Senate Resolution No. 1793

BY: Senator GALLIVAN

HONORING Heidi and Douglas Kohler upon the
occasion of their designation as recipients of the
Educators of the Year Award by the Clarence Chamber
of Commerce on March 21, 2024

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those distinguished citizens who would devote their life's work
and purpose to community service, contributing to the welfare of the
citizens of their communities and this great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, their Legislative Body is justly proud to
honor Heidi and Douglas Kohler upon the occasion of their special
designation as recipients of the Educators of the Year Award by the
Clarence Chamber of Commerce, to be celebrated at its Annual Awards Gala
on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at Samuel's Grande Manor in Clarence, New
York; and

WHEREAS, Heidi and Douglas Kohler were nominated for this
prestigious award for their steadfast and unremitting commitment to
their beloved community of Clarence Center, New York; and

WHEREAS, Heidi and Douglas have both spent their entire teaching
career in Clarence, with Doug joining the staff of Clarence Middle
School in the fall of 1989, and Heidi becoming a faculty member in 2000;
during their tenure, the couple has worked hard to create opportunities
for students in the classroom as well as through the numerous
extracurricular activities that they have been involved in creating and
leading; and

WHEREAS, A graduate of the Clarence Central School District, Douglas
gained a love of local history through his teaching with Barb Gilmour,
always focusing on engaging his students in the history of the
community; and

WHEREAS, During the Clarence Bicentennial, Douglas Kohler authored a
series of four books that highlighted the town's 200-year history; in
addition to the books, he has written numerous articles for Western New
York Heritage Magazine; and

WHEREAS, While serving on the Board of Trustees for the Clarence
Historical Society and The Hull Family Home and Farmstead, he was an
integral part of the Hull House History Camp for which he continues to
volunteer; and

WHEREAS, Through his hard work and depth of knowledge, Douglas
Kohler became the Erie County Historian in 2009, the position he proudly
holds currently; and

WHEREAS, Douglas Kohler is currently working with PBS on a video
series for 4th to 8th grade students which highlights the history of
WNY, and also serves on a consortium of historians planning the Erie
Canal Bicentennial commemoration that will take place in 2025; and


WHEREAS, In 1994, dedicated to providing a wealth of opportunities
to his students, Douglas Kohler helped to create the women's lacrosse
program at Clarence High School, where he coached at the Varsity level
for 20 years; his teams compiled multiple section championships, several
all-American selections, and an appearance in the state final four; in
the past, he also coached Modified Field Hockey and Modified Soccer; and

WHEREAS, Heidi Kohler began her illustrious teaching career at
Clarence as a student-teacher of 6th grade social studies; after
completing her master's degree in Music Education, she secured a choir
position at the middle school; and

WHEREAS, During her time at Clarence, Heidi Kohler has taught every
grade level of chorus and general music classes, as well as created many
new choral opportunities for students, including Treble Choir, Guys'
Choir, Summer Voice Lesson for middle school students, and the Summer
Theater Workshop; she has served on countless committees and helped to
spearhead integral parts of the middle school culture, such as Sixth
Grade Orientation, and multiple academic and leadership committees, and
has mentored nearly 20 teachers both informally and formally; and

WHEREAS, Together, Heidi and Douglas Kohler have directed over 25
musicals and collaborated on events such as the History Alive! Concert
Series, field trips and various leadership committees; to provide more
opportunities for students to be on stage, they created the Clarence
Summer Theatre Workshop in 2019, alongside their production staff;
during the workshop, rising 6th through 9th grade students mount a
full-scale production over a two-week period through attending workshops
led by high schoolers and the musical production staff; and

WHEREAS, In an effort to restore normalcy to students who had been
isolated during the closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic,
Heidi and Douglas Kohler adapted to the circumstance and created two
smaller-than-normal casts, distanced the actors on-stage, and streamed
the performances for families to enjoy; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Heidi and Douglas Kohler upon the occasion of their designation as
recipients of the Educators of the Year Award by the Clarence Chamber of
Commerce on March 21, 2024; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Heidi and Douglas Kohler.