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A commitment to integrity, a dedication to customers, and a determination to improve the quality of life for others. Those are the hallmarks of the employees of Central Hudson—and of the entire CH Energy Group organization. The men and women of our Company take pride in serving the communities where we live and work. Through our commitment to nonprofit groups like the United Way, and employee volunteer efforts, the company and its employees take an active role in making the world a better place for the people we serve.
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 Five community organizations and employees of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. were honored on June 10, 2011 at the utility’s 22nd annual Community Service Award event. “Central Hudson employees volunteer in hundreds of ways with hundreds of organizations, but this year’s award winners stand out,” said Steven V. Lant, Chairman, President and CEO of CH Energy Group, Inc., Central Hudson’s parent company.
» Learn about this year's recipients |
Central Hudson donates $500 to Facebook contest winner The Queens Galley |
Central Hudson Employees Volunteer in Newburgh Community Cleanup |
Employees Volunteer to Rebuild Home For Poughkeepsie Resident |
Central Hudson Receives Workplace Inclusiveness Award |
$373,000 raised by Central Hudson for United Way |
Central Hudson Employees Give at Thanksgiving 2010 |
Central Hudson and its customers recognized by The Salvation Army |
Dutchess Outreach, Food Bank of the Hudson Valley honor Central Hudson |
Central Hudson paperless billing promotion leads to $2,500 donation
to Walkway |
Community Activities Archives
» How Central Hudson is taking action to protect the environment
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In 1988, Central Hudson established its Community Service Award Program to recognize those employees of the Company who not only carry out the spirit of Central Hudson into their communities but who help improve the quality of life throughout the Hudson Valley. Since 1988, 110 employees have received the Award. Below are profiles of the 2010 Community Service Award recipients, honored on June 10, 2011. |
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Sandra Brady - Wappingers Falls Historical Society
Accounting Technician 3/C Sandra Brady has been involved with the Wappingers Falls Historical
Society for three years and has been on
its Board of Directors, serving as treasurer,
for two. Brady also serves as the
chair of the Society’s museum committee,
which includes working with
the archives and displays, as well as
coordinating and conducting tours of
historical sites. She has also served as
the event coordinator for the Harvest
Festival, a community event geared toward
children. Brady was accompanied by
Allesandria Vacchio, president of the
Wappingers Falls Historical Society,
when she received her award. |
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Joseph Croshier - Dutchess County SPCA
Manager of General Accounting Joseph Croshier has been a volunteer dog
walker for the past three years. Every
Sunday morning, in good weather and
in bad, Croshier goes to the Dutchess County
SPCA shelter
to make sure the dogs are exercised,
given basic obedience training and play
time. For the dogs, the enrichment
and human bonding not only contributes
to the dogs’ happiness, but it also
increases their chances of adoption.
Croshier, who was joined by Dutchess
County SPCA’s volunteer coordinator
Sue Stives, has collected much needed
towels, blankets, cat litter and food for
the shelter through drives he has organized. |
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David Dittmann - Town of Poughkeepsie Little League
Manager of Reliability Compliance David Dittmann, a Little League coach since 2005, was recognized for his six-year commitment to the Town of
Poughkeepsie’s Little League. He took
on the additional responsibilities of
tournament director in 2008 and 2010,
fundraising coordinator in 2009, and
treasurer in 2010. Currently, Dittmann
holds the position of president.
Under Dittmann’s leadership the
organization has an increased player
registration of more than 300 boys
and girls, ages 4 to 14. Through their
participation in Little League, these
children experience the value of teamwork
and sportsmanship. Mike Sommerfeldt, of the Town
of Poughkeepsie Little League, joined
Dittmann at the award ceremony. |
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Jocelyn Swart - Cub Scout Pack 70
Accounting Technician 1/C Jocelyn Swart was recognized for her involvement
with Cub Scout Pack 70, for which she has served as the committee chair for two years. As such,
Swart oversees the entire Boy Scout
Program for the troop, which includes,
but is not limited to working with the
scoutmaster and troop leadership to
encourage and promote rank advancement
for each scout; monitoring troop
funds; serving as a liaison between the
troop and district council; preparing
the committee meeting agendas and
providing direction for all community
service fundraising events.
Pack 70 Cubmaster Micki Munson
joined Swart, who dedicates no
less than 15 hours a month to the
Scouts, in receiving her award. |
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Paul Tesoro - Food Bank of the Hudson Valley
Director of Corporate Communications Paul Tesoro was recognized for his
dedication to Food Bank of the Hudson
Valley, which serves six counties
and distributed 10 million pounds of
food through 370 member agencies
in 2010.
For the past 10 years Tesoro has
served on the Food Bank’s advisory
board, and according to Director Jan
Whitman, who nominated him, Tesoro’s
commitment to helping those
most in need has served the Food
Bank well. Tesoro is on the board of directors
at Regional Food Bank of
Northeastern, NY, the Food Bank
of the Hudson Valley’s parent organization.
He is now serving in his
second three-year term there, where
he is able to advocate for hunger issues
that affect the Hudson Valley. In
2010, at the Food Bank’s 20th anniversary
dinner, Tesoro was honored
as an individual instrumental to the
organization’s growth and sustenance. |
| Click here for the full list of past award winners |
For further information on Central Hudson community services, contact Denise VanBuren at 845-486-5563,
or via e-mail dvanburen@cenhud.com.
Here follow some earlier examples of our service-minded people at work in your community:
| In the fourth week of April 2009, in recognition of Arbor Day and Earth Day, Central Hudson partnered with the region’s Chambers of Commerce to plant trees at seven local community agencies. Central Hudson purchased the trees to be planted at local not-for-profit agencies selected by the various Chambers from among their membership, and underwrote the cost of their planting by Chamber-member landscaping or nursery firms. Planting trees with the region’s business communities helps beautify and support local not-for-profit agencies, and also supports these two national days of environmental protection. |
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Karen Kosack, a Central Hudson Customer Service Representative with two autistic children of her own, has been raising money for other Hudson Valley families who have been affected by the mysterious spectrum disorder for years. She is the president of Autism Society Hudson Valley and the founder of the Hudson Valley Autism Walk. She has chaired the event, which has raised nearly $1 million to increase awareness and connect local families with needed services, since 2002. |
| In 2009 and 2010, Central Hudson Executive Assistant Denise Hector has helped organize the utility’s team for the American Heart Association’s Dutchess-Ulster Heart Walk, but she has been a participant in the annual fundraiser for much longer. Why? Because like so many, Hector has a history of heart-related illness in her family. She says participating in the walk is her way of honoring her father, who had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Hector is one of many Central Hudson employees who have helped raised tens of thousands of dollars for research, over more than a decade of participation. |
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Each year Central Hudson employees and retirees donate more and more money to the United Way organizations of Dutchess, Ulster and Orange Counties, and former employee campaign chair and Section Engineer Tim Hayes says that’s because it’s the right thing to do. “Each employee and retiree donation – regardless of size – makes a meaningful impact on our communities,” said Hayes, who co-chaired the 2007 campaign, which raised more than the $336,000 goal, and chaired the 2008 campaign, which far exceeded the $342,000 goal. In 2009 the Central Hudson Employee United Way Campaign exceeded its $357,000 goal, raising more than $366,000 in needed funding for the local agencies. |
| Central Hudson’s Senior Human Resources Administrator Maggi Whalen says it is human nature to want to help others; that’s why she volunteered to be the House Captain for the Central Hudson team during Rebuilding Together Day 2010. For the annual event, teams throughout Dutchess County volunteer to repair homes for income-eligible residents. “In one day you have the opportunity to change someone’s life by making them warm, safe and dry – just by volunteering a few hours of your time,” she said. Whalen and other Central Hudson employees have been active members of the Rebuilding Together – Dutchess County chapter (formerly Christmas in April) since its inception in 1991. |
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Annie Cannon, a Central Hudson Customer Service Representative and breast cancer survivor has led a team of Company volunteers (some of whom are pictured here, standing behind Annie) in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and Relay For Life walkathon fundraisers each year since 1997. |
| "Customers remember when someone lends them a helping hand,” says Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, a Customer Account Services Supervisor. Agnes has served as a United Way Loaned Executive, not only to help others, but also because she recognizes that, “Building partnerships with the communities we serve is the best way to strengthen ties with our customers.” Central Hudson employees have long been leaders in extending helping hands to less-fortunate neighbors through participation in annual United Way campaigns, and unselfish sharing of their time, talent and treasure on behalf of virtually every United Way member-agency. |
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On the job, Electric Lineman Rick Dorrer regularly completes infrastructure construction projects and often restores electric service in the wake of emergencies. But many nights—and most weekends, too—he’s frequently found responding to emergencies of another sort: answering alarms as a member of the Rhinebeck Volunteer Fire Department. A member of the all-volunteer force for 16 years, the Rhinebeck native currently serves as its chief. Volunteerism, Dorrer says, is just one way that he gives back to his community, adding that, “it gives me a feeling of pride to help my neighbors.” |
| The Dutchess-Ulster County Division of the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk has had a staunch supporter every step of the way, for more than a decade, in Central Hudson Cafeteria Attendant Wennie Favaro. She laces up her walking shoes as a member of the Central Hudson team of walkers each year because she finds it fulfilling to help others, and because she believes that, “…people like to do business with companies they know and whose employees give back to the community.” |
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Michael Spector spends a lot of time thinking about the future. As an Associate Engineer in Central Hudson’s Energy Efficiency Services Division, he analyzes growth trends in our service territory, and then recommends ways to prepare our high-voltage system to reliably meet that demand. As an active volunteer with the Junior Achievement program, he’s also thinking about the future: providing skills and knowledge to young people in a way that only experienced business leaders can. Here he is shown with a class of third-graders, sharing a curriculum based on simple business principles, to help the children learn “more about the community around them.” Mike added, “The kids really get excited about it…you can see it in their eyes, and that is a great feeling for me.” |
| Senior Systems Analyst Jeffrey Johnson (second from right in this photo) says he enjoys “the continuous challenge to find new ways to enhance Central Hudson’s communications systems to meet the needs of our customers.” Little wonder, as he’s well familiar with helping meet the needs of others. Jeff was 16 when his father first welcomed Joe and Carl into the family’s home as part of a NY state program that places mentally and/or physically challenged adults with families. When Jeff’s father retired in 1994, it seemed only natural that the men should move in with Jeff and his own family, pictured here. “Although I’m paid, the income is minimal compared to the fact that they’re a part of my extended family,” Johnson said. |
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Wanting to “help people in the community and be a role model for my children,” first prompted Jeff May to get involved with Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April, a program that involves reconstruction of homes for income-eligible working families in the old-fashioned tradition of a barn-raising. “Helping others build a sense of pride and self worth” has kept him coming back since 1997. Section Engineer of Electric System Protection, May says he “enjoys finding ways to best motivate and utilize the skills of the talented folks” in his department, which is responsible for developing plans to improve our electric distribution system. |
| Director of Information Systems Development, Nicole Tancredi says she most enjoys the problem-solving aspect of her job duties. But there are other parts of being a Central Hudson employee that she enjoys, too. As a new employee in 1997, Nicole joined coworkers in collecting food and cash donations for Dutchess Outreach, a Poughkeepsie-based agency that feeds the homeless. She has since stepped up to take lead responsibility for the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. “Thanksgiving is a time of being thankful for what you have. It feels good to be able to give back to people who are struggling a little,” Nicole explained. |
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Though she uses cutting edge technology as an Engineer in Central Hudson's Gas and Mechanical Division Gail Duncan says it’s still “the people and the team work” that she likes best about her day-to-day job responsibilities. Gail has made it a personal priority to volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Ulster County for many years. Why? “Central Hudson employees have the values, culture and resources to be leaders in the community,” she says. |
| The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore offers one of the world’s most comprehensive pediatric medical programs for chronically ill children and adolescents. For many years, the programs at the Children’s Center have benefited from the annual Johns Hopkins Golf Tournament, sponsored by CH Energy Group’s Maryland-based subsidiary, Griffith Energy Services. Vince LasCasas is the Manager of Supply and Distribution for Griffith, and was the chair (in 2004) of their most successful fundraising tournament to date. “Griffith employees feel it’s important; it’s a way of feeling good about giving,” Vince says. |
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