THE ROTARY CLUB OF ITHACA is always welcoming new members, and regularly sends out press releases to introduce our new members to the greater Ithaca community. Below are the bios of new members that have been published in press releases and on our website. Read through them and you'll see a broad and interesting cross section of people who are invested in "Service Above Self."


Rotary Club of Ithaca Introduces Five New Members
Posted June 26, 2016

Melissa Coville is the sales manager at the Ithaca Hampton Inn. She lives in Spencer, N.Y., and graduated from Buffalo State College. Melissa is actively involved with the Spencer-Van Etten Youth Association and volunteers as a youth hockey coach.

Heidi Fletcher is originally from State College, Pa. She received a B.S. in Individual and Family Studies from Penn State University. She currently works for Tompkins Trust Company managing their Consumer Loan Underwriting and Loan Servicing departments. Heidi moved to Ithaca in 2013 and lives in Lansing. She sits on the boards of the Village At Ithaca and the Cayuga Vocal Ensemble.

Rev. Dr. David Kaden is originally from Hoboken, N.J. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration and Economics from Messiah College, a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in the Study of Religion from the University of Toronto. David is ordained in the UCC, and has written numerous articles and book reviews, including the forthcoming book, “Matthew, Paul, and the Anthropology of Law” (Mohr Siebeck, 2016).

Sherrie Negrea is a freelance writer and owner of Versatile Writing, where she writes for magazines, websites and other publications locally and across the country. A native Canadian, Sherrie grew up in Daytona Beach, Fla. She attended the University of Chicago, and earned a master's degree in English from SUNY Brockport. Sherrie is a board member of the Public Relations Society of America, Finger Lakes Chapter, the Ithaca Area United Jewish Community, and the Temple Beth-El Religious School. Sherrie has played the flute in the Ithaca Community Orchestra for many years.

Gary Slade grew up on the family dairy farm in Homer, N.Y. He served in the United States Marine Corps for six years, working for the Department of State in American embassies in Liberia, Stockholm, and Athens. He returned to the Ithaca area in 2000 and began a career in the construction industry, focusing on new home construction and remodeling. Gary is currently a project design consultant for Crown Construction in Dryden.


Rotary Club Introduces Three New Members
Posted January 25, 2016

Rich Bennett grew up in Fulton, NY and came to Ithaca in 2003. After receiving a B.S. in psychology from Nyack College, Rich completed his 350-hour CASAC credential (Certified Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor). He is now the director of the Ithaca Rescue Mission. In his 20-year career, Rich has maintained a belief in the power of the human spirit, and is proud to support individuals as they transform their lives. Rich lives in Ithaca with his wife and two daughters.

Ithaca native Michael Longo graduated with an accounting degree from SUNY Geneseo in 1988. After a short stint selling payroll services in Boston, he returned to Ithaca and partnered with his father Rocco’s well known accounting and tax firm. Previously a member of the Ithaca Sunrise Rotary Club, Mike lives in Fall Creek with his wife Gina Amici, and enjoys participating in Spartan races and extreme mud runs.

Joe Sammons is executive director at Challenge Workforce Solutions, coming to Challenge in November 2015 from Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, where he served as CEO for seven years. Joe is originally from the Hudson Valley region. He has a B.A. in English and criminal justice from SUNY Albany. Joe’s personal interests include American history, creative writing and music. Joe lives in Ithaca with his wife Mary and their son Julian.

For more information about the Ithaca Rotary Club and membership, please call Ron Provus at 607-351-8539 or email ronprovus@twcny.rr.com.


Five New Members Round Out Centennial Year
Posted July 10, 2015

The Rotary Club of Ithaca is pleased to introduce five individuals who have recently joined the service club. As members of Ithaca Rotary, individuals give of their time and skills to positively impact the needs of our community.”

Ithaca Rotary welcomes:

Mohamed Abdelrehim grew up in Alexandria, Egypt and graduated from the International School of Hospitality Management in Massachusetts as part of the Waterford Hotel Group Rising Star Leadership Program. He joined the hotel industry after a career in the restaurant business; he started his own catering company in Connecticut, Pharaoh’s Food Service LLC, in 2005. Mohamed is now the general manager of Homewood Suites in Ithaca.

Born and raised in Colorado, Leslie Danks Burke received dual bachelor’s degrees in history and international affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder, followed by a law degree from the University of Chicago. After working in Washington, DC, Costa Rica, and New York City, Leslie and her husband relocated to Tompkins County in 2004. Leslie is now an attorney and Of Counsel with the law firm of Pinnisi and Anderson in Ithaca. She serves on the Agriculture and Infrastructure subgroups of the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council, and on the boards of Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation, and the Tompkins-Cortland Community College Foundation.

Bob Case is a native of Union Springs, NY and moved to Ithaca in 2008. He has been with M&T Bank since 2011, now serving as a commercial loan officer on The Commons. Bob earned a B.S. in organizational management and a master’s in business from Keuka College. He is active in the community, serving as vice president for the 2014-15 United Way campaign, and leading M&T Bank’s internal United Way employee campaign for three years. He lives in Lansing with his family.

Suzanne Cerquone hails from Rochester, NY. She received a communications degree from Syracuse University and a master’s in international marketing from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She worked in the music industry in New York City and Philadelphia for many years, and then returned to Ithaca in 2007 to be closer to family. She was employed at Alternatives Federal Credit Union for seven years, and recently took a position as director of community relations at Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services. Suzanne enjoys volunteering at the SPCA of Tompkins County.

Born in Cleveland, Jon Soza graduated from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor's degree in communications and earned a Minister’s certificate with Global University of Assemblies of God. He has served as a youth pastor and as senior pastor in churches in Ohio and Tennessee, and has worked in homeless and addiction recovery shelters in Cleveland, Nashville, and Jackson, Mississippi. Jon joined the Salvation Army in 2003, and has been in charge of the Ithaca Salvation Army since last August. Jon was named Salvation Army Volunteer of the Year in North Eastern Ohio in 2000, and his work is featured in a YouTube film called “Frontline Ministry Spotlight: Throne of Grace.”


Rotary Club of Ithaca Introduces New Members
Posted June 2, 2015

Keoki Hansen was born in Redwood City, Calif. but lived most of her life in Chittenango, NY. She holds a B.A. in psychology from Castleton State College, and an M.A. in cognitive psychology from Boston College. She is a financial planner with Hansen’s Advisory Services, which recently opened a new office in Ithaca. There, she focuses on sustainable, responsible, and impactful investing. Prior to entering the finance industry, Keoki was the director of research and evaluation at Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for 15 years, and a program evaluator at Cornell. Keoki lives on DeRuyter Lake with her two daughters.

Philadelphia native Kevin Morrin came to Ithaca 21 years ago as a student at Ithaca College. He earned a dual degree in international business and German, and has remained in Ithaca ever since. He is now a commercial insurance broker with Tompkins Insurance Agencies. Previously, Kevin was the membership and PR director at the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, and spent ten years as VP of sales and marketing at Greek Peak. Kevin is also the principle and owner of Kensington Camber Advertising and Design. He is active in the community by volunteering with the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, Big Brothers, AIDS Ride for Life and the Binghamton Spiedie Fest.

Margaret Snow is a lifelong resident of the Ithaca area and is currently self-employed as an archetypal consultant with an office at the Integrative Medicine Center downtown. She graduated from TC3 with an associate’s degree in business administration, and is a NYS licensed real estate instructor. She is also a certified Reiki master/teacher and life coach. In the community, Margaret has served as a volunteer for Hospicare of Tompkins County for the past ten years, and also sits on committees at the Foundation of Light and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. In the summer months, she races with the Ithaca Dragon Boat Club and is an avid cyclist.

Jennifer Tavares is the president of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. Previously, she served as the director of economic development for Chenango County. Originally from Norwich, NY, Jennifer graduated from SUNY Potsdam, earning a double major in writing and communications with minors in studio art and women’s studies. She has previously served on the Chenango County Planning Board, the board of the United Way of Chenango County, and as chair of the Agriculture Development Council. She recently joined the Tompkins County Area Development Board, and looks forward to serving on the Tompkins County Workforce Investment Board.

Daniel Weed of Norwalk, Conn. graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.S. in astrophysics and master’s degrees in nuclear engineering, business administration, and international affairs. Trained as a nuclear power and surface warfare officer, Dan has traveled to more than 60 countries for his work. He has commanded ships and naval bases, and overseen Cornell’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit. He currently works as the Lakeview Health Services Horizon program manager, and volunteers for Cornell Companions’ pet therapy program and Women Swimmin’.


Club Welcomes 4 New Members
Posted March 10, 2015

David Dunlop hails from Roselle Park, NJ. After receiving his degree from Cornell’s ILR School, Dave worked in the university’s development office his entire career, retiring in 1997. He is widely recognized as an expert in fundraising and development, consulting for a number of colleges and such national organizations as the United Way of America, the American Heart Association, and the Easter Seals Society. Dave was the first recipient of the Fisher Award for Professional Achievement, given by CASE for exceptional achievement, leadership, and innovative management. He continues to volunteer for Cornell in his retirement.

A native of Bayshore, NY, Geoff Dunn arrived in Ithaca in 1992. He is the communication and administrative coordinator for the Tompkins County Solid Waste Division. Geoff joined the County in December 2012 after a 30-year career in broadcast journalism, both in radio and television, working in Oswego, Syracuse, Albany and Ithaca. Geoff currently serves on the boards of the Human Services Coalition and the Dryden Youth Opportunity Fund, and is a member of the TCAT Citizens Advisory Committee. He earned a B.A. in communication studies from SUNY-Oswego with a minor in political science.

Stephen Johnson recently retired as an administrator from Cornell after 42 years. At the university, he was associated with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Program, community and state relations, and federal advocacy. An alumnus of Penn State, Steve also holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. He has served on the board of Tompkins County Area Development and Excell Partners. Since his retirement, Steve has volunteered with the Tompkins County Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.

Allen MacNeill was born and raised in Homer, NY. He is a graduate of Cornell, where he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees. He has taught biology at Cornell for 37 years. He is also a long-time member of the Ithaca Ballet, was a volunteer firefighter for the Varna Fire Department for 20 years, and is the author of several textbooks. Allen is a classical fencer and an avid outdoorsman, and in the early 1990s, performed off-Broadway in a one-man show entitled “An Evening with Charles Darwin.”