Ithaca Rotary Welcomes Eight New Members

“The Ithaca Rotary Club is delighted to welcome these individuals,” said Rotary Membership Chair Ron Provus. “Our members come from all walks of life and have a wide variety of interests to match those of Rotary. As members of Ithaca Rotary, individuals give of their time and skills to positively impact the needs of our community.”

Ithaca Rotary welcomes:

William Albrecht – Bill is originally from Berkshire, NY and graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a major in art, concentrating in photography, and philosophy. Upon graduation in 2008 he accepted a position with the Baden-Powell Council of the Boy Scouts of America in Binghamton. In February 2011 he was promoted to District Executive for the Tompkins and Cortland County area. Bill has been a Rotarian for 2.5 years, in the New Milford area Rotary Club. During his tenure there he served as club vice president until his relocation to Ithaca in February 2011.

Dr. Luvelle Brown – Luvelle started as Superintendent for the Ithaca City School District on January 1, 2011. Before arriving in Ithaca, he served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and as chief information officer. Dr. Brown earned his bachelor’s, Master of Teaching, and Doctorate of Education from the University of Virginia, and is an active member of many professional and civic organizations. Dr. Brown enjoys reading, fishing and playing basketball. He resides in Ithaca with his wife Anjie and their daughter Landyn.

Scott Callan – Scott is the executive director of The History Center in Tompkins County.  Previous museum experience includes serving as the associate director for institutional advancement at the Paleontological Research Institution, as well as positions at the McLean County Museum of History in Bloomington, IL, and with Colonial Williamsburg. Callan received his B.A. in history from Old Dominion University and his M.A. in liberal studies from Dartmouth College.  Scott lives in Brooktondale with his wife, Anna Forsman.

Mary Maxon Grainger – Mary grew up in Oswego, NY, where her father was an active Rotarian. She came to Cornell as an undergrad and earned two degrees in communication; she has lived in Ithaca ever since. After graduating, she worked in college public relations and admissions. More recently, Mary has been actively involved with such organizations as the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI), Tompkins County Public Library Foundation, Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, and Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau, among others. She is a past recipient of Family & Children's Service Agda Osborn Award and was named Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year by the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Mary is married to Brad Grainger and has three adult daughters.

Frannie Haranin – Frannie is the agent/owner of Frannie Haranin State Farm Insurance located in the Ithaca Shopping Plaza. She and her husband Justin moved to Ithaca from New York City last October so that she could start her own business. She has ten years of experience with State Farm. Frannie earned her B.S. in Finance & Business Administration from the University of Richmond. Originally from Bellefonte, Pa., Frannie has two dogs and enjoys hiking, travel, and gardening.

Doug Levine – A Philadelphia native, Doug has served as the executive director of the State Theatre of Ithaca since 2009. Prior to joining the State, he was director of membership, public relations and special events with the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. Doug received his undergraduate degree and M.B.A. from Ithaca College. An active member of the community, Doug managed the local band Hubcap for 10 years and is the starting goalie for the Chapter House hockey team in the Ithaca Adult Hockey Association. Doug lives in Ellis Hollow with his wife Treva and young children Griffin and Lucy. Together, they run the "Music in the Hollow" summer concert series.

Ted Schiele – Ted was born in St. Louis and raised in Philadelphia. He received a master’s in plant breeding from the University of Minnesota and took his first job in Cortland as a research agronomist. He has also worked in the Finger Lakes wine industry, sold ads for the Ithaca Times, started his own freelance marketing and desktop publishing business, and won an Ithaca College Park Fellowship which led to a master’s in communications in 1999. Ted currently works for the Tompkins County Department of Health in the Health Promotion Program. His primary focus is tobacco use prevention, marketing for TCHD programs, and work-site wellness. Ted lives in Groton with his wife Christine Griffin; they are slowly restoring their 1820s post-and-beam house.

Gale Smith – Gale was raised in Wisconsin, worked for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for a number of years, and earned a degree in social work. He is an "organizer extraordinaire," and now coordinates a large weekly golf league in Ithaca. Gale is the former director of the Lansing School for Girls, and currently is board president for the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth, which works to reduce the incidence of substance abuse among youth.

New Rotary members are invited to serve on projects and committees that are beneficial to Ithaca and the global community. Activities range from a few hours to longer time commitments. New members meet fellow Rotarians at weekly luncheon meetings held at the Holiday Inn downtown beginning at Noon every Wednesday. The public is welcome to attend a lunch meeting to learn more about Rotary.

For more information about the Ithaca Rotary Club and membership, please call Ron Provus at 607-351-8539 or email rlprovus@twcny.rr.com.