Board of Directors
Don Murphy, President, was the CEO of St. Francis Hospital for 25 years (ret. 2000), one of two community hospitals in Poughkeepsie. Prior to assuming the CEO position, he held senior hospital positions in Worcester, MA and Albany, NY. While in Albany he also was an adjunct professor of Health Care Administration in the Graduate School of RPI. He holds undergraduate degrees in Biology and Philosophy also an MBA in Health Care Administration. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association and sat on the board of Mental Health America-Dutchess County serving as treasurer. He also was elected Chairman of the Board of the United Way of Dutchess County.
Mary Lou Heisennbuttel, Vice President, is a graduate of Wagner College with a B.S. and Adelphi University with a MSW. She became the first director of Grace Smith House, a shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children and was also the first director of the Supervised Visitation Program in Family Court. Mary Lou is presently working with Adelphi University as a Faculty Liaison for social work students doing internships. She has served on the Board of Directors and officer of a number of non-profits including the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val Kill, Mental Health America-Dutchess County, the Mental Health Association of NYS., as well as the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Mary Lou is presently volunteering with the Dutchess Re-Entry Project, supporting women returning to the community from incarceration, is a member of a team facilitating a support group for Parkinson's Disease patients and is organizing a Domestic Violence Court Watch program with AAUW.
Elizabeth (Betty) Halstead, Secretary held numerous accounting positions over the years at St. Francis Hospital, including Accountant, Budget Director and with more than 35 years, retired in 2008 as the Director of Finance/Controller. She has served on the Finance Committee for more than 20 years at Mount Carmel Church, working on the School and Church Budgets. Each June Mount Carmel Church holds the annual Saint Anthony's Street Festival and Betty is responsible for all of the cash and the cash reports. She also volunteers as a Eucharist Minister, visiting the Valley River Nursing Home, Poughkeepsie. Betty is the Chairwoman of the Audit Committee of the Mediation Center.
Hon. Damian J. Amodeo (ret.), retired in 2008, after serving 20 years on the Family Court bench. Graduated from Fordham College in 1965; and, received his JD degree from Fordham Law School in 1968, where he served as Articles Editor of the Law Review. Upon admission to the NY Bar in 1968 Judge Amodeo and his father, Mariano B. Amodeo, formed the law firm of Amodeo & Amodeo. From 1969 through1989, Judge Amodeo also worked as part-time confidential law secretary for Family Court Judges Heilman, Bernhard Hillery and Marlow. Judge Amodeo was elected to a 10 year term in 1988 and re-elected in 1998. He was designated a full time Acting Supreme Court Justice in 1999. He has served as President of the Dutchess County Bar Association; served on various statewide committees and with local groups, including the NYS Matrimonial Commission; the NYS Parent Education Advisory Board; the Dutchess County Criminal Justice Council; and has served a guest lecturer a Vassar, Marist and Dutchess Community Colleges. He is member and past-president of the Hyde Park Rotary Club. While on the bench Judge Amodeo worked closely with the Mediation Center to establish an active presence in Family Court and frequently help train volunteers. He has served as member of the Board since 2009.
Jane Cottrell is both a lawyer and a commercial mediator. In this role she has worked with individual and corporate parties in both the US and England. In addition to he is a volunteer mediator for the Mediation Center of Dutchess County. As a lawyer she specializes in entertainment work, principally in the television industry. Jane earned her law degree at Columbia University School of Law and trained as a mediator at Regent’s College in London. She did advanced study in negotiation at Harvard University School of Law and in intellectual property at Oxford University. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Utah.
Robert Haskins, Esq. is a partner in Poughkeepsie Law Firm of Steinberg, Symer and Platt. He is a graduate of the State University College at New Paltz and the Syracuse University School of Law, where he received the American Bar Association Award for study in State and Local Government. Mr. Haskins has done significant trial and Appellate workf or the past ten years and has been trying cases before juries since 1987. He has also trained as a mediator. While Mr. Haskins has concentrated on malpractice defense, he also has extensive experience with other areas of personal injury and complex tort litigation. He is an adjunct faculty member and lecturer in the SUNY New Paltz Women’s Studies Program and is the former Board President of Planned Parenthood of the Mid-Hudson Valley.
Dan Jones has been a business man, social worker, teacher and school administrator, retiring from the education field in 2008. He was an active volunteer with Scouting in the suburban Philadelphia area, and a scout leader instructor locally and nationally. His board experiences have included Civic Associations, the Planning Commission, Planned Parenthood, community Day Care Programs in suburban Philadelphia, Adirondack Mountain Club locally and headquarter level, and the Mid-Hudson Anti-Slavery History Project board. He has served as an active mediator since 1997 and joined the Mediation Center Board in 2006.
Theresa Kerin, M. Ed., has over 25 years in fund raising and development work, primarily in higher education where she served as vice president for advancement. After retiring from full time college development work, she worked part time to help the Poughkeepsie Public Library District increase its fundraising efforts and prepare for the campaign that resulted in funding for the renovation and expansion of the Adriance Memorial Library. Ms. Kerin currently works part time as the director of development and public relations for the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie. She and her husband, Edward, live in the Town of Poughkeepsie. She has served on the Mediation Center board since 2008.
Dan Pena, Ph.D., is a graduate of York College - C.U. N. Y. , after which he attended Wayne State University located in Detroit, MI. and obtained a degree in Molecular Biology. Since then Dr. Peña has held a variety of positions as a Researcher, Teacher, College Administrator, Software Consultant and a Real Estate Agent licensed by the State of New York. Currently he is an adjunct faculty member at Mount Saint Mary College and Dutchess Community College. Aside from serving on the Board for the Mediation Center since 2008, Dr. Peña is also serves on the Board of the Baptist Home at Rhinebeck.
Susan J. Ragusa is the founder and president of Cause and Event LLC, an event strategy company based in the Hudson Valley working with nonprofit organizations helping them to think through and maximize opportunities special events can provide, while effectively promoting their mission. The unique blend of Susan’s business experiences – in education, the not-for-profit sector, retail, the corporate world and organizing special events – enable her to make real what her clients want. Susan received her Professional Event Planning Certification from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Susan is a co-founder of Women In Transition Hudson Valley, a grass roots organization providing services for women whose lives are in transition by virtue of any of the changes that affect women’s lives.
Carla Rovere-Kistner, LCSW, a Certified Social Worker & Case Manager at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, has held administrative & consulting positions in a number of health care agencies in Dutchess, Orange & Ulster County. She has a strong background in Quality Management & regulatory compliance and has numerous board & volunteer affiliations, including the Womens' Division of Dutchess Golf & Country Club, Vietnam Veterans Outreach, American Red Cross, Grace Smith House, Friends of Mills Mansion, Interfaith Caregivers, Association for Senior Citizens, Hospice of Dutchess County, & Miles for Hope.
Rick Wilhelm, Ed.D., a retired educator, has been an administrator and consultant in a number of Hudson Valley school districts, an assistant professor at SUNY New Paltz, an adjunct professor at Pace University, and a principal in the Chappaqua Central School District. He serves on the boards of the Cardinal Hayes Home for Children and Dutchess County Planning, and has been active in the Town of Pleasant Valley as co-chair of the Comprehensive Planning Committee, chairman of the Municipal Water Committee, and a member of the Board of Ethics.
Hon. Gerald V Hayes was a Dutchess County Court Judge from May 2000 until his retirement in December 2010. After graduating from Fordham Law School in 1968, he became an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, and then, a Dutchess County assistant district attorney (1971-1980). During the next twenty years, he was engaged in the private practice of law and was also a part time assistant public defender. While a County Judge, he was appointed an Acting Supreme Court Justice. His expanded duties included being the Integrated Domestic Violence Court Judge (2006-2009). Additionally, Judge Hayes was the Dutchess County Drug Diversion Judge during 2009-2010. He has been a speaker at numerous seminars and legal education programs. In addition to being a member of various legal and judicial organizations, Judge Hayes was a member of the Dutchess County Criminal Justice Council from 2000-2010.
Bea McCormick