Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress is pleased to announce the addition of 10 regional leaders to its Board of Directors. Directors on Pattern’s board support its nonprofit mission to provide objective research and planning to the Hudson Valley by helping the organization with strategic planning, governance, research, education, fundraising, and by bringing the nonprofit’s work to regional leaders who can use it for action.
The newest directors were nominated last autumn and voted onto the board in December by the broader membership of Pattern for Progress, which includes academic institutions, businesses, nonprofit organizations and local governments throughout the nine-county region that it serves.
The following were appointed as new board members:
Nicole Carino is a senior vice president at M&T Bank. Carino has more than 18 years of commercial banking experience in the Hudson Valley. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management from the University at Buffalo in 2006. Carino is dedicated to serving her community. She also serves on the board of directors of Greystone Programs, and on various committees with the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of her church staff-parish relations committee, where she has served as chair for three years.
Conor Eckert is senior vice president at the Orange County Partnership, where he works closely with national site selectors, corporate brokers, elected officials, and end-users to facilitate industrial and commercial projects that create jobs and positive economic activity in the county. He also leads the strategic business development and site selection efforts of the Orange County Partnership, with a focus on life sciences, manufacturing, food and beverage, and logistics. He has worked with nationally recognized brands such as Tesla, Amazon, City Winery, PharmaCannis, Cardinal Health, UAP, Prime Source, Poly Craft Industries, and Royal Wine/Kedem, leading to significant jobs creation and private investment in Orange County. Prior to his role with the Orange County Partnership, Eckert served as executive director of the Town of Montgomery Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and Director of Economic Development and Planning. Eckert earned his bachelor’s degree in public policy and his master’s degree in public administration from Binghamton University. He also earned a graduate certificate in real estate development from Cornell University
Frank Filiciotto is the principal traffic engineer and New York metro area market lead at LaBella Associates. Filiciotto is a traffic engineer and planner with 20 years of diverse experience across the public and private sectors. He enjoys improving transportation systems so they are safer, more walkable, and more inviting for everyone. He also enjoys helping developers deliver the best in land use by incorporating thoughtful and cutting-edge multi-modal design aspects. Filiciotto also serves on the board of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation (HVEDC) and the Poughkeepsie Alliance. He lives in Poughkeepsie with his wife and daughter. He’s an avid runner and a jazz music enthusiast.
Anthony P. Luisi is senior counsel at Harris Beach Murtha Cullina, where he leads the environmental practice group. Luisi has more than 15 years of professional experience throughout the Hudson Valley and across New York State, including as a former regional director for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), where he served as senior manager of 12 regional divisions and offices in the Capital Region, and as regional attorney of the DEC. Luisi is well versed in federal and state environmental statutes, regulations, and case law. He represents companies, municipalities, and individuals in connection with real estate development and management, land use and zoning, regulatory compliance and permitting, and litigation. He has served on the boards of several not-for-profit organizations, including Greenburgh Nature Center in Scarsdale and Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless in Albany, and as chair of the board of directors of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission. Luisi earned his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University. He resides in the Capital Region with his wife and two children.
Michele O’Connell is president and CEO of Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc. O’Connell previously worked at Con Edison, where she served as vice president of customer service operations and in several other roles throughout New York City and Westchester County. O’Connell currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation (HVEDC), the New Jersey Utilities Association (NJUA) and the New York Building Congress. She is a member of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Operating Company Leadership Group, New Jersey Energy Coalition Advisory Board, Partnership for NYC Urban Resiliency Advisory Board and Women’s Forum of New York. She is a former David Rockefeller Fellow and was an executive committee member at both the AEIC (Association of Edison Illuminating Companies) and EEI. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and her master’s degree in business administration from Montclair State University.
Michelle O’Reilly is a partner at PKF O’Connor Davies Accounting and Advisors. She has 25 years of audit and advisory experience, working with the not-for-profit and healthcare sectors, including charities, social service agencies, education, the arts, membership organizations, nursing homes and voluntary health and welfare organizations. She also serves affordable housing entities including low-income housing tax credit limited partnerships and other commercial enterprises. O’Reilly is a founding member of the firm’s diversity and inclusion council and has authored various articles for its though leadership publications. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Marist College.
Stephanie Raymond is President & CEO of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, where she is responsible for setting company-wide strategic direction, operational leadership, financial management, and regulatory oversight. Prior to joining Central Hudson, Raymond served as president of PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, where she oversaw electric delivery operations for more than 1.5 million customers across 29 counties in Pennsylvania. During her 12-year tenure at PPL, she held various executive roles, covering strategic planning, operations, customer service, regulatory compliance, financial management, and business services. Raymond also spent a decade in the telecommunications industry, holding several senior leadership positions. Raymond volunteers for several business and community organizations. She serves on the boards of the SUNY New Paltz Foundation, the Business Council of New York State, the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC), the American Gas Association (AGA), and serves on the advisory board of ESource. Ms. Raymond earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on finance/strategic management from California State University, Sacramento, and is an alumna of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Education Program.
Jonathan W. Roberts is the President & CEO of Hudson Valley Credit Union (HVCU), one of the largest credit unions in the United States, with more than $7 billion in assets, more than 1,000 employees, and has 30 branches in Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, Greene, Columbia, Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Saratoga counties. Prior to joining HVCU, Roberts served as executive vice president at Webster Bank in Connecticut, where he led community banking and served on the bank’s operating committee. Roberts has extensive banking experience over the past 30 years with several well-respected institutions, including Fifth Third Bank, Citizens Bank, FNB Corp and Santander North America. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati and Stonier Graduate School of Banking, he is also an alumnus of The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated from the General Management Program in 2018. He currently serves as a board member for the New York Credit Union Association, and ChildFund International.
Kelly Ryan vice president of technology lifecycle services at IBM. For the past 12 years, Ryan has been an executive leader in IBM’s infrastructure division, which designs, builds, delivers and supports industry-leading solutions that meet enterprise scale requirements. She currently drives IBM multivendor infrastructure support and manages global technology lifecycle services client innovation centers. Ryan is the executive sponsor of IBM’s Hispanic Business Resource Group and has built women’s leadership programs around the world. She began her career in a technical role in operating systems development as a content developer and was also an associate partner in IBM Consulting focused on both K12 and Higher Ed. Kelly earned her bachelor’s degree from Clarkson University. She earned a master’s certificate in project management from George Washington University and is an IBM Certified Project Executive and holds project management certification from the Project Management Institute. In her spare time, Kelly does the important things in life – spending time with her family and friends and doing anything outside including playing tennis, skiing and hiking, and watching her son play golf.
Curt Schultzberg is vice president and strategic market manager at Hudson Valley Investment Advisors. His career in finance has focused on the intermediary and business side of the industry. Schultzberg has wholesaled for several organizations, been the chief administrative officer for a national broker dealer, ran domestic mergers and acquisitions for a multi-national insurance company, and has been responsible for the build-out of both large and small business development teams. Schultzberg graduated with a dual major from the State University of New York, College at Oswego, and as an active alumnus he currently serves as vice chair on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Business. He is also a member of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Committee. Outside the office, Schultzberg spends significant time enjoying live music as well as hiking, biking, camping, motorcycling, paddling the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress is a nonprofit organization that provides objective research, planning, and educational training throughout the region. Its work identifies civic challenges and promotes regional, equitable, and sustainable solutions to constantly improve the quality of life in Hudson Valley communities. Pattern develops its work upon a considerable foundation of facts and experience, without political aims or affiliations.
Pattern was founded in 1965 by the region’s academic, business, and nonprofit leaders. It serves a nine-county region that includes Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. Visit Pattern-For-Progress.org. Follow on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn @PatternForProgress, and on Twitter @HVPattern.
