Wegmans CEO to be awarded George Eastman Medal by university

ROCHESTER, N.Y. The College of the University of Rochester on Thursday announced it will be awarding its George Eastman Medal, which recognizes outstanding achievement and dedicated service, to Danny Wegman -- CEO of the namesake supermarket chain -- following his commencement address May 16 before the 160th graduating class of the institution.

"Danny Wegman's distinguished business career is intertwined with his stellar commitment to our community, especially to educational opportunity for Wegmans' employees and for students in the Rochester city schools," stated University president Joel Seligman. "He is a civic leader who is shaping future generations. Wegmans' reputation for exceptional quality and performance is richly deserved, and the community deeply appreciates Danny's dedication to its welfare."

In 1987, Wegmans conceived and created Rochester's Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection to help address the drop-out rate in the Rochester City School District. It was eventually transferred to the Hillside Family of Agencies, and Danny Wegman was named the program's first board chair. Participating students are provided a part-time job, a youth advocate and a workplace mentor at Wegmans or another organization. The combination of work and support continues to motivate the current group of 2,300 middle- and high-school students in the program.

The George Eastman Medal was created in honor of Eastman, one of the University's benefactors and founder of Eastman Kodak Co.