Robert C. Wood Recipient of the 2011 Brooks Patterson Community Leadership Award

The Cattaraugus County Planning Board presented, at its July 27thAnnual Dinner Meeting, the 2011 Brooks Patterson Community Leadership Awardto Robert C. Woodfor his outstanding leadership in community planning and development of a comprehensive plan for the Town of Carrollton in Cattaraugus County. The meeting was held at Countryside Sand and Gravel in South Dayton with 106 people in attendance. The topic of the evening was "The Importance of Mineral Resources and the Need to Plan".

The recipients of this annual award are chosen to give countywide recognition to leaders and volunteers who make lasting contributions to the people and communities of Cattaraugus County and its region and who exemplify the outstanding spirit and example that Torrance Brooks and Donald Patterson set during their lifetime of dedicated service to their respective communities, County Legislature, County Planning Board, and regional agencies.

Mr. Wood is a member and Chairman of the Town of Carrollton Planning Board. Under his leadership, the Town Planning Board, with the assistance of the Cattaraugus County Planning staff and staff from the County Health Department, developed the Town's first Comprehensive Plan. This Plan was adopted by the Town of Carrollton in August 2010.

Mr. Wood has been employed by Cattaraugus County Community Action, the Cattaraugus County Department of Community Services, the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and the Chautauqua County Mental Health Department. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Robert thanked the "team" that helped put together the Comprehensive Plan: the Town Planning Board, the County Planning Staff, and local leaders. He stated that "the Town is very unique since only 48% belongs to the Town with Allegany State Park to the west and the remainder divided by the Seneca Nation of Indians, the (Allegany) River and the Route 219 corridor." He also thanked Linda Brown from Carrollton for all her help and the typing of the document.