Gary Siegel

Gary Siegel is a 1976 graduate of Livingston Manor Central School. After graduating from Ithaca College with a Bachelors (1980) and Master’s Degree (1983), Gary had a 32 year career as a music educator in the Livingston Manor (3 years) and Liberty Central School Districts (29 years). At the time of his retirement in 2013, Gary (along with his wife Judy) founded CD Trips, LLC, a tour company that has raised over $130,000 for local organizations and charities.

Gary (along with his wife Judy and his sisters, Teri & Shelley) created the Siegel Family Music and Arts Endowment Fund at CFOS (Community Foundation of Orange & Sullivan), which provides support for musicians, artists and venues through MOGAAT (Mission One Gig At A Time), provides musical and educational opportunities like the John Lennon Real Love Project for kids and awards scholarships for graduating seniors.  He serves on the Board of Directors and has been President since 2016 of the Lazare and Charlotte Kaplan Foundation at CFOS, which provides over $90,000 annually in scholarships and community grants that “help to keep the kids off the streets”.   He was named to the Board of Directors of the CFOS in 2016 and currently serves on the CFOS Executive Board as secretary. 

Gary has demonstrated Rotary’s motto of ‘service above self’ since 1980, serving in numerous leadership positions for both the Livingston Manor and Liberty NY Rotary Clubs.  He currently co-chairs the Liberty Rotary Club’s Disaster Preparedness & Relief Committee and has organized hurricane relief missions in Texas, North Carolina, Puerto Rico and most recently in Belize as well as co-chairing the Liberty Rotary Club’s Haiti Clean Water Program which provides 1000 water filtration systems to 1000 families in Cap Haitien, Haiti.  He is an active member of the steering committees for the 98.3 WSUL Heartathon (past co-chair), and Thunder 102 Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon and serves as Treasurer (30 years) of Congregation Agudas Achim in Livingston Manor.  Gary also volunteers to play his trumpet in the Callicoon Center Band where he has participated for the past 50 years.

Gary has received numerous honors over the years for his service to the school and community including becoming an Eagle Scout in 1973 and being named to the NYSSMA All-State Band in 1975.  Honors include McDonald’s Community Service Award (1999), ALIVE Outstanding Community Service Award (2002), Liberty Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year (2003), Liberty Elks Club Distinguished Citizenship Award (2004) Rotary District 7210 - Public Relations Award (2006), Sullivan County Childcare Council – Child Advocate Award (2007), Sullivan County Democrat Men At Work Section (2008), Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award (2012), Sullivan County School Boards Association – Outstanding Educator Award (2013), SYDA Foundation Community Service Award (2015), Paul Harris Fellow+1 (2017), Greater Liberty Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year (2018), and Woodridge Kiwanis Community Spirit and Generosity Award (2018), District 7210 Governor Rotarian Recognition (2019), Paul Harris Fellow +2 (2019).

“I am so excited to join the Theatre Within’s Board of Directors to help the organization continue to provide amazing opportunities that have a positive impact on kids and adults in our communities and world.”  

Gary, and his wife Judy live in Liberty, NY and they have a daughter, Georgia, 32 (Smallwood NY) and a son Max, 30 (Woodstock NY).  Gary is affectionately known as the “CD” (Common Denominator) and his favorite saying is "Keep your eye on the target."