PRESS RELEASE: July 7, 2009
Contact: Teresa Mitchell, Great Lakes Seaway Trail, 315-646-1000
Great Lakes Seaway Trail Hall of Fame Inducts Byron Gale
Sackets Harbor, NY - For only the fourth time since 2000, Seaway Trail, Inc. and the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Foundation have inducted an individual into its Great Lakes Seaway Trail Hall of Fame. Byron C. Gale of Harrisville, NY, was honored at the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor, NY on Tuesday, July 7th with Seaway Trail board and business members, staff, community members, friends and family present.
Gale joins the late Dr. Vincent J. Dee, Sr., the late New York State Assemblyman Matthew J. Murphy of Western New York, and former State Senator Douglas H. Barclay in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Hall of Fame that recognizes dedication and deeds on behalf of the nonprofit organizations promoting travel and tourism and learning-based education along New York?s freshwater shoreline.
Following the death of Seaway Trail founder Dr. Vincent J. Dee, Sr. in 1995, Gale embraced the challenge of leading Seaway Trail, Inc. Through 2001, he provided visionary leadership and business saavy to complete the dream of a permanent headquarters for the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.
Gale’s tourism and business experience as executive director of the St Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce -- and his knowledge of all of New York State’s travel industry -- served the Seaway Trail, Incorporation well as it steadily built its membership and support base across 11 counties spanning 518 miles.
“Byron is a firm believer in the strength of byway as the vehicle for attracting visitors to every county along the byway. He was always ready and willing to trek to Albany to advocate for state funding on behalf of the byway region’s tourism industry that contributes to the economies of 88 communities,” said current Seaway Trail, Inc. Chairman and Pulaski businessman Charles Krupke.
After five years as President of the Seaway Trail, Incorporation, Byron took on the role of Seaway Trail Foundation Chairman and provided the professional and personal leadership that helped make the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center a reality. The Center, with three floors and nine rooms of interpretive and interactive exhibits, is housed in the historic limestone Union Hotel (1817) owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Byron stepped down from the Seaway Trail Foundation Chairmanship without any fanfare in 2001 happy to have completed the tasks left to him by a respected colleague and friend.
To learn more about the 518-mile byway that parallels the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, Niagara River, and Lake Erie shoreline in New York and Pennsylvania, go online to www.seawaytrail.com or call 1-800-SEAWAY-T. ###