There were two things about the Go Red for Women movement that drew Alicia Brockway, vice president, regional business banking manager at NBT Bank, to the role of chairperson of the 2025 Mohawk Valley Go Red for Women Luncheon.
“The statistic that 45% of women have some form of cardiac disease, and that only 44% of women are aware that they have some form of cardiac disease is scary,” Brockway said. “I’ve always been an advocate for women, especially in the business arena. This is an opportunity for me to pay it forward; to educate and communicate with the women in our community about the importance of heart health.”
The Mohawk Valley Go Red for Women Luncheon is set for Thursday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Utica at 200 Genesse St., Utica. For information and to buy tickets, visit www.heart.org/mvgoesred. Guests will enjoy a Festival of Red with Hands-Only CPR training, a Photo Booth and a silent auction. A heart-healthy lunch and program with a survivor speaker, keynote speaker and recognition of the Women of Impact will start at noon.
“I’d like to bring women to the event who aren’t familiar with the Go Red movement,” Brockway said. “It’s also important to have strong male attendance. Men should be supporting the women in their lives, and they need to know about women’s heart health.”
The women in Brockway’s family have strong hearts, she said, but she still pays attention to her health.
“I try to eat well, and first and foremost, go to the doctor regularly,” Brockway said. “Women always put themselves last. We have to take the time to take care of ourselves. It’s not being selfish. It’s like the airplane analogy – we need to put on our own oxygen masks first before we help others.”
A native of Dolgeville in Herkimer County, Brockway has returned to the county she grew up in and where her career began. A graduate of Herkimer College and Keuka College, she took her first banking job after graduating from Herkimer College, working as a collector in the back office at Herkimer County Trust. She stayed with the bank as it merged with and was bought by other entities.
In 2013, she moved to M & T Bank in Rockland and Westchester counties, where she first attended a Go Red for Women Luncheon. In 2018, she and her family moved back to the Mohawk Valley and she took the position at NBT Bank. She oversees a team that supports the banking needs of small business customers from the Mohawk Valley to Schoharie County.
“I really enjoy it,” Brockway said of her work. “I still have my own book of business and work face-to-face with local companies. Like the Go Red movement, I’m making connections in the community. It’s so important that we understand the connections that can help us succeed. Who’s out there who can absolutely support us? If somebody needs something and I have the connection, I’m proud to put the two together.”
Brockway also is chair of the board of directors of the ARC in Herkimer; and chairs the small grants program for the Genesis Group. She is on the Herkimer College Foundation board, and president of Cedar Lake Golf Club.
Brockway is married to Jim Brockway. They have three children, Daniel Brockway, Caitlin Inman and Nick Brockway, and two granddaughters, Savannah and Isla Brockway.
“I’m honored that Heather Evans of the American Heart Association reached out to me to chair the go Red event,” Brockway said. “There are so many reasons to come to the Go Red for Women Luncheon. If nothing else, women should do it for themselves. If you don’t know something about heart disease and women, please attend. If you already do, bring a friend who doesn’t. I know that every woman there will leave with just one fact that they can pass along, or pay forward to others.”
“Alicia is a dynamic woman whose career brings people together to make their businesses, and even their lives, better,” said Amy DeMetri of ARD Consulting and loanDepot, and chair of the board of directors of the American Heart Association in the Mohawk Valley. “We’re honored that she is using her time, talent and community influence to improve the health of women throughout the Mohawk Valley.”
Members of the Executive Leadership team for the Go Red for Women Luncheon include:
- Daniel Gross Brockway
- Jim Brockway
- Carolyn Cardone, Indium Corporation
- Makenna Cooley, Northwestern Mutual
- Tricia Lucas, D’Arcangelo & Co., LLP
- Tracy Page, Nelson Associates Architecture and Engineering
- Staci Thompson, Basset Healthcare Network