By Mel Rubenstein
This Volunteer of the Month column features two people, their backgrounds, how they met and how they became dedicated volunteers as individuals, and as a couple.
Diana Biro was born in Queens but moved to rural Upstate New York as a child. She graduated first in her class from Red Hook Central High School where she played sports and worked at the school newspaper. Diana attended Syracuse University because of her interest in history, but later switched majors, earning a BA in English literature and graduating as class salutatorian.
She was a volunteer tutor in English and other subjects for three years. In graduate school, Diana specialized in drama and poetry, then taught writing, literature and critical thinking at SU and the University of New Orleans. In 1980 she returned to Syracuse with her young daughter to complete her dissertation and her Ph.D.
Though she enjoyed teaching, tenure-track academic jobs were scarce so Diana forged a career as a writer/editor, communications manager and research and writing consultant, working at SU for 25 years and developing a private practice where she wrote grants and edited manuscripts for faculty and non-profits.
Eric Rogers was born and raised in Brooklyn, but his family moved to Syracuse when he was 15. He graduated from Nottingham High School and Clarkson University, majoring in business. His interest in marketing led him to New York City, where he tested audience reaction to films and TV shows for MGM. In 1969 Rogers returned to Syracuse and worked for the Carrier International Corporation as a marketing manager for 12 years, a position that allowed him to travel to over 40 countries.
Later he joined Chase Design, an internationally recognized design consulting firm in Skaneateles. For 18 years he directed their sales and marketing activities, bringing in many new accounts. Eric was also president of the Congregation Beth Shalom Men’s Club.
So how did these two people meet? On a tennis court, of course!
Diana liked mixed doubles so a tennis friend arranged a match with a male colleague, who brought Eric Rogers as the other man.
Diana and Eric enjoyed playing tennis together for six years, then began dating — after
agreeing that if dating didn’t work out, they’d remain tennis partners. With similar values and much in common, their relationship blossomed, and in 2003 Eric and Diana got married.
As they approached semi- retirement some dozen years ago, they began exploring volunteer opportunities in the community. Eric joined the local SCORE, the business mentoring unit of the US SBA, counseling start-ups and small businesses, presenting workshops and serving in various leadership roles including two years as chapter president. He remains very active in counseling, outreach and management decisions.
In separate years, Eric and Diana attended the Citizens Academy, a program that informs citizens about how local government works and encourages their civic engagement to help sustain our area’s quality of life. This experience led to greater community activism, as they joined the FOCUS Greater Syracuse age-friendly CNY task force, becoming advocates for Pre-K education and expanding their volunteer work for Syracuse’s Oasis program.
Oasis is a lifelong learning program dedicated to enriching the lives of adults 50 and older. It offers courses in the arts, humanities, science, health and fitness, technology and more, plus travel and volunteer service.
Diana and Eric, or D and E, attended their first Oasis class in 2007 and have since become dedicated volunteers.
Initially after Oasis training, Eric tutored elementary school youngsters, then the couple worked as reception/office volunteers, and Diana began editing course catalogs. Later they became class coordinators; introducing instructors, assisting with equipment or special needs and handling other issues. Eric observed that coordinating offsite classes is generally more challenging.
In 2014 D and E joined the Oasis Education Committee and were later invited to serve on the Advisory Council. They wanted to increase their support for Oasis and thought their knowledge and community networks could help strengthen the program.
Diana had three specific goals in mind: expand course offerings (topics, instructors), build partnerships with local organizations and secure funding to sustain the future of Oasis in Syracuse. Eric was interested in developing new courses and community partners too, and felt his marketing background could benefit Oasis.
As Council members, they participated in the National Oasis Institute’s in-depth review of all programs and operations in 2015, and were actively involved in the center’s 15th anniversary event in 2017. Diana also helped strengthen the Syracuse center’s relationship with its main sponsor, Upstate Medical University, which increased funding and other support.
When the Development and Marketing Committee was reorganized in 2016, both were asked to serve: Eric offers marketing experience; Diana, writing expertise. They also began seeking new instructors for Oasis courses.
In 2016 D and E brought several new presenters to Oasis and developed a Community Spotlight series, focused on issues and resources affecting our region and exploring challenges and opportunities shaping CNY’s future. In 2017 they started teaching their own courses (feature films, “travel treks”) and organizing tours of local interest (Syracuse Stage), which they really enjoy.
It’s also a way to increase revenues for Oasis, a non-profit, as volunteer instructors are not paid and seek guest speakers who decline honorariums. So far they’ve organized or taught 20 classes, bringing in over $9,000 in course fees.
Besides activities previously cited, Diana and Eric usher for the Civic Center, Symphoria and the Landmark. They belong to various community groups (e.g., Onondaga Citizens League, TMR), are politically active and contribute to organizations that improve our region’s quality of life.
When asked if they ever had a negative experience with volunteering, Eric answered, “There’s sometimes a problem getting other volunteers to keep their commitments, and when they don’t, that presents challenges in managing and operating any volunteer organization.”
Diana added, “Syracuse has so much to offer. We love living here — our calendars are filled with interesting, rewarding activities and we’re always learning something new. Our volunteer work is about giving back—working to enhance the community that enriches our lives.”
For information about Oasis, check the Oasis website or call 315-464-6555. To recommend someone with a stellar record of volunteering for this column contact Mel Rubenstein at [email protected] or 315-682-7162.