Board of Directors
Paul W. Stewart, Director - Associate Professor of Psychology, SUNY Oswego
Paul Stewart, Ph.D, has served on the faculty at the State University of Oswego since August 1996. He founded the ORA in 2013, co-creating the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan with a partnership between CZB llc and dozens of Oswego community leaders. Since then, he has overseen more than $5M in private investment in residential Oswego neighborhoods, partnering with well over 1500 households in over 6 dozen residential areas.
Previously, he served as Director of the Oswego Children’s Study, spending the first 17 years of his career designing and directing a large scale longitudinal study of factors influencing child development in Oswego’s communities. As Director of the Oswego Children’s study, he has supervised over a dozen multiphasic research project in the community, and has been awarded over $15 million in federal funding for his projects, from sponsors such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the New York Community Trust (NYCT), and related funding agencies. A resident of the City of Oswego, he is heavily involved in civic engagement and restoration projects in the Historic West Park District.
James Dowd - Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Pathfinder Bank
James A. Dowd, CPA presently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of PathFinder Bank. Mr. Dowd joined theBank 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 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. He was also a long-term Board member of Arts and Culture for Oswego County.
Walter Bozek - D.D.S., Arena Michael Dentistry
Walter Bozek. D.D.S. became involved in the ORA in 2017 as a Block Leader in the Historic Franklin Square District.
He is a general dentist with his own private practice in his hometown of Oswego N.Y. He received his B.S. from LeMoyne College and his D.D.S. from the State University at Buffalo. Upon graduation he decided to return to Central New York, starting with a residency at St. Joseph's Hospital. In addition to private practice he also provides care to the residents at St Luke Health Services.
Walter has been very active at the local and state level with dental professional organizations. He is currently a Delegate to the New York State Dental House of Delegates. In his roles Walter is concerned with the key issues of access to care, measuring quality care levels and implementation of new procedures/technologies.
Currently Walter lives with his wife and Yorkie in Oswego. He participates in all aspects of his neighborhood, and is regularly seen walking his dog, talking to and helping his neighbors. In his free time he is restoring an 1850's historic home and is involved with many community projects.
Lisa Glidden - Associate Professor of Political Science, SUNY Oswego
Lisa M. Glidden, Ph.D is a professor of political science at SUNY Oswego, where she also is the Great Lakes Institute Director and Chair of Interdisciplinary Studies. She is the Girl Scouts Service Unit manager for Oswego and Mexico, and the treasurer of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Lisa received her doctorate from the University of Washington at Seattle in 2007, MA in International Relations from the City College of the City University of New York in 1999, and BA from St. Francis College in 1995. She teaches courses on global studies, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, sustainability, and energy and the environment. Her publications include Understanding Energy and Energy Policy (2014, Zed Books), Mobilizing Ethnic Identity in the Andes (2011, Lexington Books), and articles on Cuba’s energy policy, women’s activism in Ecuador, and on Cuban society and US misperceptions of it. She has lived in Oswego, NY since 2007.
She has been a Block Leader of the Oswego Renaissance Association since 2014. In fall 2014 she worked with the 2nd Ward Councilor to secure funding to re-surface the Fitzhugh Park playground. In 2015 she received two Neighborhood Pride Grants to beautify the fence at Fitzhugh Park, and to expand the small playground at Fitzhugh Park. Through the Oswego Renaissance Association, Lisa received a New York State Parks grant for a major renovation of the Fitzhugh Park playground in Oswego, NY.
Austin Wheelock - Deputy Director Operation Oswego County Inc.
Austin Wheelock brings close to 20 years of economic development and leadership experience to Oswego County and Central New York. He is the Executive Director at Operation Oswego County, Inc., the county’s designated economic development agency, and has been employed there since 2006. He also serves as the CEO of both the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency (COIDA) and the Oswego County Civic Facilities Corporation.
In addition to serving on the Oswego Renaissance Association board, he serves on several other professional and non-profit boards including the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (CNYREDC), the Central New York Regional Planning & Development Board (CNYRPDB), the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, the Oswego County Workforce Development Board, the Oswego County Childcare Investment Fund, the Preservation Association of Central New York, and the Heritage Foundation of Oswego County.
He holds a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University at Buffalo. He earned the designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), granted by the International Economic Development Council in 2014.
Chelsea Meehan Maniccia - School Based Administrative Coordinator for Oswego Health’s Mental Health & Wellness Division.
Chelsea Meehan Maniccia serves as the School Based Administrative Coordinator for Oswego Health’s Mental Health & Wellness Division. In this role she acts as a vital liaison between local school districts and clinical teams, ensuring streamlined communication and coordinating access to Mental Health Services for students within our districts. Previously within Oswego Health Chelsea had been focused on quality improvement and support in complex organization initiatives which included cross-department collaboration.
Chelsea became involved with the Oswego Renaissance Association in 2021 as a block leader for the Tallman/Murray Street area. She is a proud lifelong resident of the City of Oswego, believing deeply in the importance of living and working within the same community. This connection enhances her ability to understand the unique needs of Oswego, foster meaningful relationships and help contribute in creating positive environments where people live, work and grow.
Currently Chelsea lives with her husband, Patrick, and her dog Riley in Oswego. You can catch Chelsea and Patrick on their front porch often reflecting community-building at its finest: engaging with neighbors passing by, sparking conversations and offering a smile. She is committed to helping build a safer, more connected and strong community one relationship at a time.
Nicholas Little - Educator, Administrator, and Community Advocate
With over a decade in education—as teacher, technology specialist, assistant principal, and summer school principal—he has seen how strong schools, engaged families, and thriving neighborhoods are connected. Nicholas began teaching in the Oswego City School District, where he built inclusive classrooms that emphasized academics, character, and community pride. Recognized with awards including the Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award, he worked closely with families to ensure every child had support to succeed.
As Assistant Principal at Watertown High School, he strengthened school culture and addressed student needs with compassion and accountability. As Summer School Principal in Oswego, he led staffing and design that helped students recover more than 100 credits. These leadership roles deepened his understanding of how systemic decisions shape student opportunity.
Despite success in administration, Nicholas chose to return to the classroom at Charles E. Riley Elementary in Oswego, reaffirming his personal commitment to children, families, and neighborhoods. For him, living in Oswego means investing in its people and future. Nicholas links his professional journey to the mission of the Oswego Renaissance Association, which emphasizes pride, engagement, and neighborhood investment. He believes strong schools create strong communities, and his candidacy reflects a vision of Oswego where families are supported, students inspired, and residents united in pride and opportunity.