OCO Welcomes New Board Officers

by Contributor | April 23, 2021 12:31 pm

FULTON – As part of its first ever virtual annual meeting Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) announced a new slate of officers to lead its Board of Directors.

John Zanewych, owner of Big John Sales, Inc. will serve as the new board president. A very active community member, Zanewych has been a member of the OCO Board of Directors since 2014 and is also a board member for both the Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County and Farnham Family Services.

Chad Whelsky, associate director of the Office of Business and Community Relations at SUNY Oswego is the board’s new vice president. As part of Oswego County’s Employment and Training team from 2011 to 2016, Whelsky worked to provided education and training opportunities to needy county residents as part of their journey to economic self-sufficiency. A native of Fulton, Whelsky has been a member of the OCO Board of Directors since 2018.

Yvonne Petrella, an OCO Board of Directors member for the past 14 years will serve as the board’s new treasurer. A long-time faculty member at SUNY Oswego, Petrella served as the Dean of the Division of Extended Learning from 2008 to 2013. Since her retirement from the Dean’s position, she has continued to work on distance learning initiatives for the Provost’s Office and teaches an online marketing course for the School of Business.

Pastor Jefferson Niles of the First United Methodist Church in Fulton is the new secretary for the OCO Board of Directors. Niles has served on several boards prior to coming to Fulton and has always been very involved in his communities. Pastor Niles has been an OCO Board member since 2020.

“We are pleased to welcome our new slate of officers,” said OCO Executive Director Cooper-Currier. “Their care for our community and their willingness to share their time and talents as leaders on our board is greatly appreciated.”

Did you know that OCO is celebrating its 55th Anniversary? Fifty Five years ago, OCO was officially incorporated as the county’s “Economic Opportunity” agency (now referred to as Community Action Agency). The agency was “born” as a result of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty” and while the words have changed slightly over time, OCO’s mission has stayed true to empowering people, supporting the community and changing lives…particularly for those who lack resources to thrive.

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Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/community/oco-welcomes-new-board-officers/

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