PDG Gloria Counsellor

During her tenure as President, the Paterson Rotary Club formed and chartered the first Rotaract Club in our district, and sponsored and chartered the Interact Club in Manchester Regional High School. Gloria established the Paterson Club's annual "50's Dance" Gift of Life fundraiser in 1996, which, during her term, raised $15,000.00 to pay for three Gift of Life surgeries, two performed in her year. The "Tricky Tray" fundraiser netted in excess of $7,000.00 which was given out to the Boys and Girls Club, the Paterson Education Fund, Rotaract, and other youth oriented programs.

"Happy Dollars" raised in excess of $5,200.00 for The Nat Liberman Scholarship Fund which gave two scholarships to two deserving Rosa Parks High School students studying music and the arts.

In addition, $2,400.00 was raised to send four Rotaractors to the Rotaract Conference that year.

Gloria is currently a member of the Paterson Club.

On the District level, Gloria has served as District Secretary, Assistant District Secretary, and has been active on District Committees serving as Chair for the Foundation Ball in 1998, Chair for the Gift of Life Gala in 2000, secretary for the Gift of Life Committee, and secretary for the Walter D. Head Committee in 2002-2003.

She was our 2004 GSE Team Leader to District 2060 in Trieste, Italy.

Gloria has hosted for Youth Exchange, Polish Gift of Life, and Group Study Exchange.

In 2004-2005 Gloria served as the District Task Force Coordinator for R.I. President Glenn Estess' Task Forces on Literacy, Health Concerns, Family of Rotary, and Water Resources and Management, as Passaic County Coordinator for the district fundraising project for the Seeds of Peace program, and as a P.E.T.S. Facilitator.

Gloria has been honored with the Rotary International Alumni Award (for Group Study Exchange to Italy), Gift of Life Humanitarian Award, Walter D. Head Award, and is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Gloria was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey and attended Montclair State University. She resides in North Haledon, New Jersey, and is the proud grandmother of five.

Gloria owns and operates American Blast-Clean Concrete Restoration, Inc. along with her son James Counsellor Jr., and daughter, Dawn Kilgannon.

Gloria is a Viet Nam era veteran who has served two tours of duty in the United States Navy. She is a member of St. Paul's R.C. Church in Prospect Park where she is an eighth grade Catechist, and Church Lector.

Her civic activities include being a past trustee of The Barnert Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey, past member of The Board of Directors of The Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce, member of the Fair Lawn, New Jersey chapter of The American Legion, and member of the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce.

Gloria's other interests include writing poetry, music, cooking, collecting recipes, reading, travel, and word games.