About the USS Patrick Gallagher Commissioning Committee
The USS Patrick Gallagher Commissioning Committee is a subgroup of the Tri-State Sea Services Support Team which is a nonprofit corporation organized and operated exclusively to develop and execute a fundraising strategy that will permit identifying and collecting funding sources to provide for the Commissioning of the USS Patrick Gallagher and any other purposes related to that and within the meaning of section 501[c] [3] of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.
Meet The Corporate Officers
Frank Russo
President
Daniel Dermer
Corporate Secretary
Bob Arnold
Vice President
Dennis Blum
Treasurer
Honorary Co-Chair
Hilary Beirne
Hilary Beirne is an Irish-American community leader, educator, and advocate originally from Boyle, Co Roscommon, Ireland. He formerly served for more than three decades with the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, including as Executive Secretary and Chairman of the Parade's Foundation.
He is a member of the Fighting 69th Regimental staff, a member of the Ben Franklin Global Forum Philadelphia, a Founding Director of Irish America 250, where he is responsible for Greater New York and Irish–U.S. relations. He is U.S.Co-Convenor for the expansion of the Global Irish Famine Way in the United States and played an instrumental role in the unveiling of the first set of bronze shoes in the United States on Staten Island, NYC.
A lifelong learner of history and an advocate for the Irish citizens living abroad, Beirne has worked to strengthen ties between Ireland, the US and Ireland's global community with his promotion of Irish history, heritage, culture, and civic engagement particularly between Ireland and the United States.
Committee Members
William Aitken
Larry Arnold
Jonathan Bernz
Karen Sullivan Breen
Kevin Canty
Andrew D’Alessandro
Dennis A. Dirkin Sr.
Joseph Fila
Dennis Guirguess
Carlton Hoye
Elizabeth Kenny
Greg Keshishian
Louis H. Liotti
Norma Milio
Roland Noakes
Walter Poggi
Vince Robinson
Ralph Slane
James Spear
Adrian Valencia
James White