District Governor Mike Polasek 2021-2022
Mike is a successful business owner in LaGrange, NY. He attended the Culinary Institute of America and graduated with his Bachelor’s in Business Management. Since 2005 Mike has owned Simply Gourmet, a full-service catering company. He specializes in approachable, up-scale comfort food and is dedicated to sourcing ingredients locally as much as possible.Mike’s commitment to giving back to the community started as a member of the Boy Scouts where he earned his Eagle Award at age 15. He joined Rotary in 2015 and is a member of the LaGrange-Sunrise Rotary. Mike quickly gained a deep appreciation for what Rotary can do for our communities and the world. He is humbled with the opportunity to serve as District Governor in 2021-22 alongside a hardworking and dedicated team.
Mike is a Paul Harris Fellow and Bequest Society Member of The Rotary Foundation.
District Governor Elect Larry Palant 2022-2023
Larry began his Rotary career when he joined the Suffern, NY Rotary Club in 2002. He was club president in 2008-2009 and has been the Membership Chair since 2010 along with club Foundation Chair since 2009. Prior to becoming a Rotarian, Larry was the founding vice-president of the Lower Hudson Challenger Learning Center in Airmont (Suffern) New York. Challenger Centers were created as space science learning centers in memory of the Challenger Space Shuttle crew. He is also a member of The Village of Suffern Community Foundation and his synagogue’s social action committee.
He has served as his District’s Disaster Relief Chair from 2005 through 2017 and orchestrated, through a relay to four New Orleans area Rotary Clubs, a delivery of generators, batteries, fuel cans and tarpaulins immediately following hurricane Katrina in 2005. A similar collection of generators was purchased and delivered to a central location in District 7490 to be distributed following hurricane Sandy.
In January 0f 2006, Larry became a ShelterBox Ambassador and has raised more than $240,000 for ShelterBox including $70,000 from District 7210 clubs after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
He has served as District Membership Chair in addition to being an Assistant Governor. He is a TRF Major Donor and a Paul Harris Society member.
Larry and his wife Mona are proud parents to Mona’s twin adult children and Larry’s daughter who has been in the United States Air Force for the last 12 years.
He has also seen every episode of Seinfeld at least 3 times.
District Governor Nominee Peter Sullivan 2023-2024
Peter moved to Walden 11 years ago with his wife Peggy when she became the Priest-in-Charge of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Walden; and he was employed as Treasurer of the Village of Walden for five years. Peter’s work background in Connecticut included contract IT project manager assignments, a sixteen-year managerial career with two State of Connecticut agencies, and a nine-year stint as a management consultant with Andersen Consulting/Accenture. Peggy and Peter have two grown sons living in Simsbury, CT and Brooklyn, NY, and two teenage grandchildren. They split their time between the Rectory in Walden and a retirement-someday house in Accord.
Peter currently serves as the Assistant Governor for Region 6 of District 7210. Prior to this three-year appointment, Peter served as President of the Walden Rotary. Currently, Peter serves as: treasurer of Walden Rotary; treasurer and a member of the Board of the Montgomery Food Pantry; member of the Valley Central School District Audit Committee; and as an election inspector for Orange County.
