Board of Directors

William A. Barclay is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and Syracuse University College of Law. Mr. Barclay was elected Chairman of the Board effective June 6, 2024. An attorney and businessman, Mr. Barclay is a partner in the Syracuse law firm of Barclay Damon, LLP, where he specializes in business law. Mr. Barclay has served on several community organizations throughout his career including the SUNY Oswego College Council, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, the Everson Museum of Art, and Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc. Mr. Barclay currently serves on the Boards of 25 Countryway Insurance Company and QMP Enterprises. He was recognized as one of Oswego County Business Magazine’s Forty under 40, an honor given to Oswego County leaders under the age of 40. Mr. Barclay was also awarded the 2007 Martin Rose Economic Developer Merit Award for his commitment to the economic development process by helping to facilitate the attraction and retention of businesses in Oswego County. Mr. Barclay is currently a New York State Assemblyman for the 120th District, which includes parts of Oswego, Onondaga and Jefferson counties. Mr. Barclay’s in-depth knowledge of economic development and the law provides the Board with a unique and valuable perspective into economic development and legal issues.

Eric Allyn is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Welch Allyn, Inc, a company owned by the Allyn Family for 100 years, and sold in the year 2015. Today, he is Managing Member of 50 State LLC, the entity that manages proceeds from the sale of Welch Allyn. In addition, Mr. Allyn is Chief Investment Officer for 50 State, LLC and serves as Trustee to over 75 Family Trusts. Outside of his work with his family, he also serves on the Board of Health Care Originals; serves as LP Advisor to Armory Square Ventures; serves on Upstate Medical University Council; on the Board of Directors of the Allyn Family Foundation, where he has chaired the Investment Committee since 2008, and several other organizations. Mr. Allyn is Founder and Managing Partner of two private Investment Funds, which he has managed since 2011, and is a past board member at GOJO (makers of Purell), Pharma Tech Industries, Eagle Dream Health, Hand-Held Products, The Gifford Foundation (Investment Committee Chairman), NYS Business Council, and Family Firm Institute (FFI). He also served on the Board of Directors Auburn Community Hospital (past-Chairman), the Hospital Trustees of New York State (Chairman), and Hospital Association of New York State (HANYS). He is a frequent speaker nationally and internationally on the topics of family business governance, family enterprises, philanthropy, and investment management. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, and earned his MBA from University of Virginia (Darden School). Mr. Allyn’s depth of experience in leadership, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets, along with his prominence and philanthropic work in the Central New York market, will provide diverse experience, knowledge and opportunities for the Company’s governance, business prospects and capital market reach.

David A. Ayoub serves as Partner-in-Charge of the Tax Department at the Syracuse firm of Bowers & Company, CPA’s. In that capacity, Mr. Ayoub consults on corporate mergers and acquisitions, and also assists start-up businesses. In addition, he oversees the firm’s tax compliance, technical research, planning and consulting. Mr. Ayoub has over 30 years of accounting and taxation experience. Mr. Ayoub is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology with a BS in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant in New York State. He is also a Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, as well as the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Ayoub pursues an active role in the community, previously serving on boards including Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York, where he was the Past Chair. He has also worked previously with the United Way and Score. Mr. Ayoub’s extensive experience with corporate transactions, his organization abilities as well as his experience in business and tax, offers the board an invaluable perspective of the Bank’s business.

Chris R. Burritt is the former President and General Manager of R.M. Burritt Motors, Inc., an automobile dealership located in Oswego, New York. Mr. Burritt served as Chairman of the Board from January 1, 2014 to June 6, 2014. In addition to his prior long-term ownership and management of his well-known local business, Mr. Burritt is active in community affairs. He presently serves on the Finance/Operations Committee of the Oswego Hospital. Mr. Burritt also serves as Director of the NYS Automobile Dealers Association in Albany, NY. Mr. Burritt is also a Certified Instructor/Coordinator for Financial Peace University and teaches several 9 week classes each year. Additionally, Mr. Burritt is a member of the Men’s Mentor Ministry where he serves as an advisor to men in need of financial counseling. Mr. Burritt’s experience operating a local business and substantial ties to the communities served by the Bank provides the Board with valuable insight into managing and overseeing a business.

Meghan Crawford-Hamlin serves as the President of Institutional Sales at BHG Financial where she oversees the sales strategy for BHG across bank partnerships and strategic partners. Ms. Crawford-Hamlin leads a national sales team focused on growing premium revenue and enhancing the experience for clients while driving sales strategy and market development. Since joining BHG in 2015, Ms. Crawford-Hamlin has generated and serviced relationships with hundreds of community banks nationwide. She personally managed the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars of financing for highly skilled professionals to institutional buyers. Prior to joining BHG, she spent many years at the rating agency, Fitch, and also worked for the technology giant, IAC. She is very active within the banking industry, serving as a member of many state and national bank associations such as the American Bankers Association, as well as the Independent Community Bankers Association. While holding a Bachelor of Arts from Bucknell University, Ms. Crawford-Hamlin also serves as an active member of New York Cares, American Cancer Society, and CNY Autism Society of America. Ms. Crawford-Hamlin will provide diverse perspectives into generational knowledge, marketing and sales. She has deep banking exposure, direct lending experience, and transformational knowledge in digital banking platform development and implementation. She will play a key role in developing executive strategies in new lending opportunities and in our digital banking development.

James A. Dowd, CPA, presently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Bank. Mr. Dowd joined Pathfinder Bank in 1994, as Controller and has since held many prominent roles within the organization. In 1999, he was promoted to Chief Financial Officer followed by Chief Operating Officer in 2017. Most recently, Mr. Dowd held the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He has played a significant role in the physical expansion of the Bank into Onondaga County, overall deposit growth, and the Bank’s increased brand recognition and enhanced reputation in its new markets.

John P. Funiciello is a licensed real estate broker and developer who owns and operates JF Real Estate in Syracuse, NY. Mr. Funiciello began his career in real estate in 1986 as a commercial real estate agent and founded JF Real Estate in 1992. JF Real Estate represents both owners and users of real estate, providing a wide array of skills and services that include brokerage, development, tenant and owner representation, site selection, space planning, building management, and much more. Currently, JF Real Estate represents approximately three million square feet of commercial and residential real estate in the Central New York Region. Mr. Funiciello is a graduate of the State University of New York at Cortland with a degree in Economics and a concentration in Business. He is an active member in the Syracuse community and has served on the Boards of Children’s Consortium and the Samaritan Center. He currently sits on the Board at the North West YMCA. Mr. Funiciello was recognized by the Central New York Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, an honor given to Onondaga County business leaders under the age of 40. Mr. Funiciello’s extensive real estate experience and knowledge of the local real estate market, as well as his insight into managing and overseeing a business, brings valuable expertise to the Board.

Adam C. Gagas is the CEO in Disciplined Capital Management, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor firm and founder and CEO of Breakwall Asset Management, LLC, a New York State registered investment advisor located in Oswego. Mr. Gagas was an analyst on teams managing multi-billion dollar portfolios at Skandia Asset Management and Principal Global Investors in New York City. He was awarded an Alfa Fellowship and completed a yearlong professional placement as an institutional investment analyst at Alfa Capital in Moscow, Russia. He is also the owner/operator of Gagas Realty Corporation, a multi-property commercial real estate holding company. In addition, he is an adjunct instructor of Corporate Finance in the SUNY Oswego School of Business. Mr. Gagas earned a BA from Hobart College with majors in Economics and Russian Studies, and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University. His extensive community involvement includes having served as the Chairman of the Board of Oswego Health, past chair of that organization’s Audit and Investment committees, and as a member of the Executive committee. He is the former President of the Oswego Health Foundation and a current board member of Oswego’s historic Riverside Cemetery. Mr. Gagas’ expertise in finance, particularly of public companies, provides us with valuable insight.

Melanie Littlejohn serves as the Vice President for New York Customer and Community Management at National Grid. (NYSE: NGG), a natural gas and electricity provider, where she is responsible for leading stakeholder management statewide to ensure processes, planning and best practices are delivered consistently to National Grid’s New York customers. Ms. Littlejohn joined the company (then Niagara Mohawk) in April of 1994 as the Director of Inclusion & Diversity-US Operations. Prior to her current position, she was Director of Customer and Community Management for Central New York. Before joining Niagara Mohawk, Ms. Littlejohn was the Executive Director of Urban League Onondaga County. Before joining the Urban League, she was the Manager of International Client Services for Banker’s Trust Company in the Wall Street District. Ms. Littlejohn obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. In addition, she was selected to participate in National Grid’s Developing Future Business Leader’s program administered by the London Center for High Performance. She resides in Syracuse, New York. Ms. Littlejohn pursues an active role in the community, currently serving as the Trustee/Officer of Onondaga Community College, Business Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Board of Directors and Executive Committee of CenterState CEO, Board of Directors of Manufacturers of Central New York, Consensus CNY (Commission Member) and SUNY Morrisville Business School Council of Advisor’s. Ms. Littejohn’s experience in working with a large public company provides us with valuable market perspective.

Tony Scavuzzo, CFA, is a seasoned financial professional with extensive experience in investment management and banking. Holding an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BBA in Finance from the University of Iowa, Mr. Scavuzzo currently serves as Managing Principal at Castle Creek® since 2009 and has been at the forefront of shaping investment strategies and driving growth across a diverse portfolio of companies. Mr. Scavuzzo has played pivotal roles in evaluating merger and acquisition opportunities, capital investment strategies, and asset/liability management. His dedication to excellence extends beyond the boardroom, as he actively engages in various community organizations and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System. As a member of the Investment Committee for Castle Creek Launchpad Fund I, Mr. Scavuzzo demonstrates his forward-thinking approach to the intersection of Fintech and Community Banking.

John F. Sharkey, III is President of Universal Metal Works, a custom metal fabrication facility, in Fulton, New York, and the Managing Partner of Universal Properties, LLC. Prior to his role with Universal Metal Works, Mr. Sharkey was President of Universal Joint Sales, a heavy-duty truck parts distributor, headquartered in Syracuse, New York. During his tenure at Universal Joint Sales, the company grew to 13 locations throughout the Northeast and Florida. In 1998, Mr. Sharkey sold Universal Joint Sales to FleetPride. For three years following the sale of the company, Mr. Sharkey acted as FleetPride’s Regional Vice President. Mr. Sharkey is an active member of the Central New York community, serving on boards including Center State CEO, Oswego State Economic Advisory Council and is the Finance Director of St. Anne Mother of Mary Parish. He is also a committee member of the Syracuse Chapter of Ducks Unlimited and volunteers as a pilot/crew member for Angel Flight. Mr. Sharkey’s management experience and business knowledge provides a valuable resource and perspective to the Board.

Lloyd “Buddy” Stemple is the Chief Executive Officer of Constellium Rolled Products in Ravenswood, West Virginia, a global supplier of rolled aluminum to the Aerospace and Transportation materials industries (NYSE: CSTM). Prior to his present position, Mr. Stemple was the Chief Executive Officer of Oman Aluminum Rolling Company. The Oman Aluminum Rolling Company is a venture supported by the government of Oman which started commercial production of rolled aluminum in late 2013. Prior to his work in Oman, he was the Vice- President and General Manager of Novelis Specialty Products, Novelis Inc., which has manufacturing locations in Oswego, New York, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; and sales offices in Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. Mr. Stemple is on the Board of SECAT which is a metallurgical Research Laboratory specializing in aluminum product and process technologies. He is also a member of the Compensation Committee of SECAT. Mr. Stemple also served as a Board and Executive Committee member of the Aluminum Association in Washington, DC. The Association promotes the use of aluminum and all matters impacting the industry. Mr. Stemple has an Engineering Degree, an MBA and a Masters Degree in International Management from McGill University and a Diploma from INSEAD in France. Mr. Stemple’s varied experience in management, strategic planning, human resources, and financial accountability of publicly traded companies is a valuable asset to our Board.