| PBA Announces Business of the Year Winners
On Thursday October 7, the 1st Annual Penfield Business Association Awards dinner was held at Shadow Lake with over 130 in attendance.
Diane Thresh, President of the PBA, welcomed everyone to the event and thanked the members of the selection committee and the planning committee who spent months in preparation for the event. Thresh introduced Kitty Van Bortel, founder and president of Van Bortel Subaru and Van Bortel Ford, as the keynote speaker for the event. Kitty offered her personal “magic formula” for building a successful business and recognized her mother, also attending the event, as an important influence in her business success.
Diane Thresh, President of the PBA and Tony LaFountain, Penfield  Town Supervisor introduced all of the finalists for the 2010 Business of the Year Award and each received a warm round of applause for their contributions to the business community, the charitable organizations they support and the community of Penfield. Finalists included Baker Commodities, Fairport Savings Bank, Family First Federal Credit Union, Mud About You, and Penfield Fitness & Racquet Club. Family First Federal Credit Union was selected as the winner of the award.
The Daniel Penfield Award was named for the founder of Penfield  who embodied the entrepreneurial vision, courage and dedication to the community that each of the five finalists recognized at the event represent. Each finalist stood as they were recognized and received a large round of applause. Finalists included Wallace Ashnault, Jack Best, Sarah Jane Clifford, Dr. Tahmtan Hormozdyaran, and Mary Anne Shew. Jack Best was selected as the winner of the award.
To see additional awards pictures, click here
PBA Board Elections
Board Elections will be held on Thursday, November 4 at our scheduled lunch meeting featuring Jim Costello’s presentation “Update on Penfield’s Economic Development.”
Candidates who have announced interest in running for a position on the Penfield Business Association Board of Directors include –
Jeff Chapman
Owner, Penfield Financial Group
Jeff is a lifelong resident of the Rochester area, growing up in Fairport and Penfield. He graduated from Penfield High School in 1984, attended SUNY Canton and returned to the area after college to work and raise a family.
In 1994 Jeff started his financial planning business and in 2001 leased office space in the Trendz building near the Four-Corners of Penfield. When he and his business partner decided to purchase their own property in 2007, they chose a location in nearby Liberty Heights. Their current office is located just west of the Four-Corners on Penfield Road, next to St. Joseph's Cemetery.
Jeff has been a member of the Penfield Business Association since 2007. He is a New York State certified financial planner with license designations from the American College in 2002. He is an active volunteer with the School of the Holy Childhood and has two children, ages 13 and 14. Jeff resides just east of Penfield in Walworth.
Paul B Dwyer
Property & Casualty Insurance Specialist, MetLife Auto & Home
Licensed Agent 19 years for Property / Casualty / Life / Health /
Annuities
Paul is a 15+ year resident of Penfield and born & raised in Rochester, NY. Has been married to wife Debra for 23 years, has 2 daughters and a son. Samantha is graduating from Northeastern University in May, James is in his second year at Marist College, and Shannon is a junior at Penfield High School.
Paul is a graduate of SUNY Brockport with a BS in Business Administration with minors in Finance & Real Estate. He also holds the industry designation: Associate in Personal Insurance (API) from IIA.
Paul has been a Junior Achievement volunteer in the past and served as treasurer for the Penfield High School Lacrosse Booster Club which finances many of the sport expenses. He is also involved with fund raising activities for Penfield High School programs.
Paul has been a member of the PBA for several years and recently served on the planning committee for the 2010 Business of the Year Awards.
Laurie O’Connell
Owner, Your Local Phone Book
Laurie is the owner/operator of Your Local Phone Book in Webster & Penfield with expansion plans into Perinton/Fairport and Pittsford. She has been a member of the PBA since 2005 and held a Board position for two years.
Laurie is currently finishing her term on the Board of Directors for the Webster Chamber of Commerce where she also served as the co-chair of the membership committee for the last 3 years. She is a new member of the Fairport Merchants Business Association.
Laurie is interested in returning to the PBA Board and working with many wonderful people to help the PBA continue on its path toward excellence.
She currently lives in Webster with her 11-year-old daughter Caitlin and fiancé Mark Klein.
Mary McDowell
Site Coordinator, Home and Heart of Penfield
Mary is currently the Site Coordinator for the Home and Heart of Penfield, which is a Social Model Senior Day Program of St. Ann’s Community. The center primarily serves seniors with early Dementia and/or social isolation. Their clientele comes from the Penfield, Fairport, Pittsford and Webster communities. Since earning her degree in the field of Therapeutic Recreation over 20 years ago, Mary has worked primarily with seniors or children in the areas of recreation, program, and elder care.
Mary was born and raised here in Penfield and is a ’82 grad of Penfield HS. She spent time after in the south and Florida honing her professional skills. In 2003 Mary was ready to move back north and could think of nowhere else she would rather be than Penfield. Mary currently lives in Penfield just a mile from her parents and where she grew up.
Mary is active in community affairs and volunteers at several of the major festivals in the area such as the NYS Festival of Balloons at Dansville, the Corn Hill Festival, etc. She is a member of the Downtown United Presbyterian Church where she is a member of Session, active in the Christian Education Program and the RAIHN program. Mary is a charter member of the newly formed Pen-Web Rotary and has been a member of the PBA since taking her current position. Mary regularly participates (along with her Dad) in the Penfield Trails Committee Public Hike program and enjoys walking the trails and neighborhoods of Penfield and Rochester.
As a potential board member of the Penfield Business Association Mary plans to bring an energetic dynamic personality and a varied professional background. Her recreation and programming background has given her extensive experience in event planning and execution. Mary’s position as Site Director of a program located in Penfield allows her to understand the business needs of Penfield. Her life-long association with Penfield allows her to understand Penfield both today and from an historical perspective.
Todd Shaw
Membership Director and Front Office Manager, Penfield Fitness & Racquet Club
Todd has a Masters Degree in Business Administration, is a certified by Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, a certified Spa Supervisor and Spa Risk manager by the International Spa Association (ISPA). He has served as a committee member with ISPA and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, SpaExec and Spa Trade.
Todd is interested in working with people from different industries learning, sharing and problem solving to create an environment of success for everyone. His experience and success working through difficult situations in unfamiliar countries allows him to see opportunity and create winning scenarios even in stressful times. He would like the opportunity to serve the community supporting business and residents and have the chance to share and learn from those he works with.
Diane Thresh
Associate Creative Director, Mosaic Marketing
Diane has been a member of the Penfield Business Association for the past six years and served two years as vice president and two years as president. Her involvement in the PBA has been an incredibly rewarding experience both professionally and personally. The Town of Penfield means even more to her now after spending these past several years with the PBA. She hopes to continue her service with the PBA Board of Directors and focus her efforts in program development and marketing.
Diane earned a B.F.A. in graphic design from Syracuse University. Between 1992-2006 she was the president and creative director of Thresh Creative Associates located across from Panorama Plaza. In 2006 her best client, Mosaic Marketing, offered her a full time position as their Associate Creative Director and she accepted.
Diane has served on several committees within the Rochester Area including: Rochester Advertising Federation, Upstate New York Direct Marketing Association, AdCouncil of Rochester, United Way, Penfield Central School District Curriculum Committee, and Penfield United Methodist Church. She is also a board member of Penfield Rangers Soccer Club and Penfield Youth Football & Cheer. Diane is also an adjunct at RIT and teaches in the School of Design.
Diane and her husband live in Penfield and have three children.
Suzanne Wedgwood
Assistant Branch Manager, Canandaigua National Bank – Penfield Office
Suzanne has 22 years of experience in the banking industry. She was employed with First National Bank of Rochester for 19 years and Pavilion State Bank for a little over 3 years. She started in July of this year as the Assistant Manager at the Penfield Office of Canandaigua National Bank.
Suzanne also attends Bryant and Stratton College Online and is three semesters away from earning her bachelor's degree in Business Administration with honors.
Suzanne is a graduate of the Leadership Genesee program, which promotes commitment to community involvement. She previously held board positions on the recruitment committee and the marketing committee for that organization. She is also a Merit Badge Counselor for her local Boy Scout Troop. In addition, Suzanne is a Board Member for the Assessment Review Board in her town of Pavilion.
Although she does not live in the Penfield area, Suzanne has a willingness to get to know more about the people who live and work in Penfield. She would plan on giving a board position the same amount of dedication that she gives to her work and outside activities.
Suzanne is married with two grown children.
Eastside Medical Urgent Care
As an urgent care practice, we are dedicated to offering patients a quality
medical service, in a prompt and professional manner. Our medical practice
is guided by our desire to create a comfortable and courteous environment
for individuals seeking urgent care solutions.
Eastside Medical Urgent Care, a leader in providing quality and affordable health care in the Rochester area, has expanded services to include Occupational Health.
With the importance and ever growing focus on safety in the workplace, Dr. Hormozdyaran has accepted the challenge of providing Occupational Health services; such as Pre-employment and DOT physicals, Tetanus, PPD, MMR, and Hepatitis B vaccines, drug screens (with or without MRO), breath alcohol testing, and new Worker’s Compensation injuries.
Eastside Medical Urgent Care is a logical option for providing Occupational Health services to area businesses. An advantage is that care can even be provided in the evening or on the weekends.
Employees and employers as well, find Eastside Medical Urgent Care to be convenient and easily accessible. Also, x-rays are available onsite, so there is no need to locate and travel to a radiology office.
The hours of patient care are 11 am – 11 pm on weekdays and 9 am – 6 pm on weekends and most major holidays. Occupational Health services are available by appointment or on a walk-in basis.
Employers that have questions or would like to set up Occupational Health services can contact Joann Glover at 585.388.5280, ext 206.
Tahmtan Hormozdyaran – Medical Director
www.eastsideurgentcare.com
Thank You To Our Board Of Directors
As 2010 comes to a close, and a few of our board members near the end of their terms of office, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank them all for their dedicated service.
Over the past couple of years I have been the happy recipient of many of the compliments regarding the hard work of the PBA. But as all of you know, an organization does not operate on only a few people and it takes a team of dedicated individuals to organize and execute the many activities and events the PBA offered over these past two years. And there were many! Lunch Bunch, Business of the Month, Business Workshops, Networking Events, RBA Events, 4h of July Float, PVEA Open House, Casino Night at Penfield Fitness & Racquet Club, Meet the Candidates, Business of the Year Awards, Penfield In Bloom, Holiday Party, Bicentennial Committee, Town Liaison Committee, Penfield Pride Award, not to mention the monthly E-newsletter and web site updates.
It has been a pleasure to serve with these individuals and I would like to thank them for giving so much of their time and talent to the PBA.
Dennis Shew – Vice President
Ann Young – Treasurer
Lynne Crawford – Secretary
Sam DeLucia
Cathy Donahower
Chris Herlong
Jeff Insero
Chuck Jones
Leslie Morgan
Lesllie Zornow
Lynne Crawford, Chris Herlong, Jeff Insero, Chuck Jones and Leslie Zornow have completed their terms as board members and will not be seeking re-election. Many of these individuals have already volunteered to work on future PBA projects and we’ll gladly take them up on their offer. We will miss seeing them at our monthly board meetings and hope to see them often at our events.
THANK YOU!
Diane Thresh
President |
