Oneida County Names Griffiss Complex for Fiorini

Oneida County has officially renamed its aviation building at Griffiss International Airport in honor of longtime Board of Legislators Chairman Gerald J. Fiorini, recognizing a public service career that stretched across four decades.

The facility is now the Gerald J. Fiorini Aviation Complex, a move county leaders say reflects the lasting impact Fiorini had on both Griffiss and the region as a whole. He served 40 years on the Board of Legislators, including 30 years as chairman, the longest tenure of any chairman in New York State history. Fiorini represented the City of Rome and surrounding communities before gaveling out his final meeting on December 17, 2025.

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County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. said the dedication is about more than just a name on a building.

“Today, Oneida County honors a true legend,” Picente said, pointing to Fiorini’s decades of leadership and influence across the county. He added that attaching Fiorini’s name to Griffiss, one of the county’s most important assets, is a fitting tribute.

There’s a long history between Fiorini and Griffiss, and it shows. Board Chairwoman Mary Austin Pratt said he played a key role in major projects tied to the airport’s growth, including helping secure support for the Chobani dairy processing facility and pushing forward development of a nearby baseball complex.

She said his leadership touched nearly every major milestone at Griffiss since its early days.

County officials say the renaming ensures Fiorini’s legacy will remain front and center at the airport, a place that helped define much of his work in public service.