Three Leadership Cattaraugus (LC) alumni were recognized for their community service and dedication to the leadership program during the Dec. 13, 2016, annual dinner.
Melanie Easton, a 2014 graduate of the Leadership Cattaraugus program and Joseph “Jay” Sorokes, a 2004 graduate, received the Wendy Bourgeois Alumnus of the Year awards. John Stevens, a member of the program’s Class of 2004, received the Distinguished Service Award.
Melanie Easton
Recipient Melanie Easton is a 19-year law enforcement veteran, currently working as a welfare fraud investigator, domestic violence coordinator, and Project Lifesaver administrator for the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office.
In her role as DV coordinator, Easton links victims with essential services; as administrator for Project Lifesaver she coordinates the provision of monitoring equipment for people who are prone to wandering because of autism, Alzheimer’s or other related conditions. That equipment enables law enforcement to quickly locate missing people and return them safely to their homes. She also organizes the Sheriff’s security detail for St. Bonaventure basketball games and she is an instructor at the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Academy.
Easton is also involved with the Santa Sheriff Program, a group that purchases and delivers holiday gifts annually for dozens of local families in need. Elsewhere in the community, Easton is the past president and a current board member at Cattaraugus Community Action, serves on the Leadership Cattaraugus Board of Directors, and has served as a volunteer coach in the Olean Girls Softball League for more than 10 years.
Jay Sorokes
Employed at Eaton in Olean, recipient Jay Sorokes has taken the lead on several employee-oriented projects, employee gatherings, and fundraisers that improved morale. Throughout his years of employment, Sorokes has expanded his volunteerism, leading countless programs (such as chairing Eaton’s United Way efforts) that helped improve the community and the lives of its residents.
He also has served on the Employee Engagement Committee, which promotes Eaton’s reputation by initiating and monitoring a favorable public climate and by strengthening Eaton communities through volunteering, charitable donations and employee involvement. He is also a team captain for the Olean Litter Control program at Eaton. For his dedication to community service, Sorokes was selected in 2016 for the Stover Award, given annually to only seven employees out of the 97,000 that work for Eaton Corporation worldwide. The award brought a $2,500 donation to the Olean Business Development.
Sorokes is a member of the Greater Olean Chamber of Commerce Board, where he served as its vice president in 2013 and has served on several of its committees, including the Economic Development Committee, the Executive Committee, and the Corporate Challenge. He also is a founding board member of Olean Business Development.
He co-led the startup of the Sole for Souls Walk that supports teen suicide prevention efforts and raised more than $5,000 to help individuals in need of grief counseling. He has served as a board member for the United Way of Cattaraugus County since 2008.
Besides his commitment to his employer and co-workers, Sorokes is a dedicated family man. His family is active at St. John’s Church, where Sorokes serves as a Eucharistic minister, has been a youth religious education instructor, and volunteers for countless parish events. He has dedicated countless hours to coaching various athletic teams for his children and helping them fundraise for numerous causes. He has participated in many community walks to fight hunger, illness, and to help children.
John Stevens
Leadership Cattaraugus’ Distinguished Service Award is given to a person who has given considerable, time, work and effort to help Leadership Cattaraugus maintain a positive image in the community. The 2016 recipient is John Stevens, one of the founders of Leadership Cattaraugus, who met monthly to develop the program starting in 2003 and launching it in 2004.
Stevens served as LC board president for many years, and has been a board member since the program was founded. He volunteers at the program’s Opening Retreat, Leadership Day, and serves on the Curriculum Committee.
Stevens is an instructor in the Department of Management in the School of Business at St. Bonaventure University and is president of JB Stevens Organizational Solutions.