PLATTSBURGH — The North Country Chamber of Commerce hosted its 111th Annual Awards Dinner at the West Side Ballroom Friday night, with the theme being “A Winter Wonderland.”
The sold-out event featured decorations such as snowflakes, evergreen bows and cranberry centerpieces, while the more than 375 attendees dressed up in their finest attire as the 2023 Chamber award winners of Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Businessperson of the Year and Trailblazer, along with the 2022 Chairperson, were all honored.
Here are this year’s award winners:
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Behavioral Health Services North (BHSN), which services several northern New York counties, was given the nod for Business of the Year.
BHSN’s history in the North Country dates back to 1874 when Margaret Platt founded a home for orphans and abandoned children.
Through the decades, it has evolved into one of the most diverse regional suppliers of behavioral services in the state and nation, with more than 20 sites and programs committed in a range of ways to strengthening individuals, families and community life in the North Country.
More specifically, its focus is on building a comprehensive, integrated, community based network of care that is inclusive of physical health, behavioral health, as well as social determinants of health.
Over 400 employees at BHSN work daily to make that mission come to life.
“We’re one of the few organizations that is actually able to treat the entire person,” President and CEO of BHSN, Mark Lukens, said.
“We can focus on their behavioral health needs or physical health needs, as well as all those other things that can contribute to health such as housing, employment and education.”
Lukens noted that the need for their services has grown significantly over the past few years among all age groups.
“Well, across the entire United States there has been a huge uptick in folks seeking behavioral health support,” he said.
“I’ve been here six years now. When I started here …we had a workforce of about 100 to 220 staff, and we were about $8 million to $9 million in annual revenue. Today, we have over 415 staff and close to (about) $40 million in revenue.”
The company’s substantial growth in such a short period of time has not been lost on the Chamber, either.
“Under the leadership of President Mark Lukens, his team and his board, BHSN has experienced astounding growth in its capacity and efforts,” Garry Douglas, Chamber President, said.
“Over just the last five years, its revenue has increased from $8 million to $37 million, enabling historic new levels of service and support for our area.”
Lukens said the Chamber’s recognition of their work has been greatly appreciated.
“The recognition is well deserved amongst the folks here, they deserve it,” he said.
“I think it’s been a tough couple years, in general, from a societal perspective. From an organizational perspective, we’ve grown significantly during that same period of time. So I mean, it’s always an honor to be recognized for your work. It’s always an honor. And, from my perspective, it’s an honor to have 400 people out there that brought this to life and made it a reality.”
BHSN now has big plans ahead of them for the coming year.
“I see continued growth. I see our growth in a variety of ways. We’re going to continue to diversify our services. We’re going to continue to grow in terms of our geographic footprint,” Lukens said.
“You know, it was just two years ago that we were asked to come into Glens Falls and open up shop down there. We’re going to continue to expand even beyond that … part of our vision is potentially 24 hour days, seven days a week services and potentially going multistate.”
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Banker Orchards Farm Market, owned and operated by the Sullivan family since 1979, took home the honor of Small Business of the Year.
The Plattsburgh-based orchard is known for its offerings of a variety of freshly grown apples and pumpkins as well as an assortment of fresh baked goods like apple, pumpkin, raspberry, strawberry rhubarb and blueberry pies.
The public orchard, which has a petting zoo on site with pigs, goats, llamas, miniature donkeys and horses, is a popular destination for many scheduled class trips on weekdays, and birthday parties on weekends.
“Our business is all local and community and family. We have a lot of families that come in,” Owner Nina Sullivan said.
“We try to strive to give them that outside adventure and make it reasonable for them. We try to offer a lot of free things (too).”
Nina said owning a small business over the last three years has presented them with a lot more challenges than normal.
But thanks to their strong “core,” they got through it.
Now, to be celebrated with this award, she said, it meant everything.
“When they called and told me, it didn’t sink in and I didn’t believe it. I had to call them back the next day and ask them if they told me right,” Nina laughed.
“It’s a big to-do and we’re very proud and honored to be chosen … Whoever nominated us, thank you very much.”
Nina and her husband Bruce both agreed that the businesses’ focus on family was a big reason they believe they were chosen for the award.
“We’re dedicated. We’re a family and you need a family that is interested in every aspect that we do, and we all work very hard,” she said.
“It’s just a family operation up there. We have happy people that come in and we tend to all their needs.”
Their sons, Brian and Andrew Sullivan, along with Andrew’s wife Emma and their children, Nicolas, Daniel and Grace, have worked to make the magic happen at the orchard when help ran short the last few years.
Nina’s parents, Janice and Ridley Stuart, have as well.
“When our smaller workforce isn’t there, it makes for a longer day and harder work for our family, and that’s what the last three years have been,” Nina said.
“But we have our family working with us so we’re honored to have that. We’re lucky.”
Kristy Kennedy, vice president of Marketing and Tourism for the Chamber, had high praise for the small business and its impact on the North Country.
“Banker Orchards Farm Market is a true Adirondack Coast treasure highlighting our most desirable and beautiful season: fall,” Kennedy said.
“Nina and her team have built a quality orchard that is a truly stand-alone destination. Not only do they offer their famous apple picking, but I can guarantee that everyone in attendance has attended a birthday party at the orchard or visited with their family. For her investment in our community and our family memories, I was so honored to see Nina and Bankers Orchard chosen for this award.”
BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR
This year’s recipient of the Chamber’s Businessperson of the Year Award, Deena Giltz McCullough, has had a strong presence in the North Country for many decades.
As president and CEO of Northern Insuring Agency, Inc., which has offices in the City of Plattsburgh, Glens Falls and Potsdam, Giltz McCullough has distinguished herself as an example of excellence in both business, leadership and community support since first joining the company in 1985.
Since then, she has not only sustained the third generation family enterprise but has brought it to new heights while building a successful team around her.
“Deena Giltz McCullough exemplifies not only excellence in leading a historic family enterprise to new heights,” Douglas said, “but demonstrating the conviction that a strong business requires a strong community and that a strong community in turn requires strong support from its business leaders.”
McCullough has continued the legacy of the Giltz family in support of a wide array of community causes and organizations, not only through financial generosity but through personal engagement and leadership with the UVM Health Network and CVPH, SUNY Plattsburgh, Mountain Lake PBS, the Strand Center for the Arts and the Plattsburgh YMCA, among others.
To no surprise, Giltz McCullough has been no stranger to receiving awards.
But each one means just as much, she said.
“Other than being surprised about it, too. I can’t say enough. It’s nice to be recognized, it’s still not why I do it. It comes with a certain responsibility. and when our peers recognize us, it puts a little added emphasis and I’m a very intentional person. I take that responsibility seriously,” she said.
“It’s nice to have people that say ‘Hey, thank you, you are the anointed and this is your year to shine.’ and I just can’t say enough how surprised I am by that.”
But it hasn’t always been easy for her; in fact, it rarely has been easy.
She said there have been three defining moments in her career that got her to where she is today: the 1998 ice storm; the death of her son; and the pandemic.
While each situation was completely different, each one forced her into becoming a better leader, friend, mother and person.
“I like to think of it as neuroplasticity — where the brain has the ability to heal itself and do greater things than what it had before.”
Now, as she looks ahead to 2023, Giltz McCullough, 60, is focused on building up the next generation.
This will allow her to take on less, while preparing Northern Insuring for the future.
“So if you look at what I do as a professional here, I do a lot of strategic planning and part of that is envisioning for where we need to position ourselves to be and it’s been growing that next generation of leaders,” she said.
“If you look at my age and where I’m going with this, I’m not leaving, but I’m growing people that are at the prime of their careers that are interested in growing and are capable people, and it makes for a really smooth transition. So with all those hats that I’m wearing, I’m just wearing half the hats, maybe not all of the hats, or maybe a more specialized form of hat.”
TRAILBLAZER
When Adam Crosley, manager at Crown Home Mortgage in Plattsburgh, was initially told by Kennedy he was going to be the recipient of this year’s Trailblazer Award, he “didn’t believe it.”
“The mortgage world was hit very hard last year and it was the first year … I looked in the mirror and I thought I failed,” Crosley said.
“And I didn’t really feel deserving of it, but her (Kennedy) response to me — it put such a smile on my face — (she said) ‘Adam, it’s about where we think you are going.’ It really just meant the world.”
Though the last year was difficult for Crosley, 37, he said he began his career in 2008 in the middle of a national mortgage crisis, so he knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity.
“I got my mortgage license in September of 2008, while everybody else was getting their teeth knocked in and I didn’t know the difference. I grew up throwing bales of hay and logging. I know how to work,” he laughed.
“So that was that and (since then) we’ve helped, probably, about 2,500 families buy homes in the North Country.”
On top of having over a decade of lending experience on his resume now, the SUNY Plattsburgh graduate also spends his time as a motivational speaker and mentor for up-and-coming lenders on how to successfully run your own branch and mortgage operations.
Additionally, Crosley made the next big step in his career by becoming a building owner and moving his office to 12 Booth Drive Plaza in Plattsburgh last year.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing Adam for several years, and the one word that describes Adam in every encounter is ‘go-getter,’” Kennedy said.
“Adam has taken every challenge and flipped it into an opportunity. He has never relied on someone else to help him reach his goals, but rather planned and went after what he wanted. He continues to lead this community in a variety of efforts and wants to see this region grow and thrive – he even is now a building owner on Route 3. We can’t wait to continue to see his impact on the community.”
Crosley and his Mortgage Team now have big plans for 2023.
“We’re planning on building a commercial mortgage division this year and we’re planning on doing a bunch of other things — I just got a side gig coaching loan officers all over the country, ” Crosley said.
“I think that’s what the Trailblazer is, it’s a person that … is willing to go against the grain a little bit, challenge the norms and try and find a different way, maybe a better way.”
CHAIRPERSON
Lastly, business manager and owner at Rulfs Orchard, as well as owner of Livingood’s Restaurant, Shannon Wilkins, was honored for her time as the Chamber’s Chair in 2022.
“Shannon Wilkins has been one of the Chamber’s top supporters for many years, co-leading our Visitors Bureau and tourism programs for more than a decade, including through difficult challenges such as the pandemic, and then chairing the board as we updated and expanded the Chamber’s strategic endeavors over the past year,” Douglas said.
“She has consistently provided a steady hand and confident support and the North Country Chamber is definitely stronger because of her leadership.”
Wilkins praised Douglas and Kennedy for helping to make her time as Chair stress-free and added that the Chamber’s recognition of her, through this award, has been “really nice.”
“I think that I had a really great year, because … I took over when the Chamber was just in a really great spot,” she said.
“It has been an honor to be chair and to get the award, and I think that great things can happen in the North Country this year.”
Wilkins also thanked her husband for always being supportive with their two girls as she managed her career and Chamber endeavors.
“It can be a little challenging juggling family and early morning meetings and working, but my husband comes home and relieves me in the mornings that I have meetings,” she said.
“So it’d be nice to thank him.”
Wilkins will now step down as chair and resume her focus on Rulfs, Livingood’s and, of course, the Chamber’s Visitors Bureau and tourism programs, which she said has helped her become more in tune with the area over the past decade.
“Just being a business owner, it really gives you a good idea of what is going on in the community on all different levels … and there are so many different levels. There’s the marketing and the advertising, there’s economic development, there’s NAmTrans, manufacturing. There’s so many moving parts that the chamber is involved in,” she said.
“I feel like we have probably one of the best chambers in New York state. I would bet on that.”
Alex Barie of CDC Real Estate will now be the chair for 2023.
“She’ll do a great job in filling the role,” Wilkins said.
“It was a great experience … to be the chair for the Chamber. I think it’s just a great experience, in general, for anyone.”