Casale invests time in community
Sept. 15, 2002

Photo by ELIZABETH A. MUNDSCHENK Vince Casale

By MARRECCA FIORE
Observer-Dispatch

For someone like Vincent Casale, sometimes just spending time at home is a vacation.

“I’m looking at my schedule this week and I have something to do every night,” said Casale, 29.

“It’s not an easy award to win,” Casale said. “It’s not an award that’s just handed out to anyone. ... And I’m very proud and very humbled to have won.”

His nominator, Andria De Lisle-Heath, said she was thrilled when she heard Casale had won and felt he would be a good representative for Herkimer County.

“Vince is truly someone who believes in (the Mohawk Valley) and that we can give our talents back to it,” said De Lisle-Heath, executive director of the American Red Cross, Mohawk Valley Chapter. Casale is the co-vice chairman of the Red Cross’ board of directors and chairman of its Resource Development Committee. “He truly believes that it’s a good thing ... to invest his time and resources into this community,” she said.

A graduate of Ithaca College where he majored in music, and a former music teacher, Casale now is Herkimer Area Resource Center director of development.

He lives in Mohawk with his wife, Amy, and is incoming vice president and past treasurer of the Rotary Club of Herkimer and a Leadership Mohawk Valley graduate.

“He really makes the time to get involved with things,” De Lisle-Heath said.

Casale joined the Red Cross in 2000, when the organization had no executive director and the chapter was facing a rechartering dilemma, she said. In her nomination letter, De Lisle-Heath said Casale has provided leadership, a commitment to making tough decisions and took the risk to back “what seemed to be a no-win project,” referring to his service to the Red Cross.

When he’s not working, volunteering or “vacationing” at home, Casale likes to golf.

He said public service always was stressed by his parents — his father is former state Assemblyman Anthony Casale — but said it’s not always easy juggling marriage and community service.

“It takes organizational skills to make it work. And it takes not only the person having those qualities, but the people around that person have to be understanding.”