Ginny Nacy
The Webster Chamber of Commerce “ Business Person of the Year” is someone who is recognized as having set a standard of accomplishment in both business and the community. Nominations are from the Chamber’s business members who have made a significant impact on the role of business in the community. The nominee must be a member of the Chamber for at least 18 months; must be an active member who is always willing to go above and beyond, a leader that motivates others; and they must have a level of community participation by contributing resources in the form of time, talent, money, etc. to the community via projects, clubs, churches, and not-for-profits.
This year’s honoree is a successful business owner, a mother, a community shaker and mover, and an advocate for children and their early education, and an active committed chamber member whose involvement has fur-thered the Chamber’s mission and its ongoing success in the Webster community.
The Webster Chamber is pleased to introduce the 2014 Chamber’s Business Person of the Year: Mrs. Virginia (Ginny) Nacy.
In July of 1987, Ginny and her husband Kevin took a leap of crazy faith and opened Toddlers Workshop Daycare with a capacity of 45 children from infants to age five years. A move from Schlegel Road school to May Street three years later started the expansion and growth of a business that expand-ed more in 1992 and 1993; in 1996 with the addition of the historic Railroad Junction Building and once again in 2000. Today the business is licensed for more than 300 children, is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and is a leader in best practices in the Rochester early education community. It continues to be one of the largest, if not largest, licensed center in Monroe County.
There are approximately 70 employees and they maintain higher standards than required by New York State for child/staff ratios and at various times of the year, there have been up to 12 employees who were former children of the program. The center provides American Red Cross programs and lessons and has worked with the Web-ster School district in helping identify preschool children with special needs and is now a community partner for the Universal Pre-K Program. Toddler’s Workshop was the 2011 winner of the Rochester Business Ethics Award for mid-sized companies and went on to earn the National Ethics Award in 2012.
Ginny and her company are platinum sponsors for the Rochester Area Ethics Awards Luncheon, participate in the Fireman’s parade in the summer and the Parade of Lights in the winter; they sponsor a WAA Little League Team, are Chili Level sponsors of the Lighting of the Lights at Hank’s; they have hosted a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, another for the Hope House and annually participate in the Hope House Adopt a Family Pro-gram and the Webster Museum Tree Decoration event for White Christmas.
Ginny sits on the Webster Chamber Board of directors as its Chair-elect and on the Board of Directors of the Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation and is chair of their Community Events Committee. She stays involved in the Rochester Association for the Education of Young Children, was their past treasurer and works on the Spring Conference Committee. Ginny has served on the Chamber’s Education Committee, is currently chairing the Governance Committee, sits on the Personnel Committee; is a director on the Chamber’s brokerage corporation Board, all in addition to her position as chair elect of the Chamber.
Occasionally in our careers we encounter someone that serves as a person to emulate –someone who brings dedication, a level head, a host of experience and willingness to share and help us grow and become better business people and better people in our homes and in our community.
When presented with sudden and heartbreaking loss five years ago, Ginny showed us that she is a strong leader, a strong woman and mother. She brought forward a courage and perseverance rarely seen and forged for us yet another example of what it means to be a community entity that operates a strong ethical business that makes our community strong and vibrant and most definitely a place where life is worth living.
Please congratulate the Webster Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Business Person of the Year: Mrs. Ginny Nacy!