Outstanding Alumnus & Barry Miller Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

Mickey Hyde LG '06 

Outstanding Alumnus 2025

Nominator Chris White ’06 said, “Mickey is a proud member of the LG Class of 2006 and has been active and a strong ambassador of Leadership Genesee since participating in his class.” Mickey’s stewardship for LG includes participating in fundraisers as well as attending alumni sessions to continuously learn about Genesee County. He was an active member of the LG Steering Committee, serving as its chairperson and the Funding Committee, where his leadership was instrumental in ensuring continued financial viability of LG.

LG Director Peggy Marone shared, “Mickey is one of those people who enters your life and gratefully, never leaves. LG was working to find its footing in Genesee County and Mickey’s leadership helped steer us in the right direction, and now we’re celebrating 25 years of providing well-prepared stewards for our communities.”

Mickey is a very active member of his LeRoy community volunteering for many years with the LeRoy Central School and its Junior Achievement program along with assisting with career days, job fairs and their annual “Mock Interview” contests. Over the last few years he has been a volunteer, doing whatever was needed at the annual Kinderfarmin’ Day each June when 600 kindergarteners, teachers, and parents tour a dairy farm and participate in educational activities. Mickey also served for many years as a baseball coach with Little League and Babe Ruth in LeRoy and spent a few years coaching LeRoy Girls Softball while his two daughters were growing up.

Mickey shared, “I have always considered LG a place I can count on professional thinking people to bounce ideas off, have great conversations with, and sometimes get a different point of view. Having grown up in Genesee County, I was really surprised at how little I knew and how much there is going on in Genesee County. That was really eye opening. For me, the relationships I have made make me want to go through the LG experience again.”

Mickey is a long-time member of the Rochester Press-Radio Club, serving in numerous capacities, along with attending the “Hot Stove Luncheons” benefitting Rochester Challenger Baseball.He is also a member of the LeRoy Hook and Ladder, LeRoy Moose Club, Sons of the American Legion, and a proud member of both the Pavilion Central School District and Genesee Community College Hall of Fames for his athletic skills on the baseball field and bowling lanes. His skills on the diamond led to a five-year stint as a professional baseball player in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Afterwards during his time in Sarasota Florida, he played many years for the United States Perforated Plastic Ball Association competing in national championship tournaments in Sarasota, Las Vegas and around the United States.

Among the many awards Mickey has received was the 2024 Rochester Press Radio Club, Eddie & Kevin Meath Club Member Community Service Award. He continues to volunteer for several organizations and is even looking for more volunteer opportunities. He has two grown daughters, Naomi and Samantha, and resides in Alexander with his fiancée Jocelyn and her two daughters Paige and Peyton.

Jay Gsell

Barry Miller Lifetime Achievement Award

Leadership Genesee Barry Miller Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made a profound and lasting impact on Genesee County through a lifetime of dedicated community service and leadership. Nominator Tim Hens, member of the 2001 inaugural LG Class and retired GC Public Works Commissioner, felt there was no one more deserving of this recognition than Jay Gsell.

Tim shares, “Jay's legacy extends far beyond his tenure as Genesee County Manager. He has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to the community through his active involvement with numerous organizations.” His tireless service with groups such as Rotary International, the United Way, GLOW with Your Hands, the GLOW Corporate Cup, Meals on Wheels, Home Care and Hospice, AHEC, LG Steering Committee and United Memorial Medical Center, where he recently was named Humanitarian of the Year, has touched countless lives. He can be seen volunteering at community events like Wings over Batavia and the Rotary Fly-In Pancake Breakfast. His work helps celebrate our local heritage and brings the community together. This vast and varied record of service is a testament to his dedication to making Genesee County a better place for everyone.

LG Director Peggy Marone said, “Jay was one of the first people I met when I interviewed for the director’s position in 2001. His belief in what Leadership Genesee could provide for our community and that I was the right person to lead the effort, gave me the confidence to develop an experience for anyone in Genesee County who wanted to enhance their leadership capacities and be involved in helping our community. Here we are celebrating LG and one of its founding members 25 years later. Our friend, Barry Miller would be very proud.”

While not a Leadership Genesee graduate himself, central to this nomination is Jay's visionary role in the inception of Leadership Genesee. It wouldn’t exist without him. Nearly 25 years ago, he, along with other community-minded individuals recognized a need for a program that would cultivate the next generation of leaders. Their foresight and collaboration led to the creation of an organization that graduated over 650 individuals, empowering them to make a positive impact in their own way. Jay's leadership in this endeavor embodies the very spirit of the Barry Miller Award.

Last updated February 5, 2026