Board & Governance

About the Board

People support decisions they help to make, and Cornell Cooperative Extension believes strongly in shared leadership through locally elected Boards of Directors and active program development committees.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland County is governed by a 13 member Board of Directors that consists of 13 elected community volunteers and a representative from Cornell University. It includes people from towns throughout Rockland County who bring their knowledge of community needs and concerns to the governance of this organization. Our board sets policy, hires staff, prioritizes educational programs and works with Extension's educational staff to ensure program effectiveness.

Program Committees for each of our issue areas guide the direction of the workshops, classes and other services that we offer the residents of Rockland County, and review the effectiveness of our efforts. Our programs have evolved over the years to reflect changes in values, ethics, community norms, family structures, mobility and the economy in direct response to this grassroots community involvement.

CCE-Rockland is delighted to have active and diverse Board of Directors and Program Committees, which are key to achieving strong and meaningful community impacts! If, as you read more about how we are governed, you believe you have a contribution to make to our programming as a volunteer, please get in touch! We welcome your input and ideas!

2021 Board Members

Charmaine Cigliano, President
Ann Barry, Vice President
Ann Marie Palefsky, Secretary
Richard Diaz, Treasurer
Carolyn W. Amdurer
Dr. Bernadette Connors
Natalya Hansen
Miguelina Lopez
Bill Madden
Paul Pietropaolo
James K. Riley
Rockland County Legislature Liaison – Legislator Aney Paul
Cornell Cooperative Extension State Specialist – Adam Hughes

2020 Board Meeting Dates (open to the public)

January 27
February 24
March 24
April 28
May 26
June 23
July 28
September 22
October 27
November 17
December 8- Annual Meeting

Meeting Time & Location

Important Change Due to Public Health

Starting August 2021, Board Meeting will take place in a hybrid setting. Meetings will be in person and broadcast live via Zoom. It is still open to the public. For details on how to access the meeting, email Suzanne Barclay at sb2475@cornell.edu.