SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Leadership Greater Syracuse honored community leaders with a luncheon and award ceremony.

The awards program was held at the Genesee Grand Hotel in Syracuse Wednesday and YNN's JoDee Kenney led the event.

The Distinguished Community Leader Awards was created in 2008 to honor people who show exceptional leadership in Central New York. LGS presented three awards: Community Trustee Individual, Community Trustee Business, and LGS Achievement Award.

Winners were nominated by the community and are people who are involved in various organizations in the area.

"The goal here today is really to encourage others to get involved. Although we're recognizing just a couple of our leaders here in Central New York and we're recognizing one business, there are many different companies and organizations," said Sherry Mossotti, Leadership Greater Syracuse.

The winners included SUNY Upstate Medical University President David Smith, Welch Allyn, and Central New York Business Journal Publisher Norman Poltenson.