By Jason Kaplan
On April 30, during a dinner at Anthony’s Pier 9, Linda Muller will be presented with the Ottaway Medal. The 32-year Cornwall resident will become the 26th individual to be selected by the Orange County Citizens Foundation Board of Directors to receive the honor.
Named for Ruth and James Ottaway, prominent philanthropists and successful business leaders dedicated to improving quality of life in our county, the Ottaway Medal is awarded to a citizen who embodies their community leadership and commitment.
“I’m very humbled by the whole thing,” Muller said. “It’s quite an honor. I’m an Orange County girl. Being honored for the work I do professionally, as well as the volunteer work I do as an individual, is certainly humbling.”
A lifelong Orange County resident, Linda attended Washingtonville High School and SUNY Orange before obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Buffalo and Master’s of Science in Health Policy and Administration from New School University’s Robert J. Milano School of Urban Studies in Manhattan. She and her husband of 47 years, Charles, have three children and six grandchildren.
In 1991, Muller was named CEO of Cornerstone Family Healthcare. Her mission has been to ensure every person in the community has access to quality healthcare. Under her leadership, Cornerstone operates in 16 medical facilities in four counties.
“It seems like just yesterday I started,” Muller said. “I’m very proud to be leading the organization as I’ve done for many years. I’m proud of the accomplishments that we have done, the growth we have achieved. The thing I’m most proud of is that everything we’ve done in our history has always been mission driven. We’ve always been true to what we believe. We’ve been true to our core values and that in itself speaks volumes to what this organization does.”
Besides her work as a professional, Muller also gives back to her community. She sits on the Board of Directors for a number of non-profit organizations. For years she volunteered at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Cornwall.
“When the need arises, people will call,” she said. “Sometimes I do it publicly and sometimes I do it quietly.”
Muller believes her family has been greatly blessed and with that comes the responsibility to “give back and try and help the people in our community achieve the same sort of success we have.”
With her grandchildren in the audience for the award presentation, Muller hopes they will grow up and realize how important it is to be a part of the community and make a difference.