- By Madalene Ulrich
- Business & Technology
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Typically, the bank would honor the recipients with a reception to present the awards. Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, no reception has been held.
"COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on our community and now, more than ever, it is important to honor and support the organizations that are dedicated to improving our community," said Tompkins Trust Company President and CEO Greg Hartz. "The Trust Company, through the Legacy Foundation, is proud to recognize this year's recipients who have promoted the arts, culture, education, helped those in need through volunteerism, and have improved the quality of life for so many in Tompkins County."
The James J. Byrnes Awards for Excellence program was established during the bank's Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1986 as a means of sharing its success with community members who have helped to enrich the quality of life in Tompkins County. In 2014, the Awards for Excellence program was renamed the James J. Byrnes Awards for Excellence to honor the retirement of Jim Byrnes, a longtime Ithaca resident and leader of Tompkins Financial Corporation.
The endowment is administered by the Legacy Foundation, a local not-for-profit trust. The vision of the Legacy Foundation, which began in 1945, is a commitment to "improving the quality of life in Tompkins County for those who come after us." Since 1986, the Awards for Excellence program has recognized more than 259 individuals or groups with awards totaling more than $372,000.
A capsule look at this year’s recipients:
- Martha K. Preston, for her tireless work volunteering with The History Center and centering her life’s work on local history and preservation.
- Gemm Shop Board of Directors, an entirely volunteer Board, for its incredible efforts to the Trumansburg community as well as surrounding areas.
- Richard and the late Rev. Eunice Tabor, for their remarkable service to several organizations.
- 2019-20 Volunteer Tutors and Mentors of the College Discovery Program, for providing regular and ongoing tutoring and mentoring for a diverse population of youth in the program.
- Ken Mudge and David Swift, for their outstanding work as Program Mentors with Outings, a program of the Ithaca Youth Bureau.
- Richard Krizek, for his 27 years of service as the volunteer treasurer for the Special Olympics serving the Southern Tier, Tompkins, and Cortland Counties.
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