CNY Leadership Symposium

Description

Breakfast and Lunch will be provided by local restaurants.
There will be door prizes, including signed books from one of our speakers.

In addition to our 5 local in-person leaders speaking, and our 2 nationally recognized speakers; we will have over 50 local leaders attending the symposium. This will be a great networking event! 


Andy Stanley
Communicator, Author, and Pastor
“Life is complicated. You want to get it right. I want to help.”
Best-selling author and communicator Andy Stanley brings clarity to complex cultural issues using a communication style built on helping people live life with fewer regrets through practical applications.
Andy founded North Point Ministries (NPM) in Atlanta in 1995. NPM has since grown to eight church campuses in metro Atlanta and a network of nearly 180 churches around the globe, serving hundreds of thousands of people. As the host of Your Move with Andy Stanley, Andy’s culturally relevant insights on life, faith, success, and relationships are broadcasted nationwide and are available globally online. Millions of his messages are consumed monthly through television, YouTube, podcasts, and other digital mediums, underscoring his impact not only as a communicator but also as an influencer of culture.
He is a best-selling author of over 20 books, including: Parenting: Getting It Right; Not In It to Win It; Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets; Irresistible; How to Be Rich; When Work & Family Collide; and Visioneering.
Andy has a deep passion for teaching and engaging with live audiences, which he has pursued for over three decades at leadership events around the world. As a sought-after communicator, he speaks at various annual events before audiences of both church and organizational leaders.

His team has graciously allowed us to use his video for our event.


Curt Fitzpatrick, Head Football Coach, SUNY Cortland
 
Curt Fitzpatrick was named SUNY Cortland’s football head coach in February 2020 and enters his fifth year at the school and fourth season on the field in 2024. Through three seasons, Fitzpatrick's teams are a combined 34-4 (.895), highlighted by a 14-1 season and a storybook run to the 2023 NCAA Division III title. Fitzpatrick was named both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the D3football.com Division III National Coach of the Year, and the AFCA Region 1 and D3football.com Region 2 Coach of the Year, as the Red Dragons won five straight playoff games, capped by a 38-37 win over defending national champion North Central (Ill.) in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Virginia.

Fitzpatrick has led Cortland to three Empire 8 titles from 2021-23, each with a 6-0 regular-season record. He and his assistants were named the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year in each of those three seasons. Fitzpatrick is also 2-1 in the annual Cortaca Jug rivalry game versus Ithaca College.

In 2023, Cortland set school records with 14 total wins as well as 12 consecutive victories after a 2-1 start. The Red Dragons eclipsed school records with 46.2 points and 509.2 offensive yards per game, as well as school marks for total passing yards (4,265) and rushing yards (3,373). Cortland ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense, total offense, pass completion percentage and team passing efficiency.

Fitzpatrick came to Cortland from Morrisville State, where he served as head coach for seven seasons from 2013-19. He guided the Mustangs to four winning seasons (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019), including one conference championship title and three postseason ECAC bowl appearances.

During his time at Morrisville, Fitzpatrick’s high-powered offense averaged 31.5 points and 438 yards per game, making it one of the most potent offenses annually in the Empire 8. Under his guidance, Mustang quarterbacks were voted as the conference Offensive Player of the Year three times. A total of 49 Mustang student-athletes earned Empire 8 or NJAC all-conference recognition and 61 were named to the athletic director honor roll for their outstanding academic performance during his tenure.

Prior to Morrisville, Fitzpatrick served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utica College from 2008-12. In his time with the Pioneers, his balanced, no-huddle offense was one of the best in the Empire 8, gained national attention and set numerous school records.
 
A native of Fulton, N.Y., Fitzpatrick graduated from St. John Fisher College in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in management. A standout quarterback for the Cardinals, Fitzpatrick served as a team captain and was a four-year letterman. In his final season, he earned Empire 8 all-conference honors and set school passing records in touchdowns (30) and yards (2,366) while leading the program to a 10-2 overall record and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
 
Upon graduation, Fitzpatrick returned to his hometown in 2005 to coach quarterbacks and wide receivers at Fulton High School, which captured the OHSL Class A league championship. He returned to St. John Fisher as a quarterbacks coach for two seasons from 2006-07. The Cardinals amassed a combined 23-4 record, won two Empire 8 crowns and were the top-ranked team in New York State each season. Fisher advanced to the NCAA semifinals in 2006 and the quarterfinals in 2007, and for the two seasons combined recorded more than 5,300 passing yards and 55 touchdowns.
 
In addition to his bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher, Fitzpatrick earned a Master of Science in athletic administration from Ohio University in 2012. He currently resides in Tully, N.Y., with his wife, Molly, and three children, Collins (6), Oliver (4) and Cooper (3).


Diane Geruso is a driven and dynamic Human Resources Talent Acquisition Manager at Immediate Mailing Services Inc. in Liverpool, NY.  
 
Over the past two decades, Diane has made significant contributions to the financial industry and Human Resources, specializing in employee engagement, leadership, strategic problem-solving, and compliance.
 
With a passion for cultivating positive work environments, Diane is committed to fostering inclusive workplaces where employees thrive. With a proven track record of success and an insatiable drive for continuous improvement, Diane stands as a beacon of excellence in the realm of human resources.  


Johanna R. Ames is a lifelong resident of Cortland, NY.  She was the 4^th Generation owner and operator of her family business, Ames Linen Service Inc. and recently sold the company to ImageFirst, a $750M national laundry service provider.  Johanna was the Inaugural Chair of the National Textile Rental Services Association Women in Textiles Committee and worked for many years to promote and retain female leaders in linen and laundry services.  As an investor, Johanna now serves as an Operating Executive for ImageFirst, supporting strategic initiatives at the Corporate Level.  She is also a Director on the NBT Bank Boards.
 
Ms. Ames has served on many not for profit boards in the greater Central New York region over the last 24 years, and currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Guthrie Healthcare System, Inc. in Sayre, PA and the Cortland County Business Development/Industrial Development Agency. Ms. Ames is the Immediate Past Chair of Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors and is a member of the Colgate University Alumni Council.
 
Johanna resides in Cortland with her husband, Matt Coats, and their children Mason (15) and Anneke (12).


Mohamed Thiam - Originally from Senegal (in West Africa), he is a New York resident in the City of Syracuse. He graduated from Syracuse University with a Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies, and a bachelor's degree of Arts in African, British, and American Literature and Civilizations at Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar in Senegal.
His focuses are on Global Migrations, International relations, International Politics and Economics, and the Political Economy of Developing Countries; with focuses on Africa, Asia, and South America.
He is an ONA Job coach at Interfaith Works of CNY. In this role, he is actively engaged in revitalizing workforce development across Central New York by building unbreakable ties and partnerships with Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, corporate businesses, local leaders, and stakeholders to advance equal opportunity and promote economic empowerment for Immigrants, New Americans, and Asylees—and all underrepresented communities residing in our region.

Ken Blanchard - Few in the world have been more influential in the past 45 years in the day-to-day management of people and companies than Dr. Kenneth H. Blanchard. Bestselling author, speaker, and consultant, Ken is universally acknowledged as one of the most insightful and compassionate individuals in business today and he is respected for his lifetime of groundbreaking thinking in the field of leadership. Ken is the cofounder along with his wife, Dr. Margorie M. Blanchard, of the eponymous 400-person training company, Blanchard.
In “Love is the answer. What is the question?,” Ken, a member of Amazon's Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 best-selling authors of all time, will tell us how we as leaders can foster outstanding workplace cultures by focusing on “we” instead of on “me.” He will describe how we can involve those with whom we work so they feel truly valued and understand how essential they are to the success of our businesses.  

Ken will be presenting from his home office through Zoon.