To pay homage to one of the most prominent civil rights leaders, the Auburn/Cayuga Branch of the NAACP will honor five Cayuga County leaders this month as recipients of the 2009 Millennium Awards.
Robert Barnes, Joseph Leogrande, Michael McKeon, Willie Murray and Heidi Nightengale will officially receive their awards - bestowed upon those who advocate for racial diversity in their communities - during a Jan. 13 NAACP celebration in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
For the NAACP, these leaders represent local efforts to tear down the racial boundaries that exist in society:
#&149; Barnes is being honored for his work as a mentor and role model for the youth in the community. Barnes, who worked for three years at the Cayuga Home for children, four years at the Booker T. Washington Community Center and now owns the Undefeated Fashions clothing store in Auburn, is dedicated to showing children their potential and helping them achieve their goals.
Barnes also endeavors to help the adults in the community, evident most recently by his efforts to get out the vote in the November elections. He offered voter registration forms in his store and often talked about the importance of voting and participating in elections process. He even went as far as providing transportation for people unable to get to the polls.
#&149; Leogrande has demonstrated his commitment to others during his career as a father, teacher and leader on many municipal committees and civic organizations. A technology and driver education teacher, Leogrande dedicated 34 years to the education system and the children within it. Though recently retired, Leogrande continues his involvement in education through his service on the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education. In addition to the world of academia, Leogrande is active in the community by serving as a member and also as the chair of the Auburn Parks and Recreation Commission, which under his leadership resurrected the summer movies and music program and winter holiday program at Hoopes Park. He is also the current secretary of the NAACP.
Leogrande is also passionate about ending discrimination and prejudice in the community, especially because he is the parent of adopted children from Korea. He works closely with myriad organizations that deal with diversity, and was appointed to the Auburn Human Rights Commission by the city council.
#&149; McKeon has spent his adult lifetime working to improve the lives of others through his involvement in the judicial system as an attorney and judge. In addition to presiding over the Auburn City Court, Family Court and County Court, he serves as an adjunct professor at Cayuga Community College, a participating judge for the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES New Visions Legal Professions program and board member for the Cayuga County Youth Court. He also holds and has previously held leadership positions on the New York State Association of City Court Judges, New York State Local Courts Advisory Committee and is currently president of Cayuga County Bar Association.
McKeon is committed to his community through active volunteer work. He is a volunteer at St. Mary's Past Supper and at the Knights of Columbus Pancake Breakfast and is a co-founder of the Girls CYO Basketball League. He is a former member of the Auburn Human Rights Commission and is currently involved in the NAACP.
#&149; Murray has dedicated the past 40 years to studying and spreading the word of God. Three years after conducting his first preaching ceremony in 1967, Murray continued his service to God in a church on Water Street, Auburn. A year later in 1971, he rented the First Methodist Church at the corner of South and Fitch streets and within three months built an 80-member congregation. He later purchased the church and a neighboring house, where he has been pasturing since. Named District Elder in 1997, his church and work there is considered a service to the whole community.
#&149; Nightengale is being honored by the NAACP for her service to adults in her role as part-time faculty mentor for Empire State College as well as her dedication to assisting disadvantaged youth and families.
Nightengale began her career in Auburn as the director of Neighborhood House of Auburn, through which she helped develop programs to improve the lives of the community's youth and families. From there, she went on to work with court-involved youth and women needing assistance in life and job skills.
She also served as the BTW Center Board of Trustees president - where she is currently program chair, an executive committee member and volunteer - and worked on the former Auburn Mayor Melina Carnicelli's Diversity Task Force.
After working at Empire State College for 20 years as a tutor and evaluator, she joined the college as a faculty mentor for the Community and Human Services program at the Auburn Unit in the Central New York Center.
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
For the NAACP, these leaders represent local efforts to tear down the racial boundaries that exist in society:
#&149; Barnes is being honored for his work as a mentor and role model for the youth in the community. Barnes, who worked for three years at the Cayuga Home for children, four years at the Booker T. Washington Community Center and now owns the Undefeated Fashions clothing store in Auburn, is dedicated to showing children their potential and helping them achieve their goals.
Barnes also endeavors to help the adults in the community, evident most recently by his efforts to get out the vote in the November elections. He offered voter registration forms in his store and often talked about the importance of voting and participating in elections process. He even went as far as providing transportation for people unable to get to the polls.
#&149; Leogrande has demonstrated his commitment to others during his career as a father, teacher and leader on many municipal committees and civic organizations. A technology and driver education teacher, Leogrande dedicated 34 years to the education system and the children within it. Though recently retired, Leogrande continues his involvement in education through his service on the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education. In addition to the world of academia, Leogrande is active in the community by serving as a member and also as the chair of the Auburn Parks and Recreation Commission, which under his leadership resurrected the summer movies and music program and winter holiday program at Hoopes Park. He is also the current secretary of the NAACP.
Leogrande is also passionate about ending discrimination and prejudice in the community, especially because he is the parent of adopted children from Korea. He works closely with myriad organizations that deal with diversity, and was appointed to the Auburn Human Rights Commission by the city council.
#&149; McKeon has spent his adult lifetime working to improve the lives of others through his involvement in the judicial system as an attorney and judge. In addition to presiding over the Auburn City Court, Family Court and County Court, he serves as an adjunct professor at Cayuga Community College, a participating judge for the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES New Visions Legal Professions program and board member for the Cayuga County Youth Court. He also holds and has previously held leadership positions on the New York State Association of City Court Judges, New York State Local Courts Advisory Committee and is currently president of Cayuga County Bar Association.
McKeon is committed to his community through active volunteer work. He is a volunteer at St. Mary's Past Supper and at the Knights of Columbus Pancake Breakfast and is a co-founder of the Girls CYO Basketball League. He is a former member of the Auburn Human Rights Commission and is currently involved in the NAACP.
#&149; Murray has dedicated the past 40 years to studying and spreading the word of God. Three years after conducting his first preaching ceremony in 1967, Murray continued his service to God in a church on Water Street, Auburn. A year later in 1971, he rented the First Methodist Church at the corner of South and Fitch streets and within three months built an 80-member congregation. He later purchased the church and a neighboring house, where he has been pasturing since. Named District Elder in 1997, his church and work there is considered a service to the whole community.
#&149; Nightengale is being honored by the NAACP for her service to adults in her role as part-time faculty mentor for Empire State College as well as her dedication to assisting disadvantaged youth and families.
Nightengale began her career in Auburn as the director of Neighborhood House of Auburn, through which she helped develop programs to improve the lives of the community's youth and families. From there, she went on to work with court-involved youth and women needing assistance in life and job skills.
She also served as the BTW Center Board of Trustees president - where she is currently program chair, an executive committee member and volunteer - and worked on the former Auburn Mayor Melina Carnicelli's Diversity Task Force.
After working at Empire State College for 20 years as a tutor and evaluator, she joined the college as a faculty mentor for the Community and Human Services program at the Auburn Unit in the Central New York Center.
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
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