Kevin Frisch for Keuka College / June 29, 2026
Penn Yan Couple Steve and Sue Heller to Receive Keuka College’s Stork Award for Community Service
The longtime volunteers and community leaders will be honored at an Aug. 11 luncheon, which is open to the public.
KEUKA PARK, N.Y. — It’s never been difficult to find Steve and Sue Heller. Just look anywhere there’s a need in Penn Yan.
On the shore of Keuka Lake to launch another Krossin’ Keuka fundraiser? They’re there.
On hand to provide support for individual families (the Keuka Comfort Care Home) or the village at large (the Downtown Business Council’s Fall Festival)? They’re there.
At an emergency clinic for delivery of vaccinations during the height of the COVID pandemic? They were there.
For more than three decades, the Penn Yan couple has asked a single question when it comes to strengthening their community: How can we help? The answer has always been to roll up their sleeves.
In recognition of their efforts, Keuka College has selected Steve and Sue Heller as the recipients of the 2026 Donald and Corinne Stork Award for Community Service.
The award will be presented during a luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at noon on the Keuka College campus. The public is invited to attend.
“Steve and Sue exemplify the spirit of service that the Stork Award was created to celebrate,” said Keuka College Associate Vice President for Advancement Billy Jo Jayne ’10. “They’ve spent years investing their time, talents, and energy into organizations and initiatives that make our communities stronger.”
The Hellers’ commitment to service spans a wide range of organizations and causes, including the Yates County Arts Council, the Keuka Lake Association, the Keuka College Community Associates Board, and numerous community events and fundraising efforts, including Krossin’ Keuka and the Life Is a Journey 10K.
“What makes Steve and Sue so deserving of this recognition is not simply what they have done, but how they have done it – together,” said Keuka College President Amy Storey. “Strong communities are built on relationships, trust, and a shared commitment to the greater good. Couples like Steve and Sue demonstrate the profound impact that can occur when two people devote themselves to making life better for those around them. Their example reminds us that community is not just a place; it’s a network of caring individuals who choose, day after day, to support one another.”
This is the fourth year in a row that the Stork Award has gone to a married couple. The Hellers say that may not be a coincidence, seeing as community service has enriched both their lives and their marriage.
“When you have a shared sense of purpose, it impacts your relationship,” Sue said.
Added Steve, “Even when we’re not serving on the same committee, we’re sharing the experience and the progress together.”
Separately or – mostly – together, the couple has helped establish or strengthen some of the area’s best-known resources.
“The Keuka Comfort Care Home is dear to our hearts,” said Sue, who has served as the hospice’s volunteer coordinator and has worked closely with residents and families during some of their most difficult moments. “We were involved in the start-up and that’s had a big impact.”
The Hellers have also been involved with Krossin’ Keuka since its inception, helping guide one of the region’s most successful community fundraising events.
“What stands out most is the genuine care they show,” said Anne Killen, who co-chairs the annual swim-across-Keuka Lake fundraiser with Steve (Sue is the event’s secretary). “They are deeply invested in the wellbeing of our community, the lake, and the friends and neighbors around them. I am honored to call Steve and Sue my friends.”
Steve’s commitment to service has included a direct connection to Keuka College, where he is a former adjunct instructor. Beyond the classroom, he has provided pro bono consulting and strategic planning assistance to community organizations. Sue served for nearly 20 years as an EMT with the Penn Yan Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The couple are longtime members of the Penn Yan United Methodist Church.
Penn Yan natives and self-described “hometown sweethearts,” Steve and Sue have been married for more than 50 years. After spending some 15 years in the Buffalo area during and after college, they returned to Penn Yan in 1989 to be closer to family and launch Keuka Appraisal Services, a real estate appraisal business, with relative Brian Hawley.
“We came back because of family, but also because of the beauty of this area and the sense of community,” said Steve. “There’s a social unity here that makes people want to get involved and make a difference.”
Established in 1991, the Donald and Corinne Stork Award for Community Service recognizes area residents whose volunteerism, leadership, and civic engagement reflect Keuka College’s longstanding commitment to public service. The award is named for its first recipients, the late Donald and Corinne Stork, whose lives exemplified selfless service and dedication to community.
Additional information about the Stork Award luncheon, including registration details, is available at keuka.edu/storkaward.
