Section 1: The Short Report

I. Acknowledgement

Introduction

Many people contributed their time and effort to this project. Thanks especially to the directors of all the agencies who responded to our requests and to the community leaders who served as key informants. Both groups responded to the United Way surveys and other requests for information that so richly inform this study.

The Community Assessment Team (CAT) conceived the idea of a common set of goals and objectives that cuts across all service systems and allows individuals and organizations with diverse missions to come together to improve the conditions for the citizens of Cortland County. Without vision and guidance from the CAT, this report would not have been possible.

Back to top

Community Assessment Team (CAT)

• Jackie Carlton -- Seven Valleys Health Coalition, Inc. (SVHC)
• Tom Carman -- Cortland Memorial Hospital
• Cindy Eberhart -- United Way for Cortland County, Inc
• Jackie Gailor -- Cortland County Health Department
• Calvin Barrett, Richard Kendrick, Craig Little, and John Suarez of COPC, the Community Outreach Partnership Center, a grant to SUNY Cortland from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Back to top

Staff

• Andrea Rankin, Consultant
• Casey Greeno, Chief Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• Serena Forbes, Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• Ruth Grunberg, Graphics and Typography
• Sarah Young, Research Assistant, Syracuse University student
• Ted Quillen, Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• Caroline Sarner, Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• Jason Contento, Webmaster, SUNY Cortland Student
• Jennifer Hovanec, Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• Cheryl Kilinski, Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• Greg Campo, Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• Cliff Niver, Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• Laura Loveless, Research Assistant, SUNY Cortland Student
• The GIS Mapping students and Professor David Miller of the SUNY Geography Dept
• The SUNY students in Methods of Social Research II and
• Dr. Richard Kendrick of the SUNY, Cortland Sociology Department. This project would not have been possible without the able assistance of these students and their professor.

Back to top

Funding

Major funding from the Seven Valleys Health Coalition (SVHC) has seen this project through to its successful completion. The SVHC is one of 32 rural health networks funded through the New York State Department of Health Rural Health Network Development Grant. Other funding and resources were provided by the other organizations that comprise the Community Assessment Team (CAT).

Back to top

Focus Groups 2001

• Head Start staff
• Teens at the Youth Center
• Teens at Cincinnatus High School
• Women survivors of domestic violence
• 2 college student groups
• 2 groups of Cortland residents with disabilities
• 2 groups of clients at Loaves and Fishes
• 2 Senior Citizen groups

Focus Groups 2002

• Parents
• School Personnel
• Labor Union Leaders
• Business Leaders
• Art/Culture/Recreation
• Teens
• Faith/Social Justice
• Elected Officials

Back to top

Community Visioning Groups 2001

• ZONTA
• League of Women Voters
• The Cortland Breakfast Rotary Club
• The Cortland Noon Rotary Club
• Cortland-Chenango Rural Services Board of Directors
• Women at the Lenten Lunch at Scott Methodist Church
• American Association of University Women (AAUW)

Back to top

The Community

• Dan Dineen and Tricia Saulnier of the Cortland County Planning Dept.
• Linda Dickerson Hartsock and the Business Development Corporation
• Chris Ogden, BOCES Adult Education Dept.
• Sue Griffin of the Cortland Area Child Care Council
• Linda Medeiros, Cortland County Mental Health
• Chief James Nichols, Cortland City Police Dept.
• Jane Rogers, Cortland County Dept. Social Services/ Resource Allocation Committee
• Sharon Stevens, Cortland Area Agency on Aging

Back to top

Outside Readers 2001

• Holly Greer, Retired Executive Director of the YWCA
• Manny Lann, Cortland County Youth Bureau
• Karen Mastronardi, Prevention Services for Youth
• Dan Dinneen, Cortland County Planning Department
• Kathleen Taverone, Cortland City School District
• Jeannette Dippo, Cortland City School District
• Linda Medeiros, Cortland County Mental Health
• Linda Dickerson Hartsock, Business Development Corporation
• Amy Henderson Harr, SUNY Sponsored Programs
• Janet Steck, Cultural Council of Cortland County
• Jay Sedlack, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Back to top