Iris Banister

Iris Banister, June 26, 2008 was appointed as the Director of the Rochester Children's Zone. She currently works as Executive Director for the Wilson Commencement Park. Banister is the 2008 recipient of the Women Making A Difference Award and International Athena Award finalist, recipient of the; 2007 Phi Delta Kappa -Community Service Award; 2006 Rochester United Way Howard Coles Society Award; 2005 Mayor's Renaissance Award- Outstanding Educator; 2004, the MLK Humanitarian Award; 2004, listed in the National Women's Hall Of Fame-Book Of Legends; 2003, the International F.C.D.-Hall of Fame Award; 2002, the New York State Humanitarian Award; 2001, the Rochester Mayor's Unsung Heroes Award. She is a native of Oklahoma City Oklahoma. Prior to retirement she was employed by the Rochester City School District for thirty-two years as an elementary teacher, reading specialist, guidance counselor, transition facilitator, House Administrator, and Program Administrator for the Senior High Alternative Program of Education (SHAPE) a behavior modification educational program for at-risk middle school students. She served as Principal of the Charter School of Science and Technology. She was an adjunct professor of Religion and African American Studies at St. John Fisher College and an education consultant. She is the founder and Chief Facilitator of NAMOW (woman spelled backwards) a counseling, support, and referral service for women.

Iris Banister, is an accomplished author and much sought after motivational speaker and workshop presenter. She has three publications to her credit, Lasso Your Whirlwind, Empowerment: Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk, and The Fifth Ace. She has dedicated the vast portion of her work to parent-child/ family relations and Christian counseling and leadership, and community development.

Mrs. Banister has been married to Thomas Banister for 38 years. She is the mother of three sons: Thomas III a graduate of Duke University (Masters of Divinity); currently Pastor of Temple Memorial Baptist Church; Simeon, a graduate of Princeton University (Master of Divinity) and currently the Manhattan Liaison for the Public Advocate Office of New York City; and Ethan a 2008 graduate with a major in elementary education from Langston University.

Iris is recognized as a committed community activist. She demonstrates that activism through her service to the Rochester community. She plays a major role as board member and volunteers on many non-profit, community-based, and civic organizations. She is dedicated to peace and non-violence, community involvement and revitalization, and mutual cultural relations both in her professional endeavors and her personal life.

The late Rev. Dr. Samuel McCree licensed Rev. Banister for the ministry in 1998 at Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church and she was ordained as a Reverend in 2005 by the Rev. Dr. James Evans. She is currently an Associate Minister at St. Luke Community Church She is the director of guidance and counseling and is responsible for congregational care.

Rev. Banister has traveled extensively in Africa and has been crowned Queen Mother Nana Ama Bortsewa I of the township of Winneba, Ghana in West Africa. Her area of responsibility is the growth and development of women and their children. In that role she has sponsored the building and fully equipping of a full service dental clinic, sponsors programs on local radio on the topics of proper nutrition, family planning, AIDS awareness, women's health, and child rearing practices. She is currently sponsoring the building and equipping of a Children's Library and Sight & Hearing Resource Center on the campus of Winneba University of Education.
Mrs. Banister lives her life by a simple motto, "Each person should, in every way possible, work to light up the corner where he and she is and the darkness will flee."