Write a comment
President-elect Sue Witmer inducted three new members into the Oswego Rotary Club at its recent meeting at The American Foundry.
The new members are Phil Gailinas, Lauren Pistell and James Purvis. They bring the total membership of the club that has been active in Oswego since 1927 to 45.
Phil Gailinas, founder of Company G Web Development, is now the lead developer associated with the recently established website, iHeartOswego.com and is the CEO of the parent company, I Heart Corp. The site provides a comprehensive directory of all businesses and professional services as well as all events and activities in the 13126 zip code. The iHeart Corp. and Company G Web Development merged Jan. 1 this year in order to offer website creation and marketing programs to their clients. Gailinas is also a founder of Oz Roller Girls and Oz Roller Derby in Oswego and serves as their coach.
Lauren Pistell is the executive director of the Richard S. Shineman Foundation. After receiving her undergraduate degree in history from Yale College, Pistell worked at Yale School of Management and later at Bond, Schoeneck & King, where she specialized in estate planning. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Oswego County and has volunteered with Safe Haven Museum, Literacy Volunteers of Oswego County and Habitat for Humanity. Pistell is presently pursuing a master of business administration degree at Syracuse University. The Richard S. Shineman Foundation was established by bequest of Dr. Shineman, professor emeritus of chemistry at SUNY Oswego, who was a long-time member of the Oswego Rotary Club and headed its Rotary Foundation Committee for many years.
Major James Purvis, a native of Syracuse, has found his way back to Central New York as one of the officers of the Oswego County Salvation Army Corps. He, with his wife Kathryn, was appointed to Oswego last July to lead the corps when it was created by combining the former corps in Fulton and Oswego and was given responsibility for serving the entire county. After serving as an Envoy in The Salvation Army for four years, Major Purvis completed his training and was ordained and commissioned as a Captain in 1995. Oswego is his seventh appointment in his 22 years of service. He previously led corps in Newburyport, Massachusetts; Troy; Yonkers; Buffalo; and Elmira. He has a strong interest in expanding the services that the Army offers to youth in Oswego County.
Rotary's main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and around the globe. The 1.2 million Rotarians who make up more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in nearly every country in the world share a dedication to the ideal of Service Above Self.
Rotary clubs are open to people of all cultures and ethnicities and are not affiliated with any political or religious organizations.
Oswego Rotary Club has a long history of providing scholarships, facilitating exchange students, and assisting The Salvation Army, Oswego Hospital Bazaar, Meals on Wheels, Project Bloom, regional Spelling Bee, and military Comfort Room at Hancock Airport. The club contributes to international humanitarian efforts, including Polio Eradication and Clean Water for the World.
Questions about the club or Rotary membership can be answered by any member or by calling 315-343-9692.
