REDC ANNOUNCES FOUR NEW DIRECTORS

At a recent Rockland Economic Development Corporation (REDC) Board of Directors meeting, Chair Sandra D. Grannum, Esq., officially welcomed four new directors to the board, effective January 1, 2014.

The new directors include:

Kevin P. Duignan, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, St. Thomas Aquinas College. Kevin joined the College Community in 1997 as Director of Development and Alumni Affairs. Subsequently promoted in 2000 to Executive Director, in 2006, he was named Vice President for Institutional Advancement. A dual alumnus of the College (B.A. ’75 and M.B.A. ’06) he directs all of the College’s institutional advancement initiatives, which include foundation, community and governmental affairs, annual giving and alumni affairs, commemorative and memorial scholarships, major gifts, capital campaign and planned gifts. The Annual Tribute Dinner, the Annual Benefit Golf Tournament, the Annual Alumni Hall of Fame Dinner as well as coordination of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the President’s Council are among the major responsibilities of the office.

Scott R. Goldstein, CPA, Partner, Goldstein, Karlewicz & Goldstein, LLP (GKG). A founding partner of GKG, Scott has been in public accounting since 1981, handling a diverse client base with a solid record of accomplishments. His professional experience includes expert services to manufacturing companies, distributors, retail, real estate owners and developers, professional services firms and contractors. A licensed CPA in the State of New York, having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Bryant University, he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a past president of the Medium-sized Firm’s Committee of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, a past president of the Board of Advisors for the Rockland County Unit of the American Cancer Society, and graduate and Executive Board member of Leadership Rockland Inc. Most recently, he was honored as the 2011 Leader of the Year by Leadership Rockland Inc.

Sara Tucker, First Vice President/Commercial Banking Team Leader at First Niagara Bank. Sara leads a team of commercial bankers in the Lower Hudson Valley, focusing on lending to companies in the region and helping privately held businesses with all financial services. Sara has 17 years of banking experience and has worked for large money-center banks, such as HSBC Bank and Citibank. She holds an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a BA in Economics from Binghamton University. Sara has been a resident of Rockland County for 25 years and has many ties to the community. During a break in her corporate career, Sara was President of the South Orangetown Board of Education, facilitated the Capital Campaign for the Piermont Library and was involved in the founding of the Hudson Valley Children’s Museum. Her community involvement continues to be strong, and she currently is on the Board of Directors of Leadership Rockland Inc. and Keep Rockland Beautiful, Inc.  

Jill A. Warner, LCSW, CEO, Executive Director, Jawonio. As CEO, Jill is responsible for overseeing all aspects of this multifaceted, regional organization. She has over 30 years of experience in the non-profit disabilities services sector and prior to becoming CEO she was the Division Director for Community Living Services. Her efforts resulted in increased revenue of over $14 million to support a continuum of residential care for people with Disabilities and special needs. She was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2005, during which time programs in the areas of medical, mental health, education and in home services enhanced and expanded their services. In March 2008, Jill was unanimously endorsed by the Board of Directors to become the 4^th CEO to lead Jawonio. Jawonio has an operating budget of over $40 million, provides services to more than 5,000 people with disabilities and special needs annually and employs over 1,000 people. In 2012, Jawonio received the Pinnacle Award, as non-profit of the year from the Rockland Business Association and Agency of the Year, from NAMI-FAMILYA, for their leadership in Mental Health. Senator David Carlucci, the Rockland Women’s Business Forum and the Rockland Economic Development Corporation have all recognized Jill for her accomplishments. Recently, Jill has served as a member of the Rockland County Legislature Deficit Reduction Task Force. Jill serves on the Board of Directors of Leadership Rockland, the Rockland Business Association and is a member of the New City Rotary, and a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. She earned her MSW degree at Purdue University.

Also new to the Board are two ex-officio Directors, who serve as Directors by virtue of their office, Rockland County Executive, Edwin J. Day, and Chairman of the Rockland County Legislature, Alden H. Wolfe.

In addition, REDC affirmed its 2014 Executive Committee including: Jack F. Holt, Vice Chair; James B. Tully, Vice Chair/Secretary; Quinton C. Van Wynen, Jr., Treasurer; Steven M. Yassky, Vice Chair; and Michael DiTullo, President and CEO. Also, the following committee chairs serve on the Executive Committee, including: Stephen Coyle, Audit Committee; William F. Helmer, Governance Committee; Robert E. Seaman, III, Public Policy Committee. Mr. Holt and Mr. Tully also hold Committee Chair positions, on the Tactical Response Group and Board Development Committee, respectively.

REDC’s Board composition is 75 percent from the private sector. Its directors are selected from persons that reside or have a substantial business interest in Rockland County and include executive officers of firms doing business in Rockland County from various industries including: banking and finance, higher education, commercial and Industrial real estate, professional services, small business, utilities, to name a few.