The Ontario County Republican Committee will honor outstanding Republicans at its annual Constitution Day Dinner on the evening of Friday, Sept. 23, at Club 86 in Geneva.
Trisha Turner, County Republican Committee Chairwoman, announced that Congressman Lee Zeldin will receive the Patriot Award and Bonnie Ross will be recognized as the Ontario County Republican of the Year.
Chairwoman Turner said, “Bonnie Ross is an invaluable support for the Committee with all she does behind the scenes. I cannot imagine not having her by my side.”
“Lee Zeldin embodies all of the qualities of the Patriot Award with his military service in Iraq and his unquestioned support of our nation’s defense,” Turner added.
Constitution Day is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is officially observed on Sept. 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia.
Tickets for the event must be pre-purchased and are available until the event is sold out. A special VIP Reception with Zeldin, legislators and candidates, will take place from 5:30 to 6 p.m. and tickets are $99, which includes dinner. The dinner will get under way with a social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets for the dinner are $55 per person, $100 for couples or $375 for tables of eight and can be purchased online HERE. Send checks to P.O. Box 610, Canandaigua, NY 14424.
Bonnie Ross was named a Woman of Distinction for the 55th Senate District by State Senator Rich Funke in 2016. Senator Funke said that “Bonnie is representative of the very best our community has to offer. She focuses on positive changes and is a true leader in our community.”
Bonnie is a former Athena nominee and as a community volunteer, she accepted the Howard J. Berman Prize from Lifetime Health Care Companies for the “spirit of humanity” on behalf of her work and that of her team.
In a career of more than 40 years, she has served as an educator and healthcare administrator. As a senior vice president and executive at Thompson Health, she was responsible for critical strategic areas of the health system including new business development, community benefits, governmental relations, advocacy and properties management.
Retiring just a few years ago, Bonnie became a member of the Ontario County Republican Committee where she serves as Secretary on the leadership team and as a delegate to the 7th Judicial District. She serves also as the Treasurer for the Ontario County Women’s Republican Club.
Congressman Zeldin graduated from the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) and then Albany Law School. After completing the Army ROTC program, he served four years on Active Duty. During that time, he served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor and Military Magistrate. While assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, in the summer of 2006, Congressman Zeldin was deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following his service on active duty, in 2007, Congressman Zeldin transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel.
In 2008, Congressman Zeldin opened a successful law practice in Smithtown, New York, which he operated full time until he was elected to the New York State Senate in 2010, representing New York’s 3rd Senate District. In 2014, following four years in the State Senate, Congressman Zeldin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York’s First Congressional District.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, who recently won the Primary Election for the new NY-24 Congressional District, is attending and will be joined by Joe Sempolinski, who was recently elected to Congress in the special election to fill out an unexpired term in the current district NY 23; State Sen. Pam Helming and Assemblywoman Marjorie Byrnes, who represents District 133, as well as several local elected officials and candidates.
“You won’t want to miss this opportunity to get the latest information from the people making the news,” said Turner. “And it also will be a fun night and a chance to meet fellow Republicans from around the region.”
Also expected to attend are La’Ron Singletary, former Rochester police chief who is running for Congress as a Republican in the 25th District, and statewide Republican candidates Joe Pinion for New York Senator; Michael Henry for Attorney General and Paul Rodriquez for Comptroller. Pinion is an American entrepreneur and television host, Henry is a New York-based attorney whose practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation and Rodriguez is a global financial expert with several decades of experience funding, financing, and investing money at some of the world’s most widely recognized financial institutions.
Helming is in her third term as state senator from the 54th District representing portions of Ontario, Cayuga, Monroe and Tompkins counties and Seneca and Wayne counties. A former Town of Canandaigua supervisor, she was elected to the State Senate in November 2016.
Byrnes was elected to the State Assembly representing District 133 in 2018 and her current term ends on Jan. 1, 2023. She is on the ballot in the general election Nov. 8. She has been an attorney for 32 years, and for 10 years she served as a Rochester City Court Judge.
