A longtime banking leader and quiet community force will be honored during the It’s a Wonderful Life Festival in Seneca Falls this month.
Bob Kernan, former president of Seneca Falls Savings Bank (now Generations Bank), will receive the 2025 George Bailey Award on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Trinity Episcopal Church. The award is named for the beloved fictional character who devoted his life to helping others — and is meant to honor real-life community heroes who do the same.
“Bob is a man of integrity and vision who is committed to making the community of Seneca Falls a better place to live,” said Brad Jones in the official announcement.
Kernan led the local bank from 1991 to 2007, during which assets grew by more than $230 million and branches expanded from Auburn to Farmington. But his community work stretches far beyond banking.
He served on more than a dozen nonprofit boards, including the National Women’s Hall of Fame, United Way of Seneca County, the Seneca Falls Board of Education, the Red Cross, and the Boy Scouts of America. His wife, Mary Ellen, said his behind-the-scenes dedication continues to inspire their entire family.
Zach Case shared a personal tribute, crediting Kernan for bringing his father, Menzo Case, to Seneca Falls and shaping his philosophy of service.
“Bob is the reason my dad moved to Seneca Falls, and his example is why my dad poured so much of himself into the community,” he said. “The bond between my dad and Bob went beyond mentorship — they were family”.
The award is presented each year by the IDEA Center for the Voices of Humanity, in collaboration with the It’s a Wonderful Life Museum. It honors someone whose impact has become essential to the identity of Seneca Falls — someone without whom, the community would be a very different place.
This year’s ceremony will also include a farewell to Generations Bank, which has played a historic role in the community since its founding in 1870.
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