Honor Environmental Leader Thorndike

Senate Resolution No. 227 BY: Senator LITTLE HONORING Dr. Elizabeth Thorndike upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the 2018 Frank M. Hutchins Adirondack Environmental Education Leadership Award by the Adirondack Park Institute, Inc. WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the continuing welfare of the citizens of the State of New York is greatly enriched and reliably served by the purposeful endeavors of organizations and individuals who are committed to the preservation of our natural environment and the enhancement of the appreciation of the distinctive features of our surroundings, and to the economic well-being of the areas in which they exist; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Dr. Elizabeth Thorndike upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the 2018 Frank M. Hutchins Adirondack Environmental Education Leadership Award by the Adirondack Park Institute, Inc. (API) to be celebrated at its Seventh Annual Awards Gala on Friday, September

21, 2018, at the Adirondack Hotel in Long Lake, New York; and WHEREAS, Proceeds from this auspicious event will benefit the environmental education programs at both SUNY ESF's Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC) in Newcomb, New York, and the Paul Smith's College VIC; and WHEREAS, Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Thorndike, a founding member of the API, has been a valuable proponent of the Adirondack Park and its residents; her contributions to the Adirondacks and environmental education are unparalleled, as is her inherent decency and dedication to everything she does; and WHEREAS, She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University and a doctorate in natural resource policy and planning from Cornell University; and WHEREAS, In 2016, the Adirondack Research Consortium renamed the Adirondack Achievement Award the Dr. Elizabeth W. Thorndike Adirondack Achievement Award honoring her many contributions to the betterment of the organization and the Adirondack community; and WHEREAS, Dr. Liz Thorndike has been a member of the Consortium's Board of Directors since 2001 and served as Vice President from 2003 to

2006 and as President from 2006-2008; and WHEREAS, Under her leadership, the Consortium has become an established 501.c.3 with a sustainable funding stream which she supports generously; and WHEREAS, Dr. Liz Thorndike served as a Commissioner of the Adirondack Park Agency from 1980 to 1995, and as a member of Governor Mario Cuomo's Environmental Advisory Board from 1985 to 1994; she has also been a member of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Board since 1997, where she chairs the Waste and Facilities Management Committee; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, Dr. Liz Thorndike was founder, executive director, president, and member of the board of the Center for Environmental Information (CEI) in Rochester, New York, from 1973 to

2007; and WHEREAS, Her past and present board affiliations include: the Girl Scouts of Genesee Valley, Association for Protection of the Adirondacks, Sierra Club (Rochester Regional Group), New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell (Advisory Council), Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Adirondack Park institute, Paul Smith's College, and Finger Lakes Land Trust (Advisory Board); and WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize and applaud the efforts of individuals such as Dr. Liz Thorndike who work tirelessly on behalf of protecting our natural surroundings for the benefit of present and future generations of New Yorkers; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Dr. Elizabeth Thorndike upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the 2018 Frank M. Hutchins Adirondack Environmental Education Leadership Award; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Dr. Elizabeth Thorndike.