RochesterWorks!, Monroe County’s largest employment and training initiative, has selected Martin K. Birmingham, Regional President, Five Star Bank and Chair of the Rochester/Monroe County Workforce Investment Board, as the recipient of its 2007 Friend of Business and Workforce Award. The award was presented to Birmingham Tuesday June 26 at 9:30 a.m. at Mario’s immediately following the Workforce Investment Board’s meeting. It was presented by Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, Phil Banks, of the City of Rochester and Matthew Hurlbutt, Executive Director of RochesterWorks! Birmingham, served as Chair of the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) for four years since July 1, 2003. He has led the Board through the creation of RochesterWorks, Inc., the non-profit organization that operates RochesterWorks! in 2003, and a significant restructuring effort in 2004 that expanded services to job seekers and businesses in the City of Rochester and Monroe County. "Marty Birmingham has been a visionary leader for the Workforce Investment Board and a true advocate for the business community and our workforce," said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. "Marty deserves a great deal of credit for RochesterWorks' success in helping thousands of job seekers and hundreds of local employers each year. I congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition and thank him for his many contributions and dedicated service." “This award is a wonderful recognition of Marty Birmingham’s tremendous contributions to the economic well being of our community. His accomplishments, both in business and community service, have contributed to significant growth across many sectors. This award is a celebration of these accomplishments. I am sure that Marty will continue to be an important part of Rochester’s future,” said Mayor Robert J. Duffy. During Birmingham’s tenure RochesterWorks! has made significant achievements that have directly helped job seekers and businesses. The number of job seekers served and visits to RochesterWorks! Career Centers has doubled despite a 25% reduction in funding from the Workforce Investment Act. Birmingham oversaw the first RochesterWorks! Workforce Summit in 2004 that produced completion of key action items connecting RochesterWorks! to economic development efforts and the business community. RochesterWorks! strategic efforts laid the ground work for collaboration that helped the region receive an award under the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative. RochesterWorks! was named the lead agent for Finger Lakes Wired, a partnership of more than 21 economic development, educational, workforce development and business organizations from the nine-county Finger Lakes region and one of only 13 WIRED regions in the U.S. The Finger Lakes region was chosen from more than 90 applicants and is the only region led by a WIB, which speaks to the success of RochesterWorks! “These achievements demonstrate how Marty has sustained his focus on leveraging resources and expanding partnerships to increase worker skills and improve the competitive advantage for local business,” said Matthew Hurlbutt, Executive Director of RochesterWorks! Birmingham has been a long time leader in the region’s banking community. He was named regional President of Five Star Bank in December 2005. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bank of Geneva and President, Rochester Region of Fleet Bank/Bank of America. Birmingham has contributed his time to numerous business, educational, health care and community service organizations. He currently serves on the boards of St. Ann’s Foundation, St. John Fisher College, the United Way, Rochester Business Alliance and Park Ridge Hospital. He holds a B.A. in Economics from St. Lawrence University. Birmingham and his wife have two children. They live in Pittsford. About the RochesterWorks! Friend of Business and Workforce Award The Award was developed by the Rochester/Monroe County Workforce Investment Board to recognize a leader from the community who has been an advocate on workforce and economic development issues that are critical to economic growth in Monroe County. Past Award Recipients: 2005 - Congressman Thomas M. Reynolds of New York’s 26th Congressional District 2006 - Rochester Institute of Technology President Al Simone Group photo above: (l to r) Maggie Brooks, Marty Birmingham, Phil Banks, George Scharr and Mathew Hurlbutt