Board

Marcel Martino, President, is a senior healthcare executive with over 45 years of progressive experience in healthcare and human services management. He currently serves as Vice President of Community Relations for Adapt of the Hudson Valley, an organization dedicated to providing cutting edge programs and services for people with disabilities. For nearly 15 years, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Inspire, where he fostered new initiatives and expanded special needs programming. Marcel has comprehensive experience in all aspects of operations, including facilities and budget management, program development and implementation, strategic planning and business development. He holds a baccalaureate degree from Manhattan College and an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Wagner College. In addition, Marcel contributes his expertise to the community by serving on several non-profit Boards of Directors. He serves as Chair, Mediation Center of Dutchess County; Vice President, Joint Membership and Health Care Association; Immediate Past Chair and Current Vice Chair, Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Past Chair for Cornerstone Family Healthcare.

James Melitski, Vice President, is a Professor in the School of Management in the Department of Public and Nonprofit Administration at Marist College. Dr. Melitski has led institutional strategic planning initiatives, and he consults with nonprofit organizations on board development, strategy, performance measurement and fundraising. His teaching and research interests include organizational theory and behavior, leadership, coworker trust, and technology management. Dr. Melitski’s book “E-Government and Information Technology Management” examines technology privacy, security, service delivery, big data, open government, and social media management. His research appears in journals such as Public Performance and Management Review, the American Review of Public Administration, Public Administration Quarterly, and more.   

Joseph A. Di Palo, MBA, LNHA, Treasurer, is the President of The Stamford Group and a seasoned healthcare executive with over 30 years of medical practice, nursing home and hospital administration experience. In his early career, Mr. Di Palo was a pioneer in establishing urgent care and occupational health centers throughout the Hudson Valley. He transitioned to health-system operations and was responsible for the clinical and financial turnaround of critical access hospitals in New York and Washington. Currently, he is a consultant in the long-term care industry. Mr. Di Palo has served as an officer and past Chair of several nonprofit organizations including Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation, Chamber of Commerce and Sloper-Willen Foundation.  

Stacey Lee, New York State Notary Public, Secretary, is the Office Manager at Professional Financial Consultants in Wappingers Falls, New York, and previously the Office Manager at Southern Dutchess Behavioral Group. Stacey is actively involved in The Alzheimer’s Association, The American Heart Association, and The American Cancer Society.  Stacey resides in Dutchess County since 1996, previously of Queens, New York, with her husband and the proud parent to her daughter Julia.  Stacey enjoys the outdoors, working out, seeing live music events, especially her husband, and doing ceramics with her Mom. Stacey was very involved in the PTA in the Wappingers Central School District from 2005 through 2018 at the local unit level, the Council level, and the Regional level, overseeing 84 units.

Karen T. Blonder is a volunteer mediator who has facilitated cases with MCDC for more than 12 years. Dr. Blonder is a retired nurse and educator who earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from New York University, and subsequent Master of Arts in Education and Doctorate degrees from Columbia University. Continuing her lifelong commitment to teaching and learning, she is a member of the Center for Lifelong Studies Curriculum Committee at Marist College. Dr. Blonder is also an active member of the Patient-Family Advisory Committee at Vassar Hospital, the Professional Nurses Association of Dutchess-Putnam Counties, and the Organization of Retired Educators at Dutchess Community College. She is an active community volunteer, including service as an ambassador at Walkway Over the Hudson as well as an animal lover, who offers Dog Therapy with her certified therapy dog Lexi at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, and serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors at Dutchess County SPCA.

Robert R. Haskins is an attorney with over 35 years of experience and is of counsel to Sholes & Miller PLLC. He is involved in all aspects of medical defense litigation including case assessment, fact and medical investigation reviews, depositions, motions and appeals. Mr. Haskins’ law practice centers on the defense of physicians, nurses, hospitals and nursing homes in medical malpractice litigation. In addition, he represents plaintiffs in personal injury litigation. Mr. Haskins is also an experienced, certified mediator. Mr. Haskins is admitted to practice in all New York State courts and the United States District Courts in both the Southern and Northern Districts of New York. He received his BA from the State University of New York at New Paltz before earning his Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University School of Law. In addition to his distinguished law career, Mr. Haskins makes a positive impact on our community by contributing his expertise to many local not-for-profits. He has served on numerous boards, including Mental Health America, Kaatsbaan Center for Dance and the Springside Restoration. Mr. Haskins has lectured at Oxford University on reproductive rights and has taught Reproductive Law and Policy at the State University of New York at New Paltz. He has had the honor of being the keynote speaker at the New York State convention of the National Organization of Women..

Steffen T. Kraehmer, CFRE, is a retired nonprofit executive and fundraiser. He served as Executive Director to the Health Alliance Foundation for 20 years, where he led all aspects of development across two hospital campuses and a retirement community. In addition to his professional experiences serving the community, Mr. Kraehmer has also volunteered with organizations such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Family Resource Coalition of New York, Hudson Valley Make-a-Wish, Mohonk Preserve, and more. An avid hiker, he is also a member of the Adirondack 46ers Club, Catskill 3500 Club, and Mount Washington Observatory. To date he has published six books including a guidebook to the Hudson Valley, and explorations of parenting. Mr. Kraehmer is a graduate of Florida State University and has continued his lifelong commitment to learning through trainings and certifications in fundraising, leadership, financial and estate planning.

Chianti Lewis, J.D., is a staff attorney who specializes in housing law with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. As an attorney within a nonprofit organization, Ms. Lewis represents tenants in non-payment and holdover proceedings, in obtaining and maintaining section 8 vouchers, and homeowners in complex foreclosures. Before joining Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, she was an Assistant Managing Attorney at Rosicki, Rosicki & Associates in Fishkill. Ms. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York at Albany and her Juris Doctor at Barry University School of Law.

Amanda Sen Villalobos, J.D., M.A.Ed., is an attorney, professor and trained mediator. She currently teaches in the Graduate Lawyering Program at NYU School of Law, where she introduces foreign-trained attorneys to the United States legal system and teaches skills needed to practice effectively in the U.S. Ms. Sen has also taught at Marist College in Poughkeepsie. Prior to joining the faculty at NYU Law, Ms. Sen Villalobos was an attorney at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley specializing in family law in Dutchess County. She has also worked as a family law and special education attorney in New York City and currently maintains a small family law and mediation practice in Dutchess County. She has published several law review articles about legal issues in family law and education. Ms. Sen Villalobos lives in Wappingers Falls with her partner and children and is a Girl Scout Troop Leader and Service Unit Manager as well as Vice-President of the PTA of her local Wappingers Falls elementary school.