Local Women Awarded Grant Funding for Professional Development
WATERTOWN — A pair of entrepreneurs, two health care professionals, and a county government leader are among the third group of women to receive grant support from the Maxine M. Quigg Women in Business Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.
Mary Chiappone-Filson, owner of Treating the Root Acupuncture and Massage Therapy, Watertown, was awarded funding to complete coursework required for lymphedema certification to more effectively treat patients who are undergoing cancer treatments. Grant funding will also help with online continuing education courses.
Mary earned an Associate of Applied Science in massage therapy from North Country Community College in 2011 and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science from SUNY Potsdam in 2015, majoring in biology with a chemistry minor and pre-med focus. She later earned a master’s degree in acupuncture from the Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at New York Chiropractic College. In 2024, she earned a Doctorate of Acupuncture from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Mary also holds an EMT-Basic certificate.
Mary opened Treating the Root in 2018 with a goal to provide customized healing and pain relief treatments for veterans and the Watertown community. Outside her practice, Mary is known for her charitable giving and work with children through the Sheep Dog Program. She is also a volunteer EMT.
Emily Green is the manager and chief operating officer of The Scrub Hub, a women-owned and operated business she opened with her mother, Bonnie Herman, in 2013, to serve the region’s medical community. She was awarded funding to complete coursework to help expand her knowledge of marketing, advertising, and social media.
Emily graduated from Jefferson Community College in 2011, and SUNY Cortland in 2013, earning a bachelor’s degree in business. She is an active community volunteer, serving on the board of the Jefferson Community College Foundation, among other organizations. Emily lives in Evans Mills with her husband, Andre, and 3-year-old daughter, Peyton.
Gabriella “Gabi” Haycock is a pediatric Doctor of Physical Therapy for Exceptional Kids and Family Therapies in Evans Mills. She was awarded funding to enable her participation in the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Jefferson Leadership Institute, a year-long program focused on developing professionals in the greater Watertown area.
A Clayton native, Gabi earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2018 from Daemon University, Buffalo. Gabi and her husband, Robert Owens, operate the women-owned business G.R.O. Energy Solutions, which helps provide home energy assessments and upgrades for low- to moderate-income residents. The couple lives in Watertown where Gabi is active in her community, volunteering her time with various professional and nonprofit organizations.
Barb Perez is a longtime nonprofit professional and a Strengths Finder coach, helping people to reach their full potential through her consulting business Another Point of View. She was awarded funding to complete the Gallup course Successful Strength Coaching.
Barb first came to Northern New York from Rochester in 1997 to live closer to family. After multiple deployments and many duty stations with her husband, a now-retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant, the love of family and Northern New York called them home.
Barb earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and social science in 2010 from Upper Iowa University and holds two Master of Arts degrees from Liberty University. She is presently pursuing a Master of Social Work from Liberty University. She is active in community service and is a member of the Watertown Sunrise Rotary Club. She lives in Black River with her husband. Together they have six children.
“It is a complete honor to carry on the tradition that Maxine began of pouring love into entrepreneurial women in leadership,” Barb said. “I am very grateful for this support.”
Anna Platz is the Director of Community Services for Lewis County in Lowville. She was awarded funding to complete the Appreciative Inquiry Certificate Program at the Champlain College Cooperrider Center. A leadership development program, it employs a strengths-based approach to focus on what’s working well instead of fixing what’s broken.
Anna earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and psychology in 2016 from SUNY Cortland. She later earned a Master of Public Health from SUNY Albany as well as a certificate in Climate Change & Health from Yale School of Public Health.
Anna is active in her community, serving on the Community Foundation’s LEAD Council, among other organizations. She lives in Carthage with her cat, Max.
Kimberley Horrill, Maxine’s sister-in-law, established the fund at the Community Foundation in July 2021 with a goal to increase local mentorship, volunteerism, civic and community engagement, and investment. Its mission is to perpetuate the life and legacy of Maxine Quigg by supporting and empowering women entrepreneurs in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to succeed in their pursuits and realize their full potential.
“This is the third year of the Maxine Quigg Women in Business fund grants. I am overwhelmed at times by the interesting and community-forward work the successful recipients are doing,” Ms. Horrill said. “As the network of women who have received support has grown, I am thrilled to see the interaction between past and present recipients. Maxine would love you all and would be so proud of the work you are doing. Congratulations.”
Maxine was a successful real estate broker and a community and business leader in Jefferson County who passed away unexpectedly in April 2021. At the time of her passing she was serving on the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors.
“It is always a pleasure and an honor to reward women in the North Country who are starting or growing their own business. Year after year, I walk away inspired by each recipient’s dedication and passion for what they do — it is people like these who make Northern New York a better place to live,” Maxine’s daughter, Kennedy Quigg said. “Congratulations to our 2024 award recipients; you embody the qualities my Mom sought to embellish, and we are excited to see you carry our mission forward in your life and business endeavors.”
Through access to grants for education, training, and entrepreneurship, the fund supports the advancement, development, and betterment of women who are beginning or growing a business in Northern New York. In doing so, women may be better positioned and equipped to realize their full potential for themselves, their families, and their community.
Applications for 2025 funding through the Maxine Quigg Women in Business Fund of the Community Foundation are now open. Applications for support must be received by Friday, May 23, 2025. Contact Emily Pfeil, Community Foundation philanthropy associate, emily@nnycf.org, or 315-782-7110, to obtain an application for this opportunity and learn more.
About the Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.