Syracuse Woman Magazine March 2017 by Lorna Oppedisano

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The History Edition

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March 2017

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March C O N T E N T S

Letter from the Editor ............................................................. 6 Past SWM Events ..................................................................... 7

Fashion Forward: Fashion Her-Story ..................................... 8 Syracuse Eats: Bailiwick Market & Cafe ............................. 10

Special Feature: Escaping the Diet Culture ...................... 14 WISE Woman: Nancy Prince ............................................... 17 CNY Latina: Myrna García-Calderón ................................. 18 Healthy Woman: Central New York Dietetics Association ....22 Cover Story: Sally Roesch Wagner ..................................... 27

Syracuse History: The Ladies of the Poor and Needy and Home Association ........................................................ 32 For a Good Cause: March of Dimes Signature

Chefs Auction ..............................................................................33 Special Feature: 20 Years with Syracuse City Ballet ......... 35 Inspire: Karen DeJarnette.................................................... 38 Inspire: Natalie Clair Stetson............................................... 42 Inspire: Lanika Mabrey ......................................................... 46

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Upcoming Events ................................................................. 48 Movers and Shakers ............................................................. 50

35 The History Edition

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LETTER from the Editor S

must admit, history has never been my favorite subject. Obviously, English was up there. Surprisingly to my journalist and writer friends, I loved math and science. But there was something about history that bored me. Why did I have to know what year this war happened, or the name of that ancient ruin? Why did it matter? Now that we’ve seen the first female major party candidate in the running for the presidential election — and truly experienced history in the making — I’m beginning to gain a greater appreciation for my high school history classes. In a world where a wage gap still exists between men and women, brushing up on history — especially women’s history — is crucial. How are we going to change the future if we’re not aware of the past? In the words of this month’s cover woman, Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation founder and executive director Sally Roesch Wagner, “That’s the power of history, to transform our work and our vision and what we do. We can change the world.” Sally shared with us the story of discovering the work of feminist and activist Matilda Joslyn Gage. Sally, too, hated history, before Matilda came into her life and proved the importance of learning from the past. With this history edition, I also hope to highlight Syracuse’s legacy. Storycuse’s David Haas joined SWM this month as a contributing writer to fill us in on the history of The Ladies Relief of the Poor and Needy and Home Association. The organization, now incorporated into McHarrie Life, continues the tradition of care today in Baldwinsville. One of the Inspires introduces us to Erie Canal Museum executive director Natalie Clair Stetson. An eight-year-long bicentennial celebration of the canal kicks off this year, and Natalie and her team have plans to enliven and engage the city in its history. Friday, March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This day holds special meaning for Inspire Lanika Mabrey, AIDS and HIV awareness advocate. Lanika lost her mother to the disease in 2009, and has since been fighting to educate the public about the area’s health and educational resources. In this month’s Inspire section, we bring you the story of Karen DeJarnette, 2016 Syracuse Woman of the Year. Since moving to the area, Karen has dedicated her time and energy to the Central New York community. Through her work with the Women’s Fund of Central New York, she hopes to answer the question, “How do you empower women and girls to feel like they have a voice at the table?” I hope reading this history edition of Syracuse Woman Magazine enlightens you as much as it’s enlightened me!

Lorna

On Our Cover: Sally Roesch Wagner was photographed by Alice G. Patterson of Alice G. Patterson Photography at the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation in Fayetteville. Special thanks to Jillain Pastella Salomone, owner of J. Luxe Salon, for Sally’s makeup styling.

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OUR TEAM David Haas Peter Levins Alice G. Patterson Steven J. Pallone

Publisher David Tyler

Editor Lorna Oppedisano

Design Andrea Reeves

Photography Alexis Emm Enfoque Images Mary Grace Johnson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Riley Bunch David Haas Marisol Hernandez Holly Lowery Lorna Oppedisano Ann Marie Stonecypher

Advertising sales Linda Jabbour 315.657.0849

Renée Moonan 315.657.7690

ADVERTISE WITH US Unlike any other publication in the Syracuse area, our feature articles address major topics that interest local women. Each issue includes articles on health, fashion, fitness, finance, home matters, dining, lifestyle and personal perspectives, as well as a spotlight on local Syracuse women. Ads are due on the 15th of the month prior to publication. The print magazines will be distributed locally in over 350 locations and will be in your inbox electronically by the middle of every month. The publication is available free of charge.

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Copyright © 2017 Syracuse Woman Magazine, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or republished without the consent of the publishers. Syracuse Woman Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts, photos or artwork. All such submissions become the property of Syracuse Woman Magazine, LLC and will not be returned.

The History Edition

PAST SWM Events

Women Business Opportunities Connections hosted its monthly meeting at the Genesee Grande Hotel on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The evening’s theme was “The One Page Business Plan: An Accountability Path for a Growing,” with special guest speaker Kerry Carney. Photography by Enfoque Images.

On Friday, Feb. 3, individuals and businesses around Central New York teamed up to raise awareness for heart health with the annual National Wear Red Day.

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FASHION FORWARD Fashion Her-Story

The Good, the Bad and the Outrageous By Ann Marie Stonecypher

s a lifetime lover of fashion, nothing is more fun than looking back at its best and worst. We all have our favorite fashion moments. We also have those moments we’re glad predate the digital and social media age. Who could forget fashion greats like hammer pants? Not to be confused with parachute pants, which in my mind might only have been useful for jumping out of some terrifying ’80s situation - like you turned 16 and everyone forgot your birthday; or you got Saturday detention with a bunch of hormonal miscreants and a cranky football coach; or a crazy person was camped out on your front yard with a boombox overhead. In the ’90s, Seattle brought us more than a fancy cup of joe; it brewed up the unmistakable look of grunge. Who could forget the slouchy, sloppy, just-rolled-outof-bed, shower-optional look that took the fashion world by storm? And as long as we’re revisiting the ’90s — our “Beverly Hills 90210” days are definitely calling with the reemergence of the choker. Brenda Walsh would be over the moon to know those little neck ornaments are currently hanging on accessory racks in every department store from here to Minneapolis. You can channel your inner Julia Roberts “Pretty Woman,” too. Don a pair of thigh-high boots and cop a squat, because they’re back, too. You’re a total Marty McFashion hit if you rock a sleeveless puffy vest, made popular by the ’80s phenom “Back to the Future.” I don’t think there’s been a jiga-moment in time you couldn’t snag one of those at your local Old Navy. The influence of TV, movies, sports and music on fashion has been immeasurable. From Madonna to Lady Diana, Michael Jackson to Michael Jordan, everything the icons wore was instantly absorbed by the masses — no matter how padded, scandalous, outlandish or perforated. Think Flashdance… ’nuff said. My favorite fashion moment is and will always be Demi Moore in “St. Elmo’s Fire.” The man’s dress shirt with the collar popped and so many accessories that you jingled with every step — I rocked this look with a vengeance and had the ’80s hair to match. Today’s jumpsuits are a sleek alternative to a dress, and no one wore the ’60s version better than Diana Riggs in “The Avengers.” The dark superheroes of this decade have nothing on her. I’m crazy for this month’s fashion look. It’s chic and retro, yet fresh with the nude pump. It’s from one of my favorite vintage haunts, Maeflowers Vintage. I asked owner Shauna Diliberto about her favorite fashion moments of the past. She said, “Anything from Cher in the ’70s.” I agree. If Instagram existed back then, Cher would have broken the internet again and again. Bottom line: Fashion — good or bad — has always been about artistically channeling the goings-on of the time, be it pop culture or politics. It’s seen us through war, depressions and recessions. So, without any further regressions, I’ll wrap this up by saying I am now and will forever be a fan of fashion. I love it all — the fab, the foolish, the patently outrageous. I hope while you were strolling down Fashion Memory Lane with me, you were flashing back to some of your own greatest hits and misses. I hope you smiled like you just found the Holy Grail on the front seat of a tricked-out Delorean, driving down Rodeo Drive on your 16th birthday, with the Righteous Dude of your dreams. SWM

Model courtesy of AMS Models: Lynne Adams. Hair: Maggie MUA and Stylist: Julianna Pastella. Wardrobe: Maeflowers Vintage. Ann Marie Stonecypher is an award-winning business woman and the owner of AMS Models & Talent. She is also a stylist, inspirational speaker, two-time breast cancer survivor and freelance writer. She lives in the Syracuse area with her children Taylor and Steven, and her dog Cocoa. She welcomes your style questions and comments at info@amsmodels.com.

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Photography by Peter Levins The History Edition

March 2017

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SYRACUSE EATS Bailiwick Market & Cafe

bailiwick Market & Cafe

We just kept dreaming and putting [everything] together, so it really was a progress-in-motion as we thought about things and put them together.” —Nancy Hourigan, Bailiwick Market & Cafe owner

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Photography by Steven J. Pallone

NANCY HOURIGAN OWNER

The History Edition

BAILIWICK MARKET & CAFE

One-Stop Local Shop By Lorna Oppedisano

ailiwick Market & Cafe — the expansive, high-ceilinged barn boasting everything from Café Kubal coffee to locally-sourced meals to locally-crafted goods and artisan works — started out as a simple dream of an ice cream shop. Nancy Hourigan — Bailiwick owner and Hourigan Dairy Farm co-owner — explained with a chuckle that when her husband suggested she clean up the space at 441 Route 5 in Elbridge, she might have gone a little further than originally planned. The ice cream dream evolved into a plan to sell ice cream, cheese and yogurt, when Nancy realized she had a good friend who could benefit from that opportunity. Then her friend mentioned a connection to local artists. Another friend liked to cook. Another was crazy about coffee. “We dreamed up the building,” Nancy said. “We dreamed up how we wanted it to look inside.” The group scouted other buildings for ideas about structure, and decided on a big, inviting red barn. They investigated local roasters, and landed on Café Kubal as the best beans. They attended an ice cream show in Marcellus, and discovered Bassetts Ice Cream, the oldest ice cream maker in the country. Together with a female architect, they designed the space, using old horse barns to construct doors, counters and tables. They collected old chairs and other furniture pieces for the displays. The dining area is rounded off with an old pew discarded from a Syracuse church. Nancy’s team had “good eyes” for designing and arranging the space, she said proudly, explaining their method of mixing old with new.

“We just kept dreaming and putting [everything] together, so it really was a progress-in-motion as we thought about things and put them together,” Nancy said. Bailiwick opened last May, boasting more than 30 artisans’ work, and an impressive menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner items, including sandwiches, salads, soups and entrees. The kitchen sources food as locally as possible, partnering with more than 25 local farmers and producers. Bailiwick has recently added local beer and wine to its offerings, as well. The public’s response since opening has been exciting, Nancy said, adding that customers have remarked the restaurant feels like home to them. Along with visits from out-of-towners on the weekends, Bailiwick has already developed a cast of regulars. The staff even celebrated an 80th birthday party with one of its repeat customers, Nancy said with a smile. The team tries to have live music in the space once a week and has hosted a slew of events, including a class reunion, wedding rehearsal, snow mobile club and anniversary party. “We’ve become a destination, which is wonderful,” Nancy said. Looking forward to the future, Nancy hopes to add picnic tables for guests to enjoy outdoor dining and the surrounding countryside, as well as more walking trails on the property. Bailiwick is always on the hunt for more artisans’ works, as well, and is open to hosting more events. “We just continue to evolve,” Nancy said. “We rarely say no to anything.” SWM

Bailiwick Market & Cafe is located at 441 Route 5 in Elbridge. Market and cafe hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For menus, event listings and more, visit bailiwickmarket.com.

March 2017

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The History Edition

March 2017

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SPECIAL FEATURE Escaping the Diet Culture

Dropping Thin Aspirations By Holly Lowery

ave you ever wondered when your desire to lose weight began? It might be easy to blame parents or mentors for their role in “unhealthy” habits, but culture’s drive to be thin started before our parents’ parents had their own struggles with food and body. First, let’s define “diet culture.” It’s essentially a culture in which dieting and thinness is touted as desirable; it can permeate our lives through marketing by companies and organizations we trust. Diet culture directly affects our natural relationship with food and movement, and makes feeling good in our own bodies difficult. It tells us if we don’t aspire to thinness, something is wrong. How many times have you seen an advertisement for some diet plan promising fast results? The spokeswoman looks miserable and slobbish in her former body; then suddenly, she looks glowing, successful and maybe even in a happy relationship. Or maybe she’s decked out in fancy business attire at a new job. That is diet culture. You’re sold one fad diet and exercise plan after another; then, if you’re unable to sustain them, you feel guilty. You try a new diet next month, and the yo-yo cycle continues. We’re bombarded daily by these types of messages, but rarely does anyone address facts regarding weight and health. Here are a few things people profiting from diet culture might not tell you: Dieting can decrease your body’s ability to reach its ideal weight. Your body has a “set-point” weight. Every body is different, but when you let your body do its thing naturally, it returns to its most healthy weight. Think about it; your body is usually smarter than your brain when it comes to survival tactics. So if you stop interfering with fad diet plans and make more intuitive choices when it comes to food, your body will thank you by returning to its set-point weight. When you diet, you’re actually triggering your body into survival mode. The body thinks there’s a famine going on, so it slows your metabolism down and holds extra weight. Even when you start to eat more “normally,” your body is going to continue holding on to that weight for a while. Eventually it’ll let it go when it realizes there’s no danger of starvation, but that takes time.

And because of society’s lack of patience with a little extra weight, you pick another diet and go at it again, hoping this is when you’ll finally reach and maintain thinness. But you’re repeating the restrictbinge-restrict cycle, which has been associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes — causing more issues than that extra weight might. Thin doesn’t always mean healthy. Recent studies have shown weight loss is associated with an increased risk of death, most likely due to the unhealthy methods used to achieve it. Also, no study has proven weight loss prolongs life. At the end of the day, we’ve been pursuing thinness not for health, but to fit into body standards set for us by diet culture. So, the question stands: how do you get healthy? The answer: give your body the space to make more intuitive choices when it comes to food and movement. Your body innately knows what and when to eat. If you start to let go of all the rules and guilt around food choices — aka dieting — the body will have the space to tell you what it needs. Eating intuitively is a learned skill. You would think otherwise, but thanks to diet propaganda, sometimes we’re no longer able to exercise the intuitive instinct without a bit of retraining. What I’m proposing is an alternative to the myriad of diet plans out there, an alternative to the idea that thinness is the key to health. I’m proposing a way to feel happier, sexier, more confident and way less food-obsessed. Are you ready to call a truce with dieting? SWM Holly Lowery is a health coach, personal chef and workshop leader in Syracuse. This April, she plans to launch Body Truce, a four-month program aiming to help clients develop new health goals and a blueprint for reaching them, and relearn how to eat intuitively. To connect with Holly, visit hollylowery.com.

I teach fierce women how to fix their relationship with food + their bodies. 14

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The History Edition

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March 2017

*Source: Patient Survey 2016

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The History Edition

WISE WOMAN Nancy Prince

FEATURED ENTREPRENEUR Nancy Prince Owner, Your Composed Home

fter a long career at Syracuse University, a series of events unexpectedly led Nancy Prince to the path of entrepreneurship. For many years, she worked for the Registrar’s Office supporting the student records system before trying something different in the corporate sector. Upon leaving a position that wasn’t a good fit, she wondered what was next for her career and was reminded that everything happens for a reason.

The same week, Nancy celebrated her 60th birthday with family and friends and they reminded her how much she enjoyed helping others declutter their homes. “Always being an employee, the thought of starting a business never occurred to me,” Nancy says. “But, when these two ideas converged, it felt right and I took the plunge.” Nancy applied her expertise in organization and analysis to her home decluttering business, starting with an online questionnaire to analyze the needs of her clients. New to the world of startups and entrepreneurship, Nancy immersed

herself in classes with local resource providers such as the WISE Women’s Business Center. She has attended many of the classes offered (some twice!), has been working oneon-one with a counselor to write her business plan, and has joined roundtable groups to grow her network and keep her accountable. “Take advantage of the many great resources available in our community,” she advises. Nancy encourages new business owners to work through challenges by focusing on your client instead of your fear, proactively solving problems and taking them as learning opportunities to improve the business. Looking ahead, Nancy has a simple goal for the upcoming year: to make a profit in her second year of business and to create a marketing plan to acquire new clients. “My ultimate goal is to help people,” says Nancy. “As an entrepreneur, it’s important to remember how the services you offer make a positive difference in people’s lives.”

wise words of wisdom… “Shine your light on your customer to push through self-doubt.”

PHOTO BY PAUL W. PEARCE PAGE DESIGN BY GRIT BRANDS

– Nancy Prince via Marie Forleo

WISE WISE HAPPENINGS: HAPPENINGS: Check out wisecenter.org/events for a complete list of upcoming events!

Social Media “Hands On” Roundtable Discussion

Women as Career Changers Roundtable Discussion

The Building Blocks for Starting a Business

Women: Igniting Your Spirit Roundtable Discussion

Operation: Start-up and Grow Veterans Business Conference

March 1, 12:00-1:00pm March 15, 12:00-1:00pm March 29, 12:00-1:00pm

March 2, 12:00-1:00pm March 16, 12:00-1:00pm March 30, 12:00-1:00pm

March 7, 12:00-1:00pm March 29, 5:30-7:00pm

March 8, 12:00-1:00pm March 22, 12:00-1:00pm

March 16, 8:30am-2:00pm SRC Arena

Women in Creative Businesses Roundtable Discussion

WISE Symposium

March 9, 12:00-1:00pm March 23, 12:00-1:00pm

April 25 SKY Armory

A PROGRAM OF THE FALCONE CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Small Business Administration. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least 2 weeks in advance. Call (315) 443-8634.

March 2017

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CNY LATINA Myrna García-Calderón

The Power of Identity By Marisol Hernandez

Photo provided by CNY Latino

hen she arrived in the United States in 1979, Myrna GarcíaCalderón, the director of Syracuse University’s Latino-Latin American Studies program, never intended to call the country home. “This is the longest mental temporary stay in the history of the universe,” she joked. Though she was born in East Harlem, Myrna spent the majority of her young life in Puerto Rico. Having been encouraged by her father to work hard and follow her dreams, Myrna studied at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras, and then returned to the United States for post-graduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley. Myrna’s career — which includes time teaching at University of California at Santa Cruz and Berkeley, Wisconsin University, Cornell University and others — has given her the opportunity to examine different communities, from small towns and villages to large universities. In her travels, she’s drawn from her varied experiences to author two books and several articles. Myrna’s been able to navigate where she goes and who she is, as well as how she presents herself. Knowing one’s ethnic national origin is important, she said. In that sense, she believes in the notion of multiple identities, especially for Latina women who have had to constantly work on who they are. “I am not a mother [and] I was married,” Myrna explained, “but in this case, what is your social role within a society that somehow has certain expectations for you and certain expectations of Latina women? For Latina women who choose to follow a slightly different trajectory, there is a series of expectations and constant negotiations.” Myrna’s most recent book is entitled “Memory Spaces in the Hispanic Caribbean and Its Insular Diasporas.” In the work, she examines the idea of origin, and how it is marked through physical space. “The cities in particular that I have worked on in this case have to do with the social expectations we have inherited over time,” she said. Citing the work of the late poet Judith Ortiz Cofer, Myrna explained that forgetfulness is a dangerous thing, and the impact of various cultural aspects changes a person. “In that sense, I believe that and confess that my first years here, I saw myself as Puerto Rican, not Latina, because I had no interest in staying here. I always wanted to return,” she said. “Saying that does not mean that I was not in support and that I did not recognize that I was part of a group that was negotiating two realities.” People develop ethics at an early age, Myrna said. In the book, she explored a little bit of that — how these ever-evolving ethics help people form identities. In her own life, the idea of moving the family forward and creating opportunities for other women has been crucial. “We all walk with a suitcase. In that suitcase, we have our favorite things or the important ones which are fundamental to us. And in that sense, what we are putting in that suitcase changes along with time,” Myrna said. “I believe that without a doubt, you carry your traditions, your country [and] your notion of family.” SWM

This article was provided by the CNY Latino newspaper, the only Hispanic-oriented publication in Central New York. The Spanish version of this article can be read in the March edition of CNY Latino, in both the traditional paper version and the digital format at cnylatinonewspaper.com.

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The History Edition

March 2017

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The History Edition

March 2017

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HEALTHY WOMAN Central New York Dietetics Association

Happy National Nutrition Month!

In honor of this month, we got perspective from a few members of Syracuse’s own Central New York Dietetics Association. For more information on the association, visit cnyda.org.

Ruth Sullivan

Registered dietitian for Syracuse University Food Services

SWM: Tell us about your day-today working with SUFS. My job is different every day. Some days I meet with students and families all day, others I work with our food services team to continue developing menus or training staff on food allergies and food safety. I also work with departments and student organizations on campus, review menus and ingredients for special events and present to classes regarding my path and job.

SWM: Have offerings in the dining halls evolved in recent years? When we plan menus, we think about students’ likes and dislikes, what’s in season and how to introduce healthy options. We have a “Try Me” program, designed to introduce students to foods they may not have encountered. More students are trying vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, so we’ve enhanced those offerings. We have a “Recipes From Home” program that invites students or parents to submit a favorite recipe.

SWM: Talk about your work with students who have dietary constraints. I help them navigate our department to get foods they want and feel safe while dining with us. I also work with students who choose to eat certain ways. For example, students who choose a vegan or vegetarian diet make up a big percentage of our customers. Our food allergy program has evolved over the years and we were one of the universities that helped develop FAREs (Food Allergy Research and Education) College Guide to Food Allergies.

Heather Hudson Chief programs officer at Food Bank of CNY

SWM: What path led you to work at the food bank? During my dietetic internship through Syracuse University, I had the opportunity to visit the Food Bank of CNY for a brief rotation. Over the course of my internship, I discovered I enjoyed community nutrition. When I completed the internship, the food bank was hiring an additional dietitian. 22

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SWM: Does the food bank have a limited budget? If so, how does that affect your work? Yes, we do have a limited budget, which challenges us to be thoughtful and efficient about programming. The majority of our nutrition education involves workshops aimed at helping adults who utilize food assistance programs throughout an 11-county region. We also educate our partner agency coordinators. Additionally, we provide nutrition education to children who attend after-school programs where the food bank provides evening meals.

SWM: What’s your favorite aspect of your job? The best part is seeing the direct impact of the food bank’s work when visiting one of our community partners. People are genuinely appreciative when you take the time to teach them something new, give them nutritious food and listen to what they have to say.

Dorothy Wrase Hares Clinical dietitian at St. Joseph’s Hospital

SWM: What led you to be a dietitian? The choice of dietetics was a way for me to work from a science base, provide practical common sense information about nourishing the body and make this daily necessity an enjoyable adventure.

SWM: Talk about your day-to-day at St. Joseph’s Hospital. My work with a patient starts by assessing their nutritional status, which includes recognizing their medical condition and treatments, as well as previous eating habits, food preferences and aversions and nutrition knowledge level. Then, a nutrition plan is created with the patient and other members of the medical team. The plan is implemented and the patient’s progress is monitored. Coordination of the plan is done with home-care organizations, as well as nursing homes and rehabilitation units.

SWM: What’s the most rewarding aspect of your work? My greatest satisfaction occurs when I have been able to help someone move beyond their previous knowledge or assumptions, and recognize new information as something that will be workable and not burdensome for them to do. I also find a quiet joy in meeting a patient’s simple request in the complex, confusing environment of a hospital. When someone enters this institution, their previous daily routine is disrupted. Food can be a point of the familiar. I am always pleased to see how a simple food – applesauce, ice cream, peanut butter or a cup of coffee — can give so much joy. The History Edition

Jessica Redmond

Assistant professor in Utica College’s biology department Specialty in sports nutrition and weight management

SWM: What sparked the interest in your specialty? Early in my career, I worked at the Food Bank of CNY as a nutrition educator, promoting both healthy eating and physical activity. During this time, I also began to train for triathlons, which reignited my interest in sports nutrition. As a result, I ended up pursuing a graduate degree in exercise science.

SWM: What is your day-to-day as a dietitian? At Utica College, we are in the process of creating a coordinated dietetics program, which will allow students to complete both a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetic internship in five years. Currently, I teach anatomy and physiology and research methods. Outside of my academic job, I maintain a private practice called Major League Wellness, offering individual nutrition consultations for athletes. I also provide corporate wellness presentations about nutrition and exercise.

SWM: If you could give one piece of advice on healthy living, what would it be? Choose food first over supplements. The key is to eat a balanced and varied diet — something from every food group, and not always the same type of food.

SWM: What’s the biggest myth to bust in the nutrition world? That the perfect diet exists, and looks the same for everyone. Registered dietitians are trained to identify practical and meaningful changes to their clients’ eating habits. This approach is echoed in the National Nutrition Month theme: “Put Your Best Fork Forward.”

Lauren Nickerson

Registered dietitian nutritionist at Cornell University’s Cornell Health President of the Central New York Dietetic Association

SWM: What led you to specialize in eating disorders? I saw the difference it made to patients to work with qualified providers who truly “got” what they were going through, understood how the “eating disorder brain” works and believed in their recovery. I find I am able to make personal connections with people – who often are in a place of distress when I meet them – and support them for the long haul. March 2017

SWM: What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job? Disordered eating and body image concerns are so prevalent in our society today, and can — and often do — significantly decrease a person’s health status and quality of life. I work to bring my clients hope for change, and nutrition information and resources they can trust. Seeing people get better is what I find most fulfilling, and this is what fuels the passion I have for my career.

SWM: What is your advice to someone who fears a friend is struggling from an eating disorder? For someone struggling with an eating disorder, there can be many barriers to getting care: fear, shame, hopelessness. It’s important to know resources and treatment options are available — and they work. I experience this every day. The National Eating Disorder Association offers a wide array of resources online and by phone. Locally, we’re lucky to have Ophelia’s Place in Liverpool, which can help connect families and loved ones to support.

Danielle STEGMANBarber Registered dietician and diabetes educator

SWM: What led you to be a dietitian? When I was deciding what to study in college, I thought about becoming a nurse, a teacher and a dietitian. I realized I could combine several of my passions — teaching, health care and science — by becoming a registered dietitian.

SWM: What inspired you to specialize in diabetes? The prevalence and impact of diabetes is huge, and nutrition plays an important role in managing it. My dad has type 1 diabetes and has inspired me to pursue becoming a certified diabetes educator, to help ensure everyone with diabetes has the proper knowledge and skills to be successful.

SWM: Describe your day-to-day at work. I see patients of all ages with type 1 or type 2 diabetes at the Joslin Diabetes Center. We review the foods they eat and how that impacts blood sugar. I may work with patients on weight loss, matching medication and food, or reviewing other skills such as checking blood sugars. Together, we set goals to improve nutrition and diabetes self-management.

SWM: What is the most rewarding aspect of your work? The most rewarding part of my work is seeing patients’ confidence build. When they leave their appointments feeling empowered to make better choices for their health, I have accomplished my goal. SWM Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

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The History Edition

Saturday, June 10th, 2017 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Jesse’s Place 7250 Shanley Road, Deansboro, NY.

An elegant country barn with awesome western ambiance! Look for the orange balloons & arrows on driving routes! • BBQ Buffet Catered by Nina’s Kitchen • Additional Cheese and Cracker Spread and Desserts • Dance to the great sounds of Perfect Sounds DJ Entertainment from Syracuse • Open Bar 6-8 pm & Cash Bar 8-10 pm Provided by Tony’s Pizza & Sports Bar of Washington Mills, NY • “My Perfect Photo Booth” will Provide All Guests With One Complimentary High Resolution Photo • Silent Auction & Raffle Ticket Auction of Awesome Items & a 50/50 to boot! • A Display of Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association Success Story Boards • Many More Surprises all to Benefit the Shelter Animals at WRHA! ONLY 200 TICKETS WILL BE SOLD! Tickets Will Be Available At the Shelter, By Mail or Phone and on our website: www.wanderersrest.org Heather Daley, Event Chair at: heatherd13@gmail.com or (315) 727-3313 Joanne Cronan-Hamoy, Event Co-Chair at: wrhaprograms@aol.com or (315) 922-7559 or (315) 697-2796 x 102

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The History Edition

COVER STORY Sally Roesch Wagner

SALLY ROESCH WAGNER MATILDA JOSLYN GAGE FOUNDATION FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Photography by Alice G. Patterson

Be careful. One moment can change the course of your entire life.” —Sally Roesch Wagner, Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation founder and executive director

March 2017

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COVER STORY Sally Roesch Wagner

Photography by Alice G. Patterson

So I think it’s important— especially now when the country is so polarized— to find ways that we can bring people together to talk about the issues that divide us and the issues that are really relevant.” —Sally Roesch Wagner, Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation founder and executive director

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The History Edition

The Revolutionary Power of History By Lorna Oppedisano

eacher, activist, leading feminist studies expert and Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation founder and executive director Sally Roesch Wagner has some sage advice. “Do not fall in love with a dead woman,” she said with a thoughtful chuckle. “You’ll end up stalking her for the rest of your life. Yeah, OK, I could be considered a serious scholar, or I could be considered somebody who has a serious case of OCD.” There’s no doubt the former suggestion is true. Sally holds one of the first-awarded doctorates in the nation to focus on women’s studies, from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She helped pioneer one of the country’s first college women’s studies programs, at California State University at Sacramento. She taught her first women’s studies class in 1970, and is still going strong, currently an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. She’s devoted her life to telling the largely untold story of Matilda Joslyn Gage, an endeavor that includes published works, classes and performances, and has culminated in a foundation and awardwinning museum. When she first heard a snippet of Matilda’s tale, her interest was piqued. She had been headed into the field of psychology; if not for that fated introduction to Matilda, Sally would probably be a psychologist, she postulated. “Be careful,” she warned with a smile. “One moment can change the course of your entire life.”

Matilda’s early influence Sally grew up in Aberdeen, S.D. Almost everyone in the town was white, creating an incredibly homogenous world that inspired Sally’s longing for diversity, she remembered. “It’s not like a tolerance. It’s not like an acceptance. It’s a raging hunger,” Sally said. In her early teenage years, she began to rebel against her upbringing. The time had come for her to join her parents’ Congregational church, but she wanted to see what else the world had to offer. So she went to the local library, and began to look through books on other philosophies. At the age of 14, Sally decided to be a freethinker. Years later, after she’d started researching Matilda’s life, Sally visited her hometown and stopped by that section of the library, only to discover she’d been touched by Matilda’s influence much earlier than she’d thought. Sally walked over to the section, dusted off the books and pulled one off the shelf. The inscription read: “To TC, from Mother.” She looked at another. It read: “MJG.” March 2017

Matilda had ties to Aberdeen during the suffrage campaign and her son, Thomas Clarkson — “TC” — had donated his collection of books on theology to the Alexander Mitchell Public Library, right in Sally’s hometown. “I became a freethinker — like Matilda Joslyn Gage — at the age of 14, reading books that she had given to her son, knowing nothing about Matilda Joslyn Gage,” she said, humming “The Twilight Zone” theme song. “Isn’t it crazy?”

Meeting Matilda In July 1973, Sally was on track to earn a master’s degree in psychology, and teaching classes in women’s studies. A portion of that curriculum was women’s history. To say Sally wasn’t fond of the section would be an understatement. “I didn’t care about history at all,” she admitted. “In fact, I hated it.” That changed with Matilda. A friend had told Sally the suffragist was connected to Aberdeen. Sally drew a connection: her mother had a friend named Matilda Gage. She called her mother to inquire, and found she was friends with Matilda Joslyn Gage’s granddaughter, also named Matilda. Searching for an anecdote to liven up the history section of women’s studies, Sally arranged a meeting with Matilda. Matilda welcomed Sally into the house, pointing out photos and furniture of particular significance. Then, they entered the dining room, and Sally was met with stacks upon stacks of Matilda Joslyn Gage’s letters and papers. Here lay all this information about a woman who had cofounded the National Woman Suffrage Association with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton; whose Fayetteville home was a stop on the Underground Railroad; who spoke out during the 1870s against unjust treatment of Native Americans and was adopted into the Wolf Clan of the Mohawk Nation; and who, in 1890, formed the Woman’s National Liberal Union to fight for separation of church and state. The list of Matilda’s feats continues, and yet her name wasn’t widely known in feminist studies. “OK, there’s a different story here,” Sally thought, and vowed to dig deeper to learn this woman’s history. After all, Sally was still fighting the same war Matilda had waged a century before, and still faced some of the same issues. In discussing and addressing those problems, Sally and her colleagues created the first minor in women’s studies in the country. SYRACUSEWOMANMAG.COM

COVER STORY Sally Roesch Wagner

The Revolutionary Power of History from page 29 “[The program] grew out of the women’s movement,” Sally explained. “It didn’t grow out of the academy.” She and other women discussed the discrimination they encountered — being told they were “absolutely brilliant” because they “thought like men”; having to maneuver to avoid being grabbed; the shame that accompanied conversations about rape — and they came to a conclusion. “That’s when we realized, ‘We’re not messed up. We’re messed over,’” Sally said. “And women’s studies grew out of that.” After Sally discovered Matilda, she completed her master’s degree in psychology, and searched for a women’s studies program at the doctoral level. She came up short. Because women’s studies is intrinsically interdisciplinary, she entered an interdisciplinary program and earned a doctorate in the history of consciousness with a concentration in women’s studies. Her dissertation was entitled: “That Word is Liberty: a Biography of Matilda Joslyn Gage.” Sally’s was one of the first doctorates in the country awarded for work in women’s studies. Delving into Matilda’s history, Sally’s loathing of the subject lessened. “I just wanted to learn how to talk to this dead woman,” she joked. Having found the “revolutionary power of history,” Sally became a self-proclaimed “bornagain historian.” The history she’d been taught covered “great men, great wars, great dates”; but it wasn’t one single person who changed history, she explained. “Abraham Lincoln didn’t free the slaves,” Sally said. “Abolitionists did.” That knowledge influenced Sally’s continuation of Matilda’s efforts. For instance, Matilda fought for equal pay, a battle still waging on today. If women received 50 cents to every dollar a man received in 1850, and that figure has grown to 79 cents now, Sally posed a question: how many years until it’s an even match? “The answer is you don’t have to wait 150 years. You can get it tomorrow if you demand,” Sally said. “So I think that’s the power of history, to transform our work and our vision and what we do. We can change the world.”

The foundation’s founding Sally first laid eyes on Matilda Joslyn Gage’s home at 210 E. Genesee St. in Fayetteville in 1976. It was not a sight or a site to behold. The house was rental property, and had fallen into disrepair. While Sally was teaching around the country, publishing articles and books on Matilda’s work and performing as Matilda, she would make her way back to Central New York often to visit the Gage home.

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Then, years later in 1997, Sally found herself teaching at Syracuse University for two semesters as the Jeanne K. Watson Women’s Studies Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities. She held meetings with people locally to survey interest in purchasing the property and somehow honoring Matilda. While there was some interest, someone told Sally, “It’s not going to happen unless you come back and do it.” So, in 1998, she moved from a five-bedroom house in Aberdeen, where she’d cared for her father until he passed away, into a one-bedroom apartment in the Gage home. With the help of friends and colleagues she’d made during years of visits to the area, she formed a board of directors. Then, with the assistance from lieutenant governor Mary Anne Krupsak, the foundation was incorporated. The team spent about a year solidifying its vision and mission, and the foundation became a tax-exempt nonprofit organization. The next 10 years were spent fundraising $1 million to purchase and restore the house. The Matilda Joslyn Gage Center opened in 2010. Rather than telling the story of the house as it was — where Matilda slept, ate and worked — the center has dedicated each room in the home to a cause Matilda invested in, including a Haudenosaunee room, religious freedom room and an Underground Railroad room. “We decided that it was a house of ideas,” Sally said.

The mission During the Civil War, Matilda gave a flag presentation speech to the Fayetteville 122 Regimen. “She sent them off to war with their flag, which the women of Fayetteville had made. And she said, ‘Until there is absolute equality for every group, rich and poor, men and women, native born and immigrant’ — she names everybody — ‘until there is absolute equality, there will be no permanent peace,’” Sally said. She offered a question. “And so the challenge of that is: is the Civil War over yet?” That absolute equality is the mission of the foundation and center, achieved through education and the use of dialogue. In the past, the foundation received a grant to host a dialogue on reproductive choice. They brought together people from different backgrounds who held different beliefs. One group had representatives from both Planned Parenthood and the Catholic Diocese. At the end of the session, they reached a point of trust at which they could share personal stories. “So I think it’s important — especially now when the country is so polarized — to find ways that we can bring people together to talk about the issues that divide us and the issues that are really relevant,” Sally said.

The History Edition

Photography by Alice G. Patterson

The foundation was recently awarded another grant that will fund a dialogue and exhibits on native issues of sovereignty, both at the center and at the Women’s Rights National Historical Park. The foundation’s focus this year — on the centennial celebration of women gaining the right to vote in our state — is the origin of women’s rights in the area, dating back much further than the age of suffragists. Long before Matilda’s fight for equality as a woman in the 1800s, the Haudenosaunee women had more rights than some women do today, Sally explained. “So that’s the story that we want to tell — that the story of women voting in New York state does not begin in 1917. It begins before Columbus,” she said.

ending sex trafficking, sexual abuse of children by priests and violence against women — she knew she had to tell her story. “History isn’t what happened,” Sally said. “It’s who tells the story.” If Matilda hadn’t grabbed her, Sally would be a psychologist now. Reflecting back on the last few decades, Sally remarked that it’s been an honor to hang out with Matilda. “She’s got blemishes. She’s got problems. But I have a lot of respect for Gage,” Sally said, adding that Matilda Joslyn Gage really has something to give us today. “She constantly pushes me forward. She constantly challenges me through the integrity of her actions, but also the wisdom of her words.” SWM

History in the making Not many people can say they’ve devoted their life to telling someone else’s story. When Sally discovered Matilda Joslyn Gage and what the suffragist stood for — not just women’s rights, but issues like

March 2017

To learn more about Sally Roesch Wagner, visit sallyroeschwagner.com. We only told a short portion of Matilda Joslyn Gage’s story here. For more, visit The Matilda Joslyn Gage Center at 210 E. Genesee St. in Fayetteville. The center is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Visit matildajoslyngage.org for more.

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SYRACUSE HISTORY The Ladies Relief of the Poor and Needy and Home Association

A History of Helping By David Haas

As the public welfare system developed and other similar organizations were founded, the association redirected its focus. It shifted services to provide care to elderly women, while providing training in education, domestic skills and job readiness for younger women. The organization remained on North Townsend Street until 1978, when it moved operations to Baldwinsville. Still located there today, the organization, now incorporated into McHarrie Life, continues the tradition of care by offering both longand short-term services in a 122-bed facility. In celebration of its 150th anniversary in 2001, the organization commissioned the construction of a bronze statue depicting Mary Maltbie and Clara Hibbard. The statue stands tall in the dining area. In the entryway, visitors can admire three marble plaques that once hung in the reception room of the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original location. The plaques provide a tangible link to the honorable work undertaken by a prior generation of women. SWM David Haas is a city of Syracuse resident who lives in the Eastwood neighborhood. He manages a nonprofit program for LDACNY and volunteers his time with several local organizations. David is the owner and operator of Storycuse.com and @SyracuseHistory on Instagram.

Photography courtesy Storycuse.com

ong before social services were available to the needy, The Ladies Relief of the Poor and Needy and Home Association was formed in Syracuse in 1851 to help impoverished women, children and orphans. An effort spearheaded by Mary Maltbie and Clara Hibbard, the group consisted of a handful of Protestant women who would walk the streets of Syracuse in search of those living in poverty or poor health and offer a hand. A significant number of women they helped were widows; many women at that time did not work, and therefore would become financially unstable if their husbands died, especially if they were mothers who had mouths to feed. The association moved in and out of several locations until the late 1860s, when Moses Dewitt Burnet, a prominent Syracusan, offered them land close to his nearby house to establish a more permanent location. Before finalizing his gift, Moses asked the organization to secure $50,000 in assets to ensure continuation of services. A fundraising campaign ensued, and the cornerstone was laid in 1869. The pictured building, located at 212 N. Townsend St. on the outskirts of downtown Syracuse, was completed and opened in 1870.

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The History Edition

FOR A GOOD CAUSE March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction

Cooking for a Cause By SWM staff

aving a sick child is never easy. Premature birth — the No. 1 cause of infant mortality in the United States — is terrifying. March of Dimes’ mission is to prevent that. The local branch of the organization is hosting its annual Signature Chefs Auction on Monday, March 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the Oncenter, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. This year’s theme brings together local chefs and farmers, with the very fitting theme, “The Farmer & the Chef.” Last year’s sold out event — also titled “The Farmer & the Chef” — raised $120,000 for the organization, bringing 450 guests together to sample local cuisine. This year, it’s aiming to reach $130,000. With a wide variety of chefs, the March of Dimes hopes to expose guests to local restaurants they might not be familiar with. “We try to change it up year to year, so anyone who doesn’t go out and eat at those restaurants gets to sample them, and then have something new to try the next time they want to go out to dinner,” said March of Dimes Central New York market development manager Julianne Allman. This year’s event starts out with food and beverage samplings from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. The program kicks off with the board chair and mission family, a local family affected by premature birth, and recognition of Welch Allyn. Then, guests are encouraged to participate in eight silent auctions, as well as Fund the Mission, another chance to support the March of Dimes. The night concludes with a wrap-up and dessert. Along with raising funds for research, the March of Dimes hopes the event will raise awareness and bring people together. Chefs and guests have a chance to open up about their own experiences with premature birth, Julianne explained. “You never would have guessed. Most people don’t come out and talk about their stories unless it’s that type of setting,” Julianne said. “So it’s cool to have that mission connection with the chefs and the restaurants.”

This year’s participants: Chef Matt Riddett, Empire Brewing Company Chef Chris Kuhns, Sky Armory Chef Dennis Sick, Mohegan Manor Chef DeAnna Germano, Chef4Rent Chef John Vigliotti, Peppino’s Restaurant & Catering Company Chef Dan Hudson, Sherwood Inn Chef Tyler Dunlap, The Lodge at Welch Allyn Chef Michael Sheets, The Gould Hotel Chef Michael Brown, Redfield’s at Crowne Plaza Syracuse Chef Chance Bear, Lincklaen House

Chef Flip, The Copper Pig BBQ & Taproom Colgate Inn Cathy’s Cookie Kitchen Cooperstown Distillery Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Heaven Hill Distillery Owera Vineyards Owner, Jeff Steigerwald, Liehs & Steigerwald Willow Rock Brewing Company

For more information and to buy tickets for the Signature Chefs Auction, visit signaturechefs.marchofdimes.org. Photos provided by March of Dimes.

March 2017

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The History Edition

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Syracuse City Ballet. To commemorate this milestone, the company is performing the first ballet it ever produced, “Snow White.” We took a look back with some of Syracuse City Ballet’s current and former team.

March 2017

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Photography by Alexis Emm

SPECIAL FEATURE 20 Years with Syracuse City Ballet

Special Feature 20 Years with Syracuse City Ballet

Kathleen Rathbun

Artistic director SWM: Talk about the founding of SCB. I grew up alongside professional dancers, performed on a big stage and loved every minute of it. I attended Juilliard and danced professionally in NYC and with Princeton Ballet. When I came home to Syracuse to start a family, there was no ballet company. After a few years of teaching, I wanted more for my students and the community. With the help of my friend Harriet Casey, we started Syracuse City Ballet, then known as Upstate N.Y. Ballet. SWM: How does working with SCB compare to teaching and performing elsewhere? We truly have something special here at SCB. It’s a collaborative environment. We leave our troubles outside the door; in the studio, it’s about the art.

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SWM: What is your favorite ballet? My favorite ballet is whichever I’m working on at the time. As the artistic director, I pick ballets that will inspire, engage and entertain the audience. “Snow White” was the first full-length ballet I arranged music for and choreographed. Needless to say, it’s my baby. We are having a ball setting this ballet. It’s been tweaked and updated throughout the years. The talent in “Snow White” is some of the best we have ever had. It’s truly a testament to how far SCB has come in 20 years.

Claire Rathbun

Performing as Snow White SWM: What sparked your interest in ballet? I came out of the womb with dance in my heart. I think my mom had a little bit to do with that. SWM: Talk about your experience training at Ballet & Dance of Upstate NY. My experience training with Ballet & Dance was phenomenal. The school had a way of sharing with their students the absolute joy of performing, growing in technique and the dance world as a

The History Edition

Makayla Kanerviko

Performing as the Scarf Witch SWM: What sparked your interest in ballet? When I was younger, I started to dance after my parents enrolled me in ballet classes. It was a way to stay active and make new friends. A few years ago, I started to receive more challenging roles. These roles, along with supportive teachers and great friends, have really helped me develop a love for dance. SWM: Share a favorite moment from your time with SCB. My favorite moment is dancing each year in “The Nutcracker” and performing the school show with all my friends dancing beside me. SWM: What’s your favorite scene in “Snow White”? I am very excited to be dancing the part of the Scarf Witch, but I love the village scene because I get to share that dance experience with all my friends on stage.

Jake Casey whole. I wouldn’t trade how I grew up and trained for anything. It helped me to stay real and not get too caught up in the drama of being an artist. SWM: What’s it like to be back from New York City to dance with SCB in “Snow White”? I love being home. My favorite part of being back in the shows is rehearsing with the students. It’s so nice to see the work they put in and what a difference it all makes! I love seeing the process!

Rachael Cierniakoski Ballet mistress

SWM: What sparked your interest in ballet? When I was 7, my mom took me to see “The Nutcracker” in my hometown. After the performance — which I was completely in awe of — the dancers did a meet-and-greet. When I saw that these incredible beings on stage were actually real people like me, I knew I would do whatever it took to be like them. My mom spoke to the artistic director that night and signed me up. It’s been love ever since.

Current dancer with Cincinnati Ballet Former dancer with Syracuse City Ballet SWM: What sparked your interest in ballet? My family. Growing up, my sister was a dancer at Ballet & Dance of Upstate NY and my mom was involved in the productions. I was always around dance. That’s when I started to fall in love with it. SWM: Talk about the effect of SCB on your life. Syracuse City Ballet is the reason I am a professional dancer today. Not only did it give me the necessary technique and classical foundation, but it instilled a lifelong passion for the arts, something I’ll forever be grateful for. SWM: What is a favorite memory with the company? One of my favorite memories with the company goes back to “Romeo & Juliet.” I was probably 10 years old. I remember getting to rehearsal at 9 a.m. and staying until 9 p.m. Of course, I wasn’t dancing the whole time, but these early experiences of being in the studio all day are what sparked my love of the artistic process. It also gave me great friendships that continue to this day. SWM Answers have been edited for length and clarity. Photography by Alexis Emm.

SWM: Talk about your experiences working with SCB. Since beginning my time at SCB, I’ve found that working in Syracuse means working with a true sense of community. After working in Philadelphia and other cities, the difference is stark. I went from feeling anonymous to feeling like I belong and have a true family here. SWM: What’s your favorite scene in “Snow White”? The seven dwarfs’ first entrance is my absolute favorite. Kathleen has an amazing way of bringing each separate character to life, all while matching beautifully to the music. It’s such a lively and comical scene. Even when we rehearse it in the studio, I find myself laughing and dancing along.

March 2017

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INSPIRE Karen DeJarnette

KAREN DeJARNETTE

Photography by Mary Grace Johnson

2016 SYRACUSE WOMAN OF THE YEAR

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The History Edition

Empowering Women in the Workforce By Riley Bunch

“How do you empower women and girls to feel like they have or 2016 Syracuse Woman of the Year Karen DeJarnette, it’s all a voice at the table?” she said. about the big picture. With her background as a female engineer, Karen knows what Her day-to-day life consists of putting puzzle pieces together it’s like to feel voiceless. At her first job, the closest women’s to help organizations be competitive in the marketplace and bathroom was two buildings away from where she was stationed. individuals achieve necessary skills to advance their careers. As a She’d have to walk through the factory floor and face taunts from program manager at Fast Lane Consulting and Education, male coworkers. Karen sees all the moving parts of a company come together. Her experiences fuel her philanthropic efforts. Karen joined “I like being able to see the big picture,” Karen said, “and see the Women’s Fund of Central New York in 2010, and served as what I’m doing in the picture and what drives it forward.” chairperson in 2015. After studying mechanical engineering at the University of “Women don’t usually get money,” Karen said. “They are usually Illinois, Karen made the move to Syracuse to work for the Carrier left out. The Women’s Fund was created so that women can have a Corporation. While clocking 60-hour work weeks, she attended voice in helping other women — so that they get money, too.” evening classes at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of The money raised by the Women’s Fund impacts a number Management to earn a master’s degree in business administration. “If nothing else, I guess you could say I persevere,” Karen laughed. of local programs tailored to help women, such as STEMcareer workshops run by the YMCA Greater Syracuse/Syracuse But that didn’t quell Karen’s thirst for education. She continued Women’s Commission and support for unaccompanied refugee at Syracuse University, earning a master’s degree in information minors through Toomey Residential and management at the School of Community Services. Information Studies. Karen also serves on the board of School was an ideal setting for Karen. I like being able to see the big Partners for Education and Business, The academic environment allowed her the advisory board for Junior Achievement to get feedback not typically found in the picture and see what I’m doing of Central New York and the Hope for corporate world. It was also the place that in the picture and what drives it Syracuse anti-poverty subcommittee for inspired her to use her knowledge to help economic strategy. other people. forward.” —Karen DeJarnette, With all her efforts, it’s no surprise Karen still remembers the moment 2016 Syracuse Woman of the Year Karen was named Woman of the that sparked her career in service Year. But she had no idea she was engineering. During an undergraduate even nominated, he admitted. class, a professor asked her to help run the session. A lightbulb “It was such a great thing, and it made me feel like the things went off, and she realized, “Oh, this is what I really like to do.” I’m doing really make a difference and really matter,” Karen said. In 2003, Karen joined the team at the Manufacturers “It truly meant the world to me to know that.” Association of Central New York, and was exposed to a wide Karen credits her success to the support of family and friends, range of companies in the Syracuse area. as well as the “web of connections” the Syracuse community has “They all had a lot of different interests, but all have this one to offer. desire,” she said, “which is to make Central New York this thriving “I think the question is, ‘How do you make that web really place where businesses can grow and be competitive in a global strong?’” Karen said. “And that’s the role of philanthropy. There are marketplace, and individuals can have a career if they want one. people who don’t believe they are a part of that connectivity, Nobody [is] left behind.” and we need to make sure that no one is left out.” SWM Karen spent four years with MACNY before working as director of workforce development at Empire State Development Corporation. She then returned to her roots at Syracuse University as the director of the Talent and Education Development Center, To learn more about the Women’s Fund of Central New York, more commonly known as the school’s TEDCenter. visit womensfundofcny.org. At the TEDCenter, Karen worked to create and lead noncredit programs for students and young professionals to develop skills Makeup by Julianna Pastella. Hair styling by Janet Stella Lanning. and opportunities. This aligned perfectly with Karen’s passion for ensuring everyone is given a fair chance.

March 2017

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The History Edition

March 2017

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INSPIRE Natalie Clair Stetson

natalie Clair Stetson

Photography by Alexis Emm

ERIE CANAL MUSEUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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The History Edition

Excitement in the Water By Kathryn Walsh

anals and New York state history aren’t exactly at the forefront Getting others in Syracuse excited about the city and its of the cultural zeitgeist these days. In Syracuse, at least, Natalie history is part of her mission. Of the approximately 20,000 Clair Stetson is determined to change that. visitors who come to the museum each year, half are from As the executive director of the Erie Canal Museum, she gets to outside New York state. And of the locals who visit, most do so help people see a piece of New York state history through new eyes. around the holidays to see the annual Gingerbread Gallery. It’s one of the things she loves most about the job. But Natalie’s optimistic that 2017 will be a big year for “Your entire perception of Syracuse changes some when you attendance, thanks to the Erie Canal’s bicentennial. The know that it was built along a body of water — that this city grew celebration is actually slated to span eight years, the length of up and changed and became what it is today because Erie Boulevard time it took to build the entire canal, but this year marks the was an extremely bustling body of water,” she said. “People realize 200th anniversary of the canal’s groundbreaking. that’s why this building is here; why Clinton Square looks that way; State officials are planning events around New York. Here in why either side of Erie Boulevard does different things.” Syracuse, Natalie and her staff are planning a series of programs The work isn’t always that life-affirming; a lot of her tasks involve designed to bring in locals, people who pass by the museum all budgets, human resources and overseeing a small staff of full- and the time but never think to go in. part-time employees. “Our goal is to really engage that broader local audience,” “My job is to really empower my staff,” she explained, “and make she said. “How do we get people who haven’t been here since sure that they have all the resources they need to do their job well.” they were a kid? What can we offer to our community to say, It’s a job she’s been working toward for years. After earning a ‘Hey, come look at the Erie Canal in a slightly different way’?” master’s degree in museum studies at Bicentennial events will be kicking Syracuse University, Natalie started off in late spring and are set to include Here I am, a young person, working at the museum as an intern. artist-led workshops to encourage She eventually moved on to work at the participants to create paintings, poems running a cultural institution in Seward House Museum in Auburn. and other works of art, with the Erie the heart of downtown. This is But she always kept an eye on the Erie Canal Canal Museum, even telling the director as inspiration. A lecture series, with a someplace where you can really of the Seward House during her interview theme of “Reflections on Erie’s waters,” be a part of the city.” —Natalie that her ultimate goal was to be the is also planned. director of the Erie Canal Museum. “We’ll talk about how communities Clair Stetson, Erie Canal Museum Born in Iowa and raised mostly in were impacted by the construction of the executive director Florida, Natalie moved to Syracuse in canal and how today you can still see 2009 to start graduate school. those impacts,” she said. Her partner Jeremy moved from Florida to join her. They didn’t Natalie has been in the job of executive director for just less plan to stay, but before long, the plan changed. than a year, and has big plans for the future. “Within my first year of being here and his first six months of “I think the board hired me because of my energy and my being here, we determined we didn’t want to leave,” she said. vision,” she said. “I can see what the Erie Canal Museum’s going They settled in quickly. Jeremy started working at the Syracuse to be in 10 years. I see how busy and bustling and amazing this Real Food Co-op, which he now manages. They fell in love with place will be in 10 years.” the Westcott neighborhood, especially their Saturday morning Bringing new excitement to a often overlooked institution will breakfast trips to Alto Cinco. And they fell in love with Syracuse. take effort and drive. Luckily, Natalie’s not giving up. Natalie remembered a brief time she spent living in Portland, “Big transformation — it doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. Ore., and the city’s excitement and energy. “We’ll get there. And the city is just like that. It doesn’t happen “Something that’s special about Syracuse is that you can be a overnight. But we’re all moving in the right direction.” SWM part of making that [excitement] happen,” she explained. “Here I am, a young person, running a cultural institution in the heart of downtown. This is someplace where you can really be a part of the city.”

The Erie Canal Museum is located at 318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit eriecanalmuseum.org. March 2017

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The History Edition

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March 2017

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INSPIRE Lanika Mabrey

LANIKA MABREY AIDS AND HIV AWARENESS ADVOCATE

BARBARA YANCEY BREWER

Photography by Alice G. Patterson

LANIKA’S MOTHER’S NURSE

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The History Edition

Great Loss, Greater Gains By Samantha Mendoza

anika Mabrey is a familiar figure on the Westside of Syracuse. Lanika spent the months following her mother’s death coping She walks through its streets frequently, bundled up in warm with the shock and devastation, but soon began getting involved in clothing in the cool winter weather, distributing educational community organizations her mother had once been part of. pamphlets about sexual health to local bodegas and approaching “My mother was very active in the community, so I decided local residents with her signature tote bag full of condoms. that I should start volunteering,” Lanika said. “I began to ask “Good afternoon, can I give you some condoms?” she says to myself: How do I stop focusing on her death and start celebrating each stranger she encounters. “Here’s some PrEP information as her life?” well. Take care!” Lanika soon found the answer when, after years of working Lanika has been involved with educating the local community with local groups on initiatives like health care advocacy and about PrEP since July 2015. Pre-exposure prophylaxis — PrEP — environmental justice, she became a prevention health advocate is a revolutionary new daily medication that can reduce the risk of for ACR Health in 2013, specializing in educating local at-risk contracting HIV by up to 90 percent. After working with various populations about HIV prevention methods. Working within local nonprofits for the past eight years — from Syracuse United her community to prevent the spread of the disease that her Neighbors to Citizen Action to ACR Health — Lanika has become mother suffered from was rewarding, Lanika said, but not a symbol of strength and comfort in neighborhoods across the city. without challenges. “I grew up in an environment of addiction,” Lanika said of her “There are still moments where I have to step away and cry, childhood home on the Southwest side because I’m actually learning about my of the city. “It would be an injustice mom’s journey through my own not to use my education — who I’ve journey,” Lanika said. “But the pain is I began to ask myself: How do I become — for the betterment of also very motivating. I don’t want any stop focusing on her death and my community.” other family to experience the pain that Lanika has become the person she I experienced.” start celebrating her life?” — is — vibrant, resilient and committed It’s both this pain and the promise Lanika Mabrey, AIDS and HIV to reducing the local rates of HIV and for change that motivates Lanika to AIDS — in part due to the loss she continue her work in local communities. awareness advocate has endured. She considers community outreach — In 2009, Lanika’s mother, Salendria, her strolls through the Southside and died of AIDS at the age of 54. Although her mother had been Westside of the city, speaking directly with the people who are living with the disease for more than 20 years, Lanika wasn’t most unconnected to health resources — to be her favorite part aware of her status until seven days before her death. of the job. “It felt like a sledgehammer to my chest,” Lanika said. “I was She hopes her message of sexual health and HIV awareness blindsided by her loss, and it was such a tragedy that I just didn’t will reach even the most underprivileged of Syracusans, see a purpose in life.” preventing tragedies like the one she endured so many years Lanika believes her mother didn’t disclose her HIV-positive ago, but still remembers each day. status because of the stigma surrounding the disease when it first Lanika’s life was changed by HIV. But through outreach and began spreading in the U.S. in the ’80s and ’90s, and because community health initiatives, she is changing the lives of countless of the lack of understanding about the disease itself, especially others, offering hope, treatment and a message of resilience. among communities of color that have less access to health and “In life, there is purpose, and if you take the time to really search, educational resources. you will find it, even in the midst of challenges,” Lanika said. “For a long time, I think, she lived in denial,” Lanika said. “That’s one of the great things about life: we may have challenges, “There was no treatment and no connection to services. but there is always something to hope for.” SWM She just endured, alone.”

Friday, March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. For more information on ACR Health, visit acrhealth.org. To find testing centers near you, visit gettested.cdc.gov. Lanika is photographed with her mother’s nurse, Barbara Yancey- Brewer. March 2017

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UPCOMING SWM Events Wednesdays in March 1 Million Cups

When: 9 to 10 a.m. What: Presentations by local early-stage startup companies aim to draw feedback from peers, mentors, educators and advisors. Open to the public. Cost: Free admission. Where: Syracuse CoWorks, 201 E. Jefferson St., Syracuse. Info: 1millioncups.com/syracuse.

Saturdays in March 20|EAST Winter Farmer’s Market When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Features local vendors. Free admission. Spruce Ridge Landscape & Design, 4004 Erieville Road, Cazenovia. 20-east.com/winter-market.

Sundays in March Greenhouse Yoga When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Vinyasa flow class. All levels welcome. $10. Carol Watson Greenhouse, 2980 Sentinel Heights Road, LaFayette. carolwatsongreenhouse.com.

Wednesday, March 1 through Sunday, March 26 Ain’t Misbehavin’ The Fats Waller Musical Show

When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 7 p.m. Sundays; 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays; 3 p.m. Saturdays. What: Syracuse Stage performance includes music, dance and sassy repartee. Running time is approximate two hours. Cost: $20 to $53. Where: Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Info: syracusestage.org.

Saturday, March 4 Cherish the Ladies When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

7:30 p.m. Celtic group to be accompanied by the Johnston School of Irish Dance. $37 to $81. Mulroy Civic Center Theater, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. experiencesymphoria.org.

Wednesday, March 8 Igniting Your Spirit Roundtable

When: Noon to 1 p.m. What: Topic is “Keeping Yourself Moving Forward — Learn Strategies to Keep Positive.” Cost: Free. Where: WISE Women’s Business Center, 235 Harrison St., Syracuse. Info: wisecenter.org.

Friday, March 10 & Sunday, March 12 Syracuse City Ballet presents Snow White When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

7 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Performance by Syracuse City Ballet. $20 to $75. Mulroy Civic Center Theater, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. syracusecityballet.com.

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Friday, March 10 through Saturday, March 25 Of Mice and Men When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Performance of Steinbeck story. $17 to $20. Central New York Playhouse, 3649 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse. cnyplayhouse.org.

Saturday, March 11 St. Patrick’s Parade Party

When: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. What: Family-friendly parade viewing party includes Irish-inspired menu, live music and cash bar. Cost: $13; ages 12 and younger, $5. Where: Sky Armory, 351 S. Clinton St., Syracuse. Info: skyarmory.com.

Saturday, March 11 & Sunday, March 12 27th Annual Greater Syracuse Antiques Expo When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Show offers 200 exhibitors, refreshments and more. Adults, $7; weekend pass, $8. Empire Expo Center, NYS Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse. allmanpromotions.com.

Sunday, March 12 Selections From Amadeus: The Music of Mozart When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Part of Symphoria Casual Series III. $25 to $35; college students, $5; ages 18 and younger, free. St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, 310 Montgomery St., Syracuse. experiencesymphoria.org.

Tuesday, March 14 Rosamond Gifford Lecture Series Presents Chris Bohjalian

When: 7:30 p.m. What: Talk by author of eighteen books, many of which have been New York Times Best Sellers. Cost: $35. Where: Mulroy Civic Center Theater, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. Info: foclsyracuse.org.

Wednesday, March 15 though Sunday, March 26 Pre-Theater Dining for WICKED When: Seating available, 5 p.m.; last available seating, 7 p.m. What: Three courses. Cost: $30. Where: Sky Armory, 351 S. Clinton St., Syracuse. Info: skyarmory.com.

The History Edition

Wednesday, March 15 though Sunday, March 26 WICKED When: Times range; check online. What: The award-winning Broadway musical tells the story of what happened in the Land of Oz from a different angle. Cost: Check online for details. Where: Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Info: landmarktheatre.org.

Thursday, March 16 through Sunday, March 19 Home and Garden Show 2017

When: 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday; 2 to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. What: Presented by the Home Builders & Remodelers of CNY. Cost: Look online for details. Where: NYS Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Blvd., Syracuse. Info: hbrcny.com.

Monday, March 20 March of Dimes Signature Chef’s Auction presents “The Farmer and the Chef”

When: 5:30 p.m. What: Local farmers are parred with local chefs to raise money for the March of Dimes. Cost: $100. Where: The Oncenter, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. Info: signaturechefs.org/syracuse.

Wednesday, March 22 Igniting Your Spirit Roundtable When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

Noon to 1 p.m. Topic is “Speaking Your Truth — Have Those Tough Conversations.” Free. WISE Women’s Business Center, 235 Harrison St., Syracuse. wisecenter.org.

Thursday, March 23 Book of Lists Reveal Party When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

5 to 7 p.m. Networking, hors d’oeuvres, food station and complimentary beverage. Business Journal News Network subscribers, $30; nonsubscribers, $35. Genesee Grande Hotel, 1060 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. BizEventz director, Joyl Clance, jclance@bizeventz.com or (315) 708-3303.

Thursday, March 23 to Saturday, March 25 The Vagina Monologues When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

7 p.m. Obie Award-winning play. $12; students, $5. Auburn Public Theater, 108 Genesee St., Auburn. auburnpublictheater.org.

Saturday, March 25 Symphoria’s The Sea When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

7:30 p.m. Program contains Bax, Daugherty, Mendelssohn and Debussy. $52 to $81. Mulroy Civic Center Theater, 800 S. State St., Syracuse. experiencesymphoria.org.

Saturday, March 25 Explore, Observe, Connect, Refresh When: What: Cost: Where: Info:

1 to 2:30 p.m. Learn to make a nature journal. Members, $6; nonmembers, $9. Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. baltimorewoods.org.

Sunday, March 26 Breakfast at Tiffany’s Fashion Show and Brunch

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. What: Seventh annual fashion show and brunch to benefit Hope for Heather. Includes vendors, cocktails, silent auctions, raffles and more. Cost: $50. Where: Holiday Inn Conference Center, 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool. Info: hopeforheather.org.

Tuesday, March 28 Nonprofit Awards 2017

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. What: Networking reception from 11 a.m. to noon; luncheon and awards program, noon to 2 p.m. Cost: Look online for pricing. Where: Holiday Inn, 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool. Info: BizEventz director, Joyl Clance, jclance@bizeventz.com or (315) 708-3303.

Thursday, March 30 Cocktails for Chadwick

When: 6 to 8 p.m. What: An evening of food, drinks and “celebrity bartending” with Amy Robbins, Rick Roberts and Jack Ryan from 93Q. A portion of the evening’s proceeds to benefit Chadwick Residence. Where: Strada Mia 313 N. Geddes St., Syracuse. Info: ChristineK@chadwickresidence.org; Jenni, (315) 476-6554.

Saturday, April 1 Syracuse Heart Walk

When: 8 a.m. to noon. What: Fundraiser for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Route is a one to three mile noncompetitive course. Cost: Walkers are asked to set a fundraising goal of $300. Where: SRC Arena, Onondaga Community College, 4585 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Info: SyracuseHeartWalk@heart.org.

Wednesday, April 5 Wine Wednesday

When: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. What: Open networking event presented by WBOC and WISE. Where: Genesee Grande, 1060 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Info: wboconnection.org. March 2017

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movers and shakers Special counsels join local firm

Anna C. O’Neil has recently joined the firm of Hinman, Howard & Kattell as special counsel in the workers’compensation and disability benefits practice group. Anna earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho and a juris doctor degree from the University of Idaho School of Law. She moved to Syracuse in 2008. Anna handles matters involving workers’ compensation law and also advises and represents disabled individuals seeking social security disability and supplemental security income benefits.

Edwina C. Schleider recently joined the Syracuse branch of Hinman, Howard & Kattell as special counsel. Edwina received a bachelor’s degree from Clark University and juris doctor from Syracuse University College of Law. She is a member of the Onondaga County and New York State Bar Associations. She is an affiliate member of the Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors and the Central New York Mortgage Banker’s Association. She is also a board member and participant on the fund development committee for On Point For College, as well as an active member of the Women Business Opportunities Connections. Edwina concentrates her practice on the representation of individuals and entities in real estate and business matters. She also represents a number of lenders in both residential and commercial transactions. In addition, she works with individuals and companies to form business entities and structure ownership agreements. Edwina also has a practice representing applicants before planning and zoning boards throughout Central New York.

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Salon named to Salon Today 200

Bijou Salon of Skaneateles, owned by Kimberly Baker-Bringas, was recently named to the Salon Today 200 by Salon Today, a business media for salon and spa owners. The magazine’s 20th annual Salon Today 200 issue profiled the salon in its January 2017 edition. Bijou Salon was honored in the categories of growth, philanthropy and technology. Nine stylists from Bijou recently traveled to New Orleans to accept the award. This is the third time the salon has won this accolade.

Mirbeau Inn & Spa given AAA award

Mirbeau Inn & Spa recently received the AAA Four-Diamond Award. The establishment has consistently been given this honor since its opening in 2004. This recognition is awarded to properties that are refined, stylish with upscale physical attributes, extensive amenities and a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail.

The History Edition

March 2017

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The History Edition