Junior League of Syracuse NOTES June 2018

Junior League of

SYRACUSE June 2018 | Issue 6

IN THIS ISSUE: Comm

• Mary Harriman Award Winner •Corks, Forks, Brews and Fundraiser • Chews Diversity and Inclusion •Council Updates Initiative •Annual Dinner Leadership • 2018-2019 •News to Know Slate •Congratulations • Communications • Outgoing/incoming Update message • President’s 2018 STEM Event • Orlando ODI • Corks, Forks, Brews & Chews

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Check the members’ website for registration and event details.

June 12: Annual Meeting and Dinner • 6:30 p.m.

• Location: Justin’s Tuscan Grill June 12: JLS After Dark • 8:30 p.m.

• Location: TBD June 23: Leadership Event • 9:00 a.m.

• Location: TBD

MARY HARRIMAN AWARD WINNER

The Spirit of Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award annually celebrates a woman of outstanding leadership in the Junior League of Syracuse. She is a person who uses her talents and resources to improve the social and economic conditions of others and epitomizes the League’s mission and vision. She has made a positive impact in both her League and her community. The tradition and dedication of our Founder, Mary Harriman, lives on in this woman.

In 2018, we are proud to honor Sharon Slater, who has been a League member since 1993. In her League life she has held numerous leadership positions, such as Nominating Chair, Decorating Co-Chair for the past “All Through the House” major fundraising event, and Holiday Shoppes Merchant CoChair. She has also been a part of the Fund Development Committee, Project Development Task Force, and co-chair of the Strategic Planning Task Force.

She was a collaborator on behalf of Sustainers on the Salt City Summit held this past fall.

Sharon was League President from 2001-2002. In those times, the Done-ina-Day concept was in full swing and the McMahon-Ryan House was a focus.

During her administration the League adopted our current Vision Statement.

Special attention was paid to the role of Sustainers in the ongoing life of the League. The Jerri Wilson Fund, to enhance member development and training, came into being as well.

In addition to her tireless work for our own League, from 2001-2003 Sharon was the Area 1 Nominating Committee Representative to the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI.) Sharon has received other commendations from our League, including the New Member Award for 1993-1994 and the In-League Award for 1996-1997.

With all her work in the League, she also has contributed a great deal to the community at large. She has held the position of User Group Representative on the Town of Skaneateles Advisory Board. She has served on the boards of many other organizations including Home Aides Inc., Vera House Foundation, the Skaneateles Festival, ElderCare Foundation, and the Women’s Fund of Central NY. (Continued on page 4) The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. | The NOTES | June 2018 | 1

JLS EMBARKS ON A DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION JOURNEY In 2015, the Junior League adopted a Diversity and Inclusion Commitment Statement: The Junior League welcomes all women who value our Mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations and communities.

Since that time, AJLI has embarked on intentional work toward the goal of becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization. Included among that work was making training and resources available to Junior League organizations to support their diversity and inclusion efforts. This League year, a diversity and inclusion commitment process was rolled out to Junior Leagues to help them begin their own diversity and inclusion (D&I) journeys. You may have read about this D&I work in an All-Member Email during the course of this League year.

This spring, the JLS began our own work to advance diversity and inclusion in our organization. The JLS Board of Directors adopted the Diversity and Inclusion Commitment statement in April 2018, and we have begun evaluating the JLS’ current efforts with respect to diversity and inclusion, including initiating a member survey at the May GMM. These are just the first few steps of this important journey, though, so stay tuned for future updates.

In the meantime, we are continuing to gather survey data from active and sustaining members on the current status of the JLS’ D&I practices. If you have not yet completed the JLS D&I survey this spring, please take a few moments to share your thoughts by visiting this link: bit.ly/jls-survey-may2018 Thank you in advance for your candid feedback that will help to shape the important D&I work to come.

Sincerely, JLS Board of Directors 2 | The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. | The NOTES | June 2018

Resources: Learn about AJLI’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: https://www.ajli.org/?nd=diversity_inclusion Review the JLS’ Diversity and Inclusion presentation from the May GMM: bit.ly/jls-prezi-may2018

Jessica Murray

2018-2019 JLS LEADERSHIP SLATE The Nominating Committee is pleased to present the 2018-2019 leadership slate to be voted on at the June 12 annual meeting. (Members noted with asterisk were voted in last year.) Thanks to all these women for committing to lead next year!

President - Jessica Murray * President Elect - Audra Mueller Treasurer - Rachel Ford Ciotti * Assistant Treasurer - Julie Garcia Secretary - Brittany Moen Community VP (two-year term, 2018-2020) - Casey Duffy Community Collaborations Chair - Anna O’Neil Public Policy Chair - Vacant Membership Development VP (two-year term, 20182020) - Amanda Perrine Membership Development & Recruitment Chair - Kate Zwecker Education and Training Chair - Malissa Nicolini Communications VP (two year term, 2017-2019) Whitney Browne * The NOTES Editor - Sarah Weber Public Relations Chair - Julie Palmer Social Media Chair - Whitney Daniels Website Administrator - Linzy Frank Assistant Website Administrator - Jamie Lingenfelter Fund Development VP (two year term, 2017-2019) Marie Norkett * Fund Development Chair - Maeve Lanning Holiday Shoppes Co-Chairs - Amanda Spence & Melissa Keefer deJesus Sustainer Co-VPs - Jeanne Jackson and Wendy Carl Isome Nominating/Placement Chair - Liz Lane

COMMUNICATIONS The Board of Directors presented the 2018-2020 JLS Strategic Plan at the May GMM. This plan will guide the direction of the overall league for the next few years. Communications has some really exciting things in our future that we are excited to share with you!

Communications’ goals for the next few years are: • To increase awareness of the JLS’ mission throughout the Central New York community, and • To ensure our members are familiar with JLS’ key messages and activities. We will accomplish these goals through a variety of tried and true strategies as well as some new approaches.

We will continue to promote the JLS to the CNY community through regular press releases, media appearances and posting JLS events on community calendars. We will use The NOTES as our printed means and email blasts as our digital means to message members and public supporters. In addition, the JLS website and social media sites will be updated regularly with news, articles and recent photos. We will also continue to build the JLS archive of photos and will use a central method for storing and sharing photos as well as document record retention from year to year.

We also have some new exciting initiatives coming in the future including: • Establishing a JLS presence at events which will expose us to potential new members and public supporters. Have an event in mind? Email us at communications@jlsyracuse.org with your suggestion!

• Sharing the JLS message in new ways, including creating and posting testimonials on social media and our website from the board, donors, members, and others. Have something to say? Email us at communications@jlsyracuse.org to let us know you are interested!

• Creating an e-newsletter/update to be shared with external supporters and partners quarterly.

• Developing an internal communication plan for all JLS members (actives, new members, and sustainers) to raise their awareness of the history of JLS’ community involvement and the current programs and projects.

We hope you are as enthusiastic as we are about the rollout and implementation of the new strategic plan. The next few years are going to be great!

Whitney Browne

The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. | The NOTES | June 2018 | 3

MARY HARRIMAN AWARD WINNER (Continued from page 1) She was a founding member of Skaneateles Splash Inc., a group committed to organizing, promoting and overseeing aquatic activities in the Skaneateles community, and also a founding member of SkanRaces.com, Inc. for the promotion of fitness and recreational events.

Probably her biggest community commitment has been to the Crouse Health Foundation, as a board member from 2006 to the present, and an Executive Member on a number of committees—Finance, Nominating, Tribute Evening, and a liaison to the Polo for Preemies committee. She was presented with Crouse Health Foundation’s Margot Northrup Award in 2015 (Margot Northrup was herself a winner of the Mary Harriman award in 2005) and is for a Trustee whose service goes above and beyond what is expected.

Recently she has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Diaper Bank of CNY, which helps families in need obtain diapers for their little ones. She organized a very enjoyable event in August of 2017 called the Wine and Wrap, which was attended by a number of sustainers and active members who re-packaged thousands of diapers for distribution by social services organizations to their needy clients. She is a Book Buddy, engaging with children to help foster a love of reading. And, she can also arrange the vacation of a lifetime in her job as a River Cruise Specialist!

On the home front, Sharon is a proud mother of 2 sons— Rob, who lives in London, England with his wife Katie and 2 children (with another on the way soon,) and Michael, who with his wife Stephanie and 2 children live in San Diego. Thanks to them for sharing her with us and we know the loving pride they must have in her.

Many thanks, Sharon, from Junior League of Syracuse!

Your generosity, upbeat spirit and diligence have made you an invaluable asset to our League. Congratulations on receiving the Spirit of Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award!

Theresa Russo

4 | The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. | The NOTES | June 2018

2018 STEM EVENT The Junior League of Syracuse hosted our 6th Annual STEM Expo with the 6th grade girls at Danforth Middle School. The theme of this year’s event was “Robots”.

In honor of that theme, we collaborated with Bricks 4 Kidz to teach a STEM lesson through an interactive activity by building a functional bulldozer from Lego blocks. Hands-on activities also included building and testing wind turbines with SUNY ESF and constructing LED flashlights with Junior League volunteers. Other presenters included Rich Abblebaum, recently retired from Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt, who demonstrated the operation of a drone helicopter and officers from the Syracuse City Police Department who exhibited their bomb squad robot.

The students were highly engaged while learning important topics such as laws of motion, robotics, world exploration, and the scientific method of trial and error.

Danforth Middle School is a middle school for leadership, innovation and creativity in which students and staff members strive to reach their maximum potential.

Courtney Bintz

first ODI. My experience was priceless. I learned a lot.

I got to meet and connect with likeminded women from others Leagues. I got to be reenergized with the Junior The Orlando Organizational Development Institute (ODI) League spirit and how this organization or women is not took place from February 23-25, 2018. It was a blast! The only changing their local communities but the world that we live in. I got to connect with and get to know better event was held at Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate. The Junior League of Syracuse sent three delegates: two amazing women from our League. I guess what I am saying is I would recommend signing up for an ODI or myself, Amanda Perrine and Whitney Browne. other leadership training if you get a chance. You won’t I was lucky enough to participate in a pre-conference regret it! poverty simulation held Friday morning. The simulation was eye opening to say the least. The simulation dealt Audra Mueller with what a family living in poverty goes through on a daily basis. Two takeaways from the simulation: 1) our communities have a lot of resources available but knowing how to coordinate the resources is not always easy and 2) having access to transportation is so important.

Later that afternoon the heart of the conference kicked off.

Three hundred and twenty delegates from one hundred and four Leagues were in attendance. There conference consisted of four plenary’s and countless breakout sessions.

The plenary’s dealt with topics such as unconscious bias and leadership. The breakout tracks dealt with one of the following topics: achieving community impact, building internal capacity, diversified fund development, marketing and communications and membership development. With three delegates from the JLS in attendance we were able to attend the achieving community impact, marketing and communications and membership development tracks.

I attended the achieving community impact track. The track focused on determining your Leagues community program focus. Ways to work with community stake holders to explore a variety of program strategies. Different The 2018 annual meeting and dinner will be held on ways to develop guidelines and procedures for League Tuesday June 12th at Justin’s Tuscan Grill at 6400 programs. Ways to expand your members volunteer Yorktown Cir. East Syracuse. Registration will begin at opportunities by building community partnerships. The 5:30 p.m., dinner will start at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting things I learned here helped me get further engaged in the will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Board’s Strategic planning process.

Up for vote will be two requirements for the 2018 Holiday At night we would go out to dinner and get to know Shoppes: delegates from other Leagues. We explored local restaurants and Downtown Disney. We would talk about 1) All active and associate members are required to work all the things that we learned that day. We were all so at least one five hour shift. The five hour shift may be energized about the knowledge that we were bringing back divided into two - two-and-a-half hour shifts. If you are to the League. What is amazing to me is how all of the not able to meet the requirements of shifts prior approval pieces: community, membership, fund development and is needed. communications are so intertwined. There is no one area that is more important than the rest; you need them all 2) Members are required to sell at least five tickets at a working together to make the league a success. value, exclusive to members, of $5.00 per ticket.

This is my eighth year in the Junior League. This was my

ORLANDO ODI

ANNUAL DINNER

CORKS, FORKS, BREWS & CHEWS The Junior League of Syracuse’s 3rd annual fundraising event took place on May 5th at the lovely Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard. This year’s event was a total sell-out and a smashing DERBY success! Great music

by Cait Devin, Starting Off Red, and The Blind Spots was enjoyed throughout the evening, along with delicious food items, wine and spirit tastings, silent auction bidding, rousing ring toss games, and of course the viewing of the Kentucky Derby. Guests dressed for the evening in fun derby attire and the Syracuse weather cooperated perfectly.

We sold a total of 155 tickets, and welcomed guest bartenders and corporate sponsors as complimentary guests.

The goal of this annual event is to raise awareness about the Junior League of Syracuse and our mission and vision for our community, as well as supplement our main Holiday Shoppes fundraiser. This was by far our most successful Corks and Forks event to date as we netted approximately $7,500 to put toward programs and training for our community partners and members. Thank you to all who attended, planned, and participated in many ways. Thank you to our corporate sponsors, food and wine vendors, silent auction donors, musicians, sound and technical groups, and print and media sponsors.

Marie Norkett

Thank You! You helped make this year’s event happen!

MEMBERSHIP We are overjoyed to welcome 12 new members to the Junior League of Syracuse, who were officially voted in at the May GMM! They have been up to lots these past few months: Members visited Elderwood of Liverpool, a skilled nursing facility and rehabilitation center, for a Valentine’s Day activity. Elderwood residents and New Members made cards for the military. During April 2018, the New Member Class volunteered at the Food Bank of Central New York preparing boxes for the Food Bank’s mobile food pantry.

Katherine Dopulos

Call 315-634-1100

Making the best of the time that’s left

www.hospicecny.org

Symptom Management, Pain Management, Emotional, Social & Spiritual Health Management Now Serving Onondaga, Madison & Oswego counties

Jack and Linda Webb sit with their five grandchildren at Green Lakes State Park.

Our fund is supporting a variety of arts, healthcare and human service organizations. Making grants is simplified by allocating them electronically. Teaming up with the Community Foundation is making it possible for us to feel that in a small way our contribution helps the Central New York community.

Giving Back: Jack and Linda Webb

since 1927

Read more of the Webbs’ story at CNYCF.org/Webb

cnycf.org (315) 422-9538

The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. | The NOTES | June 2018 | 7

Junior League of

SYRACUSE

431 E Fayette Street, Suite 225 Syracuse, NY 13202 Office: 315.423.9773 Fax: 315.471.1464

office@jlsyracuse.org

www.jlsyracuse.org VISION

The Junior League of Syracuse will be an organization of diverse women committed to enriching the quality of life for women, children and their families in the Central New York Community DICERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT The Junior League of Syracuse welcomes all women who value our mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of diverse individuals, organizations, and communities.

MISSION

The Junior League of Syracuse is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

Get Social With Us! Find The Junior League of Syracuse online.

Junior League of

SYRACUSE

Visit www.jlsyracuse.org for direct links.