AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 2 Weight Loss Surgery It’s about more than just weight loss. It’s about reducing your risk for serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes — and regaining the stamina, mobility and confidence to take on every day. Crouse’s bariatric surgery program offers a dedicated team of physicians and providers, as well as psychological and nutritional counseling — all with the expertise to support you every step of the way. Begin the process from home by viewing our online informational video. Then consult with our bariatric team via telemedicine visits to start your journey. It’s time — and now easier than ever. Start today at crouse.org/weightloss or call 315-470-8974.
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AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 4 august 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS 35 6 GUEST COMMENTARY Dr. Valerie Senatore The importance of mentorships for female empowerment 6 SPECIAL FEATURE New bookstore strives to be part of downtown revitalization ..............................................................10 New Americans welcomed to Cazenovia ........................... 14 WBOC LEADING LADY Nancy Aureli 16 ON THE COVER Mary Nelson Building a better world 19 WOMEN'S HEALTH & MEDICINE Upstate Cord Blood Bank celebrates five years of operation. 24 Healthy Eating: August is the time to eat more veggies. ........................................................................26 INSPIRE Glenna Wisniewski 28 Diane Bostick 30 Judith Hight 32 Sue Fassler ................................................................................. 34 UPCOMING EVENTS 36 FINANCIAL ADVICE The future is bright: Setting up the next generation for success 37 MOVERS & SHAKERS......................................................................... 38 19 8 32 16 30 26 37
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AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 6
The importance of mentorships for female empowerment
was challenging, but I let my passion drive me. At the University of Texas at Arlington I got my start earning a bachelor degree in history and eventually a master’s in sociology. While there, I worked at the Center for Social Research, again as the only woman on the team. Wanting to focus in on my passion for higher education, I attended Texas A&M University earning my doctorate in educational psychology. I am proud to be thriving in my current position as vice president and chief academic officer at Bryant & Stratton College. Unlike working in air traffic control, in college teaching and administration, I have met many strong women who reinvigorated my confidence and pointed me in the right direction during my journey in the higher education industry. Although I continued at times to find myself the lone female on leadership teams, I am grateful to have found female role models and mentors along the path and to have discovered the brilliance of mentorships. Earlier in this second career, I met one of my most influential mentors, Dr. Mary Fifield, who at the time was the president of Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. I was working as dean of mathematics there at the time, and Dr. Fifield went the extra mile to regularly gather the college’s female staff members in middle or junior management roles for collaborative lunches. This may seem like a small gesture, but Dr. Fifield was providing an important dedicated time for women at varying levels of the college to connect in a safe space. This experience opened my eyes to the importance of female mentorship andHavingconnection.witnessed this exercise, I began to actively seek out mentorships, both as mentor and mentee. The connection between how I worked with students as a professor and mentorship in management and executive spaces was clarified for me, and I was better able to advocate for my needs as well as those of other women. I was impressed by the positive impact mentorships could have, and over time became well versed in its benefits and nuances. Mentorships and female role models are part of the reason I believe I have succeeded in my career. No matter where someone is in their academic or professional development, mentorships can help kickstart new avenues of growth. So, what does an effective mentorship look like? More than anything, the relationship between mentor and mentee is meant to be symbiotic and beneficial for both parties. A mentorship is an opportunity for both to step back from any titles and roles, to inspire and learn from each other. An effective mentorship should involve, at some level, the mentor stepping into their mentee’s reality to understand where they are professionally and personally. A good mentor will ensure that their guidance and advice is relevant to the mentee’s situations. Most mentors find that their mentee is living in an entirely different professional world than they did – and this gives the mentor a unique opportunity to continue their own learning and growth. Young professionals should seek mentors that hold a role or skillset that they envision for themselves someday. A true mentorship will be focused on growth, development, and constructive solutions. While many job industries are not female-dominant, it is important to recognize that women do not need to “do everything” or “be the best” to prove themselves. Internalizing this pressure can only make many aspiring young female professionals give up or doubt themselves. As mentors, it is crucial to support realistic expectations and support selfadvocacy when working with earlier career professionals. This makes representation and connection even more important. With the right groundwork in place, mentorships allow female professionals paths of success unavailable to them before. If I had stayed in air traffic control with no female support system around me, I am not sure if I would have ever achieved the same level of success in my professional development and career. Working together, women can achieve far more.
Dr. Valerie Senatore W hen I made my early start in the career world as an air traffic controller, I found it difficult to see a path of growth for myself. Most of my managers and co-workers around me were male, and the job was incompatible with family life due to shift work and unpredictable scheduling. While I enjoyed the job immensely, I yearned for both strong female role models to support my goals and dreams, as well as a career that afforded the flexibility to “have it all.” Eventually, I decided it was time for a change and looked towards a career in higher education, where I felt my development would be better Startingsupported.thisjourney
Dr. Valerie Senatore is the vice president and chief academic officer at Bryant & Stratton College.
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There are two ways you can make investments. The first way is to purchase ownership in an asset where you have the potential to participate in the future growth of that asset. This is also called an equity investment. The second way is to lend your money to someone for a stated period of time with their promise to return your principal at the end of the agreed upon term along with interest payments over the same time. These types of investments are known as fixed return investments. EQUITY VS. FIXED RETURN? When you purchases equities there is no guarantee that you will make money on your investment. Your profitability is dependent of the earnings of the company that you have purchased a stake in. This ownership stake is also referred to as stock. All publicly traded companies can be bought and sold in a variety of investment markets, but the most commonly known ones are the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500). The DJIA is made up of the 30 largest publicly traded companies in the United States. The S&P 500 is a market-capitalization weighted index comprised of 500 leading publicly traded companies in the US. Marketcapitalization refers to the size of a company so in the US we use the performance of the S&P 500 as a gauge to determine the overall health
It’s not just my friends, though, that I hear this from. I cannot tell you how many clients I work with say things such as “this is why I hire you – I have no idea what that means – just tell me how I am doing –what is the outlook going forward?” The thought occurred to me that although people who don’t understand the markets keep me gainfully employed, everyone should have a fundamental understanding of what makes up the investment markets and how do we earn money over time. We all need to save for retirement and we are giving up our disposable income for the potential to meet these goals over the long term. I never buy a new pair of shoes without knowing the size and how they feel, and the purchase of securities should be treated the same. Here are the basics about the investment markets that everyone should know: HOW DO I INVEST MY MONEY?
Iris Buczkowski and viability of the performance of the companies and the overall stock market in general. Contrary to popular belief, fixed return investments have as much risk as equities because, again, there is no guarantee that you will be repaid on time for the money that you lended to someone. The most common fixed return investments include bank depository accounts, certificate of deposits, and bonds. When you make a fixed return investment you want to be sure that the company or entity that you are lending money to is strong and will have the cash flow over time to support paying you back. There is much less risk in these types of investments versus equities, but you want to be sure the credit worthiness of the borrower meets your overall standards. Because there is less risk in these markets, fixed return investments typically earn less over time than the broader returns of the stock market.
WHAT IS A STOCK VERSUS A FUND?
Funds are essentially a basket of hundreds of stock that are professionally managed. The idea with using funds is that you can eliminate concentration risk by buying baskets of securities. This works similarly for bond funds as well. If you own a basket of companies or fixed return investments in a fund, or own several funds in your portfolio, your performance will not suffer drastically if any particular holding does not perform well. In most situations for the average investor using funds in your portfolio for investments is much more prudent that owning individual stocks and bonds. No matter what you own, the key to having the potential for long term, positive performance is to have a highly diversified portfolio that is aligned with a level of risk you are comfortable with. You want to invest your money in different parts of the markets and own a combination of equity and fixed return investments. How you are invested today will change over time as your goals change. Make sure you are asking your financial professional about not only what you own, but what that means and how it fits into your overall strategy. I tell my clients all of the time, no question is a silly question and armed with these basic concepts you can feel more comfortable in approaching the professionals you work with to take a deeper dive.
Iris Buczkowski is the founder and CEO of Birch Wealth Management (birchwealth.com). Birch Wealth Management is an Investment Adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All views, expressions, and opinions included in this communication are subject to change. This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Original content provided by Iris is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice.
THE ANATOMY OF THE INVESTMENT MARKETS
Ihave a great group of girlfriends from all walks of life, but my nearest and dearest are my gal pals from high school. We have been thick as thieves since middle school and have talked almost everyday since the beginning of the pandemic. These girls are so smart and I am so lucky to call them my friends. The one thing they have in common that I do not is that they are all educators. As we swap stories about life and kids and work I follow along with all of the trials and tribulations they face in their schools, but then I talk about the events of the economy and investment markets and challenges I face in my work and they all almost say in unison, “Iris – we have no idea what you are talking about.”
While you can own stock in one or several companies, one practice that you want to avoid while investing is concentration risk, or having too much money invested in any particular holding. To mitigate this investors can purchase mutual funds or exchange traded funds.
Financial Literacy
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 8
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AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 10 SPECIAL FEATURE New bookstore strives to be part of downtown revitalization
W hen you walk into Parthenon Books, you are greeted by shelves of books, a comfy cafe, and a giant mural of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, one of three murals in the store hand painted by a local artist. Station across from the Landmark Theater on South Salina Street, the new bookstore is the first in over 30 years to open in Downtown Syracuse.
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“I worked for Border’s at Carousel when it was Carousel Mall for a lot of years. I’ve worked at Books and Melodies before it was Books and Melodies. I’ve worked at the public library for four years. So, books are where I feel comfortable. Combined with the fact that every time my daughter and I go anywhere–if we take a roadtrip, if we go to any towns–we always look for the little independent bookstore. We usually find a lot of really good ones in every city we go to and Syracuse just doesn’t have that.”
Her dream to manage an independent bookstore became a serendipitous reality in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was laid off from her previous job and talked with a friend who helped her manifest her goal. AUGSWM AUGSWM
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The store’s manager, Selena Giampa, hopes for the store to not only reside in the heart of downtown, but for it to become a heart of the Syracuse community. “It has been a lifelong dream of mine to open a bookstore,” Giampa said when asked what inspired her to help open a bookstore downtown.
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“I have a friend who is very into karma and all that stuff. She’s a massage therapist and she’s like, ‘come on in and we’ll talk and send something out into the universe.’ And she asked me that question that people ask: If you could do anything and money wasn’t an object, what would you do? And I said that I have always wanted to run an independent bookstore. We talked about downtown being a really good place to do it and I just didn’t have the means to do it.”
“The very next day,” she continued, “she was with Steve Case, the Acropolis Realty Group guy. They were looking at a space and at the very end, Steve said, ‘hey, I own this building and I got this great spot. I want to put a bookstore downtown, but I don’t know anything about books. Do you know anybody?’ So, when I say that this was dropped into my lap, it was literally. We put it out there and it came.”However, the reality of operating a bookstore was something Giampa would have never imagined for herself a few years ago.
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“I was in a really, really dark place a few years ago,” she explained. “About five years ago, I was in a very abusive relationship. I’ve suffered from depression and anxiety my whole life. It was not physical abuse, but it was very mentally abusive and I was very stuck. I was suicidal. I was hospitalized a couple of times and found a good therapist and began the process of rebuilding. It was really difficult for me to leave the relationship entirely and so there was this process of me trying to gradually separate and learn my own strengths, learning that I have answers inside of me, I just have to look for them.” After overcoming several personal struggles, Giampa is now using her strength and sense of hope to create a bookstore where everyone can feel welcomed. And a part of creating a new space for the community involved joining Steve Case and Ryan Benz – the owner of downtown restaurant Oh My Darling – in their efforts to revitalize Downtown Syracuse.
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On the store’s opening weekend, Linda Lowen, author of 100 Things to do in Syracuse hosted an event for Parthenon Books’s grand opening. As the manager of a community bookstore, Giampa wants to offer more local merchandise and host more local authors, stating that, “Local is our jam.” “We’ve reached out to local authors, we’re currently reviewing them. We’re going to have a program that’s consignment where we bring local author books in for a couple of months and see how they go. If they do well, we’ll bring them in. But we’re doing the same with “It was really important for us to be a part of the downtown revitalization,” she said about the collaboration. “We have this idea that Salina Street should be Main Street again. I’m old enough to remember when downtown was the exciting place to go shopping. And I feel like there’s a lot of restaurants, there’s a lot of boutiques, but there really isn’t anywhere on Salina Street where people can go and gather and get a snack and just wander around for a couple hours.”
She also plans to make Parthenon Books a place where people can not only buy books and gifts, but also a place where community members can come together. “We’re going to try and partner with a lot of organizations, literacy groups, maybe some youth groups, LGBTQ groups, maybe some churches to have workshops and events that draw in different groups,” she replied, when asked how the bookstore will serve the community.
“In addition to that, I think there’s a value to books and reading,” she continued. “We want to be able to interact with customers and introduce them to new ideas or inspire them to find new things on their own. As divided as we are, just all of us have kind of chosen sides. I want to be a place where everyone can come and explore new ideas or maybe get some information on their current ideas and not feel like we’re excluding anybody.”
“When we started planning this, we thought a lot about our customer base and it was like, ‘oh, there’s a lot of well-educated, single people and they live and work downtown.’ And then we started to really walk around and look around. There’s a huge underserved community that lives downtown and we want to be able to serve them. We want to be able to offer something for everybody.”
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 12 New bookstore strives to be part of downtown revitalization from page 11 SPECIAL FEATURE
Selena Giampa
local artists. We’ve got three murals by local artists. We’ve reached out to artists who do things like postcards and greeting cards and bookmarks and stickers. And our bakers, we’re using local bakeries for a majority of our stuff. We are light on local authors right now, I’ll be honest with you. But we’re working on building that. That’s a really important part of our store.” You can visit the new store in person at 333 South Salina Street in Downtown Syracuse. SWM Visit parthenonbookstore.com for more information about events and more.
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Cazenovia College not only offered the property to be used as rental housing, but students in the college’s residential design class led by Interior Design Program Director and Associate Professor Grace Tallini contributed ideas, technical drawings and design and structural planning services to guide the renovation work. A recent Cazenovia College graduate, Amanda Pressly ’22, began working with CWR her sophomore year at Cazenovia. As the technology assistant, Pressly managed communications for CWR with the
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 14 SPECIAL FEATURE C
azenovia College together with Cazenovia Welcomes Refugees (CWR) and InterFaith Works will welcome a family from Afghanistan to Cazenovia. The college, CWR and InterFaith Works teamed up to renovate a college-owned building to return the two-story structure back into a single-family home. After nine months of reconstruction, the family designated for the home is scheduled to move in this summer.
New welcomedAmericanstoCazenovia
The home located at 43 Lincklaen St. has undergone extensive renovations under the guidance of CWR’s Dave and Carolyn Holmes, and the Irving Construction Co. Since the home was once student residences and more recently, administrative offices and storage, a kitchen had to be designed and installed with new electrical and water access, bathrooms had to be gutted and modernized along with installation of new flooring and carpet throughout the entire home. Additionally, to bring the home up to code, fire and safety features were updated. InterFaith Works is the fiscal sponsor and organizational partner for CWR, which raised funds for the cost of the renovations and provided volunteers to assist with renovating 43 Lincklaen. “This is a unique project,” noted Beth Broadway, president and CEO of InterFaith Works. “It doesn’t happen very often where you have a civic group and college committed at this level to welcome new Americans.”
CWR Steering Committee co-facilitators Kathy Bice and Carolyn Holmes also credit two Cazenovia High School students, Quinlan Emhoff and Erin Kuhn, with helping to bring awareness to the project and the contributions CWR is making in the community. Emhoff and Kuhn worked to bring the importance of the resettlement program into the high school. They participated in World Refugee Day, organized a drive for goods, and put kits together to welcome new refugee families. Emhoff also spoke at a CWR event to highlight its activities and recruit new members. “It is really cool to see 43 Lincklaen now as a home for a family,” Quinlan said. “It looks great.” “We are looking forward to welcoming the children of the family into the community,” added Kuhn. “We can babysit, take them for ice cream and all sorts of things.”
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Cazenovia community sending newsletters and posting on the website and social media the status of the project as well as requests for items for the residence, including furniture and supplies.
As the family moves into their new home later this summer, CWR will continue to act as their liaison to the community. “CWR will be the family’s resource for any assistance they may need, including registering their children for school, finding doctors, dentists, or simply navigating local stores and events,” Bice said. “I am excited to welcome a family to 43 Lincklaen,” noted David Bergh, president of Cazenovia College, who has served on the CWR steering committee since it first began in 2018. “I applaud the contributions of our students that assisted in making this project come to fruition along with the collaboration between the College, CWR and InterFaith Works. It has been a great partnership that we look forward to continuing.” SWM Submitted photos: Cazenovia College together with Cazenovia Welcomes Refugees and InterFaith Works will welcome a family from Afghanistan to Cazenovia this summer.
On Sept. 15, CLA is hosting a senior housing and care expo at the Regional Market. The event will showcase opportunities for senior living in CNY, as well as what services are available for in-home care. In the future, Aureli hopes to continue holding the events that CLA has already done, and continue adding new ones in order to further disseminate information to seniors and their loved ones.
“I've come to learn that we have a lot of great senior care and service organizations in this area. they are very passionate about senior care,” Aureli said. “I'm so thrilled to see so many people with such kind hearts and good intentions getting together to help our area seniors.”
“We have members who are [in] transportation. We have senior living, we have in-home care, both companion care and medical care. There is insurance, there's financial people. We have anything that any adult needs,” Aureli said. “Our members can help people who are older, or in any part of their life. … I just want to be able to touch every part that they need help with. I want to be able to fill that need.”
W hen she began helping her mother take care of her grandmother eight years ago, Nancy Aureli felt like she was walking through mud while trying to find the right resources she needed to take care of her elders.
“I had the idea that I wanted to create a clearing house so that people could have a one-stop shop to find care for seniors,” Aureli said. Aureli describes CLA as a hub of information about classes, entertainment, events, financial planning, medical care, senior housing and living, transportation and wellness.
NANCY AURELI
They're in the moment with you,” Aureli said. “That's another reason why I love this organization: because I love touching so many families and so many seniors and so many caregivers because it's heartwarming.”
“I love every meeting, every fair. You know how you got those things to just feed your soul? This is what does it [for me].”
SWM In 2017, Nancy Aureli founded Community Living Advocates (CLA), a network of about 90 agencies and associations focused on senior care in Central New York. Aureli, front row second from right, is shown at a recent event with representatives of many of the agencies she works with to help families negotiate the challenges associated with senior care.
Helping families navigate the senior care challenge Amisha Kohli
“I just want to provide the information so people can make better decisions I guess, and just think about all the different avenues they have to enhance their life and make it better,” Aureli said. Though Aureli is well-versed in senior care now, she started her career in a different field, spending nine years as a geologist. As her career accelerated, Aureli traveled frequently and decided it was time to slow down and find a job where she could stay home. Although Aureli found it fun, the constant travel became tiresome, and she found the job was not feeding her soul as she desired. Ready for a change, Aureli asked herself what other career paths would be of interest and landed on nursing. She was drawn to the field because it actively challenged her mind and gave her an opportunity to help others feel better. Aureli remains a nurse, working per diem alongside CLA. “My favorite patients have always been older adults because they're present with you, they talk with you, they're paying attention to you.
As a registered nurse who had spent years working with elderly people, Aureli wondered how people who lack that experience figured out where to go and what to do to take care of their loved ones. Answering that simple question evolved into Community Living Advocates (CLA), a network of about 90 agencies and associations focused on senior care in Central New York. Aureli founded CLA in 2017.
Although the internet offers a plethora of resources, finding a suitable, accessible service can be overwhelming. CLA takes some of the difficulty out of that research process, giving people a more local, condensed center to find what they need without having to weed through the thousands of options on the internet. The organization’s events provide seniors the opportunity to get out and socialize, while also providing helpful information regarding various topics.
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 16 WBOC LEADING LADY
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COVER STORY NELSONMARY Building a better world Stephanie Herbert “My commitment to my passion.”—Maryinespeciallycommunity,forchildrenneed,istrulymyNelson
Mary, a Syracuse resident of over 50 years, saw economic deterioration in her communities and knew something had to Mary’schange.story
COVER STORY
MARY NELSON Building a better world
Stephanie Herbert H ometown hero, visionary, and caregiver, Mary Nelson is dedicated to providing services to at-risk greater-Syracuse area youth to unleash their unlocked potential. From mentorships to financial assistance programs, Mary has built an empire of “helpers” to step in for the challenging moments in our children’s lives. Mary’s dream of inclusion and access didn’t transpire overnight.
starts as a young girl in a family of migrant workers who moved to Auburn in 1968 to change employment and create a successful life. She embodied independence as her parents frequently worked. She considered herself a caregiver as a child because she learned how to cook and support her two brothers. Despite difficult living conditions and frequent travel, Mary said that education was always a priority in her family. She and her brothers were enrolled in what is now known as Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, where she learned the importance of a good education. Mary attended Eastwood Junior High School and Corcoran High School in the following years. In high school, at age 16, Mary became pregnant with her first child, Bolerianteria. Despite Mary navigating a difficult circumstance, her parents ensured she finished school and walked the stage with her graduating class of 1978. She has no regrets about her childhood and
Continued on page 22 is thankful for programs like BOCES and educational mentors who helped shape her adolescence. She noted that she never had a “real” childhood as the oldest sibling who cared for others in the family before herself. For example, she would help her siblings with homework and prepare their clothes for school the next day. In doing so, Mary began to understand that having a meal, and being cared for, is one of the most incredible things you can do for a child.
“Community building is the grassroots of my efforts to communicate to Syracuse youth that education, and not violence, is where success in life can be found,” said Mary. The youth in Syracuse require a lot of support and encouragement, and Mary believes that her center can be the comfort needed when a traditional family isn’t present. The now thriving youth center wasn’t always financially stable.
In addition, she worked part-time as a resident counselor at Vera House and in several other speaking roles, consulting on government boards and participating in community groups. Mary was engulfed in every part of the community while continuing to serve her role as president and CEO of the Mary Nelson Youth Center.
Mary notes there were scary moments through the early stages of inception when she couldn’t afford rent. However, she said that “Used Car King” Todd Caputo bought the building from Mary, releasing her from making payments and allowing her to focus on what she truly wanted: safe and accessible education for children.
Oprah wasn’t the only one to endorse Mary’s dedication to her mission. Businesses such as Walmart and Lowes, the Jim & Juli Boeheim Foundation, and hundreds more have donated money, services, and items to support the Mary Nelson Youth Center and its thorough programming.
Philanthropist Oprah Winfrey took notice of Mary’s incredible journey. In 2014, during a surprise visit, Oprah offered $100,000 to the Mary Nelson Youth Center, kickstarting a robust and fulfilling future for the center and the community it serves. First, Mary grappled with the correct use of the funds; after considering community basketball courts, Mary knew a more robust approach to social services would affect families for many years.
Mary was inspired to create a platform to provide young people with the necessary values and skills to become exceptional community leaders. She knew that support for children was lacking. She knew gun violence was a growing concern for families in disadvantaged communities. So, in 2009, Mary opened the Mary Nelson Youth Center as a 501c3 nonprofit.
The Mary Nelson Youth Center offers educational programs, health information, career advice, services (nutrition, legal, career and more), and mentorship.
Moments like that in her career allowed Mary to double down on her mission and be the community caregiver she knew she could be. For 23 years, Mary worked at Upstate Medical University, where she interviewed patients for upcoming exams and scans, and as a front desk receptionist in the radiology department.
“Each and every day, I learn something new by giving, and that alone is a gift to me.”—Mary Nelson
From navigating significant loss in her early adulthood to experiencing domestic abuse, Mary was determined to be a great mother to her now three children and navigate this “storm” to come out stronger and wiser than before. Mary feels that love and family can be a liaison for greatness. When Mary left high school to the present, her story was nothing short of a tragedy-turned to passion. Yet, Mary said she feels no anger or hatred for the traumatic moments in her life, only love, because she believes she can be a positive influence in moments of darkness.
August, shouting “STOP THE VIOLENCE,” handing out hundreds of free packs with necessities like food, clothing, and school supplies for children’s return to school. Her vision was clear, and she knew that to make a difference, she had to empower others to do the same. “I can’t relax,” she said. In August 2002, Mary started youth programming in Syracuse following the loss of her nephew, Darryl Patterson, to gun violence.
“My commitment to my community, especially for children in need, is truly my passion,” Mary said. “To see them smile, hear their laughter, and feel their joy is my healing from my childhood of not being able to be a child fully.”
Tired of the violence, Mary decided she could help be the change her community needs. Mary said people used to call her the “backpack lady” as she confronted the streets of Syracuse every
Mary is looking forward to record numbers in 2022 for the Annual Youth Day Barbeque, with new features such as Upstate Medical University offering free mammograms and ultrasounds and Keybank financial literacy trucks helping community members to open bank accounts. The event will also allow local businesses to set up their tables and shops to network and personalize the community experience. Through Mary's vision, millions of dollars in school supplies, from electronics to toiletries, have been donated to families over the past 18 years. Mary ultimately wants to reinforce the idea that loving and supporting our youth and providing outlets and alternatives to violence will allow students to explore careers and education with less barriers. In addition, Mary wants her center to emulate safety and comfort so community members can get the services they need while feeling like they’re part of a family. With the tragic loss of her brother to gun violence in 2014, Mary finds herself more determined than ever to give back to the community. Mary said that though her efforts may not end gun violence, they offer a gift of empowerment to every child that receives a backpack or uses a service. In addition, Mary noted that family is critical and, whether your family is present or not, you have a support system who can guide you through challenging transitions.
Building a better world from page 22 COVER STORY EDUCATION EDITION
Every year, on the third Saturday in August, Mary hosts an Annual Youth Day Barbeque where thousands of children (and parents!) can join in back-to-school festivities. The fun includes backpacks, school supplies, food, games, music, guest speakers, and various vendors, all for free. In addition, businesses in the community donated food, supplies, money, volunteers, and tabling activities for the yearly event; in 2019, the event held over 16,000 community members.
What’s next for Mary Nelson and the youth center?
“Each and every day, I learn something new by giving, and that alone is a gift to me,” said Mary. Mary started her outreach as a child, caring for her beloved siblings. She journeyed through years of intense and powerful situations to inform a lifetime of support for children in the Syracuse Area. But she through those setbacks, she followed a simple mantra that helped her continue to pursue a better future for the children in the community she loves: “Don’t let your situation become your circumstance.” SWM “Don't let your situation become your—Marycircumstance.”Nelson
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AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 24 WOMEN'S HEALTH & MEDICINE
Upstate Cord Blood Bank celebrates 5th anniversary MOTHERS DELIVERING CORD BLOOD AT BIRTH HELP SAVETLIVES
he Upstate Cord Blood Bank, the region’s only not-for-profit public cord blood donation center, is dedicated to saving and improving lives through the lifesaving gift of cord blood. The term “cord blood” may sound daunting, but it’s actually quite simple. After a baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, the blood remaining in the umbilical cord is called cord blood. Cord blood is abundant in Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs), which are blood-forming stem cells, similar to those contained within bone marrow. These stem cells can reconstitute an immune system, and have the ability to treat, repair, and/or replace damaged cells in the body. For those suffering from blood cancers such as
“Umbilical cord blood is typically discarded as medical waste,” says Dr. Matthew Elkins, medical director of the Upstate Cord Blood Bank. “We encourage expectant mothers to donate so that lives may be potentially saved through this painless, five-minute process just moments after giving birth.
To learn more, upstatecordbloodbank.com.visit
Cord blood donation is completely safe for mother and baby; labor and delivery is not affected and no blood is taken from the newborn; it is only removed from the umbilical cord after birth. The designation of Upstate Cord Blood Bank as a public blood bank is important in that there is no cost to donate and donated cord blood is available to anyone who needs it. Once donated, the cord blood is stored in the bank and made available to transplant centers in the United States and throughout the world for patients in need.
SYRACUSE WOMAN MAGAZINE SYRACUSEWOMANMAG.COM 25 leukemia and lymphoma and as many as 80 other lifethreatening diseases, a cord blood transplant might be the only hope of a cure.
The cord blood units will be listed on national and international registries to be matched to patients who need them. Any units collected that are not suitable for transplantation may be made available to researchers, with parental approval, both at Upstate Medical University and around theDecidingcountry.whether to donate cord blood is best done during the early months of pregnancy. Various forms are completed by the expectant parents and submitted directly to the cord blood bank. After delivery, the blood is removed from the umbilical cord and then packaged and transported to Upstate’s 20,000 square-foot facility that features a state of the art processing laboratory and cryogenic storage containers.TheUpstate Cord Blood Bank, opened in 2017, operates under strict guidelines and protocols, established by state and federal health organizations, including the state Health Department; Food and Drug Administration; AABB Center for Cellular Therapies; and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. The center partners with Crouse Health, St. Joseph’s Health and Upstate Community Birthing Center to collect cord blood immediately after a baby is born.
S ome activities are synonymous with summer: concerts, fireworks, swimming and, of course, gardening and farmers markets. Here in Central New York, we are blessed with so many great local farmstands and markets including one of the area’s largest our CNY Regional Market. There is no better time to visit these places than in August. It is prime season for local fruits and Ritually,vegetables.Ivisitthe CNY Regional Market every Sunday to get fresh vegetables and fruits and my opinion; there is no other shopping experience that quite lives up to the satisfaction of purchasing locally grown goodies on a warm sunny day. Plus, with inflation and other factors causing a rise in grocery prices, buying food and products from local vendors may help keep more money in your pockets. But the crazy thing about the market is, I would be willing to pay more. The market vendors are such a unique breed of people. They are some of the proudest people I have
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 26 HEALTHY EATING
August is the time to eat more veggies Eric Rose
ever seen, and they love to not just sell you their goods but educate you as well. They inspire visitors to try new vegetables, eat cleanly, and even share all kinds of preparation techniques. Growers love to talk about their products. If you do not regularly check a produce calendar for a list of what is in season, simply ask. Buying in season guarantees the fruit or vegetables will be at their tastiest and full of the most nutrients possible. Plus, you never know what you might learn by striking up a conversation. This last trip to the market I had other intentions. In anticipation of writing this article I spent significantly more time listening to the conversations, watching the vendors, processing the different smells, as well as striking up numerous conversations with owners. One of the things that I found enlightening is how many business owners were woman. I discovered that chances are really good that much of the produce sold at local farmer’s markets was
¼ cup canola oil 1 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp sriracha sauce ¼ tsp ground black pepper ¼ tsp garlic powder
Frosty Ingredients: 6 oz frozen lemonade concentrate 2 cups fresh blueberries 2 cups fresh seedless watermelon cubes 1 cup sliced cucumber peeled, and seeded 1-2 cups Ice cubes Method: In a blender, combine frozen lemonade concentrate, cucumber, watermelon, and blueberries. Puree until very smooth. Add ice cubes; blend until mixture is slushy. Add sugar or stevia if needed. Garnish with watermelon triangle or cucumber slice.
*This zucchini bread has 150 calories and 0 grams of sugar per serving as compared to regular zucchini bread which has 200 calories and 16 grams of sugar per serving.
Zucchini Bread
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Marinade:Ingredients: ¹/³ cup honey ¹/³ cup soy sauce (low sodium)
*Cherry tomatoes can also be used as a great option. Summer squash is also a great alternative. Method: 1. Whisk together honey, soy sauce, oil, sriracha, lime juice, garlic powder and black pepper for marinade in a large glass bowl. Remove ¼ cup of the marinade to use while cooking.
One shed over I spoke with Lori Daratt. Lori is a third-generation owner of her family farm that has been supplying some of the best local vegetables to the public for over 30 years. “Running a farm is great but getting to interact and educate the community is what it’s all about,” was what Lori told me she like best about the market.
Method: 1. Spray two 8 x 4 bread pans with non-stick cooking spray. 2 In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually add Truvia Sweet Complete® Granulated All-Purpose Sweetener, oil and vanilla extract. Beat until thick and yellow colored. 3. Stir in zucchini. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 5. Stir dry mixture into the wet mixture. Add chopped pecans. 6. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350° F for 1 hour or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. 7. Cool for 10 minutes. 8. Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup vegetable oil ¼ tsp baking powder 2 cups zucchini, course grated 1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ½ cup pecans, chopped 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract Non-stick cooking spray 1 tsp salt 3 whole eggs** 1 tsp baking soda 2 cups Truvia Sweet Complete® Granulated All-Purpose Sweetener
5. Place kabobs on the preheated grill. Cook, turning frequently and brushing with the reserved marinade, until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear, 12 to 15 minutes total.
Watching these owners, you could hear the passion in their voices and feel the love they have; being proud farmers. If you need another reason to plan a trip to the market, consider this: By shopping at a local farmers market, you are helping to grow and support your local community’s economy. Farmers take home about $0.97 of every dollar spent at the farmers’ market. According to [the U.S. Department of Agriculture], farmers selling through the traditional retail system get $0.17 for every dollar spent at retail. Whether you are in it for the food, the community, the economics, or the fun, carving out time from your week to visit a farmers’ market can make a difference to your wallet, health, and your local farmers’ bottom lines. Plan a trip. It is 100% an amazing feel-good experience. A few tips… If you are planning on visiting a market or farmstand here are a few of my Plantips:for fruits or vegetables to be the center of the plate … and then add protein and grains. Some vegetable-grain combinations do not require additional protein but when you do add meat or cheese, think of it as flavoring. It will save you some $$. Plan meals around fruits and vegetables that go a long way. Plan to include fruits and vegetables you can grab as quick snacks or turn into soups and casseroles that you can eat a couple of times during the week. Many vegetables that are in season and cost effective now can be canned or frozen for future consumption. There is not much better than having a pasta dinner in the fall and winter knowing there is a little extra love in the dinner because you made the sauce.
Kabobs: 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1-inch cubes 2 large red onions, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 medium bell peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 small zucchinis, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cloves garlic 12 bamboo skewers, or as needed, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Yummy Honey Sriracha Garden Kabobs Serves 12 Chicken kabobs marinated in a zippy sauce are a great alternative to usual barbecue fare. The honey-soy mixture does double duty as a marinade and a basting sauce, adding delicious flavor to every bite of juicy chicken. Use any fresh garden vegetables like mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, or other veggies and marinate overnight if desired. Intimidated by the grill? These can be cooked under your broiler or in an air fryer!
6. Serve over some fresh garden greens or a nice rice or grain for a complete meal.
2. Add chicken, onions, bell peppers, and garlic to the marinade in the large bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours up to 24 hours. 3. When ready to cook, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate. 4. Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto skewers.
Cool Cucumber, Watermelon & Blueberry
One proud owner that I watched pour into the market goers about the benefits of organic farming was proprietor of Main Street Farms, Alison Thomas. She is a ball of energy strongly convicted to grow the best produce and to teach market goers about the health benefits of organic farming.
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 28 INSPIRE GLENNA WISNIEWSKI
And she’ll travel to see family in California and Tennessee, and take advantage of volunteer opportunities. “I’ll see where the road takes me,” Wisniewski says. After all … “I never had any intention of being a library director. Like said in a quote (from author Douglas Adams) to the staff: ‘I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.’”
Changes that came from the pandemic such as more online opportunities, virtual programming and the Grab It & Go (holds pick up in the underground garage) have remained.
“We have a great staff, a great collection and now, a great building,” she says.
SYRACUSE WOMAN MAGAZINE SYRACUSEWOMANMAG.COM 29 W hen Glenna Wisniewski was a kid growing up in Baldwinsville, she recalls, on a rainy day she might be found at her friend Jimmy Pirong’s house playing library. “We would have our books and checkout cards,” she says. “I’d say, ‘I think you need to read this.’ I’d give due dates.” Yes, she had real-life experience to draw upon. She also remembers riding her bike to the village library, located at the time in a house with creaky floors on Charlotte Street. Taking a career assessment test years later in high school, one of her choices came out as bookmobile librarian. Alas, Wisniewski already had it in her mind to study American history at Syracuse University. Funny how the pages can turn. That bachelor’s degree led to a master’s in Archives and Museum Librarianship at SU. Then came her first professional librarian position in the office of Museums and Historic Sites for Onondaga County Parks. Then an out-of-the-blue query letter brought a slot as a children’s librarian at the Onondaga County Public Libraries’ Mundy Branch, which was followed by a beloved slot as a bookmobile librarian out of the central branch of OCPL. “Ding!” Wisniewski says with a laugh about that revisit to the bookmobile suggestion of her high school days. “My favorite job, ever!” While expecting the birth of her daughter, Wisniewski heard of a job at the Liverpool Central School District’s Educational Communication Center, like a BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) for the big school district. “What a great schedule to be on,” she says she thought at the time. She ended up working for the school district for 20 years. When her position was cut to half-time in 2003, Wisniewski also became a part-time substitute librarian at the Liverpool Public Library. “The rest is history,” she says. That history includes becoming full-time at the LPL when her school district position was eliminated in 2009. It winds through the LPL as adult services librarian, coordinator of children, adult and teen services and assistant director before being appointed director in 2016. Wisniewski will retire as LPL director at the end of July. She says she has many people to thank.
Professor Antje Lemke at Syracuse University. Elaine Wisowaty and Dennis Connors at Onondaga Parks. Linda Mann, Kay Budmen and Nancy Silverman at the school district. Karen Ingham and Dorothy Morgan on the library staff and Donald MacLaughlin from the library board of “Thetrustees.people that supported me and encouraged me had more faith in me than I had in myself,” Wisniewski says. She says they and others she’s encountered over the years helped her form the principles that make Glenna, Glenna. “One, leading and accepting different personalities to the table. The one way I see it is not necessarily the way. Two, it’s OK to fail and try things. If it doesn’t work, go back, reassess why it doesn’t work, try something else. Three, surround yourself with smart, competent people. Let them know it’s a safe environment, they can do what they need to do safely and they have what they need to succeed,” she said. Wisniewski says her decades at the Liverpool Public Library have helped her discover much about the community, too. “I learned this community supports the public library. They love the public library,” she says. “We need to make sure it’s accessible to people no matter the challenges they may have. We’re always working on inclusion, I want to make sure people feel welcome here. That’s a sense of pride for me.” In the past several years, Wisniewski says, she’s seen the staff help steer patrons through the library renovation, the cyberattack on the OCPL online system and, of course, the pandemic.
Submitted photo: Glenna Wisniewski retired as Liverpool Public Library director at the end of July.
SWM Mark Bialczak is a communications specialist with the Liverpool Public Library.
Liverpool Public Library director to retire Mark Bialczak
“I think a lot of people realized how much the library means to them,” Wisniewski says. “We ushered them to online resources that still have high use. We began important community services like passing out COVID tests and having masks available. Being open and maintaining a safe environment went a long way with the public.”
Even after retirement, she says, “I’ll always be an advocate for libraries. An OCPL advocate. A Central New York Library Resources Council advocate. I meet with [New York State Assemblymember] Pam Hunter. As inflation continues to grow, I think people will continue to rely on libraries’ free service. No matter who you are, you’ll be treated the same. Elon Musk or a homeless person. The libraries will be more important to fill their roles in the communities. It will be tough, but we have to give the people what they need.”
4 and 5) Bostick’s books “Santa’s Choice,” “The Gift of Sun Lee” and “The Blessed” have been released since 2021.
6) Bostick plans to publish a tribute to her parents’ exchange of notes and letters from when he was in engineering school at Yale and she was working under Ed Sullivan at the Daily News.
7) During the 1980s, Bostick performed at the Salt City Playhouse and with a traveling show band. She later started her own production company, went on air in Auburn as an overnight disc jockey for WPCX-FM, and wrote columns for the Miami Weekly Sun.
1 2 3 7654
Submitted photos: 1) Diane Bostick has recently started authoring children’s books based on stories written by her deceased father, Glyn, a former marine platoon sergeant during World War II.
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 30 INSPIRE DIANE
Jason Klaiber
2 and 3) After the death of her brother Christopher, she published books of his artwork, which had also been featured in her 2006 poetry compilation “Naked Feathers.”
BOSTICK Carrying on with creativity
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By that point, the Jamesville-DeWitt grad had won an amateur comedy contest at Wise Guys, taken part in theatrical performances at Salt City Playhouse, written a libretto to an opera with an Austrian composer, and tagged along with the traveling show band Galaxy of Stars as an imitator of Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. “It was like another force was coming up in me,” Bostick said. “I was just learning and discovering that I had a big creative side that I needed to satisfy, so I didn’t limit myself.”
The first in line was “Santa’s Choice,” a book about Santa Claus’ auditions to see which reindeer were best equipped to pull his sleigh. Illustrated by Justin Addison and released in 2021, that one came with a companion piece called “Reindeer Training” about seven female reindeer that Kris Kringle prepared for flight.
Following Bostick’s research into the minimal and sometimes unflattering role of women on the Erie Canal early on, it was her mission to portray a positive, “multi-faceted” fictional character who works as a cook aboard her father’s boat and marries a doctor from Brockport, one of the vessel’s main stops along the historic waterway. Stretching to 40 minutes at its longest, Bostick would often perform the show in excerpts a quarter of that length. What shone through every time, however, was a dose of humor and a tale touching on the importance of hard work and persistence.
Around the same time, she learned through a songwriting partnership with Donald Laird, the brother of one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creators, that she had a knack for thinking up song lyrics.
The next was “The Gift of Sun Lee,” a release from earlier in the summer about a young Chinese girl who goes to a Bible school in the United States and returns to post-World War II Shanghai with American customs to share. Her most recently released children’s book, “The Blessed,” follows suit as the story of the donkey returning to the manger. Like its immediate predecessor, also illustrated by St. Louis artist Cher Jiang, “The Blessed” features pages to color and addresses in its text the lessons of compassion andLinkshumility.tothe purchase pages for those books can be found on mysmallonebooks.com, which takes its name from the sobriquet Bostick’s father had used in correspondence with his petite soon-to-be wife of 52 years. In addition to her performance outlets and her writing of children’s books, Bostick has operated an interior home repair company called His & Hers Fix-Its alongside her husband, Magic. With her late brother Chris’ art, she put together two posthumous coloring books containing his adult-oriented, comic-style drawings that are available on www.cbsticks.com.
In the early part of the 1990s, she was able to fuse her mixture of skills by starting Zeda Productions, an entertainment production company that put on shows for schools, senior centers, luncheons and nursing homes. With a name derived from that of Bostick’s paternal grandmother, Zetta, who purportedly deserted her family and an “unloving marriage” in Texas without so much as a trace, the company was meant to draw a voice from a “mysterious, erased” figure from its founder’s lineage. During that time period, Bostick relied on friends who were singers, dancers and even magicians, but she also created a one-woman show for herself called “The Cookdom of Sara Irene McGee,” which pulled its protagonist’s middle name and the thread of Irish heritage explored throughout from her maternal grandmother.
“That was pleasurable for me, because it wed my first love of writing with my desire to perform,” Bostick said. “Another person might be nervous or terrified to stage a show by themselves, but I really think I have a fearless performer in me that’s always wanted to be onstage or possibly was in a past life.”
T hough the years of high school saw her dabble with poetry and earn nods for her book reports, it wasn’t until Diane Bostick reached her 30s in the 1980s that her creative streak truly set in, never to let up.
Bostick will have a stand with her books up for sale at the Westcott Street Cultural Fair in Syracuse on Sunday, Sept. 25, the same day that she’s participating in the “Clash of the Comics” competition at Destiny USA’s Funny Bone Comedy Club under the stage name Rennah Rilies. A believer that laughter can break through to people, Bostick is hoping to organize an event sometime in the future called “Laughing in the Dark” as a way to raise awareness for mental health and support suicide prevention. SWM
In May 2019, Bostick’s older brother, Christopher, died a year to the month after her middle brother David lost his life to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), both in the same home where their parents had passed on yearsAfterprior.processing her grief, Bostick summoned the strength to reenter the family’s DeWitt household, a step that led her to uncover her mother’s old poems as well as “funny and beautiful” letters her parents exchanged while they were going steady, her brother Chris’ artwork, and a collection of her father’s creative writing pieces, some of which were autobiographical in nature. Newly inspired, she sorted out her dad’s passel of short stories for children and extracted the ones she liked the most for reworking and eventual publishing. So far, Bostick has released three of those, all of them Christmasrelated and faith-based despite her father’s disassociation from religion.
On weekends spent seeing another friend in Oswego, where Laird lived and worked as a Fort Ontario director, Bostick would leave him the words and only hours later he would have a fully composed melody to go along with them. About a decade later, she was ready to commit some of the baker’s dozen or so songs written with Laird to CD and cassette, but she was surprised to find out in the process of trying to reconnect with him that he had passed away. Still, with his brother’s permission and the memory of her friend living on, she released a few of those compositions, including one she especially loved called “When Mexico Was Mine.” “He was a very kind person, and he had a beautiful tenor singing voice,” Bostick said. “We had a deep connection musically.”
INSPIRE HIGHTJUDITH EDUCATION EDITION 32
Hight’s brainchild, Provisions, was recognized by Programs that are Exceptional in Education and Rehabilitation (PEER). Eventually she served as Director of Continuous Quality Improvement for Oncare
“I learned pretty quickly that a service delivery system in a rural town for a kid with a disability is very difficult,” she says, speaking about her son, Ian, now 19, who has Down syndrome.
Driven to make a difference
Today, she’s left her time-consuming career in human services and runs her wine shop with her two sons. She loves sharing a neighborhood with entrepreneurs, many of them women, who support each other. Now her passion project as a volunteer is a campaign to affect“Ourchange.future depends on the quality of our schools,” she says. “And the divisiveness in our country is only going to be solved when individuals step up; that’s why I ran for school board.” Her vision? “To make sure every family has a seat at the table . . . fostering strong and effective partnerships, and advocating to ensure that all students have access to the resources and supports to achieve their goals.”
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“The fruit is raised on the vineyards where the wine is made,” she says. “Most of the places I buy from are family-owned businesses.”
She’s learned a lot from her father too. A scientist, he inspired her to value education. “Remember that our knowledge of the world is very limited compared to what is left to be discovered,” he told her. “It is a challenge and a source of great satisfaction to unravel these mysteries.” She recalls, “My father always said, ‘stay cool under pressure and go out and make our world a better place!’” Maybe it’s this permutation –the love of learning, and the confidence to use her education to serve the greater good – that’s given her the ability to positively impact the world around her.
“There are limited resources. You have to be an incredibly strong advocate for your kid, and I had a background in human services and it was hard for me. It was really hard for me. There were times where I felt I was just butting up against brick walls. And I started volunteering to accompany other parents to their special education committee meetings.”
In fact, this knowledgeable wine connoisseur’s appreciation for the unfamiliar rather than the commercial is deeply rooted in her lifetime of service to those who are marginalized because of their differences, and this is what makes Hight especially inspiring. With two degrees from Syracuse University, including a Master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, she’s always found creative ways to support others. At just 24, she started a scratch bakery in Armory Square that was operated by and for people who had some experience with the mental health system. The goal of Provisions was to give employees a sense of purpose and to eliminate stigma about people who have struggled with mental illness. “We set it up like a regular business . . . with a great product. We served breakfast and lunch, and eventually our customers realized that people with emotional concerns could be valued and valuable members of their community,” Hight said. “I learned an awful lot from the people in the program–the power of perseverance, resilience and when given the chance, people do remarkable things.”
Hight wasn’t entirely confident going into the election this year. She was known primarily as a business owner. She isn’t a life-long resident of Cazenovia. But the writing was everywhere. On windows, posters read, “Hight for School Board.” On Instagram, people rallied: “We are behind you! You are the perfect person for this!”, “Thank you for your voice!” On the ballot: “Judith Hight.” And in the winning number of votes: 721. “It goes to show people wanted something different,” she says. And it put her in a position to, once again, make a difference. SWM
Hight & Sons Fine Wines & Spirits. You’ll find the shop on Albany Street in Cazenovia. Walk in and you’ll see estate-bottled wines from around the world stacked neatly on rustic shelves and tables like rare books in an old Ivy league library. The experience is pleasant, yes, but it’s more than that. It’s intentional. Owner Judith Hight’s goal is to stock extraordinary wines at everyday prices.
Kate Hanzalik
J.S.
where she developed data-driven strategies that would make it easier for troubled Onondaga County youths to access all the social services and educational resources they needed to thrive. This rewarding experience confirmed what Hight believes is common sense: exposure to the general curriculum in an inclusive classroom is key, and that every child deserves a place in the classroom with their peers.
“The hardest and best job of my life,” Hight says, wasn’t at Oncare or Provisions, however. It was staying home to raise her two sons for seven years in Cazenovia. She says her kids “have been fortunate to attend school here,” but there have been struggles.
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 34 INSPIRE SUE FASSLER
A group of SUNY ESF students, faculty and staff members, along with Sue Fassler, participate in the annual green roof cleanup on the Gateway Center building to recognize Earth Week on campus.
United University Professions leadership and NYS elected officials gather during a May 2022 press conference to announce the union's environmental policy platform. From left are UUP President Fred Kowal, NYS Senator Robert Jackson, NYS Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, and NYS Assemblymember Anna Kelles. Sue Fassler is speaking at the podium. The UUP is the nation's largest higher education union.
Sue Fassler, Director of Sustainable Operations at SUNY ESF, stands by one of 10 electric vehicle charging stations on campus. Six stations are for use by the college community and four stations were set aside for public use (in Parking Lot P-22).
Norah Machia
Asimple but powerful message can be learned from the zero waste programs at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry: recycling is a good thing, but waste reduction is even“It’sbetter.more important that we reduce from the start,” said Sue Fassler, Director of Sustainable Operations for SUNY ESF. “We need to look at how we can stop throwing so many things away.”
SYRACUSE WOMAN MAGAZINE SYRACUSEWOMANMAG.COM 35
ESF’s zero waste programs go far beyond an initial campus ban on plastic eating utensils and Styrofoam containers. They also focus on construction materials, packaging and any items “that can be repaired or taken back,” she said. As part of the zero waste effort, special collection sites were established on campus for people to drop off used ink and toner, batteries, old power cords, keyboards, computers, and other electronic items. There are opportunities to compost rather than throw out food scraps in every building, and while an assortment of beverages are for sale in vending machines, they only come in aluminum cans and glass bottles.
Leading the way toward sustainability
This past spring, she traveled to Albany with several other union officials to urge Gov. Kathy Hochul and state leaders to approve legislative initiatives that would help SUNY campuses statewide lower energy use, limit pollution and carbon gasses, and significantly reduce waste as part of a larger effort toward a greener economy.
Fassler, 32, leads the college’s zero waste and circularity programs, which have a goal of recycling or composting 90 percent of waste generated on the campus by 2025, along with reducing the amount of that generated waste material by 90 percent the same year.
Efforts are currently underway to secure additional co-sponsors for the bills when the state legislature reconvenes after summer break.
The SUNY ESF grounds and custodial employees have played a key role in the college’s zero waste programs. “They manage all the materials the campus discards, and that ties in strongly to sustainability and zero waste,” Fassler said. “It’s been critical to have them onboard and be excited about helping to create these sustainability programs.”
The campus features LEED certified buildings, some with rooftop gardens (also called green roofs), and a parking lot that was paved with a porous, flexible material made from recycled tires. A multitude of side-by-side trash, recycling and compost bins have been placed throughout the campus. Large waste baskets in the offices and gas-powered lawn equipment are a thing of the past.
“I love the feeling of walking barefoot in the grass outside my house and not being surround by a lot of people and noise,” she said. “It allows me to slow down. And I love being outside.”
Her parents own approximately 1,100 acres of land, and the majority is protected from outside development by a conservation easement with the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust. It was a natural fit for her to join the nonprofit land trust’s board of directors in 2021, because “land conservation is close to home for me, and the mission of the land trust really aligns with my values,” Fassler“Growingsaid. up, my parents always told us to read books, get outside and explore,” she said. “Although I grew up here, I didn’t realize how extensive the Tug Hill region was until I joined the land trust board of directors.”
Regardless of where you live, there are many steps people can take to reduce waste in their homes and offices, according to Fassler. She recommends starting with “auditing your waste” to determine what you are throwing away and if any of the items can be purchased in a reusable form. For example, a stainless-steel razor that would last a lifetime could be swapped for disposable plastic razors. If you are going out to eat, bring your own reusable containers from home for any leftovers. Consider buying at thrift stores or borrowing clothes, rather than purchasing new ones. “A lot of people recycle, and that’s very important,” she said. “But people can also make a big difference by focusing on waste reduction as well.” And don’t forget the waste basket trick, she added. “If you have a smaller waste basket with no liner, you’re more likely to compost rather than putting food in there.”
Specific goals include requiring SUNY to hire a systemwide leadership level sustainability staff member and develop a plan for all campuses to achieve zero waste by 2030. Other bills call for the development of a “green revolving fund” to finance campus sustainability projects.
The ESF zero waste programs have become a model for other SUNY campuses throughout the state, said Fassler, who is also co-chair of the United University Profession’s statewide environmental issues and advocacy committee.
The smaller efforts are just as important as the larger ones in helping to reduce campus waste, Fassler said. For example, replacing larger waste baskets with smaller ones that do not have plastic liners “makes people think twice about what they are throwing away,” she said. For those driving hybrid or fully electric vehicles, SUNY ESF offers several charging stations for the campus community, along with eight additional ports for public use (in Parking Lot P-22), a project that was partially supported by National Grid funding.
Another key proposal is legislation that would help keep surplus SUNY property out of the landfills. “This directly ties into zero waste,” she said. “A lot of surplus property gets landfilled, and we need to figure out how to reuse it. Zero waste goals should be set on every campus because it’s as important as other climate change initiatives.”
An outdoor enthusiast with a passion for land conservation, Fassler and her husband purchased a house in the Tug Hill region of Oswego County just across the street from her childhood home. The area is remote and quiet, and she prefers it that way.
In her position, Fassler also supervises all operations of the grounds and custodial division, ranging from equipment preventative maintenance to selecting cleaning chemicals. She oversees more than 30 employees, supervises sustainability staff and students, and provides high level management of the Office of Sustainability’s education and engagement efforts. Fassler began her employment at SUNY ESF in March of 2019 after working as the Save the Rain project coordinator for Onondaga County. A year later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She found herself working quickly to help put a new system of campus rules in place. “It was a very uncertain time,” said Fassler, who is a graduate of the college. “But SUNY has good leadership and brought the facilities together to work across campus and not duplicate efforts in developing our COVID-19 protocols.”
Yard and food scraps are accepted at OCRRA’s compost sites for conversion into nutrient-rich compost, which is then sold to the public. Mulch is also available for sale. There are options to dispose of items such as appliances with refrigerants, mattresses, microwaves and passenger tires. For specific fees, locations, and hours, visit www.OCRRA.org SWM
Since the summer of 2019, SUNY ESF has sent its compost to the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA). The organization offers drop off services for recycling, garbage disposal and household toxic items, and serves both businesses and residents.
What: This 29th annual event is for women only and begins at the Saw Mill Creek Shelter. The 5k is a flat and fast paved route which follows along Onondaga Lake. This course is USATF certified (#NY83004TC), and water is provided at the turnaround. Traffic is not permitted on the course during the race. Many finisher prizes will be awarded, including overall, year age groups, family teams and more. Enter early for your guaranteed souvenir shirt. Packet Pickup is at Fleet Feet in Clay on Aug. 18 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. When: 7:30 a.m. registration opens, 9 a.m 5K run and Fitness Walk for Women
What: The Mary Nelson Youth Center will host the 21st annual Back to School Supply Giveaway for youth in the Syracuse community. Donations of backpacks and school supplies can be dropped off at the youth center, 2849 S. Salina St. The event itself will feature live entertainment, barbecue, a game area and local vendors. Where: Corner of S. Salina St. and Wood Avenue, Syracuse Info: www.marynelsonyouthcenter.com
Willow Bay 5k Run & Fitness Walk for Women
When: Music begins at 10 a.m. Where Little York Lake Pavilion, 6347 Little York Lake Road, Preble Saturday, Aug. 6 and Sunday Aug. 7 Oswego Family Fun Days
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 36 UPCOMING EVENTS
Where: Willow Bay Park, Liverpool Cost: $35 for in-person, $30 for virtual Info: runsignup.com/Race/NY/Liverpool/WillowBay5k
Madison-Bouckville Summer Markets
Saturday, Aug. 20 21st Annual Back to School Supply Giveaway
What: The oldest running Bluegrass and acoustic old-time country music event in New York and New England returns for its 49th year to historic Dwyer Memorial Park in Preble. Pack a lawn chair, and a picnic, and enjoy the celebration of all things Bluegrass as you’re overlooking beautiful Little York Lake. Music begins at 10 a.m.
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What: Empire Farm Days is the largest outdoor farm and rural living show in New York State. Hundreds of exhibitors plus fun events for the whole family. See a farm animal petting zoo, farmers market, Kiddie Tractor Pull, Farmers Olympics and a Skid Steer Rodeo. When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday Where: Palladino Farms, Sweet Road, Pompey Info: empirefarmdays.leetradeshows.com
Sunday, Aug. 7 Bill Knowlton's Bluegrass Ramble Picnic
Thursday Aug. 18 WoW! at the Everson What: Devised by Karin Coonrod in 2020, WoW! is the new hybrid event bringing living poets and film together outdoors and celebrating the works of Walt Whitman. The one-hour event begins at dusk and will be screened on the façade of the Everson. Following each film, a local poet will stand and “talk back to Whitman” in their own words, challenging or quarreling with him, thus weaving together film and live recitation. There will be opportunities for spoken word artists to speak and land acknowledgments to be made. Local food vendors will be present, and a post-performance convening will encourage conversation amongst audience, poets, and performers. When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison St., Syracuse Info: everson.org
What: A total of 14 show fields with nearly 2,000 dealers selling antiques, collectables, and more at the 50th Madison-Bouckville Markets, New York’s largest antique festival. Food trucks will be at the show selling refreshments. Admission is free. Where: Route 20, Bouckville Info: www.madison-bouckville.com
What: The free event will feature plenty of children’s activities including several inflatable water slides, an outdoor laser tag play area, large zip line, animal display, motorcycle stunt show, a mechanical bull, and the Children’s Museum of Oswego hosting a STEM program, in addition to small business craft vendors. The event will take place in Breitbeck Park next to the city’s outdoor water splashpad, mini-golf course, basketball courts and snack shack. When: noon to 6 p.m. each day Where: Breitbeck Park, 41 Lake St., Oswego Monday Aug. 15 to Sunday Aug. 21
Tuesday Aug. 2 to Thursday Aug. 4 Empire Farm Days
37FINANCIAL ADVICE
When it comes to investing in, and saving for, your loved one’s future, there are two main investment strategies, each with their own pros and cons depending on the overall savings goals and accessibility of those funds. Up first is the 529 Plan, also legally known as a “qualified tuition plan”. This is a tax-advantaged savings plan, meaning that the owner of the plan will receive a break on their taxes if they are actively contributing to it. Specifically, these plans are designed to pay for future education expenses and are generally sponsored by the state a person lives in, agencies within that state or educational institutions. Within this category, there are prepaid plans and education savings plans. Prepaid plans let the owner of the account purchase credits at participating colleges and universities that will go towards future tuition costs for the beneficiary of the account. An education savings plan is slightly different in that, rather than having the funds apply to a specific school, this plan allows the account owner to open an investment account that can be used for the beneficiary’s qualified higher education expenses or tuition for other forms of education like private or religious schools.
O ver the last 20 years, education costs in the United States have risen to the point where a college education is now the second largest expense a person will have in their lifetime, right behind buying a home. Before the 1990s, college was not always considered a necessity for a successful life however, with rising inflation rates dramatically increasing the cost of living, the number of students seeking a college education rose from 13.8 million in 1990 to nearly 20 million in 2020 as more and more people began to view a college diploma as the only way into the middle class. While the future is often a mystery, what’s bound to remain a constant is the interest in higher education, making it even more important for parents, grandparents and guardians to have a plan in place to save for their next generation’s future.
The future is bright:
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION
Open-ended savings plans
SETTING UP THE NEXT GENERATION FOR SUCCESS Jennifer Green For the 529 education savings plan, parents or grandparents can choose a monthly amount to contribute, up to $10,000 to 15,000 per year. If either type of 529 is used, the money allocated is tax-free, as long as it is spent on education expenses. However, if the beneficiary opts to not go to a higher education institution, the parent or guardian that owns the account can easily update who the funds will go to.
Education-specific savings plans
Along with 529 Plans, there are also standard investment accounts, Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA). These accounts allow parents or guardians to save and transfer financial assets to a minor without having to establish a trust. Unlike the 529 plans, these accounts are in the name of the child but are controlled by the adult until the child reaches their state’s legal age of majority. They also do not give the account owner the same tax benefits as the 529 plans as these contributions are made with after-tax dollars. When it comes to how much can be contributed, the adult who opened the account can give up to $16,000, or $32,000 per married couple, annually without incurring a gift tax. These accounts also allow for more flexible spending than 529 plans, which have strict rules as to what a child can use the money on (i.e., tuition, books, supplies, etc.). UGMA and UTMA funds can be used on anything, not just approved educational expenses, often making them a better choice for parents or guardians that don’t want to limit the child to a specific life path. Another pro to standard investment accounts is that when the child is still a minor, the funds can be accessed and used to pay for items that benefit them in their current stage of life rather than holding off until they reach adulthood. All of this to be said, when it comes to deciding the right way to save for their child’s future, parents and guardians have these and other financial saving options at their disposal to set their loved one up for success, no matter the life path they choose to take. SWM Jennifer Green, is a vice president and managing director with Tompkins Financial Advisors, Central New York region.
“Courtney is exactly the type of administrator and leader that our industry and our community need right now,” said Kim Townsend, president and CEO for Loretto Health & Rehabilitation. “She has contributed to a culture of trust and performance excellence benefiting employees, residents and familyLyonmembers.”hasbeena
Loretto promoted long-time employee and registered nurse, Tammy Natoli, to director of marketing and intake at PACE CNY. In her new leadership role, Natoli will play an integral part in promoting PACE CNY programs and services by developing, maintaining and implementing existing and new marketing plans that align with Loretto’s business initiatives. Natoli will report to the executive director at PACE CNY. An employee of PACE CNY since 2001, Natoli has spent the past 21 years working at the organization as a registered nurse intake coordinator, a role that also supports the sales and marketing department. Before joining Loretto, Natoli worked as a registered nurse at POMCO and at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center. Natoli is a graduate of St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Syracuse (now known as St. Joseph’s College of Nursing) and worked as a charge nurse on a cardiac telemetry unit and then an endoscopy unit at the hospital. Natoli resides in Baldwinsville with her family. Distinguished Scholar Award
Ecodessa honored by state senate Ecodessa, a sustainable retail fashion company that sells women’s clothing and accessories from ethical, sustainable, and socially conscious fashion brands, has been honored by the New York State Senate with the Empire Award. The award recognizes businesses and institutions that have made significant contributions to their local community. This fall Ecodessa is closing its downtown Syracuse storefront location at 312 S. Salina St. to further grow its e-commerce platform. Caeresa Richardson, owner, a Syracuse University engineering alumnus and community leader, stepped away from a full-time engineering career and opened Ecodessa in 2020, fusing art, social responsibility, fashion, and technology.
Named New Administrator of the Year Courtney Lyon, MHA, LNHA, administrator for Loretto Health & Rehabilitation, received the New Administrator of the Year award for Central New York from The American College of Health Care Administrators New YorkLyonChapter.waspromoted to administrator in 2020. After two of the most challenging years in healthcare, she received the award in recognition of her exceptional commitment as well as her demonstrated potential in the areas of administrative capability, leadership, innovation, creativity, motivation, attitude, and leadership.
Receives
“Prior to Ecodessa’s departure in Downtown Syracuse, I am determined to continue inspiring Black retail entrepreneurs to open businesses in Downtown Syracuse,” Richardson said. “Caeresa Richardson has added so much to the vibrancy of downtown Syracuse with her store, Ecodessa, she’s done it with a focus on sustainable clothing & manufacturing practices,” said Senator Rachel May. “Its clothing that’s stylish and good for the environment. Now, she takes her green business practices to ecommerce, where I’m sure she’ll make her mark there, too. I’m happy to honor Caeresa’s work with the New York State Senate 2022 Empire Award.”
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CCE Madison brings local experience and Cornell research-based solutions together to help Madison County farms, families, and communities thrive.
Long-time employee promoted at PACE CNY
CCE of Madison County welcomes new executive director
Podsiedlik has a master’s in public health and a master’s in agriculture, food, and the environment, both from Tufts University.
As one of the major employers in the area and the largest healthcare system in the County, Oswego Health knows firsthand that a highly-educated nursing workforce strengthens the quality of care provided to patients. In 2020, Oswego Health launched a tuition assistance program for their employees looking to advance their training as registered nurses. Among those who have taken advantage of the opportunity is Amber Shumway RN, BSN. Shumway graduated in July 2021 from Southern New Hampshire University with her bachelor of science in nursing but was recently notified that she was among the top students with the highest final GPA in the program and was presented with the Distinguished Scholar Award for having a 4.0JoiningGPA.Oswego Health in 2016 as a graduate nurse in the Medical-Surgical Unit, Shumway has quickly advanced her career throughout the health system and worked in several departments including Surgical Services and the Fulton Urgent Care. Most recently she was promoted to RN Supervisor for Clinical Administration at Oswego Hospital. “Amber’s commitment to caring extends beyond the hospital walls and this prestigious recognition for her hard work in the classroom, proves just that,” stated Director of Nursing Melissa Purtell, RN, BSN, MSN. “Her dedication to the profession of nursing and patient-centered care is truly remarkable and we are very fortunate she chooses to provide local care here at Oswego Health.”
part of Loretto Health since joining in 2016 as a finance specialist. Her career path includes serving as operations manager for Loretto Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation where she was responsible for daily operations to ensure patients and residents receive high quality care. In her current role, Lyon ensures oversight, follow-up and collaboration among directors and staff to provide appropriate and effective care and services. Lyon holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration, from Utica College and is a licensed nursing home administrator. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Le Moyne College in 2012.
A lifelong resident of Central New York, Podsiedlik grew up in Fabius, and got her start in CCE as the senior nutritionist for the Finger Lakes Eat Smart New York nutrition education program. Prior to that she worked for Foodlink, a regional food hub and the Feeding America food bank serving the Finger Lakes. She is a nonprofit and food systems leader with experience in program delivery and development, organizational leadership and community outreach in Maine, Massachusetts, and upstate New York.
CCE Madison is committed to addressing community needs, from startups to centennial farms, from professional gardeners to home gardeners, from families needing access to healthier food options to youth needing positive role models and development opportunities.
Podsiedlik lives in Lafayette with her husband, David, and their two young children.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Madison County recently announced Larkin Podsiedlik has been appointed executive director of CCE Madison. She had been serving as interim executive director with the association for several months. Podsiedlik was previously the executive director of CCE Steuben County in Bath and is returning to the Cornell Cooperative Extension system after working in philanthropy and nonprofits in Syracuse.
The RN Tuition Assistance program is offered to current employees at Oswego Health looking to advance their training as Registered Nurses. New employees or those interested in working for Oswego Health are also eligible to apply at www.oswegohealth.org.
“I believe CCE is a springboard for a lot of important conversations on things like food systems, climate change and youth development—all of those things where we can make a difference,” Podsiedlik said. “I look forward to helping CCE make a big difference in Madison County.”
AUGUST 2022 EDUCATION EDITION 38 MOVERS & SHAKERS
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