Archive: Around Town

Geoff Dunn, the community preparedness coordinator for the Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response, became the new president of the Rotary Club of Ithaca on July 1.

Dunn, who joined Rotary in 2014, will lead the service club through June of 2021. A Dryden resident, Dunn has worked for Tompkins County since 2012, following a 30-year career in broadcast journalism in Oswego, Syracuse, Albany and Ithaca.

Dunn said the Rotary Club has continued its service to the community during the coronavirus pandemic by launching several new programs, including the Tastes of Gorges Supper Club that has encouraged residents to patronize locally owned restaurants. Rotary members also led a community-wide cleanup in June and have continued to help the Salvation Army collect food and distribute meals.

"While we're among 1.3 million Rotarians taking action around the world to navigate the coronavirus pandemic, we can and must do more in our corner of the world," Dunn told Rotarians at their weekly Zoom meeting.

A native of Bayshore, N.Y., Dunn earned a degree in communication studies at SUNY Oswego. After working as news director for the Cayuga Radio Group, Dunn became the communications and administrative coordinator for the Tompkins County Solid Waste Division in 2012.

Since joining the Rotary Club, Dunn has co-chaired the annual Pancake Day held on Election Day and has volunteered his time for the Community Fireworks Show, the Rotary Road Rally, and the annual Share the Warmth project to collect winter clothing for the needy.

"We are a strong club with over 160 members," Dunn said. "Doing good in the world starts with doing good at home."

Dunn has been active in the community since moving to Ithaca in 1992. He has served on the boards of the Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County, the Dryden Youth Opportunity Fund, and the American Red Cross. He has also been a member of the TCAT Riders' Advisory Group and the Tompkins County Emergency Public Information Officers Team.

Joining Dunn as officers for the club for 2020-21 are: President-Elect – Catrina VanAtta; Treasurer – Jay O'Leary; and Secretary – Joanne Lamoureux.

v16i29