Marisa Geitner Receives 2025 Greater Rochester Chamber Inclusive Leadership Award
ROCHESTER, NY (August 27, 2025) – Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce presented Marisa Geitner, President & CEO of Heritage Christian Services, with its 2025 Inclusive Leadership Award at a ceremony on Wednesday, August 27. The Inclusive Leadership Award recognizes and honors top changemakers and their organizations in Greater Rochester who are promoting inclusivity in the workplace through diversity, innovation, collaboration, and employee well-being initiatives. Together, they lead programs that promote empowerment and create lasting impact.
As President & CEO of Heritage Christian Services, Marisa Geitner is a fierce advocate for people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Marisa challenges the status quo, pushing to exceed quality standards for services and employment practices and honoring the dignity and worth of all people. Her advocacy resulted in significant wage increases for Heritage Christian Services staff members over the last five years, aligning with anti-poverty initiatives and recognizing the value of compassionate care. Under her leadership, the agency has grown its revenue by nearly 300%. She is an industrious collaborator who invites diverse perspectives to inform the agency’s strategic growth and address unmet community needs. Marisa has led organization-wide inclusion education, launched Employee Resource Groups, and invests in leadership programs like the Women of Color Summit to support diverse professional growth.
“Congratulations to Marisa and all of this year’s finalists! From all different backgrounds and all kinds of organizations, the work that this cohort of honorees is doing reinforces that we all play a role in ensuring that Greater Rochester is an inclusive community. We are proud to provide this opportunity to pause for a moment to celebrate the great work they are all doing, and proud to help uplift these leaders to inspire others in our region,” said Bob Duffy, President & CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber. “Thank you to all of our sponsors and partners for helping to make this work possible, and to all of our attendees for joining us to celebrate.”
A complete list of 2025 Greater Rochester Chamber Inclusive Leadership Award finalists is as follows:
- Stephanie Armstrong, Co-Founder & CEO, Moxie Creative Studios
- Amy Bach, Founder & CEO, Measures for Justice
- Jennyrae Brongo, Founder & CEO, Homesteads for Hope, Inc.
- Maritza Cubi, Director of Quality and Culture, Starbridge
- Marisa Geitner, President & CEO, Heritage Christian Services
- Tricia Marsherall, Founder & CEO, Donor Database Experts
- Dr. Lateef Melvin, Human Resource Manager, Amazon
- Dr. Evelyn Parker, Chief Diversity and Culture Officer, Catholic Charities Family and Community Services
- Becca Post, CEO & Founder, Helen + Gertrude
- Michelle Schleher, President & CEO, AAC Contracting, LLC
- Heather Smith, CEO & Partner, Velocitii
- Melissa Suchodolski, President, USC Builds
- Elizabeth Williamson, Artistic Director/Co-CEO, Geva Theatre
- Tanya Mooza Zwahlen, AICP, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Highland Planning, LLC
For more information about all of our finalists, please see our 2025 Inclusive Leadership Award event publication. A selection committee consisting of a diverse group of professional leaders from the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes business community determined the recipient based on submitted applications.