Robert Barker/University Photography

Gary Stewart, director of community relations, Joel Malina, vice president for university relations, and Susan Riley, deputy director of community relations, stand in front of the new downtown Ithaca branch of The Cornell Store.

The Office of Community Relations has received the Presidential Excellence Award from the International Town Gown Association (ITGA) for initiatives developed over the past decade related to race, economic development and leadership. These initiatives have strengthened the relationships between Cornell and local organizations and served as a model for other higher education institutions.

Susan Riley, the office’s deputy director, accepted the award on behalf of her colleagues at ITGA’s annual conference in Chicago June 7.

“The work of Community Relations revolves around being a good neighbor and responsive resource, led by staff who have lived in Tompkins County and the surrounding communities for many years,” said Joel Malina, vice president for university relations. “This key team within University Relations does a great job responding to many challenges and opportunities, and I am proud of their efforts.”

Among the office’s accomplishments are the creation of the Local Leaders of Color group, which was formed in 2006 to develop mutual understanding around current and potential town-gown race-related issues and advance measures to address them, and the annual Cornell Town-Gown Awards (the TOGOs), which recognize town and campus partnerships that improve the quality of life in the area.

The Local Leaders of Color group was originally co-chaired by Marcia Fort, then director of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center – a downtown Ithaca community center serving a diverse population – and then-Cornell President David Skorton. It now includes Cornell leaders as well as representatives from the Multicultural Resource Center, Diversity Consortium of Tompkins County, Ithaca Asian-American Association, the Latino Civic Association, community center directors, clergy, business people, and leaders from city and county government and nonprofits.

“I appreciate the community relations staff because they ‘walk the talk’ of diversity and inclusion,” said Fort. “Gutie [John Gutenberger], [Community Relations director] Gary Stewart and Cal Walker, in particular, worked downtown before assuming their Cornell positions, so they know both perspectives. They and their colleagues take time to listen and learn about the needs and concerns of area residents and organizations, have had courageous conversations when difficult issues have arisen and have developed solutions to those issues, weaving the principles of diversity and inclusion into everyday life on campus and downtown.”

In 2008, a series of race-related incidents in Ithaca led to community forums organized by Cornell and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. With the support of the Chamber and Cayuga Radio Group, the Office of Community Relations created and managed two projects:

• Writing and producing 15 public service announcements that featured diverse citizens from public, nonprofit and private sectors, including high school students, speaking on the importance of equity and inclusion. The series was broadcast in English and Spanish and won a New York State Broadcasters Award.
• Hosting and producing the weekly radio show “All Things Equal,” which debuted in 2008 and airs Tuesday mornings on Ithaca radio station WHCU. The show has addressed K-12 equity strategies, disability services, and socio-economic and race-related challenges, and in 2011 was recognized with an award for excellence from the State University of New York Council for University Advancement.

The office also has led several video projects, including an award-winning show on how the Willard Straight takeover in 1969 affected local residents.

In 2015, the office was recognized with the Martin Luther King Jr. Peacemaker Award by Ithaca’s Community Dispute Resolution Center for its leadership.

The Office of Community Relations is an active participant in the ITGA. In March the office sponsored a regional town-gown conference on economic development that drew scores of community and campus leaders from six states, and that, according to the association, “is now being looked at as the model for delivering high-quality content on town-gown issues.”