FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  -  October 24, 2013                                         

Syracuse, NY – Bailey Place Insurance President and co-owner Stephen Franco has been selected as one of Central New York’s “40 under Forty” winners.  This distinction is reserved for professionals and leaders under the age of forty who exemplify leadership in their business accomplishments and community involvement.

Franco, 37, will be recognized Wednesday, November 20^th at the “40 under Forty” luncheon and awards ceremony at the Oncenter in Syracuse.  He will be featured, along with the other award winners, in the November 15^th issue of the Central NY Business Journal.  The luncheon benefits 40 Below, a non-profit organization of young professionals and community members dedicated to revitalization in Central New York.

After graduating from SUNY Fredonia with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies in 1998, Franco started his career with Merrill Lynch in Philadelphia as a financial advisor.  Franco returned to Cortland in 2003 to work as a program manager and marketing manager for McNeil and Company.  In 2009, he left McNeil to purchase Place Insurance.  Earlier this year, Place Insurance and the George B. Bailey Agency merged to form Bailey Place Insurance. 

Franco is Chair of the Cortland Memorial Foundation, serves on the board of directors of the Cortland Rotary Club and is involved in coaching youth sports.  Franco, a 1994 Cortland High School graduate, lives in Cortland with his wife, Janine and their 3 children. 

Bailey Place Insurance, with offices in Cortland and Dryden, is a leading full service independent insurance agency with a staff of more than 20 licensed insurance agents representing most major insurance companies.