The Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the recipients of their 2018 awards, which will be presented on April 26 at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation.
Graham’s Greenhouse & Landscaping has been selected by the BACC Board of Directors as the 2018 Exemplary Business Award recipient. The Exemplary Business Award is awarded to a for-profit business that demonstrates a well-planned, commendable and thorough approach to business development. They must also exemplify the unique “hometown” charm of Bradford in their manner of administration, customer service and quality of product or service.
Graham’s Greenhouse & Landscaping celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2016, and has continued to build on long-standing traditions begun by founder George Graham. The business is operated by Bill and Kim Graham, along with their sons Ben and Fred Graham who are the fifth generation of the Graham family to be involved. During peak operating seasons, Graham’s employs up to twenty full and part time employees.
Today, Graham’s Greenhouse & Landscaping offers live plants, annuals, trees and shrubs, along with landscaping and hardscape options including patios, walkways, and outdoor fireplaces.
Following the successful renovation and improvements to the greenhouse that were completed in the spring of 2017, the Grahams have continued to work to make the business a more customer-friendly, retail greenhouse, ready to serve the growing demand of local homeowners and businesses wanting to update curb appeal and take up gardening as a hobby. They plan to continue to make improvements to the greenhouse, as they are dedicated to carrying the latest gardening trends, and making visits to the greenhouse an enjoyable and relaxing experience that will inspire the inner gardener in everyone.
As the nomination for Graham’s Greenhouse & Landscaping stated, the Graham family has demonstrated their commendable approach to business development through their on-going capital improvements, along with continuous attention to maintaining and expanding the range of services available to their customers. “They provide great customer service, only the best product, and they even guarantee their trees,” the nomination also noted.
All of this has been accomplished while the members of the Graham family and their employees have been involved in a variety of activities that benefit the local community, such as Pumpkinfest. In 2015, Graham’s completely re-landscaped the front of the Bradford Family YMCA, donating all plants, materials and their services, and they continue to donate their services and materials doing year round maintenance of the YMCA’s landscaping. They have also donated services and materials to Habitat for Humanity, landscaping one home in 2013, and this summer they will be landscaping Habitat’s newest home on Congress Street.
“We are pleased to recognize Graham’s Greenhouse & Landscaping with this year’s award,” shared BACC executive director Kara Kennedy. “They are a well-deserving member of our business community that has continued to adapt and grow throughout their long history, and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments on the 26th.”
The 2018 Community & Spirit Award will be presented to United Way of the Bradford Area, Inc. The Community & Spirit Award is given to an individual or organization that has made a significant, positive impact in the Bradford area through volunteer, civic, religious, cultural and/or business activities.
Since its inception as a Community Chest in 1925, the United Way of the Bradford Area, Inc. (UWBA) has run on the foundation of “those with extra help those without enough.” Over the years, the UWBA has raised over $21 million, which in turn has been distributed to eligible non-profits in Bradford and surrounding areas.
Of the $341,974 that was raised for the Bradford community in 2017, the local United Way office will – on a monthly basis – be able to fund 16 local organizations, supporting 24 programs and services, who applied for funding from the RFP process in the fall of 2017. Additionally, there will be funding available to organizations through quarterly allocations from the Community Impact and Community Innovations streams. In their sixth year managing the Smethport campaign, UWBA surpassed the $17,000 goal, having raised $17,590. And, in their second year of managing the Port Allegany campaign, they saw a 15% increase in giving, with those efforts also surpassing goal – raising $17,747.
One of the biggest accomplishments of 2017 was the implementation of 2-1-1, a comprehensive information and referral system to connect residents in need with the array of health, human, and social services that exist in McKean County. Due to successful United Way campaigns and a partnership with McKean County, a person in need now simply has to dial three numbers (211) to reach a professional resource navigator who will connect them with the right agency to assist with their challenges. This service also aligns with UWBA’s mission of improving the lives in the areas they serve. It benefits any resident seeking assistance, improves the efficacy of the non-profit service delivery system, and will generate a wealth of data for non-profits and local government so they can make more informed decisions regarding social services.
The UWBA is proud to collaborate with various local entities on projects and programs for the community. Additionally, they host their own Day of Action, during which residents volunteer time and talent for a specific cause or project. Past events have included Stuff the Truck supply drives to benefit local early learning programs, homeless shelters, and food pantries, and the installation of the Born Learning Trail at Callahan Park. In 2017, the UWBA also saw the launch of the Student United Way at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Through the work of student leadership, this group will be tasked with charitable giving and philanthropic responsibilities while managing the distribution of funds raised.
UWBA also feels it is important to be involved in various community initiatives that make an impact on the area (beyond their funding resources). Mandi Wilton Davis, Executive Director, is actively involved as a member of the steering committee of the McKean County Collaborative Board, Safe Kids McKean County, the McKean County Community Foundation, and the McKean County Housing Coalition. UWBA proudly promotes the services offered by their non-profit and civic group peers, and they look forward to continued collaborative efforts.
Finally, the United Way is the only non-profit currently permitted to solicit employees for payroll deduction contributions, and they host a business blitz day each year to promote the local small businesses which make a pledge to the annual campaign.
Kennedy stated, “It is undeniable that the United Way of the Bradford Area, Inc. has made a significant, positive impact in the Bradford area – and beyond. Their volunteer, civic, and business activities, along with the funding they provide to a wide range of organizations and programs through their annual campaigns, make them a critical component of the local community and an ideal candidate for the Community and Spirit Award.”
Dr. K. James Evans, Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the Directors’ Award, designed to be chosen by the BACC Board of Directors and awarded to an individual or organization who has earned special recognition.
Dr. Evans is a native of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of New Kensington High School, Grove City College, and the University of Pittsburgh. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having served on active duty as an officer in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in the early 1970s. Residing in Bradford and serving as Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs at Pitt-Bradford for the past 42 years, he is married to Dr. Lisa M. Fiorentino, Associate Professor of Nursing and Director of the Center for Rural Health Practice at Pitt-Bradford.
Dr. Evans has served as dean of student affairs at Pitt-Bradford since 1976. In 1994, he was named a vice president. In his role, he oversees the traditional areas found within student affairs—career services, counseling services, health services, new student orientation, residential life and housing, student activities, community engagement and the chapel, and student conduct. Additionally, for 16 years (from 1999 to 2015), he served as the senior administrator responsible for oversight of the offices of admissions and financial aid, and for many years he was the senior administrator with responsibility for the Department of Athletics and Recreational Sports.
Dr. Evans has been involved in the growth and development of Pitt-Bradford over a period of 40+ years, including the major milestones of the college’s transformation into a 4-year college in 1979, its move into NCAA Division III athletics in the 1990s, and the development of the campus master plan in 1992-1994, which created a unified architectural plan for the magnificent campus that Pitt-Bradford students, faculty, and staff enjoy today.
While his professional career at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has included a vast array of accomplishments, Dr. Evans’ selection for this award is based not only on his dedicated service and leadership in higher education, but also on the wide-ranging impact he has had on the community. “When you think of a notable organization in Bradford, Jim has most likely been involved in it, past or present,” said Kennedy. “His insights, experience, and guidance have been invaluable to so many groups and individuals over time – both on and off campus – that our Board of Directors felt it imperative to recognize his contributions and commitment through this honor.”
Dr. Evans has served as a past member and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce; past member and President of the Board of Directors for Futures Rehabilitation Center and The Guidance Center; and as a founding member of the Board for the Bradford Ecumenical Home, Inc. and The Friendship Table. He has been a past member of the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Bradford Area, Inc. and Chair of UWBA’s Internal Campaign for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. And, he has been a member of the Bradford Rotary Club for more than four decades, Chair of the Rotary Foundation Committee for over 25 years, and advisor for Pitt-Bradford’s Rotaract Club. He has also served as an elected member of Bradford City Council.
BACC’s 2018 Legacy Award will be presented to Oak Hill Cemetery and the Oak Hill Cemetery Association. This award was first presented in 2016, and honors a business, organization, or individual that has a longstanding tradition of making extraordinary contributions to the local community.
Historic Oak Hill Cemetery, located on East Main Street in Bradford, is made up of thirty acres and is the largest cemetery in McKean County and one of the oldest in northwest Pennsylvania – founded in 1881. Its 13,000 interments include 7,000 headstones and markers, a Community Mausoleum and the Cremation Garden of Peace. Notable historic burials include Phillip L. Webster, founder of Oak Hill Cemetery; Colonel Leavitt Little, founder of Littleton, later renamed Bradford; and Larnard Foster, for whom Foster Brook was named. The cemetery also features the Bradford Civil War Memorial and the Firemen’s Monument, high on the hill overlooking the City of Bradford, which was dedicated in 1909 as a tribute to volunteer firemen and is surrounded by the graves of those firemen.
The Oak Hill Cemetery Association was founded in 2008 to manage the care of the cemetery.
Funds raised by the association, primarily through private and local business contributors, go toward either current maintenance or an endowment fund with the intent of the earnings being able to fund the cemetery’s care well into the future. Due to the cemetery’s size and steeply sloped hills, it costs nearly $5,000 each time the lawn is cut, and six or seven cuts are needed each year. Future goals include improving roads, uprighting fallen tombstones, trimming and cutting trees, and continued fundraising.
In addition to the work that the association has done to renew the Community Mausoleum and add the columbarium, they have organized elementary school projects and walking tours, and are constantly planning for the future. Every member of the board of directors, led by President John Watson, has invested countless hours into the cemetery’s upkeep and other needs – carrying caskets, praying at graves, cutting trees, removing shrubs, and completing necessary secretarial and treasury work. Other officers among the association’s all volunteer board, which consists of twenty to twenty-five members, include Vice President John Bulmer, Treasurer Barb Steinhauer, and Secretary Molly Lindahl.
“Oak Hill Cemetery is a landmark that is important to Bradford’s history,” stated Kennedy, “and the group of dedicated volunteers who make up the Oak Hill Cemetery Association deserve this recognition for the tireless efforts they’ve made to preserve and protect the legacy of this incredibly special place.”
The 2018 BACC Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation will be held on Thursday, April 26 at the Pennhills Club. The social hour starts at 6 p.m. followed by the awards presentation at 7 p.m. The evening will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, desserts, refreshments and a cash bar.
All BACC members, their employees, and their guests, are invited to attend. For tickets and sponsorship information, contact the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce at 814-368-7115.
