Community involvement has been an integral piece of the Bonadio framework since the inception of the firm back in 1978. Throughout each year, our People volunteer their time and resources, outside of firmwide community involvement events, to benefit the communities they live in.
To highlight these amazing community contributions, we established the Bonadio Cares Award. For five consecutive years, we have held a call for nominations throughout the firm, narrowed them down to three finalists, and selected one award winner at our annual & More Day event. The individuals nominated for this award actively live out the Bonadio Purpose each and every day by going above and beyond to make a difference in their communities.
At this year’s & More Day, we heard touching stories from our People and how they raise awareness for heart health, fight fires, and help cancer survivors engage in a healthy post-treatment lifestyle. Learn more about our Bonadio Cares Award finalists below:
Raising Awareness and Education
Senior Audit Innovator within our Assurance Service Line, and winner of this year’s Bonadio Cares Award, Danielle Fiorello, volunteers for the Syracuse Chapter of the American Heart Association.
Danielle became involved with the American Heart Association with the intent of spreading awareness of a heart condition called Long QT, which her sister tragically passed away from. As Danielle grieves the loss of her sister, she has vowed to both keep her sister’s memory alive and potentially save others from having to go through what her family has through awareness and education about heart health.
Danielle and her family created a heart walk team through the American Heart Association named, “We Love Nikky Boots.” This team ended up being the number one fundraised team in 2022 and the number three fundraised team in 2023. “We have been able to make quite a financial impact for the American Heart Association and our hope is that they continue more research to understand this condition better,” shared Danielle.
Furthermore, Danielle has worked to spread awareness through attending various American Heart Association events, connecting with local media, and even getting her office involved with the Syracuse Heart Walk!
“The best way I can sum up how The Bonadio Group has supported me and everyone else involved with the American Heart Association is the fact that they are just a very “all in” firm. If you care about something or have a passion about something, someone here at Bonadio will listen to you and will help make that happen,” added Danielle.
Protecting the Community
Mike Freeman, Staff Accountant within our Tax Service Line, was nominated as one of this year’s Bonadio Cares Award finalists. When Mike is not at work, he spends a lot of his time volunteering for the Henrietta Fire District as a firefighter through the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
With a retired master sergeant with the Connecticut State Police for a father, a dispatcher with the Connecticut State Police as a mother, and an EMT in New Haven, Connecticut for a brother, Mike is very familiar with the first responder community.
Mike shared that his family’s history working in the first responder community is what grew his interest in volunteering as a firefighter in the first place. “I felt that volunteering would be a great way to give back to the community and also become part of my family’s lineage,” he shared.
As a volunteer firefighter, much of Mike’s responsibilities include putting out fires, responding to automatic fire alarms and smoke detectors going off, and responding to motor vehicle accidents.
Mike enjoys being a firefighter because of its multifaceted nature. “Not only is there a social aspect—getting to know your fellow crew members— but you are getting involved in the community as well. It’s a field where you are constantly being challenged and there is always more to learn,” shared Mike.
“The flexibility at Bonadio has allowed for me to stay involved with my community. It’s so nice to be a part of an organization like TBG that supports us giving back to our communities in many different ways,” he added.
Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle
Mallory Conway, Director within our Advisory Service Line, and another one of this year’s Bonadio Cares Award finalists, volunteers for the LiveSTRONG Program at the Saratoga Regional YMCA. This 12-week program was specifically designed to assist cancer survivors with getting back into exercise or start exercise if they haven’t done so before.
In 2019, Mallory was diagnosed with breast cancer and after treatment ended, she couldn’t figure out how to get back involved in exercise or what that would look like for her. Shortly after, Mallory found out about the LiveSTRONG program through her support group and loved it so much that she decided to go back and be a mentor herself.
“The idea of exercise after you’ve had cancer is really scary. You’re not only beat down by the treatments, but your surgeries may have impacted your ability to move your body. I am motivated to be a part of this program because it really shows that even though exercise may look differently now, you still can do it,” shared Mallory.
“The Bonadio Group has an amazing work-life balance. If I didn’t have the job I do here at Bonadio, I wouldn’t be able to give back in the way I have.”
We are pleased to share that we have made a donation from the Bonadio Foundation to The American Heart Association, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and the LiveSTRONG Program at the Saratoga Regional YMCA, on behalf of Danielle, Mike and Mallory, respectively.
If you are interested in pursuing a career where community involvement is not only encouraged, but prioritized, TBG could be the right fit! Check out current open positions here.
