NEWBURGH, NY — Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress has added seven people from the region 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 and fundraising, and by bringing the nonprofit’s work to regional leaders who can use it for action.

Directors are nominated and voted into office 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:

James Arrabito is an attorney with Catania, Mahon & Rider, PLLC in Newburgh. His practice focuses primarily on all aspects of environmental regulation, diligence, and litigation under state and federal law.  Arrabito also works with clients on commercial real estate transactions and development matters, providing multi-faceted legal counsel with a strong emphasis on mitigating environmental liabilities. Arrabito also represents landowners in negotiating ground leases and purchase options for utility-scale renewables projects in the Hudson Valley. Arrabito earned his law degree from Rutgers Law School and, prior to entering private practice, served as a law clerk to the Honorable Jaynee LaVecchia (Ret.), Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Susan Browning is western regional president of Nuvance Health and president of Vassar Brothers Medical Center, where she oversees the center’s operations, including financial performance, patient satisfaction and quality of care. She works closely with a team of healthcare professionals to ensure the medical center continues to be a leader in healthcare in the Hudson Valley. Prior to joining Nuvance Health, Browning served at Northwell Health for more than 24 years in numerous roles. She was vice president for administration at New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where she managed hospital operations and support services, as well as strategic ambulatory care development and outpatient operations.  Browning earned her master’s degree in public health from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and her bachelor’s degree of arts from Barnard College at Columbia University. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, past president of Healthcare Leaders of New York, and also served as an examiner with the United States Department of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program.

Alison Buckley is the seventh president of SUNY Ulster. She assumed office in 2022, bringing a student-centered approach to leadership and cultivating a culture of inclusive excellence to increase degree completion and transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Buckley previously served as vice president for enrollment management and student affairs for Connecticut State Community Colleges, and associate vice president of enrollment management at Howard Community College in Maryland. She is also experienced in the classroom; she taught at the American College Dublin, the Community College of Philadelphia, Delaware County Community College, and Howard Community College. She currently serves on the advisory committee of Presidents for the Association of Community College Trustees, the National Junior College Athletic Association Presidents’ Commission, and has served on the American Association of Community Colleges Commission on Institutional Infrastructure and Transformation. Buckley earned a doctoral degree in organizational leadership studies from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in history and a postgraduate certificate in museum studies from the University of Delaware, an M.Phil. in women’s studies from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, and an M.B.A from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. She holds a bachelor’s degree in classics and history from Randolph College, where she currently serves on the Board of Trustees.

Javier Gomez is the director of community development and impact for Hudson River Housing. He oversees advocacy, communications, and various community programs and local partnerships for the agency. He also reviews internal data and prepares reports related to the nonprofit’s organizational impact. Gomez held previous positions within the agency as a real estate development program coordinator and manager of real estate development, where he coordinated the development of affordable housing projects throughout the Hudson Valley. Before joining Hudson River Housing in 2018, he completed a one-year service term as an Americorps VISTA for the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative in the City of Newburgh sponsored by the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region. Gomez has a deep interest in the issues of regional community and economic development as demonstrated by his other professional experiences as a Pattern for Progress Fellow, Good Work Institute Fellow, and as a cohort-member of the Community Preservation Corporation’s ACCESS program. He is a second-generation American of Dominican and Colombian heritage, and a lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley. Gomez earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Marist College. 

Tony Marmo is the president of Normann Staffing, a staffing and recruitment agency based in Kingston. Normann Staffing has served hundreds of businesses and placed thousands of employees in Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Greene, Columbia and Sullivan counties. Marmo previously served as the CEO of Kingston Hospital, and as an administrator at three skilled nursing facilities in New York and New Jersey. He continues to hold an active license to administer a nursing home in New York. Marmo is an active community volunteer. He is currently the Hudson Valley District Membership Chair for Rotary International; is the co-founder and current president of the Ulster County Italian American Foundation; serves as president of Ulster Strong, and a board member for the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation. He serves on the board of the Ulster County Workforce Development Board and volunteered as a co-host on Kingston Community Radio/WGHQ for 18 years, most recently as co-host of Tutto Italiano! on Radio Kingston/WKNY. Marmo earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pace University and his master’s degree in public administration from Long Island University.

Julika von Stackelberg is the family and community resilience educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County. She is an educator, resilience trainer, and researcher focused on building communities of belonging based on strategies that promote well-being and equity. She is a speaker and community organizer with insights and strategies for professionals, families, individuals, and youth that reduce stress, foster connection, increase protective factors, build resilience, and create belonging. Julika has a culturally diverse background and is internationally experienced through work and research. She is a leader of innovative community-based approaches to increasing public health through programs like the Master Community Builder Program, a research-based program she developed, piloted, and launched in 2023. The program is built on a culturally responsive and sustaining framework that centers on human and planetary well-being and expertly trains individuals to build resilient communities. Julika serves on several community coalitions and organization boards and holds appointments on statewide advisory and advocacy committees. Julika holds a bachelor’s degree in African studies and development studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London and a master’s degree in social justice and community organizing from Prescott College. Von Stackelberg is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in sustainability education at Prescott College, AZ, where she is researching social imaginaries as a framework for the transition toward resilient and regenerative communities.

Clarissa Timbrouck has worked in the banking industry for 12 years, and with Rondout Savings Bank since 2017. She has worked in both retail banking and lending, currently in commercial lending.  She is knowledgeable in providing community members with exceptional service and delivering solutions to help them achieve their financial goals. Timbrouck is passionate about learning about local businesses, guiding them through their financial needs and helping them succeed in the community. She is very involved in the community by sitting on a variety of boards including, The YMCA of Ulster County, The YWCA of Ulster County, and the Kingston Midtown Business Foundation.

About Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress

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.