Chamber President John Wade recognized at NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet as George Gibbs Award winner

This past weekend, Chamber President John Wade was recognized as the 2009 winner of the George Gibbs Meritorious Community Service award presented for leadership, dedication and faithful service to the entire Rochester community. Please find the text below, taken directly from the script at the celebration:

"Our first winner is known to all is not just about all of us in this room. They have resided in Rochester for many years and lead a major entity within our community. Our winner, the recipient of the George Gibbs Award for community service, embodies the spirit of all that makes Rochester a great place to live and work.

This individual is tireless in their support of activities and initiatives that move Rochester forward in a positive and meaningful way. They are always eager to help build bridges in our community across racial, economic, social and political lines. Their support for diversity is visible and continuous.

Most of us may know this from the role this individual plays in partnership with our branch to put on one of the state’s largest and I would argue, one of the country’s finest breakfast’s in celebration of the birthday of Dr. King. He has also worked hard to champion and support business diversity, and I happen to know that this was going on way back before it became an imperative in these tough economic times. Today under his guidance and leadership, diversity is a real part of the work and programming of the activities of the number one business organization in our community, and as long as he is at the helm I know that it will always be a key priority.

Our winner could just do his job and choose to avoid the tough issues and activities that might to some seem controversial and unpopular, but this individual has never wavered in his insistence that causes that are important to us be causes that are important to the Rochester business community, too. I happen to know, as most of you do, too, that our winner and I are on the very opposite ends of the political spectrum; I lean left and he leans right, but when it comes to equity, fairness and working hard to make Rochester the kind of city we all know it can be, we all walk together, hand in hand.

Ladies and gentleman, please join me in congratulating our 2009 winner of the George Gibbs Meritorious Community Service award presented for leadership, dedication and faithful service to the entire Rochester community, President of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, Mr. John Wade."