O'Mara praises Business Council's selection of Corning Inc. executive for top award

Bolton Landing, N.Y., September 20—State Senator Tom O’Mara (R-C, Big Flats) today praised The Business Council of New York State’s selection of Kirk P. Gregg, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Corning Incorporated, as recipient of the 2012 Corning Award for Excellence.

“Kirk Gregg represents the very best of the Corning Incorporated mission – commitment to community, an unparalleled dedication to excellence and quality, and a fundamental mission to keep our state and our nation at the cutting edge of the 21st century economy,” said O’Mara.  “The Business Council couldn’t have chosen a better representative of all that the Corning Award for Excellence is meant to honor.”

The Corning Award for Excellence, first presented in 1979, is the most prestigious award presented by The Business Council of New York State, Inc., the state’s largest business advocacy organization. Gregg received the award last night at The Business Council’s Annual Meeting in Bolton Landing, New York. 

“Kirk Gregg is one of the finest business and civic leaders in New York. He has given a great deal to The Business Council and other institutions that are part of the fabric of our state. He has championed the push to create an innovation economy that provides a sustainable and balanced approach for growth in New York," said Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of The Business Council.

The Council presents the annual award to a New York State citizen who “has shown outstanding accomplishment and a deep and sustained commitment to the people of New York.”  Recipients have included corporate executives, government leaders, and leaders in the arts, education, and law.  Previous winners have included former Corning Inc. chairman James R. Houghton (2010), former Corning Glass Works chairman and U.S. Representative Amo Houghton (2004), and former chancellor of the state Board of Regents and Elmira attorney Carl T. Hayden (2002).

Gregg has served as Corning Incorporated's chief administrative officer since 2002. He joined Corning in 1993 as director of Executive Compensation, was named vice president of Executive Resources and Employee Benefits in December 1994, and named senior vice president, Administration, in December 1997.

Gregg serves as Director of PersonalPath Systems Inc. and as chairman of the board of directors for the Three Rivers Development Corporation.  He’s also worked for many years on the LPGA Corning Classic charities board which raised millions of dollars for Southern Tier hospitals.