PLATTSBURGH, NY __ The Rotary Club of Plattsburgh has named three Rotarians – Anne Cutaiar, Dana Isabella, and Steve Kende -- Paul Harris Fellows. The three new fellows were honored Wednesday, June 26, at the Paul Harris Fellow dinner, which will be held at Westside Ballroom, in Plattsburgh.
The Paul Harris Fellow honor was named for the founder of Rotary. It is the highest honor a Rotary club can bestow on a person, either inside or outside the club and acknowledges "service above self," which that individual or organization has offered to their community, their nation or to the world.
The Paul Harris Fellow program was originally established in 1957 to fund several Rotary Foundation programs, and Rotary clubs must collectively contribute $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation for the privilege of recognizing a person.
The (Noon) Rotary club annually bestows this honor on individuals (members and community residents) for their service to the club, community, nation, or the world. More than 100 local club members have received this distinguished honor.
Many other notable figures, including U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and Jonas Salk, have been named Paul Harris Fellows.
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Anne Cutaiar has been very active with the Rotary Club of Plattsburgh since joining the club in 2008. Many local residents remember Anne either as a former vice president and branch manager with KeyBank or for her current role as owner and travel advisor of Lake Champlain Travel, which she and her husband, Mal, started over 15 years ago.
When she is not globetrotting, she serves on the membership committee tracking member attendance at weekly and committee meetings. An avid golfer, Anne also serves on the club’s annual golf day committee and has been active with fundraising activities that support Rotary's donations to the community, including the club’s vacation raffle, Christmas ornaments, and previously the Roducky Derby. A past co-chair of the Rotary Foundation and Rotary Radio Day committees, Anne has previously served on the club’s board of directors.
Dana Isabella is the program director for the Champlain Valley Family Center Tobacco-Free Clinton, Franklin, and Essex (Tobacco-Free CFE) and Reality Check. Dana is always willing to jump in with both feet when the club needs help. An active Rotarian with the local club for eight years, she serves on the Rotary fishing classic, environmental, and Bed Race committees. Dana is also and an editor for the club’s Weekly Bulletin.
Last but not least, Steve Kende has been a member of the Noon club since 2010. Known for his low profile, Steve has made many contributions to the club. He is a member of several club committees, including membership, fishing classic, program, honor guard, food shelf, King O’Wings festival and, new member orientation.
As if that wasn’t enough, you may find Steve transporting veterans to the VA hospital, volunteering for the Red Cross and/or attending local chamber of commerce events.
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The Rotary Club of Plattsburgh currently has 116 full-time members, not including honorary associates. Its weekly meetings are held at Noon every Wednesday at the MHAB Lifeskills Campus dining hall (at PARC), 14 Dormitory Drive, in Plattsburgh. Individuals interested in Rotary can attend the meetings or get more information online at www.plattsburghrotary.org