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The founder and former director of Gyrodyne, Peter James Papadakos (1914-1992), was the pioneer who perfected the American Coaxial helicopter design.
Upon purchasing the assets of the bankrupt Bendix Helicopter company, Mr. Papadakos founded Gyrodyne Company of America in 1946, to "Investigate advanced helicopter designs and development with the goal of producing a better rotary wing aircraft than any other being offered at that time".
On June 14, 1966, he formed the Flowerfield Properties wholly-owned subsidiary of the Gyrodyne Company for the purpose for holding certain assets of the company's property, investments and its limited partnership in the development of a 3,500 acre orange grove in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Gary J. Fitlin, age 56, was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1, 2017. Mr. Fitlin joined the Company in October 2009 as its Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. From August 2012 through February 24, 2013, Mr. Fitlin served as interim President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining the Company, he was Director of Accounting Implementation for Lexington Realty Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust on the NYSE, from July 2006 to March 2008, where he was responsible for mergers and acquisitions. Prior to that, he served as a senior financial officer for various publicly traded companies where he was responsible for mergers and acquisitions, global accounting, management reporting, tax compliance and planning, financial systems, risk management and contract administration. He is a Certified Public Accountant, an alumnus of Arthur Andersen & Co., and holds a BS degree in Accounting and Economics from the State University of New York at Oswego.
Richard B. Smith
Banker
Richard B. Smith, age 67, was appointed to the Board of Directors in November 2002. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Smith had been a Vice President in the Commercial Banking Division of the First National Bank of Long Island since February 2006. He previously served as Senior Vice President for Private Banking at Suffolk County National Bank from May 2000 to February 2005. Previously, he worked for 10 years at Key Bank (Dime Savings Bank) and for three years at L.I. Trust/Apple Bank. He received an MBA in Finance from SUNY Albany in 1983. Mr. Smith serves as the Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Nissequogue and was a Trustee of the Smithtown Historical Society. He is also a former Trustee for St. Catherine's Medical Center in Smithtown, New York. The Board concluded that Mr. Smith should serve as a director of the Company because of his background in both the Long Island financial sector and his role in, and experience with, local government issues and zoning matters.