played by acquiring large stumps of wood that must remain stationary in your yard or gaming venue. MöbileSchlägen has reinvented this favorite German game, made it mobile and now you can be the first to purchase the world’s only portable nail hammering game. 

Of MöbileSchlägen’s much anticipated product launch, coinventor Marc Johnson said, “We’ve spent a great deal of time proving our concept, engineering our product, and securing a full utility patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. We have a deep bench of MöbileSchlägen ambassadors that have patiently waited for this moment.

"We anticipate a very active Kickstarter project. Our team is poised to meet the demand of our customers and we are excited with the amount of support the crowdfunding community has promised to the MöbileSchlägen project. This is the beginning of a fun run.”

The event on Saturday evwening will feature food and drink, music, swag giveaways and a chance to try MöbileSchlägen. The fun starts at 7 o'clock. If you cannot attend the launch party, please check out MöbileSchlägen’s website at www.mobileschlagen.com, once the campaign is active, just follow the provided link. This site goes live at 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 27.

Photos: File photos from an event announcing MöbileSchlägen at the Carryville Inn in June. Top photo: Marc Johnson.

Previously:

• New business in Oakfield aims to expand market for old German game
• Entrepreneurs from Oakfield get front page treatment from the Wall Street Journal

Press release:

Proving that a minute can matter, Tompkins Bank of Castile is launching its third round of the quarterly Community Minute Challenge. Each quarterly winner is awarded $2,500; by the end of the contest, a total of $10,000 will have been provided in much-needed funds to local not-for-profit organizations.

“The response to the Community Minute Challenge has been tremendous, and we’re thrilled to be able to help shine a light on the important services that are provided by not-for-profit organizations in our area,” said John McKenna, bank president and CEO.

The third round will begin Feb. 27 and run through March 13. The winning organization is determined by public voting on the Bank of Castile Facebook page, where visitors can watch the one-minute videos produced by participating nonprofits and then vote for their favorite. Each video explains how the nonprofit would use the awarded funds. The six organizations competing in this round are:

• Al Sigl Community of Agencies (Monroe County)
• Batavia Rotary (Genesee County)
• Focus on the Children (Livingston County)
• Genesee Amateur Hockey Association (Genesee County) 
• Villa of Hope (Monroe County) 
• Wyoming County Community Action (Wyoming County)  

To show support for the initiative and cast a vote, participants should “like” the Tompkins Bank of Castile Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TompkinsBankofCastile and click on the Community Minute Challenge app. They can then select their favorite nonprofit after watching the one-minute videos. Individuals can vote once per day during the contest period.

Launched in August 2016, the Community Minute Challenge has awarded $5,000 to date. The first-round winner was Going to the Dogs Rescue in Wyoming County, an organization dedicated to helping homeless pets find loving forever homes. The second-round winner was ARC of Genesee Orleans, a resource of choice for people with disabilities and their families in both Genesee and Orleans counties. Photos of the previous winners are available upon request. A fourth round of the Community Minute Challenge will launch later in 2017.

Two solar farm projects in the Town of Batavia were recommended for approval by the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday night.

One project is at 3833 W. Main Street Road. It is an 11.6-acre project on a 83.5-acre parcel.  

The other is at 8169 Bank Street Road, Batavia. It is 11 acres on 93.3 acres.

Both projects are being developed by Forefront Power, formerly SunEdison, with Forefront agreeing to leases of 25 years with the property owners.

The projects are expected to produce enough electricity each to power the equivalent of 300 residential homes.

Timothy P. Ahrens, in charge of project development for Forefront, said the projects will help create additional renewable energy sources for the region.

The projects will be eligible for state and federal incentives to help offset the costs.

Planning Board members asked questions about what happens to the farm if it's ever decommissioned and Ahrens said part of the agreement with the landowners is to remove all of the infrastructure and return the land to its prior use.

Both lots are less-than-prime farmland.

Pending final approval by the Town of Batavia, Ahrens said Forefront hopes to begin construction by the fall.

Press release:

In celebration of Darien Lake Amphitheater’s 25th concert season, Live Nation, the amphitheater operator is partnering with Darien Lake Theme Park to offer an amazing deal to concert ticket buyers for this season. Each ticket purchased for a concert at the amphitheater will include complementary same-day admission into Darien Lake Theme Park. The offer will be valid for all tickets purchased for any concert at the amphitheater that occurs during the theme park’s operating schedule.

The 25th season lineup at Darien Lake Amphitheater is already shaping up to be one for fans of all types of music, including appearances by Luke Bryan, Green Day, Chicago & The Doobie Brothers, Train and many more to be announced in the coming months.

“This historic offer is a great way to honor the long history of the amphitheater, as well as its unique proximity to the theme park. This promotion is a great savings to the concert fan and thrill seeker alike – it truly is the deal of the summer,” said Jim Koplik, Live Nation president of Upstate New York and Connecticut.

In previous years, concertgoers wanting to enjoy a day at the Theme Park would have needed to purchase a combo ticket in advance or at the gate for a cost that has ranged from $9.99 to $19.99 plus fees.

“In celebration of our 25th season of concerts at Darien Lake, we’ve partnered with Live Nation to add some extraordinary value to the experience. Where else can you ride coasters all day and rock out all night with the greatest stars in the music industry?” said Chris Thorpe, general manager of Darien Lake Theme Park.

Press release:

Each new year brings with it the opportunity to recognize more outstanding community members for YWCA’s Women of Distinction Awards. Worthy candidates not only exemplify YWCA’s mission and vision but also represent a wide cross section of people working toward the good of others.

These awards are about honoring women while also serving to acknowledge all of those deserving people, organizations and businesses that help to eliminate racism, empower women and/or encourage economic independence, healthy relationships and a community free from violence.

Your nominations are wanted. Nominations are due March 1 and may be emailed to: jwalton@ywcagenesee.org or sent to YWCA of Genesee County, 301 North St., Batavia, NY, 14020. Please include your name and contact information, the award category, name of nominee, some background and reasons for your nomination.

“It’s hard to believe that we are here again seeking nominations for our six awards, but we are confident that this community is ripe with commendable candidates,” Executive Director Jeanne Walton said. “Please take a few moments of your time to think about those people, agencies and companies that cross your path. Have they made a difference? Is the community better for their good deeds? Then let us know!”

Traditionally a weekend event, this year’s Gala has been changed to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 15 at Genesee Community College, 1 College Road. The Women of Distinction Committee hopes that a weeknight will better suit people’s busy lives while still serving as a great time to showcase our local talent, dedication and philanthropic efforts, Walton said.

The selection committee is looking for nominations of men, women, companies and organizations that have gone above and beyond in the following categories:

Racial Justice: Supporting diversity through one's initiatives, philosophies and/or programs. This may include service in a leadership role, with commitment to racial justice and a high standard of courage, integrity and commitment to YWCA's mission to empower women and eliminate racism.

Economic Empowerment: Helping women to face the challenge of economic inequality or hardship. This is done with programs or initiatives that create opportunities for women to lift themselves from their current circumstances and gain more options to improve their lives.

Corporate Social Responsibility: Making a continuous effort to recruit, develop and promote a diverse work force and foster an inclusive  environment where women leaders thrive.

Military/Veteran: A veteran or related agency that has worked on behalf of veterans and continues to serve through civic, personal and/or professional improvements.

Advocacy/Civic Engagement: Working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. Promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.

Peace: Striving to make the world a better place by emphasizing the importance of kindness, compassion and peace.

For more information, go to ywcagenesee.org or call (585) 343-5808.