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Past Wisdom Keepers

Wisdom Keeper 2024

Robert M. Simpson, President & CEO, CenterState CEO

Sheena Solomon, Executive Director, The Gifford Foundation

Watch the 2024 Wisdom Keeper Video!

Wisdom Keeper 2023

Mary Nelson, President & CEO, Mary Nelson Youth Center
Stan Linhorst, Former Editor, Syracuse.com & The Post-Standard

Watch the 2023 Wisdom Keeper Video!

Wisdom Keeper 2022

Calvin L. Corriders, Regional President for the Syracuse Market for Pathfinder Bank
Pamela M. Brunet, Executive Director of Leadership Greater Syracuse

Watch the 2022 Wisdom Keeper Video!

Wisdom Keeper 2021

Van B. Robinson,Former President, Syracuse Common Council

Linda Brown-Robinson, Immediate Past President, of the Syracuse Onondaga NAACP

Merike Treier,Executive Director, Downtown Committee of Syracuse

Watch the 2021 Wisdom Keeper Video!

Wisdom Keeper 2020

The Board of Directors of FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc. celebrated our 2020 Wisdom Keeper event by honoring the Central New York community for resilience through 2020.

Watch the 2020 Wisdom Keeper Video!

Melanie Littlejohn and Maarten Jacobs.

Wisdom Keeper 2019

Melanie Littlejohn, Vice President, NY Customer & Community Management, National Grid; and chair of the Centerstate CEO Board of Directors.
Maarten Jacobs, Director of Community Prosperity, Allyn Family Foundation.

Watch the 2019 Wisdom Keeper Video!

WISDOM KEEPER 2018

Sean Kirst, Columnist, Post-Standard in Syracuse, New York.

Bethaida Gonzalez

WISDOM KEEPER 2017

Bea González, Vice President for Community Engagement, Syracuse University.

Watch the 2017 Wisdom Keeper Video!

Dr. Sharon Brangman

WISDOM KEEPER 2016

Dr. Sharon Brangman, SUNY Upsatate Medical University. Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of the Department of Geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Director, Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease of CNY

WISDOM KEEPER 2015

Rev. James Mathews, Pastor, St. Lucy’s Church, Syracuse

Watch the 2015 Wisdom Keeper Video!

WISDOM KEEPER 2014

Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper, Wolf Clan, Onondaga Nation, Haudenosaunee, Six Nations, Iroquois Confederacy for the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs.

Watch the 2014 Wisdom Keeper Video!

WISDOM KEEPER 2013

Dr. Cornelius (Neil) Murphy, Jr., President of SUNY ESF

Watch the 2013 Wisdom Keeper Video!

WISDOM KEEPER 2012

Dr. Judith Mower, Former president of J. C. Mower Consultants

Watch the 2012 Wisdom Keeper Video!

WISDOM KEEPER 2011

Bill Sanford, Former SU crew coach, and Onondaga County politician

Nancy Cantor, Chancellor of Rutgers University–Newark

Watch Bill Sanford’s Wisdom Keeper Video! Watch Nancy Cantor’s Wisdom Keeper Video!

WISDOM KEEPER 2010

Charlotte “Chuckie” Holstein, Co-Founder, FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

Watch the 2010 Wisdom Keeper Video!

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FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc. is an independent 501(c)(3) organization that thrives with the support of our community. Your charitable contributions, grants, and sponsorships help us tap citizen creativity to bring about change in Central New York!

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