Foundation awards leadership

Middletown — The Educational Foundation of Orange County Community College recently honored three of the communities’ finest citizens during the group’s inaugural Leadership Awards Luncheon. Award recipients were John A. D’Ambrosio, John J. “Jack” McMahon and Joan I. Siegel, who were recognized for their leadership roles in business, community and education, respectively. D’Ambrosio, the Leadership in Business honoree, is currently in his third decade as president of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, while McMahon, the Leadership in Community recipient, has been a long-time contributor to numerous community initiatives and projects, including serving as Chairman of the college’s Board of Trustees. Siegel, an English professor at SUNY Orange who was presented the Leadership in Education medal, is a noted educator and award-winning poet who also received the 2006 President’s Award for Teaching Excellence during Friday’s luncheon. She has been nominated for the 2007 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. More than 100 people filled the Orange Hall Gallery for the first Leadership Award luncheons. The Educational Foundation of SUNY Orange was established as a non-profit corporation in 1987. According to the Educational Foundation by-laws, the objectives for which the foundation exists are to solicit, receive, hold, invest, administer and make expenditures of gifts to or for the benefit of Orange County Community College. In all, more than 80 scholarships are funded through the efforts of the Educational Foundation. Additionally, the Educational Foundation has set up a number of funds for contributors to target their gifts. For more information, visit www.sunyorange.edu.