CNY BEST Talent Development Awards

Posted on November 8, 2021

 

CNY BEST Talent Development Awards

 

The winners of the 14th Annual CNY BEST Talent Development Awardswere announced at CNY ATD’s CNY BEST Talent Development Awards Ceremony on Thursday, November 4, 2021.

CNY ATD annually presents the CNY BEST Talent Development Awards to recognize excellence in talent development in the Central New York area. Organizations that link learning to the strategic growth or success of organizations and individuals are recognized as CNY's BEST in Talent Development. 

Nominations for this year’s CNY BEST Talent Development Awards represent a wide-range of organizations and include: AmeriCu Credit Union; Keeping People Safe and Factories Running; Leadergrow Inc.; National Grid; OneGroup; Oneida Nation Enterprises, LLC; TDO - Train, Develop, Optimize; Tompkins Financial Corporation; and YWCA of Syracuse & Onondaga Co. Inc.

Nominations were evaluated by a panel of local and national judges representing the profession and community. They evaluated the quality of talent development practices, practice results and impacts, and demonstrations of how the practices linked to the strategic growth or success of organizations and individuals. The distinguished panel of judges for the 2021 CNY BEST Talent Development Awards included: Bernadette Costello, PhD, ACC, SHRM-SCP, BCC Consulting and National Advisor for Chapters, ATD; David Goodness, Workforce Development Institute; Jeff Gribble, OakLeaf Group; Louise Hand, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Exelon – FitzPatrick NPP and President, CNY SHRM; Joanne Rauch, CR Fletcher Associates; and Sheena Solomon, The Gifford Foundation.

 

CNY BEST Talent Development Organization Award

National Grid was recognized withthe CNY BEST Talent Development Organization Award for linking talent development to their organization’s strategic growth or success with its Our Journey to Securing Course Materials project.

No formal procedures for monitoring course content or access to the materials, inconsistent, inefficient approaches to search, locate and use materials, missing, accidentally moved, deleted or outdated files, reproducing materials to replace those lost or missing and a new IT cybersecurity plan led to National Grid starting the Our Journey to Securing Course Materials project. Following research and discussions, the Instructional Design team led the process of moving all course materials to a new SharePoint site. The application allowed the team to create permissions, track version history and have accountability to creating or changing course materials.

Having secure talent development course materials is crucial to any organization’s talent development efforts. The Our Journey to Securing Course Materials project helped National Grid manage and track their courses and handling of course material more efficiently and with security. One example showing the significance of this project was a review of almost 900 courses on their Learning Management System leading to a deactivation of over 300 outdated courses. Reduction in wasted time and efforts, and more consistencies in materials and processes will allow the organization’s talent development team to be more impactful. One judge appreciated that the company took the time to audit and to stay accountable and it was noted that they found a better way and improved overall processes.

 

CNY BEST Talent Development Team Award

Keeping People Safe and Factories Running, a consortium of twenty-three Central New York companies with support from MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, was honored with the CNY BEST Talent Development Team Award for linking talent development for their internal or external stakeholders to the organizations’ strategic growth or success with itsKeeping People Safe and Factories Running program.

The Keeping People Safe and Factories Running consortium came together in the early stage of the pandemic to address a fear that the infection could shut down operations with a devastating impact on the companies, the economy, the communities, and the employees. Cohorts made a pledge that their respective companies would go above and beyond the safety and communications requirements put out by the various governmental agencies. Tasks, protocols, training, a set of common measurements of effectiveness and audits were agreed upon with a process of continuous improvement.

This was an effort that required significant creativity, speed and commitment to get it right, to work together to develop best practice protocols and Keep People Safe and Factories Running. The program that was created was shared with elected officials in Albany and became a best practice for manufacturers throughout the nation. Judges declared that this collaboration showed true leadership. Cohorts affirmed that through collaboration, cooperation, and dialogue, they collectively and individually created programs to achieve the end result of protecting their employees, families, and communities. One company commented, “Having a network of businesses with varying approaches and techniques to draw upon for best practices and support has been a bright light during a very uncertain time.”

 

CNY BEST Talent Development Consultant Award

Leadergrow Inc. was presented with CNY BEST Talent Development Consultant Award for linking talent development to a client’s or clients’ strategic growth or success with its Leadership for Managers Course.

Leadergrow Inc.’s Leadership for Managers Course is aimed at all leader positions from supervisor to C-suite executives, and is an excellent development course for aspiring leaders with the goal of creating a much higher caliber of leader. The course covers leadership, motivation, culture, building trust along with communications and people skills, organizational and corporate skills, and integrating work and life.

Cited by Leadership Excellence Magazine as a Top Thought Leader on Leadership Development, Bob Whipple took his many years of experience to develop Leadergrow’s Leadership for Managers Course. Bob’s passion shines through his belief that the highest calling for any leader is to grow other leaders.

The leadership program is highly acclaimed with most participants rating it one of the best courses they have ever taken and course participants agree that the course does creates a much higher caliber of leader.

 

In addition to recognizing excellence in talent development practices, CNY ATD members were acknowledged for national and local recognitions, and CNY ATD Scholarship Recipients were announced. 

CNY ATD Member Recognitions

 

Certified Professional in Talent Development

Erin Cunia and Binaifer Dabu were recognized for achieving the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) designation, the only credential covering the entire talent development profession. Earning the CPTD credential signifies that a talent development professional possesses the knowledge and skills with direct experience across the breadth of talent development capabilities. CPTDs understand, and can affect, the value and impact employee learning and development strategies bring to the success of an organization. The process of being certified is broad-based and addresses the key capabilities as defined in the ATD Talent Development Capability Model, the framework for the talent development profession. An individual must pass a comprehensive, standardized exam designed to assess the ability to apply knowledge and use critical thinking to solve on-the-job situations encountered in the daily work of talent development professionals. 

 

ATD Up & Coming Recognition

Cheri Green was recognized for her ATD Up & Coming recognition. ATD (Association for Talent Development) recognizes rising stars and outstanding young professionals working in talent development with this recognition. ATD describes Up & Coming professionals as leaders among peers and colleagues with demonstrated professional achievements, such as leading successful projects, managing teams, displaying excellent leadership capabilities, or mentoring others.

 

CNY ATD Member 40 Under Forty Honoree

Jennifer Rousseau was identified as a 40 under Forty honoree. Jennifer was nominated by CNY ATD for the 40 under Forty recognition for her contributions to CNY ATD along with other business and civic achievements.

 

CNY ATD Member Author

Mark Britz was recognized for the publication of Social By Design, a talent development book he co-authored, which looks to help organizations remove barriers so knowledge flows more quickly, resulting in greater employee responsiveness and engagement. 

 

CNY ATD Scholarship Awards

Manal El Tigi was awarded the CNY ATD Ken Steiger Leadership Scholarship. Manal is pursuing an organizational development consultant certification. Darlene McDougall, Oswego County Opportunities, was awarded a CNY ATD Train-the-Trainer Scholarship to attend the nationally-recognized CNY ATD Train-the-Trainer Program.

 

CNY ATD established the CNY ATD Scholarship Program to encourage and support professional development and continuing education in the field of talent development. The CNY ATD Ken Steiger Leadership Scholarship is named in honor of CNY ATD’s 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Ken Steiger. The CNY ATD Train-the-Trainer Scholarship provides financial assistance for nonprofit organizations looking to develop their staff or volunteers who educate an audience.

 

Keynote Speaker

The keynote speaker for the CNY BEST Talent Development Awards Ceremony was Melanie Littlejohn, VP of Customer and Community Management, at National Grid. Melanie’s keynote titled ’Talent Development… Your Super Power or Your Kryptonite?’ equated a talent development kryptonite to the ‘mini me syndrome’.

 

Sponsors

CNY ATD thanks the following sponsors for their support of the CNY BEST Talent Development Program: CNY Business Journal; Visual Technologies; Emergent; National Grid, Oneida Nation Enterprises, LLC; OneGroup; TDO - Train, Develop, Optimize; and getAbstract.

 

----------------------------------------------------

For questions regarding this announcement, please contact info@cnyatd.org or 315.546.2783.

 

About CNY BEST Talent Development Program

 

CNY ATD annually recognizes excellence in talent development in the CNY area with the CNY BEST Talent Development Program. Organizations, consultants and individuals/teams who have made an impact on the success of the organizations and communities they serve are recognized as CNY's BEST in Talent Development. Nominated practices represent a diverse variety of talent development topics and techniques. A panel of local and national judges representing the talent development profession and community evaluate the nominations for quality of talent development practices, practice results and impacts, and demonstrations of how the practices linked to the strategic growth or success of the organization and individuals. CNY ATD has been nationally recognized for this innovative CNY BEST Program which “creates awareness in the community about talent development and its importance to organizational success, while creating involvement by organizations in the community through recognition of excellence in talent development practices”. CNY ATD is celebrating the 14th Annual CNY BEST Talent Development Program in 2021. 

 

About CNY ATD Scholarship Program

CNY ATD established the CNY ATD Scholarship Program to encourage and support professional development and continuing education in the field of talent development. Since its inception in 2011, the CNY ATD Scholarship Program has awarded over $15,500 in monetary assistance to industry professionals and students pursuing various talent development programs. CNY ATD has been nationally recognized for its CNY ATD Scholarship Program which “addresses a need in the local community for financial support for talent development professionals to pursue professional development and continuing education.”

The CNY ATD Ken Steiger Leadership Scholarship is named in honor of CNY ATD’s 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award winner Ken Steiger. The CNY ATD Train-the-Trainer Scholarships provide financial assistance for nonprofit organizations looking to develop their staff and volunteers who educate an audience.

 

About CNY ATD

CNY ATD is the local affiliate chapter of Association for Talent Development (ATD).For nearly 50 years,CNY ATDhas beenconnecting talent development professionals throughout the region and contributing to the growth and recognition of the profession. Currently, CNY ATD has over 120 members from various businesses covering the central part of New York State from the North Country to the Southern Tier and from the Seneca-Cayuga Corridor to the Mohawk Valley. CNY ATD is proud to have received numerous national and local recognitions, including 22 ATD recognitions over the past 14 years.

 

CNY ATD

PO Box 6343

Syracuse, NY 13217-6343

315.546.2783

info@cnyatd.org

 

 

 

Other Member News

Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield Excellence Logos
October 1, 2025

Specialists' One-Day Surgery Center Recognized Nationally for Higher Quality and Cost-Effective Spine Surgery and Hip & Knee Replacements

This program identifies hospitals and ambulatory care centers (ASCs) that demonstrate expertise in delivering improved patient safety, better health outcomes, and are more cost-effective.

Wicked
October 1, 2025

Wicked to Return to Landmark Theatre Dec. 3–14, 2025

Winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, WICKED has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world.

new partners graphic
October 1, 2025

New Partners-CEO Insights October 2025

Please join us in welcoming new CenterState CEO Partner-level members.   

member news graphic
September 30, 2025

Member Essentials-CEO Insights October 2025

Below is a snapshot of the latest news and top headlines from our members. We want to hear from you!

new investors graphic
September 30, 2025

New Investors-CEO Insights October 2025

CenterState CEO wishes to recognize the members who have recently joined as Investors.

Harris Beach Murtha
September 30, 2025

36 Harris Beach Murtha Attorneys Selected to 2025 Upstate New York Super Lawyers® and Super Lawyers: Rising Stars® Lists

Super Lawyers is a nationally recognized professional survey and ranking service of accomplished attorneys who have achieved a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in more than 70 practice areas.

Mitch Nelson, Technician of the Year
September 30, 2025

Eastern Security Services Technician Receives National Distinction

The award highlights excellence in system design, installation, and maintenance while honoring the vital role technicians play in protecting people and property.

ambassadors sfcu graphic
September 30, 2025

Ambassadors-CEO Insights October 2025

Presented by SFCU

Dan and Andrea
September 29, 2025

FMF&E CPA, P.C. Announces New Managing Partner and Key Leadership Appointments

As the Firm celebrates its 45th year in business, this transition marks a significant milestone in the Firm’s continued growth and evolution.