John & Sheila Burrell Recipient of the 2005 Brooks Patterson Community Leadership Award

The Cattaraugus County Planning Board's theme for this award is "People Are Our Greatest Resource". In this spirit, we present the Brooks Patterson Community Leadership Award for the Year 2005 to:

John and Sheila Burrell
For outstanding leadership, creative problem solving and years of dedicated work in community planning and economic development for the Village of Ellicottville.
 

Sheila Burrell has been active in Ellicottville for many years. Her activities include the Village Planning Board since 1982 as well as a Past Chair of the Comprehensive Planning Committee. She has been involved in completely rewriting the comprehensive plan and zoning law to help preserve the village, while at the same time guiding the ongoing development the community has been enjoying. She worked with the State Historic Preservation Office to gain Historic District status for a large portion of the Village in 1991. Sheila is a past member of the New York Planning Federation Board of Directors. She received the New York State Woman of Distinction from the NY Senate in 2004.

Sheila is also an officer of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Summer Festival of the Arts Committee, the Vice President of the Ellicottville Memorial Library Board of Directors and is working on the fundraising campaign to raise the funds for a new library. She is also on the Chautauqua/Cattaraugus Library System Board of Directors and serves as its Secretary.

Sheila also finds great satisfaction in serving as a member of the Parish Council of her church where she sings in the Choir, is a Minister of Communion, is a member of the Liturgy Committee and has been a religious education instructor.

Sheila enjoys gardening and reading and she works with her husband, John, at Burrell Cutlery Co., Inc., their family business.

JohnBurrell is a lifelong resident of Ellicottville and has been active in the community for many years in many areas. He was a Village Board member for twelve years, Mayor for six years, and served on the Zoning Board of Appeals. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Assessment Review where he has served for the past 31 years. John was also very active in the Route 219 Task Force for Ellicottville, and an inter-municipal planning group to guide growth in the communities around the Holiday Valley Resort.

John has participated in the Ellicottville Fire Company for the past 40 years, and is an active member of the Ellicottville/Great Valley Ambulance Service, Inc. where he has served as a Past President and current Director. John is also a member of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce and Past President, and has served on the Fall Festival Committee from its inception and serves as the Chairman. Other organizations he currently participates in are the Ellicottville Sportsmen's Club, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Ellicottville American Legion.

John serves in several capacities in his church including the Parish Council, Choir and Ushers Club. He has also served as a religious education instructor.

John owns and operates Burrell Cutlery Co., Inc. in Ellicottville, a company started by his grandparents in 1940.

John enjoys hunting and working on his family genealogy.