New York State Archives Announces 2017 Annual Archives Award Winners

In celebration of American Archives Month, the New York State Archives today announced the winners of the 2017 Annual Archives Awards. This annual awards program recognizes the outstanding archives and records management work of individuals and organizations in New York State. In addition, three awards were given to students for their use of historical records in research projects at a ceremony at the Cultural Education Center in Albany today.

“We’re proud to present the Archives Awards to recognize and celebrate individuals, organizations, and students who have done exceptional work in preserving and promoting New York’s history,” said Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa. “We congratulate all the winners on their achievements and urge them to continue maintaining and researching historical records that document our heritage.” 

“The Annual Archives Awards is an opportunity to acknowledge the excellent work that organizations and individuals do every day to maintain and preserve historical records,” said Regent Roger Tilles. “We’re also honored to acknowledge the exceptional work students across the state have done to incorporate archival records in their research and bring New York State’s history to life. Congratulations to all the winners."

“The Board of Regents and I congratulate the winners of the 2017 Archives Awards,” said State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia. “We’re proud to honor exemplary maintenance and use of archival records so our history is preserved for future generations. We applaud the student winners for their outstanding use of historical records in their research and encourage them to continue to explore New York’s rich history at archives, libraries and cultural institutions across the state.”

“The State Archives presents these awards annually to celebrate the significant role archives perform and to honor the archivists, researchers, educators and students who are analyzing and sharing information contained in New York’s historical records,” said State Archivist Thomas Ruller.

A complete list of this year’s award winners follows:

• Cheryl Steinbach Annual Archives Award for Excellence in Local Government Records Management:

Town of Livonia

• William H. Kelly Annual Archives Award for Excellence in Local Government Archival Program Development:

Warren County Records Storage Center and Archives

• Annual Archives Award for Excellence in State Agency Records Management Program Development:

NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision

• Annual Archives Award for Program Excellence in a Historical Records Repository:

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

• Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of the State Archives:

Sarah F. Rose, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Disability           
Studies Minor, University of Texas at Arlington

• Lifetime Achievement Award for the Protection of Archives or Cultural Collections in New York State:

Richard Lord, Chief of Mitigation Programs and State Hazard Mitigation Officer,    New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

• ​​Annual Archives Award for Student Research Using Historical Records, Grades 9-12:

The following students from Tamarac High School, Brunswick Central School District:

• Sara Kuken
• Ryan Hayden
• Nate LaPlante
• Elizabeth Machnick
• Kaylan Comache
• Katherine Champagne
• Lillah Jacobson-Schultz
• Sophia Baldwin
• Anthony Styles
• Lexis Carista
• Shannon Walsh
• Hunter Yearsley
• Renna Poulin

Teachers: Michelle Furlong, Steve Pomposello and Mark Spitzer

• Annual Archives Award for Student Research Using Historical Records, Grades 6-8:

The following student from The Wheatley School, East Williston Union Free School District:

• Manav Bansal

Teacher: JoBeth Roberts

• Annual Archives Award for Student Research Using Historical Records, Grades 4 & 5:

The following students from Drexel Avenue Elementary School, Westbury Union Free School District:

• Ryan Alvarez
• Alexander Munguia

Teacher: Patricia Matarazzo

American Archives Month is a collaborative effort by professional organizations and repositories around the nation to highlight the significant role archives, archivists, and records managers perform. These organizations and professionals manage, preserve and make accessible to researchers records that contain information that preserve the rights of citizens; document the actions of people, governments and institutions; and provide a direct link to the voices, experiences, and opinions of people past and present.

The New York State Archives is a program of the State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Archives is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on legal holidays. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-8955 or visiting the Archives’ website at http://www.archives.nysed.gov/.

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