On July 7th we welcomed Ron Klieverik as President for the 2026-27 Rotary year and thanked Paul MacLane for his service. The theme this year is Create Lasting Impact and we look forward to finding ways we can challenge ourselves to be the change here in our community and worldwide, not just for now, but into the future as well.
Our guest Speaker was Michael J. Gilfeather, President and CEO of Orange Bank and Trust. Mr. Gilfeather, a former Westchester Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, shared with us the history of Orange Bank and Trust. Originally established in 1892 as the Orange County Safe Deposit and Trust Company with just one location in Middletown, NY, is now a regional bank with offices in Orange, Rockland, Westchester, and Bronx Counties. Mr. Gilfeather stressed that the success and growth of the bank was due to conservative banking practices, ongoing innovation, commitment to the community and focus on business relationships. There are also private banking, trust, estate, and wealth management arms located in the Goshen offices. (OBT, Orange County Bancorp, Inc on the Nasdaq)
Mr. Gilfeather is also on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of NY located in downtown Manhattan. He is one of nine people chosen to represent different sectors including banking, local industry, and non-profits with regard to the federal reserve management. Fun fact, he visited the very secure gold custody vaults in the basement of the building and held a gold bar. Weight: ~29 pounds. (l to r: Michael J. Gilfeather, President and CEO of Orange Bank and Trust and Ron Klieverik, President of Goshen Rotary)
