Mr. Gerzina joined Farmers National Bank in April of 2011 as Market President for the Stark County Region. In 2012 he was promoted to Chief Lending Officer and member of the Bank Board of Directors. Following the merger between Farmers National Bank and First National Bank of Orrville, Mr. Gerzina was promoted to Regional President and currently serves as SVP-Regional President and Chief Lending Officer. Mr. Gerzina has over 30 years of experience in Commercial Banking and Wealth Management. He has served in senior leadership positions with both large National Banks and Community Banks throughout Northeast Ohio. In addition Mr. Gerzina earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and is also a graduate of the Stonier School of Banking at the University of Delaware.
He currently is a trustee with the Stark Development Board, Alliance Area Development Board and Historic Ridgewood Board. He has also served in the past as a trustee with the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton, Mercy Hospital Development Board, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Canton Land Bank.
He is a lifelong resident of Canton where he resides with his wife Cathy. He has two adult children, son in law, and three rambunctious grandsons that also live in the Canton area.
The following email was sent to President Amanda Tietze from - Peter Apicella, District Rotary Foundation Chair. Peter writes:
"Fellow Rotarians, it's hard to believe that nature has caused so much damage and affected so many people this past month. This is the fourth time this month that Rotary has created donor funds to support those in need. Please help make a difference."
**DURING FRIDAY'S MEETING, the Rotary Club of Canton will take a collection to help with the emergency aid to the many areas hit by these acts of nature. Any monetary donation will be accepted. If donating by check, please make payable to CANTON ROTARY CHARITABLE FUND. We will be unable to accept credit card donations.
Rotary helps disaster victims
The Rotary Foundation and Rotary clubs are helping bring emergency aid to communities battered by severe weather and earthquakes.
The Rotary Foundation is collecting emergency relief funds to help victims of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the two powerful earthquakes hit Mexico, destroying buildings and highways, and killing hundreds of people.
The Puerto Rico Recovery fund was established with a $1 million gift from the Murray Family Foundation with hopes that it will be matched by Rotarians and friends.
The Rotary Foundation has established four special funds to collect donations to help victims rebuild, and Rotary club members continue to work on the ground to bring relief in their communities.
Rotary's partner, ShelterBox, is providing support to families displaced by the storms.
If you have questions about how you can help, contact relief@rotary.org. To see how clubs are helping, go to Rotary Ideas.
How to contribute
Four Rotary Foundation donor advised funds have been setup:
Puerto Rico
Account name: Puerto Rico Recovery Account number: 614
Mexico earthquakes
Account name: Mexico Earthquake Recovery Fund Account number: 613
Hurricane Harvey
Account name: Gulf Coast Disaster Relief Fund Account number: 608
Hurricanes Irma and Maria Account name: Hurricane Emergency Relief Fund Account number: 296
You can contribute by check or online with a credit card. You'll need to provide the DAF account name and number listed above. If you would like a credit card receipt, please check the address box to share your address with Rotary.
The Rotary Club of Canton will once again join the efforts of the Salvation Army in its annual Bell-ringing. Rotarian James Boggs will be chairing this event and he will have sign-up sheets available during Friday meetings for members to volunteer. We will be manning the kettles at Buehler's Fresh Foods located at 7138 Fulton Drive N.W.. Each time slot will consist of TWO Rotarians manning the kettle for an ONE HOUR shift.
The following time slot has space for ONE Rotary volunteer:
- 11am -12pm
- 4-5 pm
- 5-6 pm
- 6-7 pm
- 7-8 pm
Please contact Rotarian James Boggs at (412) 558-6671 if you would like to volunteer for one of these times.
The upcoming Canton/Massillon Rotary joint rally meeting will be held on Friday, October 27, 2017 at the Alex D. Krassas Event Center located at 251 - 25th Street, Canton.
We would like for you to consider now whether you will be attending and if you are planning to bring a guest to this meeting. We will need to have a head count to provide to the caterer for adequate food and seating for everyone in attendance.
You may contact the Rotary office and RSVP for this event or see Lauri/Barb on Friday! The Rotary office can be reached at (330) 452-2882. Thank you in advance for your consideration to this matter.
The Rotary office received a "Thank You" email from Beth Lechner, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio, regarding the "Pocket Park" project. Beth writes:
"Hello all ~ Wow! Look what happens when so many good people come together! I was out of town last Saturday so I didn't get to thank all of you in person for the tremendous effort each of you has contributed. (I know you were in terrific hands with Aaron and Joe).
Because of your efforts, the center section of the Renewal Project has come to life! It looks terrific! Thank you Rotary members and Mayor Bernabei and your staff for your time and commitment to this community and particular this Habitat Renewal Project.
Thank you Mayor for the follow up in getting the pole straightened! What a difference that makes! I wanted to share this picture with all of you...I have a feeling it will warm your heart as much as it did mine...as our crew was out yesterday, polishing off the curbs, they stumbled upon this scene at the bike fix it station, you all just installed less than a week ago...THE DREAM.. isn't it! Indeed this neighborhood is truly being revitalized and lives are changing because of your efforts! With deepest appreciation"
At our weekly meeting on Friday, September 29, 2017, President Amanda Tietze welcomed the 54 members and 8 guests to the meeting. President Amanda asked the members to please keep Rotarian Joe French in their thoughts and prayers. Joe is recovering from pneumonia.
PDG/PP Bob Pattison provided the Invocation.
President Elect Michelle Mullaly welcomed the following guests to the meeting: Auditor of State David Yost (speaker); Lindsay Kuhn (guest of David Yost); Peter Taflan (guest of Pete Taflan); Rachel Schneider (guest of Michelle Mullaly); Rich Desrosiers (Canton Repository Staff Writer); Alan Harold (Stark County Auditor); Dennis Winner (Staff-County Auditor office); Karen Reynolds (guest of Mark Rojek).
Rotarian James Boggs has taken over as Chairman for the Salvation Army Kettle Ringing. James took to the podium to announce he has a sign-up sheet available for anyone interested in volunteering at the Buehler's Fresh Foods located at 7138 Fulton Drive N.W. on Friday, December 1st. James stated there will be ONE hour shifts with each shift consisting of two Rotarians. * Please see story above for shift times still available.
Auditor of State David Yost then presented an "Award of Distinction" from the State of Ohio on behalf of his office to Stark County Auditor Alan Harold (pictured).
Past President Scott Sandrock then presented the speaker, David Yost, to the members.
President Amanda concluded the meeting with the following announcements:
there will be a Nominating Committee meeting immediately following the conclusion of today's Rotary meeting;
please continue to keep Rotarian Joe French in your thoughts and prayers as he recovers from pneumonia;
next week's speaker will be Joe Gerzina, President of the Western Region of Farmers National Bank of Canfield.
The following Rotarians turned in a makeup during Friday's meeting: Jim Molnar (2-Jackson); Phil Lattavo (3-Canton South, 5- Massillon).
The following Rotarians will receive a makeup for attending the Nominating Committee meeting on Friday, September 29th: Amanda Tietze, Michelle Mullaly, Dale Holwick, Jeff Scott, Mark Rojek, Dave Roberts and Steve Fettman.
Some years ago in the Melbourne, Australia, museum where my daughter used to work, an iron lung was on display. For most people my age who remembered the terrifying polio epidemics of the 1950s, that iron lung was a testament to how far vaccination had brought us: to the point where that once-critical piece of medical equipment had literally become a museum piece.
For much of the world, the story of polio is a simple one: After years of fear, a vaccine was developed and a disease was conquered. But for some of the world, the story was different. In so many countries, the vaccine wasn’t available, mass vaccination was too expensive, or children simply couldn’t be reached. While the rest of the world relegated polio to its museums, in these countries, the disease continued to rage – until Rotary stepped forward and said that all children, no matter where they lived or what their circumstances, deserved to live free of polio.
In the years since PolioPlus was launched, the combined efforts of Rotary, the governments of the world, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have brought the number of cases of polio down from an estimated 350,000 per year to just a few so far in 2017. But we must reach zero cases, and stay there, to achieve eradication. To do that, we need everyone’s help.
On 24 October, we will mark World Polio Day. It is a day to celebrate how far we have come and an opportunity for all of us to raise awareness and funds to complete the work of eradication. I ask every Rotary club to participate in some way in World Polio Day activities, and I encourage you to visit endpolio.org for ideas and to register your event. Whether you host a silent auction, a virtual reality viewing, a fundraising walk, or a Purple Pinkie Day, your club can make a real difference.
This year, our World Polio Day livestream event will take place at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle; you can watch it on endpolio.org beginning at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time. As many of you know, Rotary has committed to raising $50 million a year for the next three years. This amount will be matched 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation – effectively tripling the value of all money Rotary raises on World Polio Day and throughout the year. Let’s all make a difference on World Polio Day – and help End Polio Now.