Canandaigua National : RBJ ICON, George W. Hamlin IV

Congratulations to Canandaigua National Corporation's Chairman of the Board, and former CEO & President of Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, George W. Hamlin, IV as he was selected as one of the recipients of the first-ever Rochester Business Journal ICON Honors award.

The honorees of this award are business leaders over the age of 60 who have had notable success and demonstrate strong leadership both within and outside of their chosen field.

'Strong leadership, a commitment to mentoring and being an active community member are qualities shared by the ICON Honors recipients,' said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, publisher of the Rochester Business Journal (RBJ). 'They have moved business in Rochester forward, both their own businesses and the Rochester business community in general. ICON Honors recipients have committed many years to making our area a wonderful place to live and to work, and they truly deserve to be called icons. Rochester Business Journal is pleased to honor them.'

The ICON Honors awards were presented to all 20 recipients on Monday, December 18th, 2017 at a reception at the Genesee Valley Club. All honorees were profiled in a special publication of the Rochester Business Journal. George's profile from the RBJ is featured below:

George Hamlin's business leadership and community-minded service have set excellent examples about what it means to be a caring citizen and an effective leader. To Hamlin, chairman of Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, those efforts have no distinction.

'I cannot distinguish between my professional and private lives, since each is interrelated, becoming one and the same in my mind's eye,' he says.

'I am indeed fortunate to continue at what I would choose to do in my spare time for free and get paid for the effort.'

As part of his demonstrated leadership, Hamlin, a resident of Canandaigua, oversaw the organization when its branch expansion into Rochester began two decades ago. The successful venture into the Monroe County market was a strategy that he championed, and his enthusiasm and confidence assured those around him that it could be done well.
Business associates describe Hamlin as brilliant, charismatic, compassionate, courageous and fair. His positive influence has a far reach on all who know him or come into contact with him.

It comes as no surprise to those who know Hamlin that his service-oriented mindset led him as a young man to serve in the U.S. Air Force from 1963 and 1969, flying 100 combat missions in Southeast Asia in service to his country.

Hamlin, 76, has been dreaming big since he was a child and has accomplished much good with the help of longtime friends.

'At 12 years old and with my bike, I had the command of the city of Canandaigua, at least I thought so,' he says. 'Secure and independent, we had friends and we moved freely as we discovered life in this preserve that gave us the experience to trust our instincts to explore, ultimately, the world. It has been my privilege to witness how this bond of hometown makes anything possible.'