Events

In this presentation to the Ithaca Rotary Club, we will explore the vital intersection of Basic Education and Literacy with the arts, focusing on the transformative impact of arts education in fostering creativity and healing. We will highlight the Community School of Music and Arts as a beacon of this philosophy, showcasing our role in enriching the community through accessible arts programs that enhance the lives of learners of all ages. Join us to discover how integrating arts into education cultivates well-rounded individuals and strengthens community bonds.

Megan Omohundro (She, her, hers) / CSMA's Executive Director

Megan Omohundro is an enthusiastic leader who has extensive non-profit experience in interdepartmental collaboration, programming, operations, fundraising, and leveraging community partnerships. She received her B.A. in dance from Hollins University and is passionate about arts education. Megan utilizes the values of curiosity, creativity, and connectivity within her role as an artist, arts educator and non profit executive. Expanding creative exploration within any community in which she lives and finding ways to care for the individual within a collective, are her priorities. She aims to support all stakeholders at CSMA and ensure that the school is a safe, enjoyable and relevant space to grow creative expression in Tompkins County. 

Carrie Natale / CSMA's Director of Programming & Exhibits 

As the Director of Exhibits and Programming at CSMA, Carrie Natale brings her experience working in the education field and interacting with the local community.  She is a former dance and baton twirling studio owner, well-versed in connecting the community to the arts.  During the pandemic, Carrie made the bold decision to return to college.  In December 2023, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Empire State University. She believes that the arts have a place in every aspect of our lives and is happy to help others find joy within the arts too.  Carrie wants to help create a strong sense of belonging and support for the faculty and students of CSMA.

Ithaca Rotary Club volunteers along with three rotary youth exchange students will be managing a pit stop located in front of A-Verdi Self Storage Montezuma located in Port Bryon, NY, during the Southern Tier AIDS Program AIDS Ride for Life 2024 bike event on Saturday, September 7th from 8:30-1:30pm. 

Leslie Tabor serves as the Director of the Tompkins County Public Library. Under Leslie’s leadership, annual library visits increased by over 35,000 and annual materials use increased by over 42,000 in 2023. Leslie believes that public libraries are essential for healthy communities and that libraries are for everyone. She received her Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University’s Information School, where she first fell in love with the Finger Lakes region after weekend trips to the Friends of the Library Booksale and downtown Apple Harvest Festival. Leslie’s career includes working with the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, program management for the City of Norman (OK) and Cleveland County (OK), and a few years as a parking consultant. She and her husband Steven both worked for the Phoenix Public Library before moving cross-country to Ithaca with their dog, Slyde. Leslie enjoys birdwatching, Star Wars, gardening, and live music in her free time. She hopes everyone has a public library card and that they use it often!

Come and join us for our ever-popular club session when our 3 inbound students introduce themselves to our club.   Our students this year are...

• Isa from Mexico
• Filip from Sweden
• Stanley from Taiwan

We'll learn about them, their home countries, and their goals for exchange.

See you there!

Hello Friends!

Please join us for a lunch social at the Royal Court Restaurant on October 23rd!

Join us for lunch at Old Mexico!  Costumes encouraged, but not required!

Mike McGovern has served as the Chair of Rotary International’s PolioPlus Committee since October 2014. In this role, he is the volunteer leader of Rotary’s largest humanitarian project, the global eradication of polio.  Rotary is the spearheading partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and has donated over $2.0 billion to ending polio and has worked with other partners to reduce the number of polio endemic countries from 125 in 1988 to 2 today. Mike also represents Rotary on the Polio Oversight Board.

Mike joined Rotary in 1986 as a member of the Rotary Club of South Portland-Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA. He served as club president, district governor, district foundation chair, Council on Legislation delegate,  Rotarian Action Group chair, Rotary Leadership Institute division chair, international training leader, Institute convener, RI committee member and chair, trustee and vice chair of the Rotary Foundation, and director and vice president of Rotary International. He began serving as the global chair of the Rotary Leadership Institute on 1 July 2020.

 He served his entire career with the Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine beginning as an intern in 1977 and serving as town manager from 1985 to 2016. His Rotary classification was "Town Government."  During his career he also led several boards including the Maine Municipal Association, the Maine Town and City Management Association and ecomaine and served on committees of the International City and County Management Association.     He currently serves on the board of Park Danforth, a not for profit retirement community and as chair of the Diocesan Review Board of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

Mike is a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation and a recipient of the Rotary Foundation's Citation for Meritourious Service.

He has served on regional boards for teh United Way and the American Red Cross.

Please join us for a wine tasting social at Ryan William Vineyard!  

In celebration of Foundation Month in the Rotary world, Dana and Don will be sharing some of the life-changing work that the Foundation has made possible, both around the world and here at home, as well as the recent international projects sponsored by CNY Rotary clubs.

Don Reese is a member of the Utica Rotary Club, was District Governor in D 7150 in 2002-03, and is CNY Rotary Foundation Committee Chair.

Dana Jerrard is also a member of the Utica Club, was D7150 DG in 2021-22, and is currently serves as Secretary of CNY Rotary.

Join fellow Rotarians at Hot Pot Meets BBQ on THURSDAY November 21st at 12:00p.  As a reminder, this is purely a social event with no agenda!

What a SWEET Community Project for our Ithaca Rotarians!  Be a baker, volunteer at the event or purchase cookies on Dec. 7th to benefit Tompkins Habitat for Humanity. Head to their website to find out more: https://tchabitat.com/cookiewalk/ 

Last year's cookie sale raised $5,000 that went towards housing. 

Elizabeth Brando, an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is a nonprofit executive skilled at leading efforts to strengthen fiscal support of mission-critical activities. As a leader in strategic planning and fundraising, Elizabeth has raised millions for higher education, cultural institutions, and Native-led causes with additional experience in multinational banking and project management in Silicon Valley. She earned her MBA from University of Arizona and attended Columbia University for coursework in art history.

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Dr. Finkelsztein discovered his passion for medicine while researching Chagas disease during medical school. His journey led him to the U.S., where he continued his work at Weill Cornell Medicine, studying sepsis with a focus on improving patient outcomes.

Dr. Finkelsztein chose to bring his expertise to Ithaca, where he not only treats patients with complex infections but also mentors internal medicine doctors. He’s also dedicated to public health as a Tuberculosis Consultant for Tompkins County.

Beyond his medical work, Dr. Finkelsztein is known for his love of cycling, running, competing in local amateur cycling races. and spending time with family and friends.

Jennifer Tavares is the Director of Community Relations