The Geneva Rotary Club presented five prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Awards at its Service Above Self Gala at Ventosa Vineyards.
Geneva Rotary annually honors individuals as Paul Harris Fellows. These honorees are people who meet high professional and personal standards set forth by Paul Harris, who founded the Rotary organization in Chicago in 1905, and who support the Rotary Foundation and community service. Paul Harris recognition is a Rotary club’s highest award and is not limited to Rotarians.
Receiving Paul Harris Fellow Awards were Frank Capozzi Jr., Kerry Lippincott, Bernard (Bernie) Lynch, Bob McFadden, and Cheryl Toor.
Capozzi became the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes in 2022. He has been a member of Rotary in Canandaigua, Seneca Falls, Newark, and Geneva. He is the Cubmaster of Geneva Cub Scout Pack 5 and a 20-year member of the Rochester Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting. He and his wife, Paula, instruct Religious Education classes for Our Lady of Peace Parish. Capozzi sits on the FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program Board in Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, and Cayuga counties, assisting with the allocation of emergency funds to non-profits. Recently, he became a member of the Board of Directors of Historic Geneva. The Diocese of Rochester recognized him with a Bronze Pelican Award for his engagement in youth ministry through Catholic Scouting. He was also awarded the James E. West Fellowship for his commitment to Scouting in the Finger Lakes region.
Lippincott became the Executive Director of Historic Geneva in 2012. Along with Geneva Rotary Club activities, she serves on the boards of the Foundation for the Geneva Public Library and Friends of Parrott Hall. She is also the chair of the Geneva Reads Community Read.
Lynch started in the family business, Lynch Furniture in Geneva, in high school and is now President. A force of collaboration and positive change in the Geneva community, he is a founding member and chair of the nonprofit Geneva Education Foundation and has helped ensure financial support for local school programming, including offsetting AP test costs for economically disadvantaged students. As chair of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, he worked tirelessly to secure state and federal funding to enclose and renovate the Geneva Recreation Complex, home of the Hobart and William Smith hockey teams and Geneva Youth Hockey programs. He served 10 years as a board member at Happiness House, including two as board chair. He also chaired Happiness House’s planning committee that constructed and financed an additional school facility and an alternative residence during his tenure.
McFadden, President and CEO of Finger Lakes Federal Credit Union, joined Rotary in 2001 and has served as president. He is currently a Board member, Chair of the Rotary Student Loan Fund, and has been Treasurer for more than a decade. He currently serves as a Board member for the Wyckoff Family Foundation, Geneva General Housing Development Fund, Inc,. and Taylor-Brown Housing Development Fund, Inc. He volunteers regularly at food distribution at the Geneva Boys and Girls Club and remains actively engaged with service projects through Geneva Rotary and also through numerous local boards, action groups, and committees.
Toor came to the Geneva Center of Concern 23 years ago as Food Pantry Manager and is now Director of the agency. She has helped the Center flourish and grow through the years, and she attributes much of the Center’s ongoing success to its team of volunteers.
The Gala also celebrated the presentation of the Geneva Rotary Service Above Self Springstead Award for outstanding community service. This year’s recipients are the Rev. James Adams and Sue Adams.
New this year was the awarding of the Community Organization of the Year Award to an organization doing great things in the community. The first recipient of this award is The Second Impact, founded by Genevan Ray Ciancaglini to promote concussion awareness.
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