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!

Read CCE Rockland Resolution HERE

Read CCE Constitution HERE

2026 Board Members

  • Maria Gagliardi - President
  • Heather Hurley - Vice President
  • Dave Fernandez - Secretary 
  • Claudette Clark 
  • Paul Cleary
  • Laura Graves 
  • Richard Diaz
  • Paul Larsen
  • Marcus Octaviano 
  • Brian Quinn
  • Sophia Salis 
  • Tim Sanders
  • Dr. Bianca Wenzell
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension State Specialist –  Patricia Claiborne

2026 Board Meeting Dates (Open to the public) 

**January 28th meeting will be held via zoom, please contact Jody Addeo at jka64@cornell.edu for the link**

  • January 28th
  • March 25th
  • May 27th
  • July 22nd
  • September 23rd
  • November 18th
  • December TBD: Annual Meeting

2026 Annual Meeting

December is our Annual Meeting Celebration!

Induction of new Board Members will take place, followed by a special presentations.

Meetings are typically held on the fourth Wednesday of the month, starting at 5:30 pm.

Meeting Time & Location

Important Change Due to Public Health

All meetings are open to the public and are held in person at 10 Patriot Hills Drive, Stony Point. 

If you have any questions, please email Deirdre at Dh577@cornell.edu

Last updated January 26, 2026