BNMC, Buffalo, Buffalo Sunrise News
Posted by Andrea Scibetta
COO AT BNMC RETIRES
The Saturn Club filled with Rotary spirit on Wednesday, November 18, as the clubs in Buffalo - Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC), Buffalo Sunrise, and Buffalo Noon, collaborated to honor fellow Rotarian Patrick Whalen. The occasion was his retiring as COO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. About 100 friends filled the main ball room for lunch, tributes and a special toast..jpg)
MC Phil Haberstro kept festivities moving along as folks from Pat's many career stops stepped up to laud his can-do spirit, his ability to bring people to the table and find alignment in different agendas. Pat is also one of the people responsible for Chartering the Rotary Club BNMC. Speakers included Peace Bridge Authority General Manager Ron Reinas, business consultant Bill McKibben and early BNMC champion Betty Capaldi Phillips. The Rotary Clubs banded together to recognize Pat with a Paul Harris Fellow and member/brewmaster John DePaolo supplied several gallons of a one-time commemorative brew labeled "Pat's Blue Ribbon". Pat used the occasion to announce the good news that he was staying in the area as he had accepted the post of interim director of the Niagara Global Tourism Institute. He expressed his gratitude for the tribute calling the event, "One of the five best days in my life."Pictured (L to R): Fellow Rotarians Christine Schuster, Andrea Scibetta, Anthony Billoni, Patrick Whalen, Isabelle Robitaille, John DePaolo, Trish Hartman, Terri Campbell, Albert Erni.