GCC Administrative Professional Earns Regional Award

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2013 Northeast Regional Professional Board Staff Member Award recipient, Cathy Costello

BATAVIA, NY (08/13/2013)(readMedia)-- Genesee Community College is pleased to announce that Cathy Costello has been selected to receive the 2013 Northeast Regional Professional Board Staff Member Award from the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), a national association representing trustees of community colleges across the United States. She will be recognized October 4, 2013 at the 44th Annual ACCT Leadership Congress in Seattle, WA. At that time, she will also be considered to receive the prestigious Association Professional Board Staff Member Award which will be presented that evening at the Annual Awards Gala.

Cathy came to GCC in April 1989 as Executive Assistant to then College President Dr. Stuart Steiner and Secretary to the College's Board of Trustees. In this role, she plans meetings, coordinates communication with the Board, and provides any assistance board members and board committees need to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. She has been active in numerous additional activities at the college, helping with New Employee Orientation, Middle States Accreditation, and is a founding member of GUSTO (Genesee Unites To Serve Team Opportunities), a staff development team at Genesee. She is a graduate of Leadership Genesee (Class of 2002) and serves on its Alumni Committee.

Cathy served as the liaison to the Presidential Search Committee and helped plan the May 2012 inauguration of the College's fourth president, Dr. James Sunser. She has helped the transition between presidents and was nominated by Dr. Sunser for the ACCT award. "The ACCT selected Cathy for the award in recognition of the exceptional level of service and support she has provided to our trustees these many years," Dr. Sunser said. "I didn't know he nominated me," Cathy said. "I'm really stunned. I just feel like I'm doing my job, and we have an exceptional Board of Trustees who makes it very easy for me. I'm certainly very honored and humbled because I know how hard my counterparts in the state and across the country work every day."

Prior to her work at GCC, Cathy served as confidential secretary to the Genesee County sheriff for five years. She had previously worked at Colgate University and welcomed the opportunity to work again in an educational institution. She will celebrate her 25th anniversary at GCC in April 2014.

Cathy has been married to Leonard for 37 years. They have two sons, Douglas and Daniel. Daniel and his wife Emily have a daughter, Leah, age 3, whom Cathy calls "the apple of our eye."

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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Editor's Note:

A photo of Cathy Costello is available here:

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/CathyCostello.jpg