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.