Leadership Genesee

Leadership Genesee will present awards honoring the 29 members of the Class of 2019 along with the 2019 Outstanding Alumnus Award at the annual Graduation Celebration on Dec. 5^th at Terry Hills

Eric Wies, a graduate of the Class of 2006, has been named the Leadership Genesee Alumnus of the Year. The award is presented annually to an alumnus who works to fulfill the program’s mission displaying exceptional achievements and contributions to the community and Leadership Genesee.

Wies is the immediate past chair of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and the current president of the Bergen Fire Department.

“My primary volunteer effort is tied to helping people in times of emergency," Wies said. "I joined the Bergen Fire Department in 1992, where I have served as lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, and deputy chief. In 2015, I decided to focus my efforts on a business role with the Fire Department and was elected president, a role I continue today. While I have debated about scaling back my efforts so that I could focus on my career and other potential volunteer efforts, I have come to realize that I will always be a volunteer fireman.” 

As a member of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Wies found his involvement to be very rewarding. The Chamber plays an important role in business and tourism throughout Genesee County and he is happy to be part of their community presence.

“Eric has been an active participant in Leadership Genesee since he graduated in 2006 because he feels that Leadership Genesee has given so much to him that he wanted to give back to the program," said Leadership Genesee Director Peggy Marone. "He served on the LG Steering Committee from 2009 to 2014 and was chair of the Recruiting Committee for five years.

"He obtained sponsorships for our bowling and golf tournaments ensuring his team was ‘dressed’ for the event. Eric’s support and involvement in Leadership Genesee’s curriculum has helped the program grow and become a shining example of servant leadership.”  

Wies said he feels that LG he has been a primary building block in his growth professionally and personally. His philosophy is there should always be time to participate in a program that helps you grow, introduces you to other leaders in the County, and gives you a sense of satisfaction in belonging to a group of people that consider themselves servant leaders.

“An employer that does not support your efforts to better yourself, does not truly understand that the time and money for the program will also result in a better person and employee," Wies said. "I grew up in Bergen, New York and thought I knew everything about the County but, boy, was I wrong.

"The program opened my eyes to agribusiness, gave me a better understanding of the health care issues in the County, and the challenges that local government must face every day."

When asked about previous awards and achievements, Wies said, “For me, the most important awards don’t come with a plaque or trophy, but they do come with a sense of accomplishment or being part of something bigger than you are.

"Helping a friend when his business burned down, helping a single mom at Christmas with presents for her kids, saving a young lady from her burning car, hearing my daughter tell me she loves me, and being part of a group of individuals that make up a team that puts community first.”  

Marone said “This is exactly why Eric is an outstanding selection for this year’s Alumnus Award.”

“He is a true leader," said his nominator Michele Smith, LG Class of 2016 and Bergen Town Clerk. "I witnessed his cool and calm demeanor with the passing of Barry Miller LG ’08 in 2015. Eric was the president of the Bergen Fire Department, I observed several incidences that I don’t know how Eric made it through. I know inside he was a wreck, but as a leader for everyone else who was hurting, he was unwavering.”  

Wies is a principal for Clark Patterson Lee, a multidiscipline architecture, engineering and planning firm. He lives in Bergen with his wife, Carrie, daughter, Hannah, and dog, Casper.

Although he hopes to retire one day, he and his family enjoy getting away for a cruise and more recently trips to remote locations in Vermont to fish and have high stakes games of family Monopoly. Wies is an avid golfer and enjoys spending weekends working on their house.   

The Outstanding Alumnus Award is sponsored by Skip Helfrich of Human Energies.

Leadership Genesee is a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County. For more information about Leadership Genesee, please visit  their website.

Leadership Genesee is thrilled to announce that this year’s recipient of the Leadership Genesee Outstanding Alumnus Award is Erik James Fix, LG Class of 2009. The award is presented annually to a Leadership Genesee Alumnus who works to fulfill the mission of Leadership Genesee.

Nominees are program graduates who promote and market the mission of Leadership Genesee, are active in community leadership activities to promote the well-being of Genesee County, and who actively participate in Leadership Genesee initiatives. Erik will receive his award Nov. 30 at the Leadership Genesee 2017 Graduation Celebration at Terry Hills.

Erik, the regional director for the United Way of Genesee County, was nominated for the award by Jocelyn Sikorski (’07), who noted that “Erik is that person that you seek out for advice and foresight on endeavors. He is always actively listening to what is going on, addressing issues with others to fix things or change them for the better. He is well respected for being the caring individual that he is.”

Even before experiencing LG as a participant in 2009, Erik has been active in the program since 2002. At the time, Erik was the camp director for YMCA Camp Hough, and helped in facilitating LG’s Outdoor Leadership Challenge day each year. Since taking part in the program, Erik has served on numerous design teams and committees, and continues to champion the Outdoor Leadership Challenge day session. He has been a part of the Curriculum Committee, Alumni Day Committee, Our Business Our Economics day session and the Encouraging the Leader Within Day session. Additionally, Erik co-presents Facilitation Skills Training, a free alumni enrichment opportunity offered by LG.

“I believe in the mission of the organization of encouraging the leader within,” Erik shared. “I believe there are many talented people in our community who have the ability to lead and I enjoy working with them to grow their leadership skills.”

Erik was hesitant about taking part in the program for nearly 10 years.

“I didn’t feel I would find value in the program. Every month I learned something new about my community. I gained a better sense of how I could contribute to my community’s success and made long-standing friendships. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make our community better and grow their own leadership skills.”

Personally and professionally, Erik strives to make a difference in our community. Jocelyn says the community has benefitted “tenfold” since Erik took the helm at the United Way, with increased partnerships, new programming and continued investment in youth.

Erik also volunteers in many capacities, including the Rotary Club of Le Roy (REA Milne Board Member), the BEA Board of Directors, Junior Achievement, Le Roy Youth Football board member, and Le Roy Little League volunteer manager. Erik also coaches the swim team at GCC and was named Region 3 Coach of the Year for three straight years.

Leadership Genesee Program Director Peggy Marone said, “I have witnessed a lot of growth in Erik since he began working with Leadership Genesee. I always thought he’d be a great candidate for the program but whenever I’d mention it to him he’d do the ‘I’m already a leader in the community’ thing that many people do.

"Working with Erik over the years at Camp Hough, I began to see him become more philosophically involved with Leadership Genesee. His network was growing and he was getting to know more people because of LG. When he applied to participate in 2009, I was thrilled and we’ve had a great working relationship ever since.

"He has helped the LG organization grow especially when it comes to our curriculum. He is one of the few people that I seek out for advice and conversation regarding facilitating groups effectively. Erik is very deserving of this award, I couldn’t be more pleased for him.”

In addition to his many activities in the community, Erik enjoys running, golfing and family vacations with his wife, Susan, and three sons, Brady, Jackson and Carter.

Press release:

Leadership Genesee will launch a new program in April called “Passport to Retirement.” The program is focused on retired or soon-to-retire community members who live, work or previously worked in Genesee County before retirement.

“This program is designed to help transition and enrich the lives of community retirees through continued lifelong learning, social networking and meaningful involvement,” said Leadership Genesee Director Peggy Marone.

Topics will include: Economic Realities, Healthy Retirement, Leisure Options and Lifelong Learning. A series of 6 sessions beginning April 7 will be offered one day every other week from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Program participants will meet in various locations around Genesee County.

Cost is $300 per person, which includes all costs associated with the program.

“The Passport to Retirement Program offers an effective vehicle for building the resiliency of our retiree population," Marone said. "The wealth of experience and knowledge they possess is needed in our society, we need to learn from the best."

An informational meeting will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11 at Terry Hills. Register by Feb. 5  by contacting Samantha Stryker at 585-343-3040, ext. 123, or sls428@cornell.edu.

Additional information and an application form may be found on the Leadership Genesee Web site: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/leadership-genesee

Press release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer has honored Leadership Genesee Director Peggy Marone as a Woman of Distinction at the 18th annual ceremony in the State Capitol, recognizing her outstanding contributions in enriching the quality of life for the community and beyond.

 

“Peggy inspires participants of Leadership Genesee to enhance their capacity to lead, and every graduate of the one-year program can tell you how her philosophy has improved their personal and professional lives,” Ranzenhofer said. “Our community is lucky to have such a thoughtful, genuine leader.” 

 

“I have worked with so many people over the past 30 years, and one of the constant takeaways is leaders are people who understand the needs of others. Leadership isn’t about being first or most powerful; real power comes from ensuring those you serve are better because of your efforts. I appreciate Senator Ranzenhofer’s recognition of this philosophy, and I will continue to instill it in every Leadership Genesee participant,” Marone said. 

 

As a 2002 graduate of Leadership Genesee, Peggy is passionate about her community. She is an annual volunteer for the United Way’s Day of Caring. She also serves as a judge for Operation Graduation at Batavia High School, and she is a former member of the Genesee County Arts Advisory Committee. 

 

In addition to her community involvement, Peggy is a strong advocate for theater productions in Genesee County. For more than 25 years, she has held every theatrical role possible, including actress, director and stage manager. In 2010, she received an Excellence in Ensemble Acting from the Theatre Association of New York State.

Leadership Genesee held its annual golf tournament and its bocce ball tournament today. Here are three shots from bocce ball.

Press release:

The Leadership Genesee Class of 2012 is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for local groups and organizations that are in need of assistance.

Leadership Genesee is a yearlong experiential leadership program of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County that has been equipping community members to be well informed community stewards since 2001. With more than 250 graduates to date, alumni include many community leaders, local executives and business leaders.

Since the group is focused on improving the quality of life for the residents of Genesee County, the Class of 2012 has decided to “roll up their sleeves” and offer assistance to local not-for-profits that serve the community.

Peggy Marone, executive director of the program, feels the class has much to offer.

“We have 27 dedicated, intelligent, and involved citizens that are willing to lend their talents to help make our community a better place to live,” Marone said.

The group is seeking input from 501(c )3 agencies that need assistance with marketing efforts, business planning or other issues.

More information can be found by contacting us at LGproject2012@gmail.com.

Leadership Genesee was at Terry Hills today for a golf tournament and a bocce ball tournament. Above Sara Mattingly tosses a bocce ball while competitor Susie Boyce behind her roots against her effort.

Three more pictures after the jump:

The two teams competing for the short time I was there were comprised of, from left, Susie Boyce, Jane Scott, Gwen Wuest, Marie Nettnin, Lorie Stupp and Sara Mattingly.