FEDERATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS ANNOUNCES ITS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD HONOREES FOR 2024!
At our Human Service Awards luncheon on Friday, October 25th at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, we will be honoring two extraordinary individuals, who did much
to improve the quality of life for others throughout their respective careers. Our first honoree, Don Alhart, was an award-winning broadcast journalist who also was extremely
involved in multiple local non-profit organizations, which gave back to the community. Also, for the first time in our event's history we will be honoring an individual posthumously.
The late Rev. Dr. Iris Jean Sulcer Banister was a dedicated educator, advocate, and community activist who left a profound impact on the Rochester community and beyond.
Don Alhart
Don Alhart began his career in broadcasting as a summer relief engineer at WROC-TV, in Rochester, New York, in 1962. He also worked there in the summers of 1963 and 1964, before securing a job in the summer of 1965 as a reporter for WOKR-TV, Channel 13. (Now WHAM-TV) During those college years, he was also a news reporter and D.J, for WTKO Radio, in Ithaca, New York.
Upon receiving his BS Degree from Ithaca College in 1966, Don immediately came back to Channel 13, where he continues to work today as anchor of the 6 o’clock news and co-anchor of the 11 o’clock broadcast with Ginny Ryan.
He has been honored five times with the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in television news. He has received honors both for Writing and for Best Newscast. In 2010, Don was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters’ Association Hall of Fame.
He is also in the Guinness Book of World Records—for the longest career in Television News Broadcasting- 57 years at Channel 13. He retired from Channel 13 on June 6, 2024- on the 58th Anniversary of his employment with the station.
Don has been a volunteer with the Association for Retarded Citizens for nearly 40 years and received their Community Partner Award in 1982. He and his wife, Mary, hosted the annual "Weekend with the Stars for Cerebral Palsy" on Channel 13, from 1980 to 1990. He received the Community Service Award from the New York State United Cerebral Palsy Association in 1986.
Don has been recognized with numerous other awards, including the VFW Award of Merit, the Humanitarian Award from the Rochester Police Rosewood Club, the Mass Media Communicator Award from SUNY-Brockport, and the Ithaca College Alumni Award. He was honored by the Salvation Army with their prestigious “Others Award” in 1996, and in 2002, received the “Tikkum Olam” award from the Jewish Community Center of Rochester, given annually to an individual who demonstrates the meaning of the words- “Repairing the World!”
He has been an active member of the Rochester Rotary Club since 1976, serving as president from 1987 to 1988. He served as a Rotary District Governor from 2002-2003, responsible for 67 clubs in the Greater Rochester area and southern tier of New York State. He was also honored with the 60th Annual Rochester Rotary Award, the oldest major civic award in the community, which is presented each year to a citizen who has made a significant contribution to the business, professional, cultural or civic life of the community.
Don and his wife, Mary, have been married for 54 years. They raised their three children: Todd, Jennifer and Jonathan in Penfield, and now live in Pittsford, NY.
Rev. Dr. Iris Jean Sulcer Banister
Rev. Dr. Iris Jean Sulcer Banister was a dedicated educator, advocate, and community activist who left a profound impact on the Rochester community and beyond. Born in Oklahoma in 1947, she moved to Rochester in 1969 after completing her education, where she began her long career with the Rochester City School District. Over 32 years, she served in various roles, from elementary teacher to program administrator for the Senior High Alternative Program for Education (SHAPE). Her work was marked by a deep commitment to empowering children and ensuring they received the best education possible.
Banister's passion for community service extended well beyond the classroom. After retiring from RCSD, she continued to serve as the principal of the Charter School of Science and Technology and later as the executive director of Wilson Commencement Park, where she worked to provide support services for single parents and their children. Her leadership and advocacy were recognized through numerous awards and honors, including her role as a prominent figure in various community organizations and her recognition as a "Queen Mother" in Ghana, where she contributed to significant educational and health initiatives. Banister's legacy is carried on by her three sons, all of whom have followed in her footsteps as leaders and community servants.
Don Alhart
Don Alhart began his career in broadcasting as a summer relief engineer at WROC-TV, in Rochester, New York, in 1962. He also worked there in the summers of 1963 and 1964, before securing a job in the summer of 1965 as a reporter for WOKR-TV, Channel 13. (Now WHAM-TV) During those college years, he was also a news reporter and D.J, for WTKO Radio, in Ithaca, New York.
Upon receiving his BS Degree from Ithaca College in 1966, Don immediately came back to Channel 13, where he continues to work today as anchor of the 6 o’clock news and co-anchor of the 11 o’clock broadcast with Ginny Ryan.
He has been honored five times with the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in television news. He has received honors both for Writing and for Best Newscast. In 2010, Don was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters’ Association Hall of Fame.
He is also in the Guinness Book of World Records—for the longest career in Television News Broadcasting- 57 years at Channel 13. He retired from Channel 13 on June 6, 2024- on the 58th Anniversary of his employment with the station.
Don has been a volunteer with the Association for Retarded Citizens for nearly 40 years and received their Community Partner Award in 1982. He and his wife, Mary, hosted the annual "Weekend with the Stars for Cerebral Palsy" on Channel 13, from 1980 to 1990. He received the Community Service Award from the New York State United Cerebral Palsy Association in 1986.
Don has been recognized with numerous other awards, including the VFW Award of Merit, the Humanitarian Award from the Rochester Police Rosewood Club, the Mass Media Communicator Award from SUNY-Brockport, and the Ithaca College Alumni Award. He was honored by the Salvation Army with their prestigious “Others Award” in 1996, and in 2002, received the “Tikkum Olam” award from the Jewish Community Center of Rochester, given annually to an individual who demonstrates the meaning of the words- “Repairing the World!”
He has been an active member of the Rochester Rotary Club since 1976, serving as president from 1987 to 1988. He served as a Rotary District Governor from 2002-2003, responsible for 67 clubs in the Greater Rochester area and southern tier of New York State. He was also honored with the 60th Annual Rochester Rotary Award, the oldest major civic award in the community, which is presented each year to a citizen who has made a significant contribution to the business, professional, cultural or civic life of the community.
Don and his wife, Mary, have been married for 54 years. They raised their three children: Todd, Jennifer and Jonathan in Penfield, and now live in Pittsford, NY.
Rev. Dr. Iris Jean Sulcer Banister
Rev. Dr. Iris Jean Sulcer Banister was a dedicated educator, advocate, and community activist who left a profound impact on the Rochester community and beyond. Born in Oklahoma in 1947, she moved to Rochester in 1969 after completing her education, where she began her long career with the Rochester City School District. Over 32 years, she served in various roles, from elementary teacher to program administrator for the Senior High Alternative Program for Education (SHAPE). Her work was marked by a deep commitment to empowering children and ensuring they received the best education possible.
Banister's passion for community service extended well beyond the classroom. After retiring from RCSD, she continued to serve as the principal of the Charter School of Science and Technology and later as the executive director of Wilson Commencement Park, where she worked to provide support services for single parents and their children. Her leadership and advocacy were recognized through numerous awards and honors, including her role as a prominent figure in various community organizations and her recognition as a "Queen Mother" in Ghana, where she contributed to significant educational and health initiatives. Banister's legacy is carried on by her three sons, all of whom have followed in her footsteps as leaders and community servants.
