Gary Katz

Russell Cook, President 2004-2005

I was born in the Mt Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass on August 31, 1937 to Brook and Edgar Cook.

My very early years were spent with my mothers sister and foster homes. At age 6, I began living with my dad and his parents near the Tufts University Campus.

My dad was a Ford Dealer, Clark and Cook, in West Medford, Mass. at that time. After 25 years of ownership he sold the business which then became North Ford, Inc.

I attended public school in Medford until 1953 when I enrolled at Wilbraham Academy which is just north of Springfield, Mass. Wilbraham is also the home of Friendly Ice Cream. After graduation from Wilbraham in 1957 I enrolled in Roanoke College in Salem, Va.

I joined the Army Reserves in Oct of 1959 for six months of active duty and six and one half years of weekly training.

I went to work for my father in the summer of 1959 and got married in November of 1960 and had four children. I moved from my home in Winchester, Mass on Feb 1, 1971 to Wolcott, NY where I had purchased a Ford dealership. In February 1979 I purchased a second Ford Dealership in Webster, NY and closed it in 1982.

I was very involved with dealer organizations and factory dealer activities during my automobile career. I am a Past President of the Rochester Area Ford Dealers Association and a former member of the National Ford Dealers Council serving as the truck chairman.

During this time I and continued sailboat racing being active in U.S. and Canadian racing in two to four man crews. My family also enjoys the sailing as crew. Since my early years I developed a great passion for sail boating and in my short years I have raced throughout the country in 16 to 28 foot boats.

Currently I campaign a J24 class boat out of the Oswego Yacht Club and am the current District Governor of the J24 class District 7 which encompasses all of New York State.

I joined the Wolcott Rotary Club in 1974 and served as President in the 1983-84 year.

I married for the second time on December 25, 1994 and gained another daughter. On December 12, 1995 I was involved in a major automobile accident in Wolcott and spent six months in the hospital with many surgeries. I was released as an outpatient at that time and moved to my home in Liverpool.

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Abe and his wife, Leslie moved to Baldwinsville in the spring of 2000
and are thoroughly enjoying Central New York. They are doing their
best to become useful members of the community with enough time left
over to take advantage of the multitude of activities and benefits of the area

Peter Crissey has been practicing architecture for over twenty-eight years and has been a principal in his own firm for thirteen years. Peter is a lifelong resident of the Central New York area.

Peter has Bachelor Degrees in both Building Science and Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is licensed to practice architecture in New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland and holds a NCARB Certificate.

Jenny Doane was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. In 1965 she attended Oakland Community College. She also attended Oakland University in Oakland County, Michigan in 1975.

She migrated to Syracuse in 1983 when she married her husband, Paul. Jenny has two step-children ages 25 and 27 and two grand children. Paul is a permanent substitute in the Baldwinsville School District in grades 6-12. When he is not teaching school, he is umpiring high school baseball and working as the Assistant to the Greens Superintendent at Radisson Golf Course in Baldwinsville.

Jenny is employed by the SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. She is the Administrative Assistant to the Chairman of the Department of Urology. When Jenny is not working at SUNY she is enjoying her time doing Rotary work.

Jenny joined Rotary in 1993. She has served as President of the North Syracuse Rotary (1994-95), Area Representative and Coordinator of Area Reps, Foundation Information Chair, GSE Committee member, and also serves as the coordinator of the Youth Exchange USA Tour for our district.

Jenny transferred to the Eastwood Rotary Club in 1996 and in 1998 Jenny received the prestigious "Citation for Meritorious Service". She now serves as President of the Eastwood Rotary Club and is still on the Youth Exchange District committee

Gary Katz

Past President, 1999-2000

Gary was born on July 1, 1949 and grew up in New York City. His family moved to Saratoga where Gary completed his high school career with seven letters in six different varsity sports.

In 1971, Gary graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University with a Bachelor's in Public Relations/Journalism. He served as Sports Editor of the Norwich Evening Sun and as Public Relations Director for the Clinton Comets of the Eastern Hockey League.

Following a four year absence from the team, Gary was instrumental in saving hockey for the Utica area when the Comets folded. He formed the Mohawk Valley Civics, a community owned hockey team, became Vice-President and Represented the team on the Board of Governors of the NAHL.

Gary has been in the automobile business for 27 years serving in a variety of management positions and joined Rotary in 1992 while serving as General Manager for Bill Rapp's Pontiac Park in Watertown. Today he is Business Manager for the Bill Rapp Super Store in Syracuse and has been a member of Eastwood since 1993.

He is a Paul Harris Fellow with six years perfect attendance and has served the Eastwood Rotary Club as Sgt at Arms, Community Service Chair, and Vice-President. As Community Service Chairman, he initiated the Create-A-Book project in which Eastwood annually gives out over 200 custom imprinted books to kindergarten children in the area.

Gary lives in Liverpool with his wife Pat and daughter Jillian. When not working the concesssion stand at the Dome, they enjoy SU sports, Syracuse Skychiefs baseball, Syracuse Crunch hockey, and a variety of other activities.