Former Saratoga Springs mayor to be honored by Hartwick College
ONEONTA, N.Y. >> Former Spa City Mayor Joanne Dittes Yepsen is receiving a Distinguished Alumna Award from her alma mater Hartwick College.
Yepsen and four other members of the Hartwick College community have been selected to receive Alumni Awards this month. The honor salutes graduates and current faculty or staff for their service to the college and Hartwick community.
“Joanne Dittes Yepsen ‘80 of Saratoga Springs, NY will be named the winner of the Distinguished Alumna Award, which is given to recognize a graduate who has distinguished themselves through outstanding achievements in their professional career and or civic or charitable activities,” a press release from the college stated.
The college noted that during her 12-year administration as mayor of Saratoga Springs Yepsen helped secure $3.5 million in federal and state grants toward creating the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail, a 24-mile recreational trail network, which is contributing to making the city more pedestrian and bike friendly. She also co-founded Sustainable Saratoga, a 501c3 organization dedicated to deploying education and advocacy initiatives to take action on natural resources protection and the establishment of sustainable practice. The White House Award for ending veteran’s homelessness (2015), and the New York State Assembly Women of Distinction Award are among the accolades she has earned during her illustrious career.
Yepsen recently started a new LLC to work on 2020 Women’s Centennial as well as other public affairs campaigns such as Humane Education in NYS.
A former psychology major, Yepsen returned to Hartwick’s campus last year to meet with students and faculty in the psychology and environment, sustainability and society majors, sharing insights and offering career advice.
“I am over- the-moon and deeply honored to receive this once-in-a-lifetime award,” Yepsen said in a statement. “The many accomplishments this award is based on could not have been achieved without the continued support from the people in the Saratoga Springs community and New York State working along side me. I thank my alma mater for recognizing my accomplishments as mayor and a community leader as important contributions, including launching Code Blue Saratoga; establishing the community’s Pitney Farm under the City’s Open Space Conservation Easement; adding much needed awareness and outside funding to sustainability issues and trails; fighting for our biggest economic engine, the horse racing industry, while addressing immigration through a Human Rights Task Force; and co-founding Sustainable Saratoga - to name a few. I proudly thank Hartwick College for this Alumni Award.”
Yepsen’s fellow awardees are Meritorious Service Award honoree Charlene McCutcheon Marx ‘77 of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Outstanding Young Alumna Award honoree Jennifer Murphy Picardo ‘10 of Washington, D.C.; Outstanding Volunteer Award honoree Dawn D. Rogers Kroll of Otego, NY; and Outstanding Employee Dr. Andrew Piefer of Oneonta.
The group is being celebrated at a reception during True Blue Weekend 2019 on the College campus.
“We’re pleased to recognize such a distinguished group of alumni and staff,” said Hartwick College’s assistant vice president for development and
engagement Susan Ferris, in a press release.
“Each has made their mark on the communities they serve. It is fitting we honor them during Hartwick’s largest annual gathering of alumni, parents, and friends. True Blue Weekend provides an opportunity to reflect and reminisce on the impact the College has had in shaping those who are part of it.”