SYRACUSE — Julian B. Modesti, senior counsel in the Syracuse office of Harris Beach PLLC, has been elected as president of the board of directors of Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, according to a Harris Beach news release.
Modesti focuses his law practice on business and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on shareholder disputes, leases, land-use matters, finance agreements, unfair competition, trade secrets, trust and estate litigation, and business torts. He also handles appeals in both state and federal courts on a variety of civil-law issues and is often retained as a mediator in cases involving commercial disputes, Harris Beach said. Modesti is one of 15 attorneys in the law firm’s Syracuse office. Harris Beach is headquartered in the Rochester region.
In his new board role for Catholic Charities, which is for three years, Modesti will lead the board in providing strategic direction and fundraising support to the Catholic Charities management team. He has been a longstanding member of the Catholic Charities board, having recently served as board VP.
Catholic Charities, with a yearly budget of about $23 million, is one of the most active social-services providers in Central New York. The agency helps more than 19,000 clients annually through programs for people regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity, gender, age, or nationality, per the release.
Catholic Charities’ programs include emergency assistance, food pantry support, men’s-shelter services, veterans’ support, refugee resettlement, housing services, health-care management, workforce development, parent education programs, pre-K programs, respite services, and neighborhood centers.
