Tom Crowley of Hampton Bays Named Rotary District Governor

Tom Crowley of Hampton Bays has been a member of the Rotary Club of Hampton Bays since 1987.

And on June 10, he will be installed as the Rotary district governor for the 2023 — 2024 Rotary year. The district, No. 7255, includes all of Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau County and Suffolk County.

“I’m blessed,” Crowley said. “I have a great job and family. I want to find a way to do good things for the community.”

Rotary International engages 1.4 million members across 200 countries and is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its motto is, “Provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.”

Locally, three people have been saved in the past three years due to life rings that the Hampton Bays club installed around the Shinnecock Canal in Hampton Bays. The Rotary Clubs from Southampton and Hampton Bays teamed up to install the life rings on poles, with alarms, on both the eastern and western sides of the Shinnecock Canal, in an effort to promote safety.

The club also partakes in community events such as the Great East End Beach Cleanup, cooking meals for Maureen’s Haven — a homeless outreach group, and raises funds for scholarships for youth initiatives.

Crowley’s been a Rotarian for more than 30 years, and a community leader in many ways, Lars Clemenson, past president of the Rotary Club of Hampton Bays and superintendent of schools at Hampton Bays, said.

“Becoming a district governor is a yearlong process and it’s exciting to have Hampton Bays be a leader next year in the direction of Rotary on Long Island,” Clemenson said.

Crowley’s theme for the year is “Create Hope in the World,” he added.

Crowley became involved with Rotary after his boss at the time, Tim Maran, suggested it in 1986.

“I became fully invested and very involved over the years. It’s a great organization. Rotary creates hope in the world. That’s our battle cry. We’re all working hard to create hope in the world,” Crowley said.

Crowley’s wife, Julie, and daughter Anna, are also Rotarians and Rotary has been a big part of the Crowley family over the past 34 years. Crowley also has a daughter Kelly and a son, Jack.

Crowley works in the insurance industry as a partner and commercial salesperson with EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants. He is a past chair of the Board of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New York State, a past appointed member of Governor Patterson’s Coastal Insurance Task Force and he currently serves as the president of the not-for-profit Long Island Insurance Education Foundation, working to create a four-year degree program in insurance and risk management at Stony Brook University.

Rotary began in Chicago in the early 1900s. Paul Harris, an attorney, created the group so professionals could engage and exchange ideas, network and form lifelong friendships.

Crowley explained that over time, Rotary expanded to humanitarian services, professional development and community outreach. “How do we support the community that supports us?” he explained.

“We’re always looking for more opportunities to do hands-on service projects,” he said, adding that the club is always looking for new members, as well.

Gordon R. McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, Lothian, Scotland, has been selected to be the international president of Rotary. All Rotarians are trying to support McInally’s mental health initiative this year, which is to destigmatize mental health issues.

“The goal is to understand what we’re dealing with, or our loved ones are dealing with and make resources more readily available for those who need help,” Crowley explained, adding that McInally lost his brother to suicide. “We’re going to work hard this year to have all 60 clubs take part to make responses available through schools and in general throughout the community.”

Another goal is to increase membership. On average, Rotary International completes 47 million volunteer hours per year, and $333 million was awarded for global service initiatives in 2020 and 2021.

“The more people we have, the more good we can do,” Crowley said.

There are 60 Rotary clubs in the district, with about 1,500 members. There are about 530 district governors worldwide. In January, Crowley flew to Orlando, Florida, to meet many of the district governors to train for his year of service. His job will include leading the administration, collecting dues for the district, training incoming officers for different clubs, helping to run the website, and fielding questions about membership and how to become a member.

“My personal battle cry this year is to do more Rotary,” he said, “to recruit new members and to make the experience more positive and rewarding.”