County Executive Maggie Brooks
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks has earned a reputation as a dedicated and effective leader since she was sworn in as Monroe County’s fifth County Executive in January 2004. The first woman to hold this position, she was re-elected to a second term in 2007 by an historic 74 percent of the vote. Maggie is well-known in the Greater Rochester area from her many years as a local television news anchor and radio reporter. She previously served as Monroe County Clerk and as Monroe County Legislator for the 17th District. Her inclusive, collaborative leadership style has brought about a new era in County government. Maggie has established positive and cooperative relationships with the City of Rochester, local towns and villages, businesses and community organizations. Maggie inherited extreme challenges when she took office, including a significant budget deficit and the rising costs associated with unfunded state mandates. She created a citizen Budget Advisory Team and the Center for Civic Entrepreneurship to work with her in developing creative, out of the box solutions targeted toward long-term fiscal stability in Monroe County. Maggie’s first three Monroe County Budgets held the line on overall spending and kept the property tax rate flat. Her fourth budget lifted the burden of Medicaid from the shoulders of County property taxpayers and maintained quality of life services, while cutting the property tax rate. Maggie has also been a strong voice for Medicaid reform. In 2005, she was appointed to the newly-created Federal Medicaid Commission. She was the only public official from a local government to be appointed to the Commission. Maggie’s top priority is strengthening the local economy through job creation. At the start of her Administration, she convened an Economic Development Strategy Team to work with her. She was instrumental in establishing the County and City partnership with Greater Rochester Enterprise to streamline local economic development efforts and attract new business investment. Shortly after taking office, Maggie established the requirement that any company receiving county financial incentives must use local labor for new construction or expansion. She also increased the incentives available under the County’s GreatRate and GreatRebate programs to encourage companies to purchase equipment and supplies locally. In 2006, Maggie launched The Entrepreneurs Network to grow the region’s innovation economy. Under her leadership, the County has assisted hundreds of companies in improving and expanding their operations, retaining and creating thousands of local jobs. Also under Maggie’s leadership, Monroe County has become a statewide leader in the development of green energy resources and the promotion of renewable energy. Her environmentally-friendly initiatives include establishing a green building policy for all new County facilities of more than 5,000 square feet, constructing an electricity-generating facility at the Mill Seat Landfill, installing LED bulbs on all County traffic lights, and installing solar panels on the roof of the County Office Building. Recognizing that a key to economic strength is community vitality, Maggie has been the driving force behind Renaissance Square, a unique and exciting joint development project that combines a transit center, an urban college campus and a performing arts center in the heart of downtown. Renaissance Square will re-create Rochester and be a catalyst for private investment and jobs. Maggie has brought an energizing new vision to County government, making it her priority to involve the entire community in shaping the future of Monroe County. Maggie resides in the Town of Webster with her husband, Robert Wiesner, and two daughters, Julia and Jensen. She is a graduate of Ithaca College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Bob Duffy was sworn in as the Mayor of Rochester, NY, on Jan. 1, 2006.His highly-regarded management team has decades of experience in the private, public and non-profit communities. Mayor Duffy set out on an ambitious agenda to revitalize Rochester by focusing on improvements to public safety, education, economic development, maintaining that all three are inextricably linked. Customer service is another focus for the Duffy administration. Every constituent contact is responded to within 48 hours, he holds monthly “City Hall on the Road” meetings and launched a 311/One Call to City Hall system to make government more accessible to citizens. With hope, unity and commitment as their guiding principles, the Mayor and his team are tapping the community’s enthusiasm to bring Rochester to a turning point. Mayor Duffy’s knack for fostering collaboration brought more than 12,000 volunteers together to beautify the city for “Rochester’s Clean Sweep” and 30 local organizations joined his “Rochester Fair Share Coalition” to help bring Rochester its highest-ever state aid increase in 2006. Mayor Duffy also created the Summer of Opportunity to provide jobs for city youth by enlisting the help of local businesses, individuals and organizations. Born in Rochester’s Tenth Ward, Duffy graduated from the Aquinas Institute, Monroe Community College and RIT. After joining the Rochester Police Department in 1976, he worked nights to earn a Master’s degree from Syracuse University. He became Deputy Chief of Police in 1992 and Rochester’s Chief of Police in 1998. Duffy implemented several innovative programs while serving in Rochester’s Police Department. He began Crimestat, a performance management system and as Chief, significantly dropped the homicide rates in the city. He created an anti-gang initiative, collaborated with local and state police agencies to combat street violence and convened Rochester’s first-ever drug summit to seek answers to the most significant crime and public health issues. In 2005, he stepped down as Chief to campaign for Mayor. The youngest of three brothers, Mayor Duffy and his wife Barbara are the proud parents of two daughters, Erin and Shannon. Duffy enjoys spending time with his family, reading and jogging.

John and Joe Dady are The Dady Brothers, and as audiences in the U.S., Canada, and Ireland know, the name is synonymous with fine musical talent and fun! This versatile duo plays: fiddle mandolin guitar bodhran banjo uilleann pipes harmonica and even penny whistle... ...while performing a wide range of music styles including: Country Bluegrass Folk Irish Their on-stage wit and wide musical repertoire make every performance too short! In a performance list too long for this page, John and Joe have played at clubs, pubs, and festivals all over the United States, Canada, and Ireland. They have shared the stage with performers as diverse and notable as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem Trout Fishing In America Mitzie Collins Ani DeFranco Bill Staines Arlo Guthrie Rick Danko The Story And many many others!

The parade committee has appropriately chosen Brian O’Connor as this year’s recipient of Citizen of the Year. It won’t come to a surprise to those who know him that he was humbled and reluctant to accept this honor. Brian (a.k.a. the world’s largest leprechaun) is as modest as he is large and as dependable as he is humble. Brian was born in Springfield, MA and not coincidently since this is the home to the Basketball Hall of Fame, so too has Brian spent much of his life in or around the game of basketball. He graduated from LaSalle Institute (Troy, NY) in 1972 as a Captain in Junior ROTC. From there, Brian attended LeMoyne College on a basketball scholarship and graduated with a BS in Accounting in 1976. He and his wife Ellen (of 31 years) have four children: Christine (Joel) MacDonald, Timothy, Michael, and Mary O’Connor. Brian and his family have lived in Greece for 30 years where they have attended Holy Name of Jesus church where he has served on the Parish Council and the Finance Committee during that time. He has also been a member of the East Greece / Charlotte Pastoral Planning Steering Committee. In his professional life, Brian has worked at Eastman Kodak and Alstom Signaling Inc. as a financial analyst. Brian has also worked with the Keshequa and Liverpool Central school districts as a school business administrator. Currently, Brian serves as Senior Budget Analyst for the Rochester City School District. If he looks familiar to you, it could be due to the fact that he is head and shoulders above most human beings, but it could be also that you have seen him in one of the many positions he has held in the community. Following his basketball roots, Brian is a retired basketball official for Section V and a past Commissioner for the Greece Community Basketball youth programs. Brian has also been a member of the Knights of Columbus out of Our Lady of the Cenacle Council #3892 for 31 years and Grand Knight for part of that tenure. He has served as vice president of the Greece Historical Society and chairman of the Colonel Patrick O’Rorke Memorial Society, which is responsible for the dedication of the O’Rorke Bridge over the Genesee River and bust of Colonel O’Rorke at the High Falls Visitor Center in downtown. Perhaps the incidences of greatest identification would be Brian’s involvement with either the 140th NYVI Living History Organization as military commander for the Union army for Civil War re-enactment for the past 15 years or as Drum Major (and Board of Directors) for the Gates Keystone Club Police Pipe Band and Drum Band since 2000. Most recently, Brian serves on the St. Patrick’s Parade Committee as treasurer and member of the Board of Directors where he has been a tremendous benefit to the parade. Whether it be figuratively or literally, you have to look up to the 2008 St. Patrick’s Parade Citizen of the Year: Brian O’Connor.


This year’s Business Leaders of the Year are Tom and Anne Dougherty of Fabulous Flowers. Tom and Anne just celebrated their 50th anniversary in the floral business in 2007 and were honored by the City of Rochester on this monumental achievement. Tom and Anne grew up in Rochester. Tom went to John Marshall and Anne attended Nazareth. Following high school, Anne went to school for floral design in Schenectady and Tom enlisted in the Navy Seabees where he was stationed in England in the middle 1950’s. Tom later studied business and real estate at R.I.T. When Tom returned, he and Anne started Fabulous Flowers in 1957 and the business is currently located at 167 West Ridge Rd. The two wed at St. Charles church on January 14, 1967 (because it is the slowest month in the florist business). Currently, they are parishioners at Our Mother of Sorrows church. The original plan was for Tom to just get Anne on her feet in business, and then he was to continue with his trucking business, and pursue more real estate. They chose West Ridge because they both were brought up in the area and Eastman Kodak was growing leaps and bounds. The shop was busy from the start. They decided they wanted to be together in business and they could do the real estate along with the floral shop and be together with their family. Anne’s mother worked in the shop with them until 1988 (when she passed away). Tom still today is the entrepreneur end of this art based business. He has no formal education in the floral industry and his knowledge is self taught. He mastered the logistic end of the business without ever making an arrangement. However, he is a master gardener. He has gardens all around the property as well at home. He does grow some of the products used in the shop. He was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Associated Florists of Greater Rochester in 2003, one of only a few florists whom are not floral designers to receive this award. Anne is the creative side. Between her talent, drive and education, she has mastered the art of floral arranging, winning several awards, and being guest designer at several shows in her years in the industry. She has traveled as far as Orlando, Florida to design in shows. She is a very well respected designer, looked up to by many of her peers in the industry. She has booked weddings for brides whom have never even met her, but choose her simply on her reputation. Awards won include: 1984 Northeast designer of the year for Teleflora and Lifetime achievement award 1998 Associated Florists of Greater Rochester. Tom and Anne have three daughters: Katie (Tim) Bleier, Colleen (Brian) Krawczyk, and Carmel (Mark) Boeh. They also have two granddaughters Abigael and Lindsay Bleier. The girls were encouraged to attend post high school education. Colleen and Carmel tried other careers and ended up going to school for floral design and now manage the flower shop. Katie also works in the family business as well as teaching in the Greece School District. With the girls in charge, Tom and Anne retired from the management end of the business, but they both are still very active. Everyone in the shop is either family or “chosen family”. The two are involved in many community associations and causes, a few of which include: American Heart Association, Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America, Missing and Exploited Children, VOA–children’s center, Salvation Army, St. Joseph’s Villa, Hillside Children’s Center, Camp Good Days and Special Times, and Camp Stella Maris. Tom is the current president of the West Ridge Business Association. Both are past board members of the Associated Florists of Greater Rochester and past national Advisory Board of the Qualatex Balloon Network and members of the Greece Chamber of Commerce. The amount of work and goodwill that Fabulous Flowers has done for Rochester (let alone the Irish community) is innumerable. Tom and Anne have dedicated their life to family, friends, and their work. We, the entire Rochester community are the beneficiaries of such a wonderful family’s hard work and commitment to making Rochester a better place to live.