Peekskill Club Members
 Tom was born in Brooklyn and moved to Croton during his grade school years. In his teens, he moved again, this time to Peekskill. In his teenage years, he held several jobs, including pin-setting at the bowling alley in what is now the Park Mall and caddying at the Mohansic Golf Course.
Tom graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School and then, as his father was a printer, gravitated to the same line of work. He took a job with Richard’s Press, a local printer, and at age 19 opened his own printing< shop across the street from the Monument in Peekskill. After two years, just after paying off the initial costs for his equipment, Tom was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He served his two-year stint in Philadelphia, where he met Joan, his wife of 49 years.
Upon discharge from the Army, Tom returned to his printing business where he developed several local customers. In the late 1950s, he gained IBM as a customer, with whom he maintained a relationship into the mid-1990s, when IBM moved its purchasing to the West. During the 1970s and 1980s, he extended into producing books and developed long-term relationships with Silver Burdett, Brown & Burdett, and Prentice Hall. In recent years, Tom has produced soft-covered books on subject matters such as Peekskill, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the New York Yankees. He published “The Cortlandt Magazine” until recently.
Tom has long relationships with many Peekskill Rotarians, including Don Horton, with whom he caddied as a youth. Tom welcomes his new involvement with the Peekskill Rotary Club.
Don’s son Damon is a captain in the U.S. Army and is currently serving in the Middle East.
Damon and Althea are parents of Don’s grandchild, 6 year old Michaela.
Working for his grandfather was the best experience while growing up in Baltimore. He learned how to complete a task right the first time. Having the guidence of the Operational VP at Hochschild Kohn in Baltimore moved him into the management side of his work experience.
Being involved with many of the different programs of his Peekskill Rotary club has offered him opportunities that he had never considered. Youth Exchange, Inter-Act and others have allowed him to be even more involved in his community and expanded his lifetime experiences.
Jeanne Blum grew up in Orange and Sullivan counties in New York. She graduated from Jeffersonville High School with honors, immediately left the area and never looked back!
Jeanne attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, where she became a Joan Harrison scholar and a Mazon graduate intern. (Mazon is a national not-for-profit organization whose mission is to prevent and alleviate hunger worldwide.)
Active in the non-profit sector for more than 15 years, Jeanne developed grants for Mercy College, and, as a partner with A.K.A. Marketing and Communications based in Manhattan, planned outreach and fundraising strategies for a number of social service, human rights, environmental and faith-based organizations.
In her current incarnation, Jeanne is Executive Director of Caring for the Homeless of Peekskill, Inc., also known as CHOP, a not-for-profit agency that seeks to alleviate hunger and homelessness in our community. She runs the Jan Peek House shelter for the homeless; the Sunny Donut breakfast program; and is developing Fred’s Pantry, a ‘choice’ food pantry.
Jeanne has a long history with CHOP. Her father, Lee Beach, was one of the original founding members of CHOP in 1988 and would bring home colorful stories of the residents and staff of the Jan Peek House. Through the years, Jeanne maintained her connection with Jan Peek. While at A.K.A., Jeanne created the name and logo for the Sunny Donut breakfast program as a pro bono project. In 2003, Jeanne joined CHOP as a volunteer, quickly moving into the role of Director of Finance and Development, where she built a Development Committee on CHOP’s Board of Directors and promptly organized CHOP’s first-ever fundraising efforts commencing with an annual gala dinner. CHOP’s gala is now in its sixth year.
Jeanne became Executive Director in 2007 and continues to build the organization and its programs, with the goal of interfacing with the community and erasing the stigma of homelessness.
In addition to working with the homeless, Jeanne is an established Peekskill artist and a member of the Peekskill Arts Council. Her media is collage, three-dimensional assemblages and artist’s books.
Jeanne is the founder of “Young Women in Action,” a program designed to build the self-esteem of young girls by developing their leadership capabilities through philanthropic pursuits. She is a member of the Association for Development Officers, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce. She serves on the Recovery Housing Network of Westchester and the Caring and Sharing Committee of the Peekskill School District.
Jeanne is honored to be a part of Peekskill’s Rotary Club. She proudly follows in the footsteps of her mom, Betty Beach-Connell, who was the first woman to join the ranks of the Peekskill Rotary in the early ninety's.
Andrea Blizard
A Middletown, NY native, Andrea has been an active Rotary member since joining the Rotary Club of Warwick Valley in1988. She has served the Warwick Club as Secretary (for three terms) and as its President. It was during this term that she represented her club at the Rotary International convention in Glasgow, Scotland.
Following a change of careers, Andrea joined the Rotary Club of Kingston, New York where she was a member for four years. During that time she served as President and feels her most memorable accomplishment was the establishment of a Friendship Exchange with the Rotary Club of St. David's, Cardiff, Wales.
After graduating from Middletown High School, Andrea attended Orange County Community College and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts at North Dartmouth. She continued her studies and completed a Master of Arts in Art History and Museum Administration from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul. Returning to Orange County, she worked in the museum field for six years prior to turning to health care communications. Following seventeen years in the health care field, she then turned to corporate communications and now works for Entergy at Indian Point Energy Center.
In addition to her activities with Rotary, Andrea shows her Australian Shepherd dogs (there are four at home now). She also enjoys photography and painting when she is not re-arranging her flower gardens at home.
Keith Bobolia
 Cortlandt resident Keith Bobolia was installed in June as the 86th president of the Rotary Club of Peekskill. The club has operated continuously since its founding in 1919, and under Bobolia’s leadership, is celebrating this year its 85th year of service to the Peekskill and Cortlandt communities.
A member of the club for 14 years, Bobolia has served in many ways, including managing all activities related to the successful 33rd Annual Rotary Horse Show in 2003.
Bobolia was born and raised in Cortlandt, attended Lakeland High School and graduated from Manhattan College with an accounting degree. He is the principal owner and manager of Home Mason Supply on Central Ave. in Peekskill.
His wife Christine, a Brooklyn native, moved to the area as a teenager. She is a registered nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit at Hudson Valley Hospital Center. They have 5 children and nine grandchildren.
Also active in the Knights of Columbus, Bobolia has been selected by the Peekskill St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee as an aide to the Grand Marshall.
Barb spent approximately twenty years working with individuals, children and families in a variety of settings (public and private). She worked for the Department of Social Services (child abuse and neglect prevention, foster care, day care, homefinding) and for the Lakeland School District (special education and mainstream). She started a Parent Support Program in the District, co-authored and received a grant to service children and parents, and administered the grant during her tenure in the district. Barbara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and continues to maintain her licensure in NYS.
Barbara moved into the Real Estate profession as a second career, coming to Coldwell Banker in 1992. She works with new homes, first-time homebuyers, relocating individuals and families, move-up buyers, condos, coops, re-sales of single family homes, rentals, commercial (as requested). She has the support of a large local, national and international network of colleagues. Education is important to Barbara and she holds a number of designations, CRS, GRI, SRES, e-PRO, ABR, CBR, C-CREC, CIPS candidate, CNHS, CHMS. Excellence is important as are long-term relationships with her clients. Barbara maintains a number of individual websites, as well as having the resources sites provided by her company.
Volunteer work is important as well. Through her company she has been involved with Habitat for Humanity, has been a prior board member of the Westchester Children's Association, has assisted with the office annual tag sale for Friends of Karen, and is now a member of Rotary.
Personally, Barb enjoys sailing, horses, dancing, reading, theatre, tennis and has been brave enough to skydive. Barb has been a resident of Westchester County since 1969 having grown up and attended school on Long Island. Her family resides on Long Island and in Florida.
Pat Braja has worked in the Westchester/Putnam nonprofit community for more than 15 years, as director of development, senior campaign manager, consultant and board member, both in the arts and in social services.
She is currently the Director of Development at the Paramount Center for the Arts here in Peekskill. Prior to her present position, Pat was the a founding member and first executive director of the New York Multi-Arts Center Consortium, a member services and professional development organization for more than 50 community based multi-arts centers in New York State.
In 2004 Pat founded her own company, Arts Alchemy, a consulting business focusing on arts management infrastructure, fundraising, board development, building community awareness and developing effective partnerships.
She has served on the board of the Paramount Center for the Arts and the Peekskill Arts Council. Pat participated in the Volunteer Center of United Way's Leadership Westchester Program 2005 and is an active member of the Leadership Westchester Alumni Committee. Pat is also the founder of the Kent Library Friends Association, and is a past president of Westchester Association of Development Officers.
She has taught arts management and fundraising at Purchase College, Westchester Community College, and Concordia College. Pat has a BA in Fine Arts from Rider University and a certificate of arts Administration from Purchase College.
A Peekskill resident, Pat is a tireless advocate for the arts. She is especially skilled in building effective partnerships and collaborations, multi-tasking and working in diverse, challenging environments.
Sibyl Canaan
 Sibyl Canaan was installed June 29, 2006 as the 88th president of the Rotary Club of Peekskill. A Rotarian since 1995, she chaired the 35th Annual Horse Show as 2005-2006 president-elect, and has previously served on the board. In June 2007 she received one of Rotary’s highest honors, the Paul Harris Award, for her exceptional service to the club and community.
Canaan was born and raised in Manhasset, Long Island, where her family has lived since the 1930’s. She graduated from Manhasset High School and attended Barnard College, Columbia University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree cum laude in 1971. She married her husband, Howard, in 1970 who received his PhD from Columbia at that time. They subsequently settled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where Sibyl was director of two village libraries as well as the Littleton Hospital medical librarian, and Howard taught at Plymouth State College.
After the birth of their first son, Nicholas, in 1979, Howard accepted a position as professor of English at Mercy College, and the Canaans returned to New York to reside in Cold Spring. Their second son, Alexander, was born in 1983.
Canaan received her Masters of Library Science degree in 1988 from C.W. Post, Long Island University, and worked as a corporate librarian at Pepsico for several years.
Since 1992 she has been the director of The Field Library. She has served as Treasurer and President of the Public Library Directors Association of the Westchester Library System, and currently serves on the boards of the Lincoln Society, the Montrose Child Care Center, and the Peekskill Salvation Army Advisory Board.
Joining the Rotary family is a little like coming home for her as she discovered that her grandfather was a Rotarian during his lifetime and his pin I one her treasured heirlooms.
Josette J. Dewey
Josette Dewey joined Peekskill Rotary in August, 2004 and her impact on the club has been immediate, becoming the webmaster and primary designer of the club's website.
Josette was born in Lausanne, Switzerland and has lived in the United States since 1992, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2000. She holds a degree in Graphic Design and Business Mangement. She founded Sheffield Media Group in 2002 that specializes in providing web and graphic design and Internet solutions.
Josette enjoys skiing when visiting with her family in Switzerland, yoga, pottery, and long walks with her dog Ben.
Larry DeNoia
Larry has a passion for golf and racquetball, which he does in his spare time. When he isn’t enjoying playing his sports, he and his family travel all across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Larry’s work and life experiences have helped to shape him into the person he is today. He believes in giving back to the community which he grew up in. Larry understands that working within Rotary service projects allows him to accomplish more for his community. He is happy to be a part of the collective effort.
Larry runs his own business and his passion and ability to help people lends itself nicely to Rotary’s mission.
He enjoys the comradary of Rotary and the willingness of its members to work as a group for the benefit of several charitable causes. He enjoyed being an officer and director but especillay likes projects involving teaching, public speaking, financial analysis and travel.
He is happy to help out on various Rotary committees and loves to be involved in a variety of projects.
Donald Feldman
Don and his wife, Susan, have been married for 33 wonderful years. They are involved with each other’s commitments and support each other’s interests, as if they were their own. Their son Steven owns a contracting business in northern Westchester.
As far as leisure interests, when he has time, he golfs. He is a hockey fanatic (Go Rangers!) and aYankee and Giants fan.
Jazz, rock and classical music are his passion. He is always listening to and conducting his favorite melodies.
He is also a political buff….and watches fox (gets aggravated), msnbc, c-span and on and on.
The couple loves to travel and have been all over this wonderful country and never seem to tire of its diversity and beauty. He always attends Rotary meetings, when he travels and is welcomed as a member of the family. It is a wonderful experience for him. He reports, “The more clubs I visit, the more I appreciated our wonderful Peekskill organization.”
Growing up with 3 siblings in a 3 bedroom apartment in Brooklyn can shape anyone’s life in a positive way. Music was a way of life in his home and so he majored in performance (trombone) and music education in college. He became a band teacher in the New York City public schools. He then followed another dream, and became a Podiatrist, graduating from the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.
He says “I guess growing up in cramped quarters gave me an incentive to stand up for what I believe. And so, I have always been involved in the political workings of organizations that I have been involved in. Always standing up for the voice never heard.”
As a student in podiatry school, he became president of his class, and eventually became president of the New York State Podiatric Medical Association. He is active in the National Podiatry Association as well and now, most recently, has been appointed to the New York State Board of Podiatry.
Rotary’s 4 way test discusses how it is important to give and be fair. Being part of a Rotary Club allows it’s members to be part of their community and business world, and helps to make them both a better place. It gave Don an opportunity to meet other people who are as committed as he is to serving his community and profession. It always has amazed Don that so many Rotarians are involved in the Chamber of Commerce, the Paramount Center for the Arts, the Library Board, the Lincoln Society and many other local organizations. Rotary brings out the best in people!
Mary grew up in Yonkers, and is one of eleven children. She worked her way through college and obtained a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Pace University. She’s lived in Peekskill since marrying her husband Donald in 1978, a lifelong resident and local businessman. Together they have raised their two children. Her son is a graduate of Peekskill High School and Pace University. Her daughter is a graduate of Peekskill Middle School and a junior at Kennedy Catholic High School. Over the years her family has been involved in city beautification projects, the Peekskill Chamber of Commerce, school fundraising and sports programs, Little League, and Holy Spirit Parish.
Mary received her BBA/MBA from Pace University 1975/1976 and
has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1977. She worked for Deloitte & Touche LLP (Accounting and Consulting firm) 1975 – 2007. She retired in January 2007 after 31 years. (20 as a partner)
Mary has taken an active role in her community, serving on the Peekskill Common Council, since being elected in November 2005. Among the many outstanding roles she has played in the community, is the job she now performs as recently elected Mayor of Peekskill.
She has served in many capacities for the Mental Health Association of Westchester, including being their President from October 2005 to October 2007.
She is a board Member & works with the Audit Committee of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Southern NY.
She serves on the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Long-term Financial Planning for the Peekskill City School District and she has been a religious educator and fundraiser for the Church of the Holy Spirit.
She was on the board of the Visiting Nurses Association of Westchester and worked with American Heart Association and the United Way of America.
 William V. Foster
Bill Foster has been married over 29 years to Mary Keenan-Foster who is the principal at Woodside Elementary School in Peekskill. He has three children, Kathy, Brian & Kevin and currently one grandson, William. In his leisure time, Bill enjoys music, plays some guitar, and enjoys both sports and travel.
Bill originally joined the Peekskill Rotary Club in 1984 and served through the chairs including Club President in 1988-1989. He was also recognized by the Club by being named a Paul Harris fellow.
Due to new responsibilties for Wachovia Bank, he had to leave the club for a while. After recently been given an opportunity to work once again in the Peekskill area, he was quick to return to the Peekskill Rotary.
With over 28 years in retail banking, gaining a varity of job experiences with the same company, his role in coaching and teaching others the business and customer service interaction continues to invigorate him. Working for a company that constantly looks to improve itself and help provide the products and services necessary for customers to be successful on both the personal and small business side, continues to keep me focused and very satisfied.
Part of the work of Rotary, that of applying the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business and community life, is also more impactful because we are all a member of a Team who does so with fun, enthusiasm and focus. Rotary provides an opportunity to meet new and interesting people, who have had a wide variety of personal experiences to share on a local, national and international level.
Diana M. Genovesi — Leads Peekskill Rotary in its 86th Year
 Diana Genovesi is the Rotary Club of Peekskill president for the year 2005-2006. A member of the club for thirteen years, she previously served as treasurer of the Peekskill Rotary Club Foundation for four years, and as the club’s treasurer for two years. As the club's president-elect, she chaired the 34 th Annual Rotary Club of Peekskill Horse Show last year.
Genovesi was born and raised in Somers where her parents still reside. She graduated from Somers High School and attended Pace University receiving a Bachelor of Applied Sciences degree. She is a branch manager for Chase Manhattan for whom she has worked for twenty-seven years.
Influenced by her father's business, Genovesi has been an avid bowler and has competed on the national level for twenty-six years. Prior to joining Rotary, she was a member of the Bedford Hills Lions, serving as secretary and treasurer. In addition, Genovesi dedicates her time to the steering committee for the Franciscan Friars of Atonement - St. Christopher's Inn providing over fifteen years of volunteer service.
 Peter T. Goodale Serves as Peekskill Rotary’s 89th President
Peter Goodale was installed as the 89th president of the Rotary Club of Peekskill on June 28, 2007.
Pete joined the club in 2003 and was elected to its board in 2004. He has served as program vice president, chairman of the Public Relations Committee, editor of the Horse Show Journal, and assistant editor of Peeps, the club’s newsletter. After co-chairing development of the club’s website, he continues to manage the site’s content. And as president-elect last year, he chaired the 36th Annual Horse Show.
He and his wife Ginny were host-parents to Cris Hamann from Paraguay, the club’s Youth Exchange Student for 2003-2004, who lived with them for eight months while he attended Hendrick Hudson High School.
Born and raised on Long Island, Pete graduated from Concordia Prep School in Bronxville and earned a degree in journalism from NYU. He was then commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps and served 13-months combat duty in Viet Nam, rising to the rank of captain. Following military service, he earned an MBA in management from NYU and joined New York Telephone. More than 30 years later, he retired in 2001 as an executive director of public affairs at Verizon.
Pete is a trustee of the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill; is active in Courtlandt Masonic Lodge #34 and is an associate member of the Christopher Columbus Society. He has served as a member of Outward Bound, a national experiential learning organization, and as chairman of Troop 36, Boy Scouts of American, in Montrose.
He and Ginny enjoy babysitting their first grandson, boating on the Hudson, home improvement projects, travel and spending quality time with their children Amy and Tim, Tim’s wife Jennifer, and their extended family.
Karen became interested in joining Peekskill Rotary when she attended a meeting as a guest in October 2007. She was impressed by the diversity in the Club’s membership and by members’ commitment to donating time and expertise to help others in the Peekskill area, and across the globe. She was pleased to see Rotary International’s focus on water quality, as her educational and personal interests have concerned environmental health issues.
She graduated from the University of Chicago with a major in Political Science with a focus on Environmental Health (no minors were offered at the time). In Chicago, she directed a youth mentoring program. After graduation, she worked on a community organic farm, helped with labeling and database entry for an environmental health policy organization, and researched grants associated with business energy efficiency. She has resided in Alaska and Oregon.
Karen is programs director for The Preservation Company, Inc., which is a local not-for-profit housing organization addressing various housing needs of the community. Current programs include home ownership counseling, post-ownership counseling, home improvement, tenant services, development, management, and three intergenerational initiatives regarding housing and transportation.
Karen enjoys outdoor activities and would like to introduce youth to these, which include hiking, kayaking, ice skating, ice climbing, running, swimming, and camping. She enjoys travelling and encouraging others to travel to increase understanding of different cultures.
Marie Green was born in Pearl River, NY – the 3rd of 9 children. She attended Nanuet Schools, played numerous sports, became the President of the Senior Class, Co-Editor of the Yearbook, and was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.”
She went to SUNY Cortland and received two degrees, a BA in Philosophy and a BS in Education. She paid her way through school working several jobs, graduated cum laude, found her soul mate, Larry, whom she married within a month of graduating college. (Larry received a Masters Degree in Education from SUNY Cortland with honors in History.)
Marie started her career in sales, working for Bristol-Myers in upstate NY. She was promoted District Supervisor, and then offered a relocation to work on Park Avenue, in Merchandising, Communications, Sales Promotion and Purchasing. She accepted, and in 1983 moved to Cortlandt Manor with her husband Larry, infant son Don, and mother-in-law, Gen.
Marie continued her career in Corporate America, moving to L’Oreal and on to Revlon. She founded her own company, Insights to Action, to help smaller firms create the same efficiencies that larger firms were able to benefit from after working with consultants. She was an efficiency expert, with particular ability in retail merchandising and displays. Her special niche was the ability to save time and money for all sized firms.
Marie, Larry, and Don (born 1982) welcomed Sara (1985), Jake (1991) and Jayme (1995). After 9/11 and too many hours away from her family - at work, in hotels, and commuting, Marie turned to a career that would allow her to help others save money, and allow her to become more a part of the community. She joined Edward Jones Investments in 2004, and was inducted into the Peekskill Rotary in 2005.
Marie is also involved with other organizations including the Hendrick Hudson Community Education Foundation, where she has been President or Vice-President for 10 years. More than $110,000 has been granted for educational initiatives in the local area during her tenure. Marie is also on the Executive Board of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, was a key member of the Strategic Planning Committee, and is currently the Assistant Treasurer.
Her great passion, other than for family and “giving back”, is for sports, particularly lacrosse. She and her husband were founding owners of one of the first six professional outdoor lacrosse teams: the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse, with games televised on ESPN2. Her son, Don, now 25, is a full-time lacrosse coach, running clinics and camps for the largest lacrosse league in the world – Tri-State Lacrosse. Her husband coached as well and son Jake and daughter Jayme continue to play.
Being one of nine children, Marie says she is honored to be in a position to give to those less fortunate in the community. Growing up, she was the beneficiary of others’ generosity, and it is wonderful to be in a position to grant the favor to the next generation.
Rudolph J. Grexa
 Rudy (Rudolph) J. Grexa is serving as the Rotary Club of Peekskill secretary for his fifth term in 2004-2005. He has been a member of the club since 1984 and has also served as treasurer for eight years. In addition, he is chairman of the club’s Veteran Affairs Committee. Grexa was honored with a Paul Harris Fellowship from the club during the 1994-1995 year.
Grexa was born and raised in Bronx, New York, moving to the area after completing a tour of duty in the Korean conflict with the 2 nd infantry.
Grexa has retired from two careers. During the first, he was a banking officer with both Bankers Trust and National Westminster Bank in Pound Ridge. He then turned to municipal government where he was assistant controller and then director of purchasing for the Town of Cortlandt.
In addition to his association with Rotary, Grexa has been a member of the Auxiliary Police in the Town of Cortlandt and he serves as the vice president of the Mohegan Fire Department Benevolent Association.
Charles C. Gruetzner, PH.D., District Governor 2006-2007
 Charlie joined the Rotary Club of Peekskill in February of 1999. He has served his club in a variety of different capacities including Annual Horse Show Chairman, the Alf Spears Committee, and the Educational Grants Committee. He has participated in the Rotary Club of Peekskill Adopt a Class program. He has served on a number of District committees, including chair of the District 7230 Scholarship committee. He was Assistant Governor for Area 1 when he was elected to be District Governor Nominee.
He served as Club president in 2002-2003 and as a member of the Board of Directors. Charlie was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award by his club in 2003. He is also a member of the International Fellowship of Yachting Rotarians and the International fellowship of Rotarian Scuba Divers.
He retired as a Lieutenant from the White Plains Fire Department in 1997 after serving 20 years. During that time, he returned to college and received a Bachelors degree in Fire Science, a Masters in Human Resource Management and a Doctorate in Management with a specialization in Environmental Health and Safety. Upon retiring from the Fire Department, he accepted a position as the Dean of the Mercy College Yorktown Campus and program Director for the Environmental Health and Safety program for eight years.
Charlie, who holds a United States Coast Guard Masters license, is currently the President/CEO of Oceanis Marine Services Inc, a yacht survey and consulting company; and Angels’ Grace Sailing Charters, a sailing charter business on Long Island Sound. He is a certified Scuba Schools International Dive Control Specialist Instructor qualified to teach both basic and advanced scuba classes.
Charlie and his wife Linda live in Carmel, NY and have seven children and two grandchildren.
Cliff Heaton (click here)
"Proper repair in a timely manner for a reasonable price" is the tagline of one of Peekskill Rotary Club’s newest members, Bill Honovich. Bill and his wife Cindy are the owners of Ultimate Collision Center, located in Peekskill and Mount Vernon.
Bill is a Westchester County native — he was born in Yonkers and has lived for the past 16 years in Peekskill. He spent 11 years working for GM in Tarrytown where he became the head repair man in the body shop. In total Bill has worked in the body shop business for over thirty years.
Bill loves ice fishing, and has a house upstate for hiking, small game hunting, fishing and many other outdoor sports. He and Cindy share their love of the outdoors with their five children - four boys and a girl.
Dr. Donald Horton (click here)
 Sharon Irving
Eric was born and raised in the City of Peekskill and 1988 graduate of Peekskill High School. He has always been an active member in the community as evident by his being a volunteer firefighter and Ex-Captain of the Peekskill Fire Department from 1989 through 1993, Little League Coach for Cortlandt American Little League 2007 - present, and member of the Lakeland PTA 2005-present.
Always a hard worker, Eric has held many jobs since the age of 14. He credits his first boss Ron Pelaccio, who was the owner of Ron's Sunoco in Peekskill, with teaching him the value of putting in an honest day's work. Eric pumped gas at Ron's Sunoco for over 7 years after school, on weekends, and while home from college in the winter and summer. In addition, Eric owned a painting business with his friend, and worked as a power plant operator at Westchester RESCO at Charles Point. he also helped his mother who is the owner of Johansen Interiors, a Peekskill business for over 30 years.
Growing up, Eric always wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and establish a career in law enforcement. He realized his dream in February of 1994 when he was hired by the City of Peekskill Police Department where he is currently a Detective Sergeant and supervisor of the Detective Division. Eric is also the department spokesperson and responsible for interacting with the media and providing press releases. He met his wife Cathy when he joined the police department and they married in 1997. They have three children, Leila, Melissa, and Eric.
Eric holds a Master's Degree in Justice Administration which he earned from Norwich University and also teaches at Westchester Community College where he is an adjunct professor. In his spare time, Eric enjoys cooking, skiing, and traveling with his wife and family. Eric is proud of the opportunity to join the Peekskill Rotary and continuing his tradition of giving back to his community.
Charles Kilmer has been a resident of the Town of Cortland area since 1967. In 1981, he founded his own business, C.K. Equities,Inc. a heavy construction trucking company affiliated with the Westchester Teamsters Union Local 456. Charles has also been an active member of the community serving with the Ossining Fire Department and the Montrose Fire Department. He served as the president of the Christopher Columbus Society of Peekskill and also served as a Trustee for six years. He has been a member of the Construction Industry Council and Teamsters Local 445. He currently serves on the Chapel Hill Condo Board.
Charles and his wife, Emily have been married for 44 years and have two sons that work with the family business.
Joe Lippoli (click here)
Chappy has a bullmastiff named Guss and a 1/2 Husky & 1/2 Yellow Lab named Aggie. He enjoys riding his motorcycle and coaches wrestling. Cooking, reading and going to the gym help him relax in his spare time.
His career path has been diverse in a relatively short time frame. He has also been involved in numerous volunteer programs and fundraisers. He has a reputation for getting things done.
The Peekskill Rotary is giving Chappy a chance to broaden his relationships, which will enable him to give even more help to others in need. He is especially interested in partnering with Rotary to offer educational opportunities to those who are financially challenged.
 Michael Marx
As a Long Island boy, Mike attended St Boniface Elementary in Elmont, until his parents moved to Wayland, MA for two years, only to finish at St Mary High in Greenwich, CT. He graduated from Lehigh University with a BSBA degree in Accounting. A career in Public Accounting is a great way to learn different business systems, so Mike joined the New York offices of KPMG's predecessor firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., the largest CPA firm in the world at the time. This experience was interrupted by two years in the US Army as a Supply Officer during the Vietnam War, but with a CPA Certificate in his hand, it was followed by various corporate positions leading to Assistant Corporate Controller of two NYSE companies. However, true satisfaction could only be found through self-employment, despite its obvious drawbacks. Mike purchased a Peekskill CPA Firm in 1985, now called CPA Services Unlimited, P.C., which has tripled in size since then. Nevertheless, his true pride and joy is his family of three young adults (Michelle, Brian and Katrina) and his wife of twenty-nine years, Eileen.
Mike has found Civic activities to be his favorite pastime. Mike has benefited from holding such former positions as First Vice President of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, as Commissioner of the County of Westchester Public Utility Service Agency, as a Board member of the Lakeland Board of Education, as a Director of the International Association for Financial Planning and as an Officer and Director of the Financial Planning Association of Greater Hudson Valley.
In addition, Mike has also served as Treasurer and Vice President of the Peekskill Rotary Club. After twelve years, Mike continues to serve as Treasurer of the Cortlandt Soccer Club.
Mike enjoys Racquetball and Mountaineering, but Wrestling has not surfaced for nearly forty years, unless you include his wrangling with the Internal Revenue Service and New York State.
 Laurel Maul
Laurel Maul,ACCSW, has been a member of Peekskill Rotary Club for almost two years. During that time, she has coordinated the Student Summer Exchange program for a local teen nominee, participated in the Annual Rotary Horse Show at the children's rides, been a substitue santa for Salvation Army/Rotary's Ring the Bell Fund Drive and written for the Rotary website committee.
Laurel has been in full time private practice as a psychotherapist for 20 years. Her office is in Ccroton, New York. She completed her advanced certificate from NYU, having previously earned an MSW at Fordham. Laurel lives in Cortlandt Manor with her husband, Richard, who is a general manager for Showtime Networks. She and Richard have enjoyed participating in the Rotary Golf outing as well as other club social events. She is the mother of two grown children. Her interests include painting and community service.
Decatur grew up in Yonkers where his mother still resides, but his extended family originally hails from North Carolina.
He graduated from Saunders Trades and Technical High School, and in 2000 graduated with honors from Monroe College with a B.S. degree in computer information systems with a CPA of 3.5. While a student at Monroe, Decatur was a technical support volunteer, assembling, maintaining and testing hardware and software.
He worked for the Board of Education in Yonkers, and at the Yonkers Eugene de Maria DeHostos Middle School.
In 1995, he moved with his wife Joanne, to Dyckman St. in Peekskill. Joanne is a registered geriatric nurse at St. John’s Riverside Hospital. For the past several years, Decatur has worked for the City of Peekskill as head custodian of the Peekskill Neighborhood Center building.
Decatur is a parishioner at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Yonkers, and is an avid gardener and great chef. He always participates in the Peekskill Youth Bureau’s annual event, “Men Who Cook,” and he enjoys traveling, fishing, sports and writing poetry.
Even before becoming a member, Decatur brought in a new ad for the Horse Show Journal, volunteered both days at the Horse Show, and went on Suzane Sadofsky’s Inner Wheel installation cruise, bringing his wife and mother.
Decatur has really caught our club’s Rotary spirit!
 Howard Millman
Rotarian Howard Millman is a writer, computer consultant and college
professor. A graduate of Adelphi University, with graduate courses
completed at Long Island and Excelsior Universities, Millman operates Data
Systems Services, LLC a computer networking and security consultancy, 12
years ago when left Columbia University where he worked as a civil
engineer.
His articles have appeared in The New York Times, International Herald
Tribune as well as the top magazines such as Computerworld, InfoWorld and
Network World. Other editorial experience includes stints as the editor of
Multimedia Producer magazine, and as the Editor-in-Chief of
Availability.com.
In addition to writing and consulting, he teaches classes in computer
technology and business communications at Westchester Community College
and Dutchess Community College.
 Deborah L. Milone
Debbie has been a member of the Peekskill Rotary Club since 1993. Prior to joining the Peekskill Club, she was a member of the Ossining Rotary Club for four years.
Debbie has been an active member of the club having served as Sergeant of Arms, Co-Editor of the Club Bulletin, Secretary, Vice President, President-Elect and President in 1999-2000. She has the distinguished honor of being the Peekskill Rotary Club's first woman president. Debbie has served on and chaired many committees including the LaPolla Scholarship, Paul Harris, Adopt A Class, Fellowship and Interact. She is also responsible for introducing Interact to the Peekskill Club and was instrumental in chartering Peekskill Rotary's first Interact Club at Peekskill High School. The club now boasts an Interact Club in all three of the high schools in its charter area.
Community Service is a large part of Debbie's personal and professional life. Outside of Rotary she serves as Chairman of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce where she has been a member of the Board since 1992. She is a Board Member of the Hudson Valley Hospital Foundation where she chairs the Hospital Auxiliary Ball's Silent Auction. She sits on the Zoning Board of Appeals for the City of Peekskill and was part of the Mayor's citizen budget advisory committee. She is also on the Executive Board of the Peekskill Celebration Festival Committee and has recently been appointed to the board of the Lincoln Society. The Peekskill Rotary Club honored Debbie with a Paul Harris Fellow in 2000. She has also been recognized by the Westchester County Board of Legislators, The Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, The City of Peekskill and the Town of Cortlandt for her volunteerism.
Debbie was born in Yonkers, NY where she graduated from Roosevelt High School She went on to graduate magna cum laude from the New York Institute of Technology with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree. She is employed by Guide Communications, publishers of the local Guide phone books and the Getting to Know magazines, as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Debbie and her husband John moved to Peekskill in 1990. Having no children of her own, she has devoted her time to being her nieces' and nephews' favorite aunt.
Debbie loves spectator sports, reading, cruising, and traveling with her husband John in their travel trailer.
Decatur Myers
Decatur grew up in Yonkers where his mother still resides, but his extended family originally hails from North Carolina.
He graduated from Saunders Trades and Technical High School, and in 2000 graduated with honors from Monroe College with a B.S. degree in computer information systems with a CPA of 3.5. While a student at Monroe, Decatur was a technical support volunteer, assembling, maintaining and testing hardware and software.
He worked for the Board of Education in Yonkers, and at the Yonkers Eugene de Maria DeHostos Middle School.
In 1995, he moved with his wife Joanne, to Dyckman St. in Peekskill. Joanne is a registered geriatric nurse at St. John’s Riverside Hospital. For the past several years, Decatur has worked for the City of Peekskill as head custodian of the Peekskill Neighborhood Center building.
Decatur is a parishioner at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Yonkers, and is an avid gardener and great chef. He always participates in the Peekskill Youth Bureau’s annual event, “Men Who Cook,” and he enjoys traveling, fishing, sports and writing poetry.
Even before becoming a member, Decatur brought in a new ad for the Horse Show Journal, volunteered both days at the Horse Show, and went on Suzane Sadofsky’s Inner Wheel installation cruise, bringing his wife and mother.
Decatur has really caught our club’s Rotary spirit!
 Lynne Nayman
Lynne was born in Boston and spent her first years in Newfoundland, Virginia and California as a Coast Guard "brat", returning to Boston at age 5 and living there until age 14. She then moved to New York for the first time, residing on Governors Island in New York Harbor, where her father was stationed. After spending her high school years outside of Washington DC, she returned to New York in 1971.
She worked for 12 years as a real estate agent/associate broker. In Spring 2001, she began college and received her AAS in Paralegal Studies from Westchester Community College in 2003, her BA in Legal and Policy Studies from Fordham Univ. in 2005, and her MPA at John Jay College of CUNY, at its West Point satellite, in May 2008. She most recently has worked as a grant administrator for a housing advocacy organization.
In Rotary, Lynne has served as chair of the Educational Grant and Literacy committees, edited the Horse Show Journal for two years, and has spent many Horse Shows walking around the pony ring and monitoring bouncing children in the air castle. In addition to Rotary, she has served on the board of VOCAL NY (Victims of Child Abuse Laws), a state-wide organization advocating for parents involved with Child Protective Services. She also is currently a member of the Peekskill Democratic City Committee.
Now that she has no school, Lynne wants to learn to play golf and maybe participate in the Ben Andrews golf outing. She and her husband, Richard, have become avid kayakers over the past year and have enjoyed kayaking with other members of this club.
Don Plunkett
New to the area in 2004, Don was heartily welcomed by his new peers and neighbors from the Peekskill Rotary. Finding comfort and humor amongst his newfound friends, Don says his move was all the more tolerable knowing that the Rotarians valued community service.
Don helps manage a family-owned business in the commercial lighting industry, including a factory wholesale agency and several manufacturing companies. But his true passion is teaching consultative decision-making techniques to non-profit organizations in places as far from Peekskill as China, India, and Israel. When consulting for businesses, his attention is focused on finding ways to combat corruption in the building product supply trades. Don authored a book on this topic, The Thief Next Door, by iUniverse.com.
Don earned a Ph.D. and Masters Degree in Organization Development from Fielding Graduate University, an MBA in Global Management from University of Phoenix, and a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from Landegg International University in Landegg, Switzerland. Don is an adjunct professor of international business at Zicklin School of Business (CUNY).
Don is an active Rotarian, participating in the Student Exchange Program in addition to attending regular weekly meetings and working at the annual Horse Show. One of our newest members, Don has already met with Rotarians in India, and says that he cannot put into words the warmth, camaraderie and fellowship he experienced with Indian Rotarians.
Don was born in North Tarrytown, grew up in Elmsford, and graduated from Sleepy Hollow High School. He was on the basketball and track teams, and earned all county honors in shot putt. He also swam competitively for various non school teams. One of Don’s regrets was not playing football.
Don has worked since the age of 13, including full-time summer jobs such as working in a warehouse, as a laborer shoveling dirt, as a lifeguard, and for a midtown commercial real estate leasing company knocking on doors.
He graduated from SUNY Oswego with a BS in Applied Mathematical Economics and a minor in psychology. His first job out of college was in mortgage banking, where he continued to progress at various firms. In 1996, he formed his own company, Sun Mortgage, which he manages efficiently from his home through the use of technology. He has successfully helped finance thousands of loans for homeowners.
Don met his wife Diane at SUNY Oswego. They married at West Point’s Hotel Thayer almost 18 years ago. They now live in Cortlandt Manor with their 3 children: Jimmy 16, Craig 12, and Anna 9 – all in the Hen Hud School System. (Jimmy and Craig are active in lacrosse and track & field. Anna loves soccer and dance and will be participating in lacrosse this season for the first time.)
Don’s hobbies include:
- Swimming. He has competed in the Masters Nationals where he placed in the top 10 in his age group. This past August, Don competed and won 1 gold, and 2 silver medals at the Empire State Games
- Triathlons. He has completed about 10 triathlons including 2 Olympic distance events and a half Ironman in July of 2007 in Geneva, NY
- Fishing, alpine skiing, boating, cycling, skeet, autocross & kart racing, scuba diving.
Don’s civic involvement includes:
- Being on the Hudson Valley Hospital Foundation Board for 3 years.
- Donating 40 pints of whole blood which puts him in the 5 gallon blood donor club.
- coaching several of Cortlandt’s rec soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams
- Working numerous school events.
Don is looking forward to becoming an active member of the Peekskill Rotary and developing genuine friendships while helping others.
Sandra moved to our community in the early 70’s as a very young school teacher. Their first house was in Continental Village. She commuted to School 5, in Yonkers.
A family soon started. Sandy planned to return to teaching, but a friend suggested she try real estate. It’s flexible; you can make your own hours and still be around for the kids. It was a great plan!
That was the start of a long and very successful real estate career. The kids got bigger, and Sandy moved to other places around town.. Holly graduated from HenHud., went to Washington University in St Louis and then on to Kent Law in Chicago. She is admitted to the bar, both in Illinois and California. She is a published environmental lawyer at Stamford University Law clinic. She also teachs there too (like mom). Devin also graduated from HenHud, went off to Duke and is an editor at Newsweek magazine.. You can see his articles in the arts and entertainment section & sports, or see him occasionally. on MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight or the Today Show. Ryan went off to Peekskill HS and is attending college in Ft Lauderdale in Media Art.
andy lives and sells real estate in our area. She also teaches Real Estate. She has worked for Prudential for 16 years. Her office is in Briarcliff Manor. But specializes in the area she knows best!! Here! She is a top producer and a member of the esteemed “Chairman’s Circle. She joins less than 3% other Prudential agents nationwide to achieve this honor. You can see her in Chapel Hill selling many, many of the recently built GDC units. Look for her in Cortlandt, Putnam Valley, Peekskill anywhere near by where families want to buy or sell.
Thomas E. Smith
 Christine Sotmary
Christine Sotmary, M.S., L.Ac., CPC, has been a health care professional for over 30 years; her special interest lies in the relationship between fitness, holistic healing and life-style changes.
She began teaching Tai Qi, an ancient system of exercise from China that promotes health and relaxation, and soon combined that discipline with teaching classes in cardio training and muscle toning at her Fitness Center in New York’s Greenwich Village in the early 80’s. Her observation of injury and desire to facilitate healing led her to practice massage therapy, which she studied in China and the U.S.
Still seeking answers to achieving and maintaining wellness, Christine studied acupuncture at New York’s prestigious Swedish Institute with Jeffrey Yuen and Dr. Sheila George. She went on to become licensed in acupuncture in 1999. Her specialty in hormonal imbalances has enabled her to fine-tune her practice into working with patients having difficulty losing weight and then maintaining that weight loss.
Investigations into Metabolic Nutrition over the last few years have expanded Christine’s understanding of nutritional imbalances and how the successful combining of different foods promotes optimal health and beneficial eating habits.
Inspired by study at the International Coaching Academy, Christine has crystallized her many years of training and experience into her Getting On Track Coaching program.
Christine is as accomplished in her personal interests as she is in her professional life. She is an upright bass player and plays with her Swinging Set Jazz Collaborative all over the Hudson Valley. She is actively involved in linking performig arts to the already vibrant Peekskill cultural offerings.
In addition, she is a world class power lifter, an elite STREND athlete, has run three marathons, and participated in two 50 kilometer races and four triathlons.
The Peekskill Rotary Club has provided a wonderful introduction to the community and given Christine a much needed support system. After experiencing the isolation of being the primary caregiver for her husband Alan, who lived with Early Onset Alzheimer’s disease for over 8 years, she has been grateful for the love of her fellow Rotarians, as she experienced Alan’s final days and departure from this planet. She has written a memoir of their journey, to provide hope and understanding to newly diagnosed patients and their loved ones going through this amazing journey.
 Richard Swann
Richard Swann is a licensed financial representative at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. Born in Brooklyn, he was raised in Peekskill where he now resides. He joined Peekskill Rotary in 2007.
Rich attended Peekskill High School where he played football and baseball, and serendipitously, was a teammate of Chappy Manzer who also was inducted into the club in 2007.
After graduating from Peekskill High, he attended Amherst College in Amherst, MA and received a BA in history in 1995. During his college years he not only continued his athletic career by playing on the football team, but also demonstrated his commitment to service. As a member of Psi Upsilon, he ran the fraternity’s community service program.
After graduation, Rich returned to the Hudson Valley to pursue a career in journalism. He reported for the Peekskill Star and WLNA/WHUD radio. And in another prescient event, he covered Peekskill Rotary’s 26th Annual Horse Show & Country Fair in 1996 for the Peekskill Herald. After several years working for different media outlets, he began a career in sales which lead to his current position at Northwestern Mutual.
Rich is a brother of the Fraternity-Dunderberg Lodge #942 of Masons, and an avid Jets and Yankees fan. He enjoys watching and playing a variety of sports, traveling to various locales, and spending time with his niece and nephew.
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