Senate Resolution No. 1474

BY: Senator O'MARA

HONORING Shawn Yetter for his decades of service
to the social welfare of Tioga County and New York
State residents

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve
the best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration
and cannot be sufficiently extolled; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Yetter has given not only of his time and energies
but also of his competence, intelligence and leadership and consequently
has been designated for special honor; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Shawn Yetter
for his decades of service to the social welfare of Tioga County and New
York State residents; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Yetter has been called upon to contribute his time
and talents to countless civic and charitable endeavors and has always
given of himself unstintingly; and

WHEREAS, In his capacity as Tioga County Commissioner of Social
Services, Shawn Yetter has served with loyalty, honor and distinction;
and

WHEREAS, Born and raised in Newark Valley, New York, Shawn Yetter
started his service in the early 1980s with a summer internship with the
county while he was working on his associate's degree at SUNY Broome;
and

WHEREAS, Shawn Yetter left a permanent position with Tioga County as
a social welfare examiner to pursue his bachelor's degree at SUNY
Oswego; and

WHEREAS, Once he completed his education, Shawn Yetter found a
position with the Southern Tier AIDS Program, a non-profit organization
that serves eight counties with its AIDS prevention programs and needle
exchange; and

WHEREAS, After spending four years with the Southern Tier AIDS
Program, Shawn Yetter returned to the Tioga Department of Social
Services until he was offered the position of deputy commissioner of the
Orange County Department of Social Services; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Yetter spent four years as the deputy commissioner in
Orange County before returning once again to the Tioga County Department
of Social Services as the commissioner of the Department of Social
Services, where he still serves today; and

WHEREAS, During the decades of his experience in social services,
Shawn Yetter has helped residents build self-sufficiency, ensured child
safety and marked the changing landscape of social welfare; and

WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of his community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Shawn Yetter has stood constant in
dignity, good grace and humor; and

WHEREAS, Outside of his career in social services, Shawn Yetter has
pursued a passion for Theatre; in 1988, he became involved with the
Ti-Ahwaga Players, a theatre group based in Owego, NY; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Yetter found a calling in directing and in recent
years, he has directed A Christmas Story, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's
Nest, and Harvey; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an
individual for the benefit of others which Shawn Yetter has displayed
throughout his life; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Shawn Yetter for his decades of service to the social welfare of
Tioga County and New York State residents; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Shawn Yetter.