Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board
Paul W. Pinckney, ChairmanDavid V. Bottar, Executive Director  

Rhea Eckel Clark Citizenship Award, Past Recipients

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Eugene Saloga, CNY RPDB's 2006 REC Award Recipient

Eugene Saloga receives the CNY RPDB's 2006 Rhea Eckel Clark Citizenship Award at it's 2006 Annual Meeting

Eugene Saloga was named the recipient of the 21st Annual Rhea Eckel Clark Citizenship Award at the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board's (CNY RPDB's) Annual Meeting held on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, at the Syracuse Wyndham.

Mr. Saloga is a resident of the City of Oswego and an active member of his community. Prior to his retirement several years ago, he served as the Executive Assistant to City of Oswego Mayors Lazarek and Fitzgibbons, and has spearheaded many community revitalization initiatives in the city including such noteworthy projects as the Pontiac Hotel and St. Lukes senior citizen apartment complexes. Regionally, Mr Saloga helped bring vision and drive to the development of Oswego's waterfront, including Breitbeck Park overlooking the Oswego Harbor, and the development of the recreational opportunities associated with Wright's Landing and riverfront development projects. The development of these projects has been of benefit not only to the Oswego community but also to the region, by drawing people to Central New York and showing communities across the region the potential of their waterfront areas.

Mr. Saloga has served or worked on many local board and community development initiatives, and has served as supervisor for the 6th ward for the City of Oswego. From the early sixties until 1973 he was a member of the Oswego County Planning Board, and during that time he served on a county committee that was formed to help establish the CNY RPDB. His work is continuing today, helping to develop a veterans museum on the grounds of Fort Ontario in Oswego.

As an army air corp veteran of World War II, the Air National Guard, and the 1961 Berlin Crisis, Mr. Saloga has exhibited throughout his life the traits of a true community leader.

Past Recipients

2019 James J. Murphy, Jr., CNY RPDB Chairman
2018 Lawrence J. Baker, CNY RPDB Board member
2017 Rhea Jezer, Director and Chair, Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century; President, Energy21 LTD
2016 Robert J. Daino, President and CEO, WCNY
2015 Kathryn Howe Ruscitto, President and CEO, St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center
2014 Barbara S. Rivette, Historian, Town and Village of Manlius and Village of Fayetteville
2013 Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr., PhD., President, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
2012 Walter John Tennant, Jr. (posthumously), Chairman, CNY RPDB
2010 Louis Pettinelli, CNY RPDB Board member
2009 Mary Ann Messinger, CNY RPDB Board member
2008 Ferdinand L. Picardi, Chairman, Metropolitan Water Board, Onondaga County Water District
2007 David R. Elleman, CNY RPDB Board member, Onondaga County Comptroller (retired)
2006 Eugene G. Saloga, Director, City of Oswego Community Development (retired)
2005 John Zawadzki, President, Partners Trust Bank; Central Upstate Regional Alliance
2004 James T. Walsh, U.S. Congressman
2003 Robert Doucette, Armory Development & Management
2002 Chuckie Holstein, FOCUS Greater Syracuse
2001 Ralph Standbrook, Chairman, Cayuga County Legislature
2000 Robert H. Kuiper, Mayor, Village of Hamilton
1999 John H. Mulroy (posthumously), former Onondaga County Executive
1998 Ann Petrus, Chair, Cayuga County Water & Sewer Authority; Supervisor, Town of Brutus
1997 Bruce B. Phelps, Oswego County businessman
1996 Arthur W. Ospelt, Oswego County Administrator
1994 Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation Representative; CEO, Nation Enterprises
1993 Tarky Lombardi, Jr., former New York State Senator
1992 Vijay Mital, Director, Department of Planning and Economic Development, City of Auburn; Team Snyder General
1991 Marilyn Higgins-Rohde, Senior Vice President, Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce
1990 Robert J. Congel, President, Pyramid Companies
1989 Warren H. Frank, Executive Director, CNYRTA
1988 Mayor Tom Young’s Advertising Advisory Council
1987 Francis P. Benton, former CNY RPDB Chairman
1986 L. Steve Riford, NYS Senator
1985 Hollis Iselin, Chair, Oswego County Legislature
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