GREENE – Commerce Chenango recognized a community member and a local business for their contributions to the Chenango County community Thursday night at their 50th Annual Dinner, held at the Baron’s Inn in Greene.
Those recognized were this year’s recipient of the Commitment to Community award, Pegi LoPresti, and Distinguished Business of the Year, Frontier.
Presented first was the Commitment to Community Award.
“This award is given annually to an individual who has shown significant commitment to our community through their leadership and individual contributions,” said Maureen Carpenter, president of Commerce Chenango.
“This year’s recipient, Pegi LoPresti, is the epitome of a great leader and helps to guide decision-makers and organizations in a quiet and unassuming way,” Carpenter said, as she enumerated LoPresti’s involvement in local organizations such as the YMCA and Friends of the Park. She currently serves as the executive director of Norwich’s Business Improvement District.
“Pegi helps individuals and businesses on many levels without asking for any recognition, and in fact, she frequently shuns it,” Carpenter continued.
“This is all very humbling,” said LoPresti, as she accepted the award. “I don’t really feel like I do anything more than so many others in this room and in this community.”
LoPresti went on to thank David Emerson and Neil Bartle of BlueOx for “leading by example” by their involvement in the local community. Emerson, she said, was the one who encouraged her to participate in Leadership Chenango. “As they say, the rest is history.”
The BID executive director also spoke of others involved in her organization, as well as the downtown businesses she works with on a regular basis, including Frontier.
“These are people who truly care about our community, and it is an honor and a privilege to work with them every day,” she said.
Many of LoPresti’s fellow community leaders offered their congratulations to her both before and after her receipt of the award.
“I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award,” said Tom Sutton, regional manager of NBT Bank, the event’s sponsor. “Her commitment is rivaled by very few.”
Also recognized during the dinner was Frontier, which was named Distinguished Business of the Year.
“Often we take for granted the corporate leaders that call Chenango County home and the value of their continued investments in our economy,” said Carpenter. “With the creation of this award, we annually recognize these important assets.”
According to Carpenter, Frontier is “a true Chenango County success story.” For more than 50 years, she said, Frontier has continued to grow both its employee base and the products and services it offers.
Today, the company is one of the largest rural local exchange carriers in the United States, offering everything from telephone service, internet access and digital phone in 24 states. It is not just the services they provide, but their commitment to the quality of that service and to the communities they serve which makes them stand out, Carpenter said.
“At Frontier, there is a culture that emphasizes unsurpassed quality and customer service and everyone does their part to uphold the standards of excellence that have been established,” she said.
Community involvement and support are a priority, Carpenter added, listing the numerous organizations and events which benefit from the thousands of volunteer hours donated by Frontier staff and the boards on which they serve.
“We’re proud of the accomplishments of Frontier and appreciate their continued focus on helping to grow Chenango’s economic future,” she said.
Jim Currie, vice president of field operations, accepted the award on Frontier’s behalf. He gave thanks to the company’s 250 employees, their customers and the community as a whole for their support.
“This really is a wonderful award, and we’re really pleased to have it,” Currie said.