Board of Trustees
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Northeast New York is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees. The Trustees are charged with overseeing the affairs of the organization, setting policies and procedures, raising funds and other duties, to fulfill the mission of the Foundation.
Paul Bonacquisti
President
Bio coming soon
Michael K. Burke
Vice President
Mr. Burke is currently Vice Chairman of Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY, amongst other current board positions. Mr. Burke was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Intermagnetics General Corporation (NASDAQ: IMGC) having joined the medical device company in December 2001. Mr. Burke left following the company’s sale and successful integration to Koninkliijke Philips Electronics, N.V.’s (NYSE: PHG) medical systems segment in November 2006 for $1.3 billion. He was responsible for all finance activities of the corporation and administration of enterprise-wide IT. Burke provided leadership in strategic planning and in the complex evaluation, structuring and integration of all M&A and joint venture transactions.
Before joining Intermagnetics, Mr. Burke was executive vice president and chief financial officer of HbT, Inc., a privately held power technology company. Burke was a senior operating executive for this late stage development company, with responsibility for all finance activities including capital raising and operations management; raising over $20 million in private institutional capital and successfully filing its S-1 with the SEC for a $120 million IPO led by Salomon Smith Barney. HbT provided small-scale hydrogen reformers for both fuel cell market and industrial market applications.
Prior to joining HbT in May 2000, Burke was a managing director within the U.S. Investment Banking Department of CIBC Oppenheimer Corp. (now CIBC World Markets). His 20 years of combined investment and merchant banking experience was focused on the power technology, energy and electric utility industries. Subsequent to CIBC Oppenheimer Corp., Burke was a director within the Global Investment Banking Division of Barclays Bank (now Barclays Capital). He held numerous leadership positions with increasing responsibilities in both New York and London, and began his career at Manufacturers Hanover Trust. His professional experience included mergers and acquisitions, merchant banking and corporate finance, and he held NASD series-7 and series-63 licenses.
Burke is also a member of the Board of Directors of Casella Waste Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) (serving on their Audit Committee); Vice Chairman of the Albany Medical Center (serving as Chairman of the Hospital Affairs Committee and as a member of the Investments Committee); the Board of Trustees of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York (serving as Vice President, and Chairman of the Strategic Planning committee, and member of the Resources Development Committee); as well as the Board of Directors of Union Graduate College. Burke is a graduate of Lake Forest College with a B.A. degree in Economics with concentrations in Finance, Accounting, and Business Law. He completed graduate studies at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as part of the management development program while employed at Barclays Bank. Burke is also a member of various industry associations: National Association of Corporate Directors; Corporate Executive Board; American Management Association; Financial Executives International; Institute of Management Accountants.
Photo currently unavailable
Christine L. Warren, Esq.
Secretary
Christine is an Attorney with the firm of Michael A. Colton, P.C.. She rejoined in the firm in October 2006, after practicing with them from 1998 to 2000. Christine has extensive experience in estate planning and taxation law. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1998.
Christine graduated from Union College with Bachelor of Arts in Economics and French. She earned her Juris Doctor from Albany Law School.
Christine has been very active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York. She has served on the Board of Trustees for the past five years, including the last year as Secretary. She is a member of the organization’s Board Governance Committee, Executive Committee and currently chairs the Mission Delivery Committee.
In addition to her involvement with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, she is also co-owner of Northeast Precision Welding, Inc. and a founding member of Pipesnapper Welding Supply, LLC.
Christine resides in East Greenbush with her husband, Mark D. Dwileski, Jr. and their two daughters, Grace and Lilah.
Thomas L. Amell
Treasurer
Tom Amell is the Eastern New York Regional President for First Niagara. His responsibilities include providing executive level leadership to all employees within the eastern New York region, including 56 branches. He also is responsible for developing new business opportunities within the region, serving as a regional liaison between banking, insurance and wealth management groups and providing leadership to the Regional Corporate Contributions Committee.
Previously, he served as a Senior Vice President and New York Director for Business Banking for Citizens Bank, N.A. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing management of five Citizens’ Business Banking centers across New York covering Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany and the Hudson Valley. Prior to that position, he was Relationship Manager Director for Business Banking for Citizens Bank, N.A. in New York State, responsible for managing five teams of business banking center managers and 25 relationship managers.
Prior to joining Citizens Bank, he was Vice President and Regional Sales Manager at GE Capital Corporation in Buffalo. He previously served as a Vice President and Sales Executive with HSBC in Buffalo.
Mr. Amell is active in many professional and community organizations in the Capital Region and serves as Treasurer and Executive Board Member of Northeast Parent & Child Society. He is also a Board Member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York and 15 Love. Mr. Amell earned his BS from Siena College and his MBA from State University of New York at Albany.
Leslie M. Baker
Trustee
Bio coming soon
Michael Bentley
Trustee
Bio coming soon
Lee Castleman
Trustee
Lee Castleman is the General Manager, Major Accounts for BlueShield of Northeastern New York. His responsibilities include overseeing, growth and retention and profit and loss for the organization. Prior to his current position, he was Director of Sales, Major Accounts for the company. He oversaw sales and marketing for BlueShield concentrating on companies with over 150 employees. Lee has been with BlueShield of Northeastern New York for the past 11 years.
He holds a B.A from Niagara University.
Lee was named a Trustee for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York in September 2009. He has two black Labradors and enjoys golfing and travel. He resides in Duanesburg with his fiancée, Brianna. He has three sons, Liam, Drew and Keegan.
Jennifer Corcoran, Esq.
TrusteeJennifer J. Corcoran, Esq. is Of Counsel to the law firm of Balzer & Leary, PLLC in Albany, New York, with a practice concentrating in matrimonial/family law and trusts and estates/elder law. Ms. Corcoran is a graduate of Albany Law School and Wells College.
Ms. Corcoran has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York since 1999 and also serves as a Wish Granter. She is a Past President, as well as having served as Vice President and Secretary of the Board. Ms. Corcoran was also a member of the Corporate Documents Committee for the Make-A Wish Foundation of America.In addition to her work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ms. Corcoran is a member of the New York State Bar Assocation, Albany County Bar Association, Capital District Women’s Bar Association and Collaborative Divorce Association of the Capital District. She has been a speaker/lecturer at numerous seminars and workshops on the topics of Article 81 Guardianships, Medicaid planning, advance directives and estate planning, both professionally and in the community.
Ms. Corcoran lives in Delmar, New York with her significant other, Timothy Conway and their dogs, Bailey and Cooper.
Geoffrey M. Dubiski
Trustee
Geoffrey is Chief Talent Scout, Principal & Managing Director for Sumner Grace & Associates. With over fifteen years of business experience, twelve directly related to human resource functions, Geoff’s experience spans public and private sector work to include the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), an executive compensation consultant with Towers Perrin in New York City and was an operational executive with one of the largest National staffing firms directing large scale workforce engagements. Geoffrey has supported Fortune 100 Companies including GE, Scientific-Atlanta a Cisco company, Ingersoll-Rand, Monsanto/Searle and Motorola. During the past decade as a P&L manager he has facilitated $1B in client expenditures in the human capital markets and overseen the fulfillment of 240,000 positions.
Outside professional interests include advisory roles with two small businesses and co-chair of the Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee for the Capital District’s Regional Development Strategy Committee based in Albany NY. Geoffrey is a member of the Center for Economic Growth’s Board of Directors, Capital Region Recruiters Network, SHRM, CRHRA, and is a volunteer with Junior Achievement Success Skills seminars. He was recently elected to the Board of Trustees of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York and Chairs the Board Governance Committee. Geoffrey is also a recent member of the Human Capital Institute’s (HCI) Expert Panel for the Recruitment Education Track. During the past 4 years Geoffrey has been a speaker at events for The Conference Board, SHRM, Kennedy Information, IQPC and numerous Chamber’s of Commerce as well as recruiter, diversity and non-profit councils. Geoffrey holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science degrees from the University of Massachusetts.
Todd M. Edwards
Trustee
Bio coming soon
Pamela T. Hassett
Trustee
Pamela T. Hassett is Chief Operating Officer and Practice Manager for EmUrgentCare, PLLC. Pam and her husband, Dr. Stephen Hassett, established their urgent care medical facility in September of 2003, in Coxsackie, New York. Pam is responsible not only for all fiscal responsibilities for the company but also the day to day operations of the facility, including managing a staff of 20, scheduling, accounts payable and receivable, technology, marketing and business development, and patient satisfaction. Prior to establishing EmUrgentCare, Pam owned P.T. Hassett Advisors, LLC, a small investment advisory firm, managing investment assets and providing financial planning services to clients. Pam holds an MBA with a Finance Concentration from the University of Southern Maine. Pam worked as a portfolio administrator for 13 years with a well respected investment advisory firm in Portland Maine and was a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician for 10 years with a municipal rescue service in Maine prior to relocating to New York.Pam is on the board of the Coxsackie-Athens Rotary Club and is a board member of the Coxsackie-Area Chamber of Commerce.
Pam and her husband, Stephen live in Coxsackie with their four young children, Jack, Neil, Kate and Luke.
Catherine Hull, MS Ed.
Trustee
Catherine Hull has been a franchisee with Sylvan Learning Center since opening her first center in Albany in 1995. She currently owns and serves as Chief Executive Officer of Sylvan Learning Centers throughout the Capital Region and Syracuse, NY and is an active member of the Sylvan Franchise Owners Association.
Prior to joining the Board of Trustees of Make-A-Wish, Ms. Hull was a board member of the Northeast Association of the Blind of Albany and previously served as a board member and vice-president of a school board.
Cathy currently resides in Latham. She is a graduate of The College of St. Rose in Albany with a Bachelors in Business and a Masters in Education.
Michael P. Lasch
Trustee
Michael Lasch is a Managing Director and co-founder of Pine Street Capital Partners, a private equity fund founded in 2004 and based in Albany, NY.
From 1997-2004, Mike was a Director in FleetBoston Corporation’s corporate and investment banking group in Boston, MA. Before starting his finance career, he served as a congressional aide in Washington, DC. Mike earned his MBA from Emory University and his BA from Holy Cross College. He is a 2007 recipient of the New York Capital District Business Review’s “40 under 40” award. Mike was named a member of the Board of Trustees of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York in 2008. He also serves on the boards of St. Pius X School, the Evangelist Newspaper and the Upstate Venture Association of New York.
Mike resides in Loudonville, NY with his wife, Alicia, and their three children, William, Christian and Alexandra.
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Cara E. Nigro
Trustee
Cara E. Nigro is Director of Leasing for Nigro Companies. Her responsibilities include leasing, marketing and development of commercial real estate. Cara has been with Nigro Companies since 1998. Prior to her current position, she taught art to developmentally disabled individuals.
Cara has been involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast New York since 2006, and joined the Board of Trustees in 2007. She has chaired the organization’s A Wishful Evening Gala three times. She also serves on the Foundation’s Resource Development Committee.
Cara is an enthusiastic artist and poet. She has had her artwork exhibited at many galleries and locations, from New York City to Chicago, as well as locally at the Albany Institute of History and Art and the Albany International Airport. She enjoys playing her trumpet (poorly), tennis, reading, writing, nature, yoga and spending time with her family and friends.
Cara resides in Loudonville with her husband and 3 cats, Bells, Pally and Bleus.
