Chamber annual awards celebrate local leaders

The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Celebration has been recognizing local leaders for their accomplishments for decades, but this year, the Chamber is celebrating a little differently, with a virtual ceremony Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. streamed from the Hangar Theatre.

This year’s winners are Elizabeth Classen Ambrose, founder of Bridges Cornell Heights (Entrepreneur of the Year); the Child Development Council (Not-for-Profit of the Year); HOLT Architects (Distinguished Business of the Year); and Cornell University’s Gary Stewart (Key Person of the Year).

The Chamber’s annual meeting was originally scheduled for March 26, but the coronavirus, as it has done for most, disrupted those plans. As Chamber President Jennifer Tavares explained, it was clear by the second week of March that the event couldn’t be held as scheduled, and it was only recently that the Chamber figured out to hold the ceremony in the fall instead.

“It took us a little while to determine that we should move forward with still celebrating all of these award winners,” Tavares said. “We wanted to get through summer and let everyone get their reopening and beginning their recovery plans in place, and we’re excited that we’re going to be able to gather virtually and celebrate together.”

While the pandemic has created challenges for everyone, Tavares said those challenges have only increased the importance of the annual meeting and celebrating local leaders.

“I think after everything we’ve all been through that it’s more important than ever that we take some time to do that and that we have positive things that we can share together because it has been such a tremendously stressful time,” she said. “And there are a lot of things to be hopeful about and excited for.”

Normally, the awards celebrate a person, organization or business for their work throughout the year, but this year, the Chamber is recognizing the winners’ efforts from 2019 as well as throughout the pandemic.

“I’m very proud of all of these award winners and everything that they accomplished in 2019 and prior that made us originally select them as our award winners,” Tavares said. “But all of them have also really done an incredible amount in the last six months to step up and support their community and to lead their community in different ways.”

The work of the award winners varies significantly, though all share a dedication to the local community.

Classen Ambrose founded the senior living community Bridges Cornell Heights in 2001, and throughout 2019, she expanded Bridges’ reach with the opening of The Craftsman in Cornell Heights and involvement in other projects like Library Place and City Harbor. She has also purchased properties throughout the county to accommodate a growing need for senior housing.

Classen Ambrose described how she felt hearing the news she’d won a Chamber award.

“I was surprised because there are so many amazing entrepreneurs,” she said. “That this would be something that I would be considered for was quite an honor. And I was shocked. I was like, ‘Wow, me? Are you sure you got the right person?’”

The Child Development Council (CDC) has been dedicated to helping county families with childcare needs for the past 50 years. In the past year, the CDC has only increased its efforts, exploring new models for expanding affordable childcare and collaborating with other organizations and counties throughout the Southern Tier to address childcare shortages.

“It’s a big honor to have the organization recognized in the work,” CDC CEO Sue Dale-Hall said. “We have really dedicated staff and board, and they often are sort of unsung heroes of our community. And many of our staff are considered essential personnel because they’re helping to support the basic needs of families and childcare workers that are essential in the community. So, I feel like our recognition is their recognition too.”

HOLT Architects has been in business for 57 years and hit many milestones in 2019, including growing its staff by 20% and surpassing 250 cumulative local projects worked on, according to a recent press release. In 2019, HOLT supported 45 not-for-profit organizations with charitable contributions, donations of services and volunteerism.

“One of the reasons I think being recognized by the Chamber is so important to us is that it shows that we’ve had a really positive impact locally in our community,” said HOLT Principal Steve Hugo. “We could design a beautiful, beautiful piece of architecture, and it’s possible that it wouldn’t have an amazing impact on our community. So, I think we try to create architecture that does both, that is beautiful, that creates beautiful environments and also improves the living or working environment for the people that occupy it.”

Stewart recently stepped off the Chamber Board after a long tenure, and the Key Person of the Year award recognizes his service and support of the Chamber and Convention and Visitors Bureau and his work as a champion of town-gown relations in the community. Stewart has a long history of working to enhance community collaborations and partnerships.

While Stewart expressed great gratitude for his award, he also stressed he could not have earned it alone.

“For several months, it has been virtually everyone in Tompkins County who has been counted on as a key person,” he said. “I’m accepting this recognition on behalf of them, and all key people from all walks of life, here in Tompkins County.”

All award-winners expressed the importance of the Chamber’s annual awards, saying that it helps to celebrate and further encourage service to the community.

“It’s great because it keeps us all involved,” said HOLT Director of Business Development Maria Romeo Livingston. “It keeps us together. It gives us something to acknowledge the hard work that we continue to do. It makes us want to keep doing it further.”

Classen Ambrose shared that sentiment.

“It has inspired entrepreneurs to, especially during these times, really commit their time and resources in our own community and see what opportunities out there exist and just to really celebrate the spirit of what makes an entrepreneur take those chances and be willing to risk their time and treasure to make things happen,” she said.

Over 300 people have registered for the event, attendance that is on par with past years despite the change in format. Beyond the event, the Tompkins Chamber plans to continue its advocacy work, holding workshops and supporting its members, Tavares said.

“While the reopening process has sort of leveled off into what seems like a bit of a new normal, there are still policy changes and advocacy needs for the business and nonprofit community, and we continue to focus on that work as well,” she said. “So, we’re busy. We’re not slowing down.”

For more information on the event and other Chamber projects, visit tompkinschamber.org.