Photo Briefs: TST BOCES student scholarship, supporting museums through pandemic, more

TST BOCES student awarded Bobby Lamb Memorial Scholarship

TST BOCES Career & Technical Edcuation (CTE) alumni Darren Wojtanik (pictured above) was selected as the recipient of the first Bobby Lamb Memorial Scholarship. Wojtanik completed the CTE Welding program and graduated from Newfield High School in 2018. In the fall of that year, he began studying at the Pennsylvania College of Technology to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Welding Technology. While completing his education, Darren started an independent welding business called Mountain Walker Welding, which specializes in custom steel fabrication and assists with mobile welding and repairs. He has secured a position welding for New England Mechanical Overlay upon graduation. The Bobby Lamb Memorial Scholarship awards its recipients with $1,000 to support their education and career development. It is named in honor of Bobby Lamb, who studied welding at TST BOCES, and seeks out students in the Tompkins County area who are pursuing a career in welding. The scholarship fund totaling $10,000 was donated by Swarthout Coaches and organized with the help of Robert Swarthout, who was friends with Bobby Lamb. TST BOCES CTE programs provide a high school schedule with an academically enriched pathway to high school graduation that helps prepare students for college and careers in a wide variety of fields. For more information about offerings available at CTE visit www.tstboces.org/cte.

 

IAED president appointed to International Economic Development Council

Ithaca Area Economic Development (IAED) announced that President Heather D. McDaniel has been appointed to a seat on the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Board of Directors. IEDC is a nonprofit organization representing economic development professionals throughout the world. IAED is the economic development organization for Ithaca and Tompkins County. IAED’s mission is to build a thriving and sustainable economy that improves the quality of life in Tompkins County by fostering the growth of business and employment. The Nominations Committee of the IEDC elected McDaniel to serve on the IEDC Board of Directors during IEDC’s 2020 Annual Conference, which ran from Oct. 13 to 16, 2020. McDaniel’s term begins Jan. 1, 2021. “Ms. McDaniel has been an invaluable part of IEDC’s member community,’’ said Kenny McDonald, president and CEO of One Columbus and 2020 chair of the IEDC Board of Directors, of her new position. “As chair of IEDC’s Membership Development Advisory Committee, she’s provided critical direction to IEDC’s outreach and new member recruitment strategy.” McDaniel has been president of IAED since 2018, with a total of 13 years at the organization. She is the administrative director of the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency and the Tompkins County Development Corporation. McDaniel is a certified planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners. She also holds the Economic Development Finance Professional designation from the National Development Council and the Certified Economic Developer designation from the IEDC. “I am honored to join the IEDC Board of Directors. Economic development practices are always adapting to meet the needs of our communities, and I look forward to aiding IEDC’s members address future challenges and opportunities,” McDaniel said.

 

History Center supporting museums through COVID-19

The Museum Association of New York (MANY) is thrilled to announce that 98 museums from across New York state have been selected to participate in “Building Capacity, Creating Sustainability, Growing Accessibility,” an IMLS CARES Act grant project designed to help museums impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic share their collections and reach audiences who cannot physically visit their museums. Two hundred staff will be trained to use new hardware and software to develop programs that will engage their communities and reach new audiences. “We are honored to be awarded IMLS CARES act funding and excited to be able to make an impact on the work of our colleagues and their museums across New York state,” said MANY Executive Director Erika Sanger. “We are living in an age of transition, experiencing a radical shift in our ways of learning and communicating. The group selected captures the diversity of our shared history in NY and our nation. The stories embodied in the museums’ collections and the storytelling talents of their interpretive staff are the heart of the project.” In this two-year program, museums will identify a program to virtually deliver to their audiences, focusing on developing programs from stories found in their collections that reveal cultural and racial diversity in their communities. The History Center in Tompkins County is excited to use this opportunity to expand access to our Oral History collections, focusing on those narratives that represent marginalized and underrepresented stories and voices from our community and shared history. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

Tompkins Financial Corporation hires Cindy Armstrong

Tompkins Financial Corporation has hired Cindy Armstrong as commercial banking relationship manager. She will report to Karen Parkes, senior vice president of commercial banking. Armstrong has 33 years of combined experience in the financial industry. In her new role with Tompkins Financial, she will be responsible for growing a portfolio of clients by servicing existing clients and building new prospective relationships. “We are thrilled to welcome Cynthia to the Trust Company,” Parkes said. “With her financial background and quality customer service skills, she is well positioned to contribute significantly to our team.” Armstrong holds an associate degree in marketing/management from SUNY Broome and is working toward completing a dual bachelor’s to MBA program in business administration at Excelsior College. She holds Omega Certifications in Commercial Loans to Business, Financial Accounting and Commercial Real Estate. Additionally, Armstrong serves as treasurer and executive board member of Goodwill Theatre. Tompkins Financial Corporation is a financial services company serving the Central, Western and Hudson Valley regions of New York and the Southeastern region of Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Ithaca, Tompkins Financial is parent to Tompkins Trust Company, Tompkins Bank of Castile, Tompkins Mahopac Bank, Tompkins VIST Bank, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc., and offers wealth management services through Tompkins Financial Advisors. For more information on Tompkins Financial, visit
www.tompkinsfinancial.com.