The Corning Award for Excellence
The most prestigious award presented by Corning Incorporated and The Business Council of New York State, Inc., is a magnificent piece of original Steuben Glass, handcrafted by masters in Corning, New York, and given each year to a New Yorker who has demonstrated an outstanding level of accomplishment and a deep and sustaining commitment to the people of New York State.
Congratulations to Our 2026 Corning Award Winner: Governor George E. Pataki
George Pataki was the 53rd governor of the state of New York. He was elected to his first term by defeating the democratic icon, Mario Cuomo, in 1994. Pataki was reelected to a second term by over 1 million votes in 1998, the largest plurality for a Republican candidate in the history of the state of New York. He was reelected to a third term by almost three quarters of a million votes in 2002.
During his time as governor, Pataki enacted record setting criminal justice reforms, taking New York State from the most dangerous state in America to the safest large state and the fourth safest state overall. His workfare policies reduced the state’s welfare rolls by over 1 million people and replaced dependency with opportunity. He cut taxes by $147 billion, more than the other 49 states combined, and created an economic climate that produced more than 700,000 new private sector jobs.
Pataki also led New York through the September 11 attacks and their aftermath. The Governor oversaw the rebuilding of lower Manhattan with the award-winning Memorial, the Memorial Museum and Plaza, and a network of private sector office towers. This revival culminated in the Freedom Tower, which soars 1776 feet tall. Governor Pataki’s leadership helped guide New York through one of the most difficult moments in its history and ensured that the memory of those lost would be honored for generations to come.
As governor, Pataki also put in place cutting edge environmental programs, creating more than 60 new state parks and preserving over 1,000,000 acres of open space. He passed the first ever green building tax credit, which implemented record setting policies to encourage alternative energy. The Governor also implemented the first ever multistate CO2 cap and trade program, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which now includes multiple states working together to reduce emissions and protect the environment.
Today, Governor Pataki continues his work through the Governor George Pataki Center, a global leadership and humanitarian organization, dedicated to strengthening freedom, supporting communities in crisis, and empowering the next generation of leaders. Through the Center, Pataki has led humanitarian missions around the world, including multiple relief trips to Ukraine. These efforts delivered more than 150 tons of food, housing materials, hygiene supplies and medical aid to displaced families and refugees. The Center also partners with organizations, including the U.S. Department of State on initiatives such as Footballs for Freedom, a sports diplomacy program that uses athletics to empower young people, build leadership skills, and strengthen democratic values.
In recognition of his humanitarian leadership and efforts supporting the people of Ukraine, Governor Pataki was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, honoring his continued work advancing peace and international cooperation.
The Pataki Center also hosts international leadership programs and speaker series that engage students and young professionals in discussions on democracy, public service and global cooperation. This continues Governor Pataki’s lifelong commitment to civic leadership and education.
As the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Governor Pataki remains deeply involved in preserving the memory of that day and supporting the families who lost loved ones. Through the Pataki Center, he continues to speak around the world about the lessons of 9/11, the resilience of New York, and the enduring obligation to remember the victims and honor the heroes who responded.
His work ensures that the story of that day, and the values it revealed about courage, unity and freedom, will never be forgotten.
Pataki is also senior counsel to the global law firm, Norton Rose Fulbright, in its New York City office and focuses on energy, infrastructure and environmental issues.
George Pataki and his wife Libby have four children and ten grandchildren and reside in the Hudson Valley.
Governor Pataki will be presented the Corning Award at our Annual Meeting Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 24th.
Previous Corning Award Winners:
Dr. Marsha Gordon (2025); John Catsimatidis (2024); Kathryn Wylde (2023); Eric Mower (2022); G. Thomas Tranter (2021); H. Carl McCall (2020); Nancy L. Zimpher (2019); Stanley S. Litow (2018); Brian T. McMahon (2017); Michael J. Doyle (2016); David F. Smith (2015); Roger A. Hannay (2014); Kevin Burke (2013); Kirk P. Gregg (2012); Linda S. Sanford (2011); James R. Houghton (2010); Paul Speranza Jr. (2009); Joseph L. Bruno (2008); Alair Townsend (2007); Robert Catell (2006); Daniel A. Carp (2005); Amo Houghton (2004); Lewis Golub (2003); Carl T. Hayden (2002); Roland W. Schmitt (2001); Richard P. Mills (2000); Erland E. Kailbourne (1999); Robert B. Wegman (1998); Judith S. Kaye (1997); John J. Phelan, Jr. (1996); Barber B. Conable, Jr., (1995); James W. Kinnear (1994); Muriel Siebert (1993); Hugh L. Carey (1992); David Harden (1991); Raymond T. Schuler (1990); Warren M. Anderson and Stanley Fink (1989); Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. (1988); James D. Robinson III (1987); Franklin A. Thomas (1986); Kitty Carlisle Hart (1985); Frank T. Cary (1984); Clifton Garvin (1983); David Rockefeller (1982); Richard R. Shinn (1981); Melvin C. Holm (1980); and Walter A. Fallon (1979).