LAKER LEGACIES spring 2024 theLAKER a publication for alumni and friends of finger lakes community college Grad leads longtime Seneca Falls institution pg. 12 Celebrating alumni excellence pg. 16 Exploring family connections to the College
Matthew Brooks ’21, left, Demi Garcia ’21, and Joshua Serody, a current student in the A.S. Liberal Arts and Sciences degree program, work in the main campus biotechnology lab on a project to study methods for extracting mushroom sugars with therapeutic properties. The work is a partnership with a Henrietta company, Empire Medicinals, and supported with National Science Foundation funding. Students work under the supervision of James Hewlett, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and coordinator of the biotechnology degree program. Demi and Matt became research assistants while earning their associate degrees and have stayed on, joining new students like Joshua in this multi-year project. Earlier this year, the student researchers’ submission to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) was selected for a poster presentation at the annual event, scheduled for April 8 to 10 in Long Beach, Calif. NCUR is the largest symposium of its kind in the world, bringing together nearly 4,000 undergraduate students from all fields and disciplines. PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN
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from the president 2 | theLAKER President Robert K. Nye Chief Advancement Officer Brie Chupalio Director of Development Michelle M. Robbins Editor/Chief Writer Lenore Friend Director of Public Relations and Communications Contributors Laura Alishauskas Nicholas Julien Margaret Lorenzetti Design and Layout Sarah R. Butler Photography Kris Dreessen Rikki Van Camp The Laker is produced by the Advancement and Communications offices at Finger Lakes Community College. Views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or official College policies. Finger Lakes Community College does not discriminate based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction. Connect with us Finger Lakes Community College 3325 Marvin Sands Drive Canandaigua, NY 14424 Email: alumni@flcc.edu (585) 785-1454 www.facebook.com/fingerlakescommunitycollege @flcc_connects @flcc_connects President Robert Nye poses at the FLCC Alumni and Foundation Awards Celebration with Debi Jones ’91, recipient of the 2023 Foundation Award. See more on page 16. Dear Fellow Lakers, This edition of the Laker celebrates FLCC families. Since the College’s founding more than five decades ago, a growing number of families have had multiple members, often over generations, start their educational journeys here. We know how important family relationships are in helping us find our path in the world. Betty Jean McAnn ’73, who attended FLCC to become a registered nurse in the 1970s, encouraged her daughter-in-law, Lisa McAnn ’93, to follow suit because she saw in Lisa the makings of a first-rate nurse. Today, Lisa is among our faculty honored for excellence in teaching. Among Lisa’s students was her own daughter and Betty Jean’s granddaughter, Alicia McBride ’14. Such nursing family legacies are not uncommon. As you’ll note in the feature on our Alumni Award recipients, Kimberlie Noyes ’00, honored for her commitment to nursing and nursing education, watched proudly as her daughter, Alexis Rippey, graduated from the program in 2023. The Alumni Spotlight features Angela Krezmer ’05, who followed her mother’s example in pursuing an accounting degree. Today, Angela is the first woman to lead Generations Bank, a longtime Seneca Falls institution. Our families also provide us with moral support and practical guidance. As the eight homeschooled children in the Andrew family made their way through FLCC, the older siblings offered advice on classes, professors, and how to make the best use of their time here. Emma Andrew Swarthout ’11 is grateful that her older sisters told her to use academic support centers, even when she wasn’t struggling, to deepen her understanding of course material. It’s good advice we give all students, but we’ll acknowledge that it may help to hear it from family. We hope you are charmed and inspired by the family stories in this edition. To our older alumni, we are proud and humbled to have taught your children and grandchildren. To all the other FLCC families out there, we look forward to sharing more of your stories in the future. Use our Class Notes form to send us news and look for invitations on social media to talk about your FLCC family connections. Respectfully, Robert Nye President, Finger Lakes Community College
theLAKER | 3 CLASS notes pages 21–25 Let’s go green! As stewards of our environment, FLCC community members are encouraged to help ensure we keep our oceans blue and our land green by making socially responsible choices. By updating your communication preferences at this link, bit.ly/flccbluegreen, you can start receiving future magazines and alumni communications electronically rather than in print. We are excited to prioritize this for our forthcoming publications. In true Laker spirit – let’s rock the blue and the green! FROM THE COVER: FLCC family connections pages 4–8 SPRING 2024 CONTENTS theLAKER ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Angela Krezmer ’05 page 12 CAMPUS HAPPENINGS pages 10–11 page 9 SAVE the DATE flcc foundation U P D A T E pages 14–15
4 | theLAKER from the cover Over more than five decades, the College has become a tie that binds. Before she started at FLCC, Emma (Andrew) Swarthout ’11 got help building her schedule from former students, including her older sister Rebeccah. And her older sister Sarah. And her older sisters Abbey, Hannah, and Kathryn. Emma was the sixth of the Andrew kids, all homeschooled, to attend FLCC. Her brother George followed, and William, the youngest, is currently studying business administration. Their mother, Colleen Andrew, enrolled her first two daughters at FLCC, thinking an associate degree would be the best proof they were ready for a four-year college. “It worked so well with the first couple of us that my mom was kind of like, ‘Why fix what’s not broken?’” said Abbey (Andrew) Copenhaver ’08. The College keeps no records on the number of families in which parents and children, husbands and wives, or multiple siblings attend, though the connections have become increasingly apparent since the first classes began in 1968. Some alumni marvel at the changes when the next generation attends. Tim Montondo ’88 came back nearly two decades later with his daughter, Rachel, a 2019 accounting graduate. “It was amazing!” he said. “There was so much new that had been added. It was so cool to see. I had a hard time finding my way around to show her things.” Sometimes the family tie is not just the College, but a program. The late Betty Jean McAnn ’73 made a later-in-life decision to become a registered nurse, inspiring her daughter-in-law, Lisa McAnn ’93. “I was in banking when we moved here from Oklahoma. Betty Jean was the one that encouraged me. She said I had the qualities to get the nursing degree, and she talked highly of Finger Lakes.” Lisa is now an associate professor in the FLCC nursing department. Betty Jean’s granddaughter, Alicia McBride, is a 2014 graduate of the program. Ted Fafinski, a retired Farmington town supervisor, sent both his children to FLCC, and they married alumni. The College took on another dimension in his life when he taught as an adjunct for five years. His family’s connections to FLCC are among many that have grown along with the College. “FLCC isn’t just a community college,” Ted said. “It’s part of the community.” ALL IN THE FLCC FAMILY
theLAKER | 5 All eight children of the Andrew family, shown with their parents, have attended FLCC. Back row, from left: Kathryn Smith, Hannah Smith, Abigail Copenhaver, Sarah Walton, Rebeccah Andrew, and Emma Swarthout. Front row, from left: George Andrew Jr., Colleen Andrew, George Andrew and William Andrew Q and A with father and daughter Tim ’88 and Rachel Montondo ’19 Why did you choose FLCC? Tim: I wasn’t ready to go away to college, and FLCC – Community College of the Finger Lakes at the time – seemed really cool to me. Rachel: Community college offered a great option for me with the Excelsior Scholarship. I was able to get a great education with no debt. It was also cool that my dad and aunts went there. It was kind of a legacy thing. Tim: We went and looked at some bigger schools and Monroe Community College with Rachel. I let her know that FLCC would be a great school but left the choice up to her. I did do a very happy dance when she picked FLCC. How did you select your program? Rachel: I took an accounting class in high school and really liked it. I knew that an accounting degree could be used in lots of careers. Tim: I was a science nerd and really liked biology. I wasn’t sure what I would do with it when I started but ended up going for my degree in education at SUNY Oswego and have worked in the science education industry for 30 years. What were the highlights of your experience? Rachel: I enjoy musical theater and was in the cast of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors.” I also took a music theory class with all music majors – that was a pretty cool experience. The chocolate chip cookies in the cafeteria were a daily treat I got for myself. Tim: I got a job as a work study in the biology department working for Kathy Riesenberger, setting up labs. That was probably my favorite part of school. Kathy taught me a lot about working with people. I was also on the champion intramural floor hockey team. I don’t think I ever touched the puck, but we had four really good hockey players that did! Storefront to present Kathleen (Montondo) Nolan ’73 attended BOCES in high school to study licensed practical nursing. Her mother suggested she enroll at FLCC to become a registered nurse. “My mom knew I wouldn’t be happy with the limits of being an LPN. She was so right,” said Kathy. “My favorite professor was Dr. (David) Prull. His biology classes were so interesting and informative. He made learning fun, and you didn’t want his class to end.” Kathy was among the Storefront Pioneers, the nickname for all who started before the main campus opened in fall 1975. Pioneers attended classes in downtown Canandaigua storefronts and trailers parked in empty lots. Her sister, Alice Sharp ’89, studied word processing and is the senior clerk for the Newark Village Police Department. Alice’s daughter, Lindsey, decided to follow her Aunt Kathy’s lead. “She chose FLCC because it was close to home, which enabled her to commute. With the rigors of nursing school, it was nice to have the family support,” Alice said. Lindsey attended through the pandemic, grateful for nursing tutor Sarah Parshall and the library staff, who reserved study rooms for the nursing students. Lindsey ’22 is now a labor and delivery nurse at Rochester General Hospital. Lindsey ’22 and Alice ’89 Sharp
What professors or classes do you remember the most? Hannah: Every professor I had was really supportive, very encouraging and positive. I really enjoyed my math and science classes, but honestly, some of my favorite classes were with Dr. (Robert) Brown, who taught history. He was a storyteller type of teacher, and he just made it fascinating. Abbey: Jim Hewlett had my two older sisters before me. My sisters did the whole, “This is what teacher you take for this class,” so they immediately said, “You gotta take a class with him.” He was great and definitely one of those teachers you would think would be at a four-year university doing research. Emma: Kelli Prior’s teaching style really resonated with me. The way she explained things was very thorough. She was brilliant and could have done anything, but you saw her passion for teaching. I took Barb Kruger’s Spanish class my first semester. She was awesome, and she led our trip to Spain. It gave me the experience of Spanish culture and gave me a passion to learn the language. Coming out of that, one of my goals is to try to take an international trip every other year. 6 | theLAKER from the cover One family, eight Lakers The Andrew siblings – six girls and two boys – grew up on the family’s dairy farm, El-Vi Farms. Many of the siblings started their FLCC classes at the Newark Campus Center, about two miles from the farm. The proximity was a godsend because some of the eight homeschooled teens were too young to drive at first. The daughters are close in age, so their years at FLCC often overlapped, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to take classes together. Abbey recalls getting advice from Vic Fernandez, who guided students going directly from homeschool to FLCC. Over time, the older Andrews recommended classes and professors to their younger siblings. The younger ones took the advice to heart. “I’m number six in the lineup,” said Emma. “I think that’s why, for me, I had nothing but really good professor experiences.” Emma’s sisters encouraged her to go to the academic support centers, regardless of whether she was stumped with an assignment. “I’m glad I spent a lot of time in those centers and learned so much more outside of class. It’s a free resource that can really help break things down for you.” Beyond her own family, Hannah finds herself sharing her FLCC experiences with colleagues at Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic. “Every now and then, I’ll run into people working in the hospital, and they’ll say we had a class together, so it’s just a nice connection.” Abbey Copenhaver led a summer camp session in Geneva last year with help from her brother, Will Andrew. Emma Swarthout
A 2 + 2 program Ted Fafinski has long been a proponent of community colleges. He attended two of them: Ted earned his first associate degree from Columbia College in Missouri, then completed the Community College of the Air Force. Life can be challenging, Ted said, but, “at a community college, there is an end in sight, and that’s your motivation to finish.” He passed his penchant for the practical onto his children, Dan and Rebecca, who attended FLCC for its proximity and affordability. Both married other graduates, bringing the family total to four alumni plus an adjunct instructor. Ted taught at FLCC from 2015 to 2020. “I knew I wanted to be an educator, and I knew how expensive college could be,” explained Rebecca Feistel ’97. She transferred to SUNY Geneseo, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She currently teaches a multi-age class of kindergarteners and first-graders at Victor Central School. Shortly after high school graduation, Rebecca met Eric Feistel ’97, then ran into him at FLCC and they struck up a friendship. “My uncle was sick and passing away at that time, and he was somebody I could talk to, and from there we just continued to grow our relationship,” she said. Eric helped her with her hardest class, Western Civilization, while she helped him write up environmental science labs. His favorite professors were Bruce Gilman, Marty Dodge, and Linda Hobart. “They were able to engage their students,” Eric said. “They would take students’ interests and appy those topics in class discussions and workplace scenarios.” Today, Eric is an operator for the Canandaigua city water treatment plant. Laura (Burger) Fafinski ’07, ’12 earned her first degree in business administration. While working in the pharmacy at Wegmans, she decided to enter the medical field, specifically nursing with its higher pay. She returned to FLCC to study nursing while working full-time. “It was overall a really positive experience,” she said. “LaCarla Holmes really helped me build my confidence. Susan McCarthy taught me a lot about taking personal responsibility and making sure you’re working with integrity. I’ve taken those lessons to heart, not just for nursing but in my personal life as well.” Laura works at Rochester Regional Health and lives in Farmington with her husband, Dan, a 1995 graduate, who built his career at Wegmans. Kathryn Andrew Smith Attended 2004 to 2006 Transferred to Monroe Community College Working as a radiological technologist Hannah Andrew Smith ’08 A.S. Liberal Arts and Sciences B.S. Rochester Institute of Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics; MBA RIT Associate chief operating officer, Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic Abigail Andrew Copenhaver ’08 A.S. Liberal Arts and Sciences B.S. Cornell University, Animal Science; B.S. SUNY Buffalo State College, Human Nutrition and Dietetics; M.S. Washington State University, Agricultural Food Science and Management FLCC adjunct instructor, owner/manager of Farmstead Nutrition and Consulting, partner in Ivy Lakes Dairy Sarah Andrew Walton ’10 A.S. Liberal Arts and Sciences A.A.S. SUNY Cobleskill, Dairy Science Owner/manager of Walton Way Angus Farm and Walton Manure Management Rebeccah Andrew ’10 A.A. Early Childhood Education B.S. SUNY Geneseo, Biology; B.S.N. University of Rochester Registered nurse at Mayo Clinic in Arizona Emma Andrew Swarthout ’11 A.A. Liberal Arts and Sciences B.A. SUNY Geneseo, Communications Director of dairy industry image for American Dairy Association North East George Andrew Jr. ’23 A.S. Business Administration Herd health assistant at El-Vi Farms William Andrew Enrolled in A.S. Business Administration Working at El-Vi Farms Eric and Rebecca Feistel with Rebecca’s father, Ted Fafinski.
8 | theLAKER The family business Alicia McBride didn’t want to be a nurse. Her mom, Lisa McAnn, was a nurse. Her grandmother, Betty Jean McAnn, was a nurse – and a hard act to follow. Betty Jean co-founded the Canandaigua Airport with her husband, Wally, in the 1940s. The couple rented out and maintained aircraft for three decades. Both were pilots and taught their daughter-in-law, Lisa, to fly as well. Betty Jean also worked as a licensed practical nurse for most of her life, but as Lisa said, “She wanted to do more with her life. LPNs at that point in time didn’t have a lot of responsibilities, and she thought she could contribute more as an RN.” In 1969, at age 45, Betty Jean enrolled at FLCC. She graduated in 1973 and went to work as a registered nurse at the VA Hospital in Canandaigua. Along the way, she convinced Lisa to go back to school for nursing, too. Lisa graduated in 1993 and began working nights at Geneva General Hospital and providing care at migrant camps for apple pickers in Wayne County. Lisa joined the FLCC nursing faculty full-time in 2008. All this left an impression on Alicia. “I always thought that my mom and my grandma were very, very strong women who had the will to get to where they wanted to be,” she said. Still, Alicia thought nursing wasn’t for her. She earned an associate degree in liberal arts at FLCC in 2005 at age 20. A few years later, she was in the hospital to have a tumor removed from her spine. “The nurses always seemed to listen. The care they gave me was amazing. They really made a difference, so I wanted to make a difference,” Alicia said of her decision to return to FLCC in 2010 to study nursing. Lisa was among her instructors. Betty Jean knew of Alicia’s decision but passed away in 2011 before Alicia’s graduation. Lisa pinned the traditional nursing emblem on Alicia during the College’s Nursing Advancement Ceremony in 2014. Alicia is now the interim nurse manager for women’s outpatient health services at Rochester Regional Health. Her decision to stick with the family business – nursing, not airplanes – is not uncommon. “You talk to the students and you ask why they got into it,” Lisa began, “and they say, ‘My grandmother was a nurse,’ or ‘My mother’s a nurse.’” Now mother and daughter often talk shop, about the hard work and the challenges, just as Lisa did with Betty Jean decades earlier. “It’s nice to be able to come home and talk to somebody about it,” Lisa said. “It’s good to have that support.” from the cover “I always thought that my mom and my grandma were very, very strong women who had the will to get to where they wanted to be.” — Alicia McBride Lisa McAnn ’93 affixes the nursing pin on her daughter, Alicia McBride, in 2014. Alicia was the first FLCC graduate to receive the Future Leaders in Nursing Award from the American Nurses Association-NY. Betty Jean McAnn’s photo from her Civil Aeronautics Administration ID.
theLAKER | 9 JUNE FLCC Foundation Golf Tournament Monday, June 10 Ravenwood Golf Club 929 Lynaugh Road, Victor Tickets and details at flcc.edu/foundation or (585) 785-1205 JULY FLCC Wine Tasting Event Thursday, July 11, 5 to 7 p.m. FLCC Viticulture and Wine Center, 100 Empire Drive, Geneva Tasting and tours of teaching winery Details at events.flcc.edu SEPTEMBER FLCC Alumni and Foundation Awards Friday, Sept. 20 Main campus Details at events.flcc.edu save the date APRIL Holocaust Remembrance Tuesday, April 9, 2 p.m. Main campus auditorium Free entry, also broadcast on Finger Lakes TV network Details at events.flcc.edu Create + Connect Informal art workshops in cooperation with the Community Support Center Wednesday, April 10 at ArtSpace36, 36 S. Main St., Canandaigua Wednesday, April 17 via Zoom Wednesday, April 24 at ArtSpace36 6:30 to 8 p.m. with details, links at events.flcc.edu Free entry Student Portfolio Show Opening Reception Thursday, April 11, 4:30 to 6 p.m. ArtSpace36, 36 S. Main St., Canandaigua Exhibit runs through May 10 Gallery hours: noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday 50th Anniversary Logging Sports Competition Saturday, April 13 Main campus Details at events.flcc.edu Finger Lakes Camerata Spring Concerts Saturday, April 27, 3 p.m., Western Presbyterian Church, 101 E. Main St., Palmyra Sunday, April 28, 3 p.m, First Congregational Church, 58 N. Main St., Canandaigua Free entry MAY Laker Day of Giving Thursday, May 2 See back cover for details Spring Arts Festival: A Tribute to Women in Rock Student Honors Art Exhibition Friday, May 3, 7 p.m. performance, followed by awards Main campus auditorium Free entry Finger Lakes Chorale Spring Concerts Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m. Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m. Locations TBD Free entry Jazz Ensembles Monday, May 6 and Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m. Main campus, Stage 14 Free entry Create + Connect Informal art workshops in cooperation with the Community Support Center Wednesday, May 8 at ArtSpace36, 36 S. Main St., Canandaigua Wednesday, May 15 via Zoom Wednesday, May 22 at ArtSpace36 6:30 to 8 p.m. with details, links at events.flcc.edu Free entry FLCC Music Department Showcase Friday, May 10, 7 p.m. Main campus auditorium Free entry FLCC Commencement Saturday, May 18, 1 p.m. Details at flcc.edu/commencement Events are subject to change. Check events.flcc.edu to confirm or get more information.
10 | theLAKER campus happenings Welcome, Hemlock Hall Three classrooms on the first floor of the main campus have been converted to accommodate seminars and informal gatherings in the style of the former Honors House. The rooms are collectively known as Hemlock Hall, a nod to the practice of naming wings of the main campus after Finger Lakes. From 2007 until the pandemic, Honors House, a brick building at the corner of Routes 5 and 20 and Lakeshore Drive, had served as the primary location for classes taught in a seminar format, including classes offered in Honors Studies, Creative Writing, and Humanities. The space also hosted events, offices of faculty committed to seminar pedagogy, and a writing center satellite. The FLCC Foundation, which owned the building, sold the property in June 2023 due to high cost projections for maintenance and accessibility. The site is now a Byrne Dairy. In a vision document for the new Hemlock Hall, Curt Nehring Bliss, professor of humanities, noted that the design and operation of Honors House was based on the understanding that all learning is relational. For example, seminars position learners, including instructors, around the same table, leveling power dynamics, promoting agency and accountability, and extending an invitation of mutual respect. Upholstered furniture creates an informal setting for casual interaction. Hemlock Hall rooms are meant to adhere to these same principles. $1M for distance learning, healthcare initiative The College has been awarded a federal grant to equip schools in Ontario, Wayne, Seneca and Yates counties with videoconferencing equipment that can be used for college classes, telemedicine, and mental health and substance abuse prevention and counseling. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the $968,805 award as part of its Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program. This project builds on the College’s expertise in online learning, and more recent work to extend FLCC’s reach in rural areas in cooperation with libraries, workforce offices, and other sites. The following school districts will be part of the distance learning network FLCC is building: Bloomfield, Dundee, Honeoye, Lyons, North Rose-Wolcott, Penn Yan, Red Creek, Seneca Falls, Sodus and Williamson. The network also includes Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES Technical and Career Centers in the towns of Seneca, Ontario County, and Williamson, Wayne County. The network will allow schools to offer more FLCC concurrent enrollment courses, meaning those that satisfy both high school and college requirements. Smaller districts often do not have enough teachers to offer the available range of concurrent enrollment classes. The new technology will allow students in one or more small districts to remotely join a class in real time at another school, thereby expanding students’ opportunities without the need for transportation out of their home districts. The College plans to begin installation of the equipment in mid-2024. Programming could begin as early as fall 2024. Schools will have the ability to let community members use the technology for telehealth visits or to take other types of FLCC courses. Family Counseling Services of the Finger Lakes in Geneva and the Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency (FLACRA) in Clifton Springs will deliver mental health and substance abuse prevention and counseling services to schools as part of the project.
theLAKER | 11 Newest wines are a ‘fresh legend’ Students in the viticulture and wine technology program selected a wine label designed by Laura Lopez, a graphic design student from Colombia, for their 2023 varieties. Laura was among the entrants in the annual wine label competition. She offered an abstract brand design she called Fresca Leyenda, Spanish for Fresh Legend, that is filled with symbolism. Viticulture students were impressed with Laura’s thoughtful choice of images and colors combined in a design that evokes both tradition and modernity. For example, the use of gold and silver in her design represents the sun shining on the surface of the Finger Lakes. The magnifying glass represents the FLCC value of inquiry and study. Leaf motifs represent the College value of vitality as well as nature. The student winemakers appreciated the use of Spanish to represent the increasing diversity of the student body and the personal touch of the artist bringing elements of her own culture to the design. In researching colleges, Laura learned about the wine label competition through FLCC’s social media, and it was part of the reason she decided to enroll. “I think FLCC stands out for providing opportunities like this for students to showcase their work and talent,” she said. Volleyball, esports shine in fall 2023 The women’s volleyball team won the NJCAA Region III, Division B championship for the third time last fall, with a 3-1 win over Broome Community College. Sophomore Brooke DeGroff of Castile was named NJCAA Region III Tournament MVP for a second season in a row, and teammates Michelina Williams of Fairport, Payton Stoddard of Bloomfield, and Bridget Miller of Seneca Falls earned All-Tournament Team honors. On their third consecutive trip to the NJCAA Division III National Tournament, the Lakers entered as the No. 6 seed and fell to the College of DuPage, the defending Division III National Champions. The Lakers concluded the season with a record of 25-3. For the FLCC esports team, it was a historic season, with several programs outperforming expectations to soar in the national rankings. In tier 2, Rocket League Blue and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II both finished top-16. Overwatch 2, which was ranked No. 25 heading into the playoffs, finished in the top-8 while Valorant earned a top-16 finish. In tier 3, Thomas LoDestro of Ontario, who was ranked No. 3 in the playoffs, earned a national runner-up spot. In Smash Bros Ultimate, student athletes Joshua Schoonover of Bellona, Jakob Bamberger of Penn Yan, Izzy Smith of Penn Yan, and Tucker Drouin of Canandaigua all finished in the top-8. The Rocket League Green team finished top-16 followed by the Lakers’ national runner-up, Rainbow Six Siege Green. The Lakers women’s fall 2023 volleyball team
12 | theLAKER alumni spotlight Late last year, Angela (Harrington) Krezmer ’05 became the first woman to lead Generations Bank, a Seneca Falls institution since 1870. A CONVERSATION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING Angela Krezmer was not looking for a new job in 2021, but a meeting with the charismatic leader of a Seneca Falls bank led to her becoming its first woman CEO. The recruiter was calling on behalf of Generations Bank, and Angela Krezmer ’05 was torn. The bank was looking for a chief financial officer. It would mean returning home to the Finger Lakes, where she had grown up and gone to college. “I thought, ‘Well, how do I approach that subject with my husband?’” she recalled. “We had moved to Pennsylvania a year earlier. We bought a house. We were fully committed.” Angela decided to meet with the CEO, Menzo Case, during a trip to Farmington to visit family. “It didn’t even feel like an interview. It was just a conversation. We knew all of the same people, we used the same accountants, we used the same attorneys. It was like we were just catching up,” she said. Menzo Case, known for his commitment to local causes, soon became her boss and mentor. The Seneca Falls community was shocked by his sudden passing in October 2023 at age 59. The bank’s board named her interim principal executive officer, then a month later, made her president and CEO. At age 38, Angela now leads the more than 150-year-old institution with about $400 million in assets. “He was this larger-than-life personality, one of the smartest people I’ve ever met,” Angela said of Menzo. “I always used to tell him he would be a really great adjunct professor, teaching accounting or
theLAKER | 13 taxes. I think he would have been a student favorite. I’m sad that I only got, in the grand scheme of things, a little bit of time with him. “I still come up with things every week that I think to myself, ‘Gosh I wish I could talk to him or ask him this question.’ It’s such a loss for us, and he’s left these enormous shoes to fill.” Mom’s footsteps Angela is also humbled by the symbolism of leading a bank in Seneca Falls, home of the Women’s Rights National Park, at a time when S&P Global Market Intelligence reports fewer than 5 percent of CEOs of publicly traded banks are women. Her interest in the financial world began with her mother, Patricia Wirth, who studied accounting first at a community college, then Rochester Institute of Technology. “I remember when I was younger, she would take me into work with her sometimes on the weekends, and I thought, ‘Well, if this was the road that she took to get where she is, then I’ll do the same thing.’” She took an accounting class as a high school junior, then took another at Monroe Community College thanks to a light senior year schedule at Victor Senior High. She enrolled at FLCC in the business administration program and got a job at Subway in Parkway Plaza, down the road from the main campus. Her first class in her first semester was Accounting 102 with Gary Sloan. “He was absolutely incredible. He would, for his morning classes, buy his students doughnuts and then for his afternoon classes, he would buy pizza. I mean this poor guy must have spent so much money on food for his students,” Angela laughed. “He would really interact with the students. He was very engaging, and he would ask what you did or where you worked. He would take that information and fold it into our tests. He would come up with a little scenario and it would be, for example, ‘Angela’s working for X company…’ He personalized it so much, and he was one of those really captivating professors. “FLCC was great because it let me take a lot of my electives in a cost-effective way,” she continued, “so that when I got to RIT, I felt like I really, truly was a third-year student. I was well-prepared to take those more intense classes.” Full circle Angela finished her bachelor’s in accounting at RIT in 2008 and began working for Fairport Savings Bank as a staff accountant. “My career path really became defined in 2012 when the assistant treasurer resigned, and I was given the opportunity to move over into that area of the accounting department. My initial job title was treasury analyst which then progressed into assistant treasurer, treasurer, and finally CFO in 2018.” While at Fairport Savings, she completed her graduate degree at ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking. After Evans Bancorp bought Fairport Savings’ holding company in 2020, she took the CFO job in Pennsylvania. She and her husband, Justin, thought they might move back to the Finger Lakes someday, not knowing how quickly someday would arrive. Back in the Finger Lakes as the new CFO at Generations Bank in mid-2021, she was among several women on the leadership team. In fact, she replaced a woman who had been chief financial officer for the previous 10 years. “Generations has always wanted to support women – they’re headquartered in Seneca Falls. Making sure that women have a voice not only in our management teams but at the top, at the board level, is very, very important.” As she settles into her role and finds her own voice as a CEO, she takes inspiration from her late mentor. “One of Menzo’s passions was providing affordable housing in his community, and he was heavily involved in Habitat for Humanity of Seneca County,” she said. “As a way to honor him, in December I joined the board to serve as the treasurer. We’re doing the best we can to make sure we’re continuing all the things that were important to him in his memory.” — Lenore Friend Angela and her husband, Justin, have been married for 11 years.
14 | theLAKER foundation update ESL renews $100K donation for student emergencies ESL Federal Credit Union has made a second $100,000 donation to the FLCC Student Emergency Fund. The first grant, awarded in September 2022, helped 122 students cover financial shortfalls. Grants covered housing, transportation, tuition, books, utilities, internet and food. Students can receive funding in more than one category, for example, $500 for rent and $75 for internet. Zach Everhart, a culinary arts student from Hamlin, is among those who have turned to the emergency fund. “I was struggling with financial aid, and the emergency fund helped cover a quarter of my tuition. It shows me that people actually want to see me succeed and gives me a lot of motivation,” he said. ESL helps local not-for-profits advance areas of impact the organization has identified, for example, efforts that expand individual opportunity to ensure students can succeed in college and their careers. At FLCC, the Center for Student Well-Being administers the Student Emergency Fund. The Center promotes a holistic approach to student well-being by providing in-person and virtual health and counseling services and assistance with food and transportation. Emergency funds are available for students in good academic standing who find themselves in need of immediate aid for expenses which would otherwise prevent them from remaining enrolled or completing a degree or certificate. Funds are granted on a case-by-case basis and are not a substitute for federal and state financial aid. Students’ applications must briefly describe the circumstance that has led to hardship. Staff in the Center for Student Well-Being review the applications, and the FLCC Foundation makes final funding decisions. Students who receive emergency funding are encouraged to complete an online webinar called “Financial Literacy: Smart Money Skills for College and Beyond.” The webinar takes about 25 minutes and explains how to build a budget, track spending, use credit wisely, avoid and eliminate debt, and plan for the future. Foundation honors ESL commitment In fall 2023, the College recognized ESL Federal Credit Union with the Foundation Benefactor Award for its outstanding support of FLCC students. The Benefactor Award, created by FLCC Professor Emeritus Wayne Williams, is a sculpture of a hand holding an acorn, depicting the nurturing of the seed of knowledge. Since 2018, ESL has reinvested more than $120 million throughout the Greater Rochester community through its philanthropic Community Impact efforts, including the $100,000 provided to FLCC in 2022. Initial data show that students who received ESL grants in 2022-23 were slightly less likely than students in the general population to withdraw from a class. This is a positive sign that the emergency funds are promoting student success. “It shows me that people actually want to see me succeed and gives me a lot of motivation.” — Zach Everhart, a culinary arts student Visit the Foundation on the web: flcc.edu/foundation The FLCC Foundation website offers information about the 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, scholarships, giving opportunities, and the Alumni Association. It also has links to back issues of the Laker magazine and to the College’s Flickr site with thousands of photos of memorable moments for faculty, staff, students, and graduates.
theLAKER | 15 Thompson Health covers tuition for nursing students UR Medicine Thompson Health has created a new scholarship for second-year nursing students to cover a full year of tuition in exchange for an agreement to work in its hospital. FLCC full-time tuition is $5,280 per year. The first recipient is Nichelle Camp of Newark, who will graduate in May. “I have completed two clinical rotations at Thompson and fell in love with the facility as a student,” Nichelle said. “I am honored to be a recipient of the new scholarship. I am grateful for the foundation FLCC has given me, and I am looking forward to the opportunity that is ahead as I start my job in Thompson's post-anesthesia care unit this summer.” “Nichelle is an extremely hard working, motivated student. She is engaged in scholarship and strives for excellence in all she does,” added Tina Hamilton, assistant professor of nursing. “She is currently president of the Class of May 2024 and attentive to the needs of her peers. She is a worthy recipient of the Thompson Health scholarship.” Students must complete a competitive application process and attend an interview with Thompson’s nursing leadership. The application is included with more than 100 other awards that incoming and current students can apply for at flcc.edu/scholarships. Those who are chosen agree to work for the health system for two years upon graduation and passing the NCLEX, or National Council Licensure Examination. Thompson will grant up to 10 scholarships per year. “We are thrilled to be able to welcome Nichelle to Thompson and look forward to the many FLCC-trained nurses who will follow in her footsteps,” said Hazel Robertshaw, Thompson Health vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer. “The best part is that this new initiative builds on a longstanding partnership between our health system and the College, ensuring a strong pipeline of future nurses for many years to come.” Graduates of the FLCC associate in nursing program had a 95 percent pass rate on the national nursing licensure exam in 2023. This is above the statewide averages of 88 percent for associate degree graduates and 90 percent for bachelor’s degree graduates. New funds to help nursing students stay on track The Mary Porcari Brady Fund has made a third $20,000 gift to the FLCC Foundation to help nursing students who are facing unexpected expenses that could force them to leave school. The first gifts in 2022 and 2023 helped a total of 26 nursing students cover costs such as tuition, textbooks, car repairs, and rent. Denise Ferrell of Canandaigua is enrolled in the accelerated program for license practical nurses looking to advance in her career to registered nursing. Denise has to work to support herself while keeping up with her coursework. She took advantage of the Mary Porcari Brady Fund to cover school expenses and some unforeseen financial challenges. “The impact of the fund on my academic journey cannot be overstated,” she said. “It has not only relieved the anxieties associated with financial constraints but has also played a crucial role in ensuring that I could dedicate myself fully to my educational pursuits during a pivotal time in the semester.” The FLCC Foundation, a nonprofit that raises private-sector support for College students and programs, holds the funds while the Nursing Department faculty administer the program. “The Mary Porcari Brady Fund provides nursing students with a safety net so that when unexpected financial challenges arise, they can continue on with their classes,” said Brie Chupalio, FLCC chief advancement officer. “We are beyond grateful to the Porcari family for their continued commitment to the College and the future nurses of our region.” Mary Porcari Brady obtained her nursing degree after the loss of her youngest child, Mary Elizabeth, to a rare genetic disorder. During her career, she worked as a registered nurse at Park Ridge Hospital for over 20 years, then at Cortland Hospital while she obtained a second degree at SUNY Cortland. She finished her career at Oswego Hospital. After her passing in 2001, her surviving children pooled resources to create the fund in her memory. Mary Porcari Brady
Debi Jones ’91 The Foundation Award Debi Jones has volunteered for more than two decades on the Foundation Board of Directors, serving as chair several times and promoting the College’s growth and development. As an FLCC student, she balanced work, school, and family to earn a business administration associate degree. After earning a bachelor’s in organizational management at Roberts Wesleyan College, she started her career in human resources. Debi joined IDI Billing Solutions in 2008 and became the company’s vice president of human resources in 2019. Her community service also includes the Newark Chamber of Commerce, the Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board, and the United Way of Ontario County. 16 | theLAKER honoring alumni and friends of the College An exceptional evening Eric D. Frarey ’84 Distinguished Alumni Award Over his 40-year career in wine sales and marketing, Eric Frarey worked to raise the profile of the industry and supported the education of future hospitality and wine professionals. He rose to become a managing partner of Heron Hill Winery and founded the sustainably grown Macri Vineyards with his wife, Chris, on the west side of Canandaigua Lake. Eric served as president of the Canandaigua Lake Wine Trail for three years and chair of the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance for three years. His service to FLCC includes time on the Foundation Board of Directors, and he championed the development of the annual Vintners & Valentines winemakers dinner. The College welcomed alumni and their families to the main campus in October for the first in-person FLCC Alumni and Foundation Awards since 2019. If profiles of the 2023 honorees here bring to mind other exceptional alumni, please nominate them for the 2024 awards using an online form at flcc.edu/alumni-association. The deadline to nominate is May 1 with an award ceremony scheduled for Sept. 20.
theLAKER | 17 Rob Wink ’08 CCFL/FLCC Alumni Association Exceptional Service Award The Alumni Association recognized Rob Wink for his commitment to students and his work in forestry. Rob discovered his passion for the classroom while teaching forest entomology to graduate students during his doctoral program. In 2001, Rob returned to FLCC as an adjunct professor and received an FLCC Outstanding Adjunct Award in 2004. He joined the full-time faculty in fall 2004 and became coordinator of the natural resources conservation degree program. He coached the men’s and women’s cross country teams, hosting two national championships. He also started and later led the men’s and women’s track and field teams. In 2008, Rob received a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the College inducted him into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Colin Diehl ’01 Outstanding Conservation Alumni Achievement Award Colin Diehl was honored for his work protecting the environment through innovation and community service and for his dedication to excellence in FLCC’s programs. Colin earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife science at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He co-founded DIEHLUX, an ecological and environmental monitoring consulting firm in 2014 and serves as CEO. Colin holds multiple state and federal threatened and endangered species permits and is a certified wetland delineator through the Rutgers University Continuing Education Program. He assists FLCC faculty on curriculum development and teaches Conservation Field Techniques as an adjunct faculty member. Professor Emeritus Bruce Gilman, Rob Wink, Colin Diehl, Associate Professor Maura Sullivan and President Robert Nye
18 | theLAKER Eric Holbein ’07 Outstanding Art Alumni Achievement Award The art faculty recognized Eric Holbein for his commitment to design and the age-old traditions of handmade pottery. Eric earned a bachelor’s in art, focusing on oil painting and ceramics, at Houghton College. In 2013, Eric moved overseas with his wife, Maria, to Tanzania to join the social enterprise Neema Crafts. They worked for four years with deaf and physically disabled artisans across the Southern Highlands. Back in the U.S., the couple launched New Albion Clayworks in Cattaraugus County, where they make pottery meant for everyday use. Warren Williams ’94 Outstanding Horticulture Alumni Achievement Award Faculty recognized Warren Williams for his great love for the natural world, his dedication to arboriculture, and his leadership in promoting safety and proficiency. After FLCC, he pursued additional training in climbing, rigging, felling and related skills. Warren holds many industry certifications and has worked as an arborist and safety expert for three decades, most recently as the senior safety lead for Wright Tree Service. He is also chairman of the rules committee for the International Society of Arboriculture’s International Tree Climbing Competition and has been a speaker and trainer at many industry events across the nation. Kimberlie Noyes ’00 Outstanding Nursing Alumni Achievement Award The faculty recognized Kimberlie Noyes for her commitment to the nursing profession, her passion for learning, and her dedicated service to the community. Kimberlie completed a doctorate of nursing practice at St. John Fisher University in 2021. She is an FLCC associate professor, teaching nursing and health science and human performance classes. Kimberlie is also newly approved to be an Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing peer-reviewer for nursing programs across the country. For the last five years, she has been a primary care nurse practitioner at Jordan Health in Canandaigua, which provides comprehensive care to patients of all ages, irrespective of their financial means. Kimberlie’s daughter, Alexis Rippey, graduated from the FLCC nursing program in 2023. Amanda Brockner ’22 Outstanding Humanities Alumni Achievement Award Amanda Brockner was recognized for her love of the humanities and perseverance toward her educational goals. At FLCC, Amanda received the Ed and Gerry Cuony Scholarship, was recognized as a Scholar of Distinction by the Honors Studies program, and named a Poet of Distinction by the Humanities Department. She is the graduate coordinator for the master’s in fine arts in creative writing program at Cornell University and taking courses to complete her bachelor’s in English. She continues to make time for writing poetry and short stories that explore the natural world’s intersection with human experiences of grief.
Kimberly M. Lewandowski Outstanding Computing Science Alumni Achievement Award Kimberly M. Lewandowski was honored for her exemplary career and her continued impact on the world of technology. She transferred to Florida State University, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science. Kimberly started her career in the security space as a software engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Silicon Valley. She later transitioned to work for several startups and subsequently spent eight years at Google. She co-founded Chainguard, a 2-year-old tech startup that helps companies secure their software supply chain. Kimberly is currently chief product officer for the company. Owen R. Colegrove Outstanding Young Alumni Achievement Award Owen Colegrove’s story shows that community college can be a first step toward discovery and professional success. Owen transferred to the University of Rochester, where he interned with NASA on a research project involving the transfer of heat within the sun. He earned a doctorate in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. As a researcher at the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) laboratory in Switzerland, he co-authored 10 papers based on data from the Large Hadron Collider. In 2019, Owen transitioned to finance, accepting a position as a quantitative strategist at Citadel in New York City. In 2023, he embarked on a new venture in artificial intelligence, securing funding through Y Combinator, a San Francisco-based incubator. The 2023 awards ceremony is archived on the Finger Lakes TV programming page with chapters for each recipient’s moment. theLAKER | 19 FLCC President Robert Nye greets attendees at the Alumni and Foundation Awards in October 2023 in the main campus auditorium. The event honored 13 alumni and one business, ESL Federal Credit Union (see page 14). Next year’s event is scheduled for Sept. 20. PHOTO BY RIKKI VAN CAMP
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