Phelps to retire from Oswego Industries board of directors after 45 years

FULTON, N.Y. — Bruce Phelps, owner of Fulton Tool, has served on the Oswego Industries board of directors for 45 years and recently announced his intent to retire at the end of his current term. 

Phelps was one of the founding members of the Oswego Industries board and has seen the agency evolve in many ways since his first term began in 1977. As owner of Fulton Tool, his work with Oswego Industries began with the creation of numerous tools and jigs. These tools enabled people with disabilities to work independently on contracts ranging from bottle recycling to assembling decorative key rings. 

In those early years, Phelps said, “The board was very active, often putting in as many hours as paid staff.” He worked closely with Betty Vaught, founding executive director, on everything from negotiating state grants for much-needed building renovations to winning work contracts for people with disabilities. 

The agency has experienced exponential growth and expansion from its beginnings as a sheltered workshop to its current status as a comprehensive, person-centered habilitation agency, according to a March 24 Oswego Industries news release. Throughout all of these changes, the organization’s core mission has remained the same: “helping people with disabilities live rich, fulfilling lives marked by dignity and independence.”

“We are so thankful to Bruce for his many years of service and for his dedication to the agency,” Laurie Davis, executive director of Oswego Industries, said in a release. “We wouldn’t be where we are now without his support.”