Board of Directors

William A. Barclay is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and Syracuse University College of Law and is currently an attorney at the Syracuse law firm of Barclay Damon, LLP, where he specializes in business law. Mr. Barclay was elected Chairman of the Board effective June 6, 2024. 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 the Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc. Mr. Barclay is the Chairman of the Board of Douglaston Manor, Inc. and also serves on the Board of Countryway Insurance Company. In addition to his business and charitable activities, Mr. Barclay serves as Minority Leader in the New York State Assembly. He represents the 120th Assembly District which includes the County of Oswego and parts of Cayuga and Jefferson counties. Mr. Barclay’s in-depth knowledge of the central New York area and his law and business experience provides the Board with a unique and valuable perspective into business and legal issues especially how they relate to the central New York region.

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, Eric is Chief Investment Officer for 50 State, LLC and serves as Trustee to over 75 Family Trusts. Outside of his work with his family, Eric also serves on the Board of Health Care Originals; serves as LP Advisor to Armory Square Ventures; serves on the Board of Directors of the Allyn Family Foundation, where he has chaired the Investment Committee since 2008, and Red Dragon Ventures, an entity that has invested in Wrexham AFC Football Club, and Wrexham Lager. In addition, Eric is Founder and Managing Partner of two private Investment Funds, which he has managed since 2011. Eric is a past board member at GOJO (makers of Purell), Pharma Tech Industries, Upstate Medical University, 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 of Auburn Community Hospital (past-Chairman), the Hospital Trustees of New York State (Chairman), and Hospital Association of New York State (HANYS). Eric is a frequent speaker nationally and internationally on the topics of family business governance, family enterprises, philanthropy, and investment management. Eric 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 is the Partner-in-Charge of the Tax Department at Bowers & Company CPAs, PLLC, where he leads a team dedicated to providing comprehensive tax services. With over three decades of specialized experience in accounting and taxation, Mr. Ayoub plays a pivotal role in consulting on complex corporate mergers and acquisitions, as well as offering expert guidance to start-up businesses navigating early-stage financial challenges. He is deeply involved in overseeing the firm's tax compliance efforts and spearheading technical research, planning, and strategic tax consulting for clients. Mr. Ayoub’s extensive expertise spans a variety of industries, and his proficiency in both business and tax matters enables him to offer valuable insights that drive organizational growth and long-term success. He is a graduate of the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. In addition to being a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in New York State, Mr. Ayoub is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA).Outside of his professional responsibilities, Mr. Ayoub is a passionate advocate for community service. He has held leadership roles on several nonprofit boards, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York, where he served as Past Chair. His commitment to giving back to the community further underscores his leadership and organizational capabilities. Mr. Ayoub’s unique combination of technical expertise, leadership experience, and business acumen makes him a key asset in providing the Board with valuable perspectives on business operations, corporate strategy, and tax-related matters.

Meghan Crawford-Hamlin is President of the Bank Division at BHG Financial, where she leads business development, placement operations, bank marketing, national events, and regulatory relations. A results-driven executive, Ms. Crawford-Hamlin oversees all institutional-facing functions and drives strategy, execution, and relationship development across the division. Since assuming her current role in 2020, she has facilitated the placement of over $13 billion in assets to over 30% of banks nationwide, positioning BHG as a market leader in delivering high-quality loan sale opportunities to institutional partners. Under her leadership, the division has expanded its national footprint, deepened its regulatory engagement, and driven meaningful revenue growth through operational scale and strategic alignment. Ms. Crawford-Hamlin joined BHG in 2015 and rapidly advanced through leadership roles, initially managing the firm’s largest institutional portfolio, which included hundreds of community banks. Her career spans sales, strategy, and client success at scale. Prior to BHG, she served as a Director at The Fitch Group Company, where she was responsible for growth across the firm’s largest North American client portfolio. She began her career at IAC, a global media and internet holding company operating across 100+ countries. Ms. Crawford-Hamlin sits on the boards of Pathfinder Bank and Risk Management Solutions Group (RMSG), a regulatory advisory firm. She is an active member of the American Bankers Association and Independent Community Bankers of America, and contributes to community leadership as a Woman of Impact Team Member for Go Red for Women. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University.

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 his additional appointment as Chief Operating Officer in 2017. Most recently, Mr. Dowd held the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer until his appointment to Chief Executive Officer in 2022. 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. Mr. Dowd currently serves as a member of the Board of the Oswego County Land Bank and the Oswego Renaissance Association and serves as Vice President of the Board for Riverside Cemetery. In addition, Mr. Dowd spent 13 years in a leadership role with Oswego Harbor Festivals, Inc., including two years as the Festival’s president. Mr. Dowd's thirty years of industry knowledge, coupled with his experience in the finance and operations side of banking, makes him a valuable asset to the Board.

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 Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Institutional Services at Rockbridge Investment Management, an SEC-registered investment advisor firm in Central New York. His prior investment advisory experience includes founding and leadership roles at Disciplined Capital Management and Breakwall Asset Management. 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 and Portfolio Management 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, as a member of the Executive committee, and President of the Oswego Health Foundation. Currently he serves as a trustee of the Phi Sigma Kappa Foundation and as President of Oswego’s historic Riverside Cemetery. Mr. Gagas’ expertise in finance, particularly of public companies, provides us with valuable insight.

Melanie Littlejohn is currently serving as President and CEO of the Central New York Community Foundation, a position she has held since March 1, 2024. This is a public charity that turns community dollars into community change. Established in 1927, it receives contributions from donors, manages them to grow over time and then distributes funding to address the region’s greatest needs. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Littlejohn served as vice president of customer & community engagement for National Grid, where she worked for nearly 30 years. In her role at National Grid, Littlejohn led a team responsible for engaging with customers, key community leaders and policy makers across New York State to ensure processes, planning and best practices were delivered consistently. Her focus was to drive customer satisfaction while promoting safety and reliability measures, emergency management services and economic development initiatives. She was also responsible for the design and delivery of the company’s corporate social responsibility program, which aims to support neighborhood revitalization, environmental justice, social equity and workforce development. Prior to starting at National Grid, Littlejohn served as executive director of the Urban League of Onondaga County and manager of international client services for Banker’s Trust Company in the Wall Street District. She received a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from Syracuse University and earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Littlejohn is active in numerous civic and philanthropic initiatives. She currently serves as co-chair of the Micron Community Engagement Committee, which helps drive the company’s community investment strategy. She is also board trustee and vice chair of Onondaga Community College and serves on the board of CenterState CEO. She has served on 15 nonprofit boards and advisory committees over the course of her career. Littlejohn has received numerous honors in recognition of her civic leadership. Most recently, she was named a 2022 Woman of Prestige from the Yva Jourdan Foundation and she received the 2019 Wisdom Keeper Award from FOCUS Greater Syracuse. She is also recognized for her commitment to mentoring up-and-coming leaders and has served as a student mentor and guest speaker to classes at Syracuse University. Ms. Littlejohn's experience in working with a large public company provides valuable market perspective.

Tony Scavuzzo, has been a director of the Company and the Bank since his appointment in June 2023. Mr. Scavuzzo, CFA, has been a Managing Principal of Castle Creek® since 2009. He sits on the Investment Committee for the Castle Creek funds and works with the board of directors at several portfolio companies including McGregor Bancshares, Central Payments LLC, and Third Coast Bancshares (TCBX). Previous board experience includes over a dozen other companies. He also serves on various board committees regarding governance, compensation, risk, and asset/liability management. He is also a member of the Investment Committee for Castle Creek Launchpad Fund I, a venture capital fund focused on the intersection of Fintech and Community Banking. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Scavuzzo worked in an operating role for the Chief Executive Officer at MB Financial Bank (NASDAQ: MBFI) in Chicago where he was responsible for evaluation of merger and acquisition opportunities and capital investment strategy. He also held positions in various departments including corporate treasury, asset/liability management, wealth management, and credit analysis. Mr. Scavuzzo is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System and a member of the CFA Society of Dallas/Fort Worth. He is also a member of The Dallas Petroleum Club. He was formerly Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors for the CFA Society of San Diego and past Chairman of the Finance Committee for the CFA Society of Chicago. Mr. Scavuzzo received his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and graduated with a BBA in Finance from the University of Iowa. He is also a CFA Charterholder.

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 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 currently serves as the President of the Packaging & Automotive Group of Constellium (NYSE:CSTM) based in Muscle Shoals Alabama serving the Can and Automotive markets. He has held this position since September 2023. Prior to his present position, Mr. Stemple was 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 and 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 also serves 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 Master’s 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.