PULTENEY STREET SURVEY - SPRING 2017

Geneva and the Finger Lakes
When they moved to Geneva in 1999, President Mark D. Gearan and Mary Herlihy Gearan already believed that a responsibility of citizenship is community involvement. The Colleges’ engagement with Geneva and the Finger Lakes is not only a legacy of the Gearans, but also the culmination of core values that will endure for years to come.
"Soon after the
Gearans arrived in
Geneva, they had a
gathering at their
home. It was the first
time many people in
the community had
been invited to the
house. Of course, that would become
a signature of the Gearans – everyone
was always invited. Their girls were
little and my granddaughter was with
me. She went upstairs to play with
Madeleine and Kathleen. When it was
time to go, she didn’t want to leave.
None of us ever did."
—Lucile Mallard L.H.D. ’15, president of
the Geneva chapter of the NAACP, Member
of the Steering Committee of Geneva 2020

- The Corporation for National and Community Service selected HWS five times in a row for its Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for commitment to servicelearning and civic engagement.
- In 2010, the Colleges received the Community Engagement Classification designation by the Carnegie Foundation.
- HWS was named “Business of the Year” in 2012 by the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce.
“When the City of Geneva was
applying for the $10 million
Downtown
Revitalization
grant, I asked Mark
Gearan to help
us; he sees the
50,000-foot view
and everything
he touches has
a ridiculously
high quality. There was nothing
to benefit Mark in this – none of
that $10 million is earmarked for
the Colleges. Yet he spent hours
coaching us on our submission,
reviewing the document, and even
participating in the presentation
to the State. He helped because
he believes that what is good for
Geneva is good for the Colleges.
He and Mary extended the hand
of friendship and partnership to
the City. They taught us that we
can work together to make change
happen.”
—Matt Horn, Geneva City Manager
Center for Community Engagement
and Service Learning
The Public Service Office at HWS
officially opened in 1995 but was
reimagined after President Gearan arrived
at the Colleges. Renamed in 2007, the
Center for Community Engagement and
Service Learning has become a leader in
promoting positive community change and
enhanced student learning, deepening the
relationship between the Colleges and the
City of Geneva.

The HWS Day of Service, a tradition of nearly two decades, became Days of Service in 2008, with additional service days throughout the year, allowing more students and local organizations to participate. Today, all HWS students take part in service, contributing more than 90,000 hours annually to local, national and international communities, and generating more than $100,000 in fundraising efforts for non-profit organizations.
Geneva 2020
Geneva 2020 is a broad-based group
of local citizens united with one goal
– to support
Geneva’s children
by advancing the
strategic objectives
of the Geneva City
School District (GCSD). Geneva 2020
was formed in 2011 when many of the
challenges facing the education system
nationally were reflected in Geneva:
GCSD was under a New York State
watch with fewer than three quarters of
graduating high school seniors entering
college. Graduation rates hovered around
a disheartening 70%.

In response, President Gearan convened a group of community and school leaders around his dining room table to discuss a collective impact effort in Cincinnati that changed that city’s public school trajectory and the lives of thousands of children. In the past six years and by collaborating with other local efforts, Geneva 2020 has been able to address School District priorities, growing existing programs and creating new initiatives that give children opportunities and access.
One of the most important priorities tackled by Geneva 2020 is the high school graduation rate. With the collective efforts of Geneva 2020, the four-year completion rate has risen from 70% in 2011 to 85% in 2016.

Finger Lakes Institute
A key recommendation of President
Gearan’s first 5-year strategic plan, Gearan
led the effort to establish the Finger
Lakes Institute. Promoting environmental
research and education about the Finger
Lakes and the region, the FLI opened
in 2004 with initial funding from former
State Senator Michael F. Nozzolio
L.H.D.’07 and former U.S. Congressman
James Walsh. Today, the FLI is the
preeminent source of research, education
and community outreach for the Finger
Lakes region. The FLI collaborates with
regional environmental partners and state
and local government offices to foster environmentallysound
development
practices
throughout
the region and
disseminate
accumulated knowledge to the public.
Sustainability
Among other colleges and universities,
Hobart and William Smith have become
national pioneers in environmental
sustainability, a core value under
President Gearan’s leadership. In
2007, Gearan signed the American
College & University Presidents Climate
Commitment, making HWS a charter
member of a national effort to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Since then, the
Colleges have cut energy consumption
by more than 10% and created robust
recycling and composting programs
to reduce waste. Today, 100% of the
Colleges’ electricity comes from wind.
Most recently, HWS took another meaningful step toward climate neutrality with the 2016 construction of a local solar farm on Route 14 in Geneva. In 2014, the Colleges acquired 35 acres of farmland from local agricultural innovator Carl W. Fribolin L.H.D.’14. The site has become an academic center hosting classes and seminars that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability. The Colleges continue to be named to Sierra magazine’s annual list of the greenest colleges and universities, climbing 63 spots since first appearing on the list in 2009.
Current Issue
- Lakeviews
- HWS Boosts Local Economy
- The Great Lake Effect
- Deutschlander Named Ornithological President
- CLINTON: Our Common Humanity
- The Entrepreneur: Horn '83 Returns to Lead
- Sports Updates
- Being a Statesman
- Best in Field
A Legacy of Leadership
- All the More
- Academic Program and Reputation
- It's Not "Town and Gown"
- Collections of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- A Coxe Farewell
- Women Who Pave the Way: the Blackwell Award Recipients
- The President's Garage Band
- Student Engagement
- Congratulations, Gratitude and a Healthy Dose of Gatorade
- Center for Global Education
- Follow The Flags: Convocation Remembered and Reborn
- A Life of Leadership
- Stimulating, Spirited, Surprising: 18 Years of the President's Forum Series
- A Life of Leadership
- Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Learning
- Creating Futures
- Financial Health and Alum Engagement
- A Legacy Created: The Gearan Scholars
- Landmarks of a Legacy
- Geneva and the Finger Lakes
- A New Geneva
- In the President's Home
- Creating Community with Mary Herlihy Gearan
- Reunion 2017: A Special Farewell to the Gearans
- Distinguished Faculty Awards
- Highest Honors
Alumni/ae
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