The Rochester City School District is proud to announce the 2019 School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) Region 11 George Vito Administrator of the Year Awards. SAANYS has selected Dominic Pickard as District Level Administrator of the Year and Ricky Frazier as Essential Services Leader of the Year. Former RCSD employee Dr. Bonnie Rubenstein has also been named Retiree of the Year for 2019. They will be recognized at the Region 11 awards ceremony on April 25 at Midvale Country Club.
The George Vito Administrator of the Year awards are given annually to Region 11 SAANYS administrators who have contributed outstanding support or service on behalf of education, and have supported, developed, or implemented innovative programs resulting in program improvements or improved student achievement.
Dominic Pickard has held a variety of roles within the District over the past 13 years and currently serves as the Director of Arts. One of his proudest accomplishments was the creation of the districtwide Pride of Rochester Marching Band, which was a collaboration between him and his predecessor, Elizabeth Hanan. Since 2014, the marching band has performed annually in all the major Rochester parades and supported a plethora of community events. He also has increased students' access to the arts through the creation of the ROC City Players Theatre Program, Voices of Victory Community Gospel Choir, collaboration on the ROC Summer Arts Program, and by securing funding through grants and fundraising to purchase equipment, materials, instruments, and scholarship opportunities. His professional relationships both internal and external have helped to provide outside opportunities for RCSD students to study with Rochester-area professionals, including ROCmusic, Eastman Pathways, RIT Community Art Space, Flower City Arts, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester City Ballet, Geva Theatre, and local colleges and universities. Examples like these demonstrate his impact through persistent, tireless efforts to promote engagement of the District, community, and ultimately student success and achievement, which make Dominic Pickard an ideal selection for the District Level Administrator of the Year Award.
Volunteer Coordinator Ricky Frazier has recruited and conducted the orientation sessions and placement for more than 500 volunteers in the District. He works with several strategic partnerships, including the Just Law Program, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) College Fair, and the lunch with the Mayor school series. While serving as Acting Director of Parent Engagement, he collaborated on the annual Family Affair in the Park, which brought over 2,500 attendees together for a day of workshops and activities, and major back-to-school events. Ricky Frazier is a servant leader who makes a positive impact on the Rochester community, supporting education in various capacities. He currently serves on the Black History Month committee at the Memorial Art Gallery and the planning and marketing committee of Gateways Musical Festival. He is a minister at the Aenon Missionary Baptist Church and a board member of the Jordan Health Foundation and Cameron Ministries. His creative vision led to the formation of the RCSD student, staff, and community inspirational gospel choir, the Voices of Victory, which premiered at the 2019 RCSD School Expo. Ricky Frazier’s exemplary leadership skills, combined with his steadfast commitment to ensuring educational programs and community resources are made available to our students, make him more than deserving of the Essential Services Leader of the Year Award.
Since her retirement from the Rochester City School District in 2012, Dr. Rubenstein has been active in public education and the greater Rochester community, currently serving on the New York State Education Department School Counseling Advisory Council and the EAST/EPO Oversight Board. Dr. Rubenstein has demonstrated her dedication to the community through her involvement in many initiatives, including her work with Rochester International Academy as a member of the Community Advisory Board. She also is a member of the Science Technology Entry Program (STEP) Advisory Committee through the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, the Center for Advocacy, and the Community Health, Education and Diversity Committee. At East High, Dr. Rubenstein is the Leader of Tenet 5, which focuses on student social/emotional development and health, and she has been a member of their Family Group Implementation Team. An active member of SAANYS for the past 39 years, she is a past recipient of a SAANYS Dedicated Service Merit Award and currently serves as Director of the Urban Teaching and Leadership Program at the Warner School, which prepares students to work in an urban environment. Even in retirement, Dr. Rubenstein continues to serve the RCSD community as a substitute Principal and Assistant Principal.
