SPRINGFIELD — Eugene J. Cassidy of Longmeadow, President and CEO of Eastern States Exposition (ESE), will receive the 2014 Distinguished Citizen Award at an April 29 gala, sponsored by the Western Mass. Council, Boy Scouts of America. Dave Sanderson, a former Scout, hero and survivor of the “Miracle on the Hudson”, will be the guest speaker. The banquet starts at 6 p.m. at Chez Josef in Agawam.
Mike Matty who is President of St. Germain Investment Management and last year’s honoree will present the award to Cassidy at the event. Serving as chairman and master of ceremonies is Albert Kasper, President & Chief Operating Officer of Savage Sports Corp., in Westfield.
Cassidy joined ESE as Director of Finance in 1993 and was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in March, 2011. He assumed the position of President and CEO in 2012.
A native of West Springfield, Cassidy is a graduate of West Springfield High School and Western New England University where he received a B.S. degree in Business Administration and Accounting.
He serves on the Board of directors at NUVO Bank & Trust Co., the Finance Committee of The Springfield Technical Community College Foundation, St. Thomas the Apostle School Board and Finance Committee, is Treasurer of the Western Mass. Chapter of Legatus, and treasurer of the Regional Employment Board. He is active in the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) as a member of the Budget and Finance Committee and he is also a Certified Fair Executive of the IAFE.
On January 15, 2009, returning home from a routine business trip, Dave Sanderson survived “The Miracle on the Hudson.” When a bird strike hit US Airways Flight 1549, there was no choice for the crew but to ditch the plane into the Hudson River. Sitting on the plane, in what many would consider to be the wrong place and the wrong time, Sanderson knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Thinking only of helping others in the crisis, Dave Sanderson became the last person off of the back of the plane that day, and was largely responsible for making sure so many others made it out safely.
Exposed to frigid water and freezing temperatures, doctors feared that he would suffer a heart attack or stroke from the dangerous conditions. Miraculously, he returned to his job as a sales manager that following Monday, and has since become the face of the everyday American hero. To Dave Sanderson however, doing the right thing came naturally. When confronting potential tragedy, he remembered the words of his mother, “If you can’t, you must,” and summoned the inner strength to persevere. Sanderson’s personal account of appears in the book Brace for Impact.
An inspiring survivor, Dave Sanderson was an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation. Sharing the lessons of that day with audiences around the world, he shows that in any circumstance, positive thinking, teamwork and leadership can turn anyone into a hero.
Previous Distinguished Citizen honorees have included Denis Gagnon, David Glidden, Sheriff Mike Ashe, Peter F. Straley, Peter A. Picknelly, John Davis, David Southworth, Stephen Davis, Mark R. Tolosky, Chris Mensing, and Mike Matty.
Western Mass. Council, BSA, includes Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire Counties. The council served 6,900 youth last year. This dinner is their largest fundraising event. For ticket information, contact David Kruse at 594-9196 x 7002.
