Greater Rochester Chamber Announces Fourteen Finalists for its 2026 Inclusive Leadership Award
ROCHESTER, NY (July 28, 2026) – Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce fourteen finalists for its 2026 Inclusive Leadership Award. In its fifth year, the Inclusive Leadership Award honors organizations that create meaningful, lasting changes in workplace cultures where employees feel acknowledged and valued. These organizations lead with purpose, setting the standard for inclusive leadership that transcends their workplaces and positively impacts the Greater Rochester community.
Our 2026 finalists are as follows:
- The Arc of Monroe
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester
- Coordinated Care Services, Inc.
- First American Equipment Finance
- Five Star Bank
- Genesee Regional Bank
- GreenSpark Solar
- Nazareth University
- Regional Transit Service (RTS)
- RochesterWorks, Inc.
- Starbridge
- The Summit Federal Credit Union
- SWBR
- Trillium Health
In addition to refined criteria and an enhanced organizational focus, this year, Greater Rochester Chamber is proud to announce four Excellence Awards, presented alongside its Inclusive Leadership Award. Excellence Awards are presented for standout performance in four focus areas: Culture of Belonging, Fair & Equitable Practices, Empowered & Engaged Teams, and Community Connection. Excellence Awards will be presented to organizations demonstrating clear, standout achievement in that specific area.
Greater Rochester Chamber President & CEO Bob Duffy said, “Congratulations to our 14 organizational finalists on this recognition, and thank you for the work you are doing. Any community is only as good as its people, and Greater Rochester is blessed with so many leaders and companies passionate about people. Through this passion, they build inclusive cultures and fair practices that bring everyone up together. With organizations like these leading the way, a better, more equitable future is ahead of us. We are looking forward to recognizing these organizations and the individuals that shape them at a ceremony this fall.”
The 2026 Inclusive Leadership Award will be presented at a ceremony on Wednesday, September 16. Registration and sponsorship opportunities are available for the ceremony. The celebration will feature a keynote address from our 2025 recipient, Marisa Geitner, President & CEO of Heritage Christian Services.
A selection committee consisting of a diverse group of professional leaders from the Greater Rochester business community will select the recipient based on submitted applications. To learn more, please contact Events Director Susan George at Susan.George@GreaterRochesterChamber.com.
About Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce
Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is the region’s one-stop shop for business support, influence, and community connection. Rooted in advocacy, compliance, talent, and belonging, our organization combines an unmatched depth and breadth of business support with the agility and dedication to turn possibility into progress and accelerate opportunity and action. Here, you’re in good company. Learn more at GreaterRochesterChamber.com.