Retired Real Estate Developer; Former Pres,
Otsego Land Trust; Former Pres, Princeton (NJ) Public Library
Otsego County abounds in natural beauty and historic significance. Above all, however, we share a deep sense of community that serves as the base for the Community Foundation. I feel privileged to join in creating this new enterprise that is focused on improving the quality of life for everyone in our county. As a retired real estate developer, I can contribute my entrepreneurial skills to growing this young organization. My wife Ellen and I split our time between our farm in Springfield and our house in Princeton, NJ.
Mayor, Oneonta; Former COO, Opportunities for Otsego
Attracted by the sense of community and the unmatched beauty of our natural environment, I first moved to Otsego County in 1975. Since that time, I have had the good fortune to have served as the Director of the Oneonta Job Corps Center, the COO of Opportunities for Otsego, and, currently, as the Mayor of the City of Oneonta. My work has allowed me to become familiar with the needs and challenges faced by various segments of our local community and to do my best in providing for improved safety, financial security, opportunities, and quality of life for all. The Community Foundation of Otsego County can now provide us with a much needed additional resource in serving all members of our community.
Attorney, Partner Schlather and Birch; Member, various non-profit boards
Otsego County welcomed my wife, Karen, and me in 1976, and has over the years given us so many opportunities to give back [for me it’s been Glimmerglass Opera, Bassett Healthcare, Pathfinder Village, Hartwick College and Catskill Hospice]. As an attorney and certified public accountant, I know that a community foundation can be an effective tool for endowing one’s philanthropy in perpetuity. I will use my time on this board to broadcast this message to and among those of us who care for and support local institutions to enable continuation of that care and support.
President, Bank of Cooperstown
Retired EVP, Mobil Oil; Former Trustee, Village of Cooperstown
I strongly believe Otsego County will benefit greatly from a Community Foundation to help address long-standing problems and help make better use of our assets. Many years ago, as a director of the Mobil Foundation, I learned that providing financial support to local groups that have carefully targeted, well designed and well managed programs can help a community jumpstart action to solve difficult problems. The Community Foundation of Otsego County (CFOC) was in its formative stages when the COVID pandemic hit. CFOC quickly established a COVID Relief Fund. With volunteer help and financial support from the community, we provided immediate aid to more than twenty local organizations for specific projects related to the pandemic, demonstrating the creative, nimble, responsive philanthropy we can achieve by working together.
Chair, Otsego County Board of Representatives; Real Estate Broker; Farmer
Retired President, SUNY Oneonta
After I retired in 2008, Annie and I decided to remain in Otsego County. We take full advantage of our natural surroundings, cultural activities, good friends, and opportunities to volunteer. Joining the Community Foundation certainly has been a way of making new friends and serving the commonwealth. “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” -Winston Churchill
Attorney, Founding Partner, Selendy and Gay
My family has lived in and loved this community for a decade, and we can’t imagine making our home in any other place than Otsego County. It’s a privilege to join forces with this talented board in service to our friends and neighbors. By way of background, I am a veteran trial lawyer, candidate for ordination in the Presbyterian Church, and a single-engine pilot. I have been active in several Otsego County efforts including a legal aid clinic focusing on vulnerable populations, Otsego Area Rowing and the Glimmerglass Festival. In NYC, I am involved in various legal aid, public arts, and community health efforts. My wife Francesca, son Jack and I split our time between the north end of Otsego Lake and NYC.
Coordinator of Articulation and Transfer Credit, SUNY Oneonta
It is my pleasure to serve on the board with such dedicated people to our community. My husband and I came to the area over 40 years ago to attend the State University of Oneonta and now to serve on the Otsego County Foundation, the honor is all mine. As my work in higher education continues, my commitment to working with students and community partners is where I’m most comfortable. I support the Foundation’s vision, mission, and support the values for which it serves.
Executive Director, Springbrook
Patricia Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer of Springbrook, is a strategic leader dedicated to providing the most compassionate, skilled, and leading edge supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. She has established herself as a prominent figure among New York State’s strong special education and developmental disabilities service industry—guiding Springbrook through an unprecedented period of growth and transformation from a small local organization with 200 employees to a commanding regional agency with over 1,400 employees supporting over 1,000 individuals and families.
Kennedy has received many accolades for her work including being named the 2005 New York State Developmental Disabilities Council Administrator of the Year and 2015 New York State Woman of Distinction. Her efforts as Springbrook CEO have seen the organization grow to offer a full range of services that span a person’s lifetime, including residential, educational, therapeutic, and community support options. She was also instrumental in the foundation of Southern Tier Connect, one of New York’s Care Coordination Organizations, for which she serves as Board Chair.
Limited Partner, Edward Jones, financial advisors; Former Chair, Oneonta United Way and YMCA
I am a lifelong resident of Otsego County. My husband, Mike, and I both grew up in Oneonta and got married in 2005. We live in the town of Oneonta where we are raising our two children, Ian (12) and Elise (8). I work for Edward Jones Investments. I began my career in 2009 as a financial advisor in Oneonta, and continue to serve the greater Otsego County area. I have been an active part of the local community most of my life, serving the Oneonta Family YMCA, Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care, United Way of Otsego & Delaware Counties, the West Kortright Centre and the Oneonta Rotary Foundation. I currently serve the First United Methodist Church Council and the Community Foundation of Otsego County.
Manager, Central New York office, NYCON; Member, Otsego County Board of Representatives
I moved to Cooperstown in 2000 to attend the Cooperstown Graduate Program where I met my spouse Melissa, and we now reside in Fly Creek with our daughters, Caroline and Charlotte. I’ve worked for 16 years at the New York Council of Nonprofits providing management and governance assistance to local nonprofits. I am a longstanding Cooperstown Chamber board member (and on the boards of Cornell Cooperative Extension; Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network; and Leatherstocking Council BSA) and I serve as an elected Representative for Otsego County. I believe investment in the nonprofit community is essential to supporting our residents health and quality of life.
Former President, The Brookwood School; Board Member, Friends of the Village Library of Cooperstown
Former Director of Finance and Administration in the legal field; Trustee of The Glimmerglass Festival; Member, Musica Viva NY
Tom was born in Otsego County, New York and raised in Texas and Oklahoma. Following graduation from Northwestern University, where he majored in communications with a minor emphasis in music, he worked as Program Promotions Manager for WGN Television in Chicago. He subsequently moved to New York City where he worked for several years as an advertising account executive. Later, he became the Director of Finance and Administration for a law firm in the metropolitan area. Following retirement after almost twenty years in the legal field, he attended New York University and earned a Certified Financial Planner designation. Now fully retired, Tom divides his time between Otsego County and New York City. He is a Trustee of the Glimmerglass Festival and is on the Board of Musica Viva NY.
Board member, Greater Norwich Foundation; Emeritus Trustee, Miss Hall’s School
I worked at Harvard Business School before returning to Norwich, my hometown. I have always had a passion for giving back to my communities, whether it be service in education, healthcare, or other non-profits. I have served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of Bassett and the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Inc, the Smithy-Pioneer Gallery, and the Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival…as well as many many boards in Norwich, where I grew up. Most importantly, I see the opportunities we have to integrate all of the needs of the community and to be able to be of help with our foundation to solve some of the problems that face us today. It’s an exciting venture which I shall enjoy.
