Port Chester Cares Community Coalition Salutes 2 Of Its Leaders

The Port Chester Cares Community Coalition bestowed The Leadership Award on outgoing co-chairs, Joseph Durney, director of athletics and technology with the Port Chester school district and Joan Grangenois-Thomas, a communications consultant and community member. 

The award was developed by the coalition to recognize the importance of strong leaders in the community who work to further the mission of the Coalition, to promote positive, safe, productive and healthy lives for all in Port Chester. 

Durney and Grangenois-Thomas received the award for their dedication and commitment to their positions as Co-Chairs of the coalition at the recent and final quarterly meeting of the year at the Don Bosco Community Center in Port Chester. 

Durney worked with the coalition in its early stages in 2008 and took on the task of being the chair of the Governance Committee.  He began serving his three year term as Co-Chair in December 2009.  Durney has been cited as being instrumental in assisting the coalition with initiatives within the school buildings that have helped to increase the awareness of students and families about the dangers of substance abuse and underage drinking. 

Grangenois-Thomas joined the coalition in December 2009. She is a parent in the school district and was cited for working tirelessly on the coalition’s newsletter, began the ‘It Takes a Village’ Campaign and has been one of the driving forces behind parent involvement and new initiative development in the coalition.  

Grangenois-Thomas has introduced the coalition to many community members and helped foster those relationships that have helped the coalition grow as a group. 

During their time with the coalition, the organization has created initiatives such as First Fridays and Family U, helping educate students and parents with underage drinking prevention programming.