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IDA Board Members /
Officers |
Frank S. Venezia
Chairman
Telephone: (518) 785-0134
E-mail:
fsv@marvincpa.com
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Sam Messina
Vice
Chairman
Telephone: (518) 439-0346
E-mail :
smessina@townofbethlehem.org
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Robert B. Ward
Secretary
Telephone: (518) 465-7511, Ext. 271
E-Mail :
wardr@rockinst.org
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Joanne Cunningham
Assistant
Secretary
Telephone: (518) 439-7726
E-mail :
jcunningham@hcanys.org
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Thomas P. Connolly, Esq.
Assistant Secretary
Telephone: (518) 447-3303
E-mail:
cConnolly@mltw.com
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Pamela Clark Robbins
Treasurer
Telephone: (518) 439-7415, Ext. 233
E-mail :
probbins@prainc.com
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Joseph P. Richardson
Member
Telephone: (518) 432-0374
E-mail :
jrichardson@berkshirebank.com
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Brian
T. Stenson
Member
Telephone: (518) 443-5831
E-mail :
brian.stenson@rbccm.com
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IDA Staff |
George E. Leveille
Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: (518) 439-4955, Ext. 1129
E-mail:
gleveille@townofbethlehem.org
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Judith E. Kehoe
Chief Financial Officer
Telephone: (518) 439-4955, Ext. 1123
E-mail:
jkehoe@townofbethlehem.org
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Thomas P. Connolly, Esq.
Assistant Executive Director & Agency Counsel
McNamee, Lochner, Titus & Williams, P.C.
677 Broadway
Albany, NY 12207
Telephone: (518) 447-3303
E-mail:
connolly@mltw.com
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Terrence W. Ritz
Assistant Engineer
Telephone: (518) 439-4955, Ext. 1139
E-mail:
tritz@townofbethlehem.org |
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Deborah M. Kitchen
Assistant
to the Director
Telephone: (518) 439-4955, Ext. 1159
E-mail:
dkitchen@townofbethlehem.org |
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Frank S. Venezia
Frank
Venezia is a CPA
with over 30
years of public
accounting
experience,
which include
the last 24 with
Marvin and
Company. He
became a
Director of the
firm in 1985 and
was appointed
Director of
Accounting and
Auditing
Services in
October 1995.
Since 1985 he
has been the
director in
charge of the
audits,
management
advisory and
other services
to a number of
organizations
providing
services to the
developmentally
disabled, and
other
not-for-profit
organizations.
Various
for-profit
organizations in
a variety of
different
industries are
also among his
clients. A
frequent
lecturer and
seminar
instructor, Mr.
Venezia has
conducted
various
presentations on
business and
other issues
throughout New
York State.
Mr.
Venezia
graduated, with
honors, from the
Rochester
Institute of
Technology in
1976 with a BS
degree in
Accounting and
from the College
of St. Rose in
1992 with an MS
degree in
Accounting. He
is a member of
the American
Institute of
Certified Public
Accountants and
the New York
State Society of
Certified Public
Accountants. He
is a member of
the board of
directors of the
Bethlehem
Chamber of
Commerce, serves
as treasurer for
the New York
State Museum
Institute, board
member of the
Town of
Bethlehem
Industrial
Development
Agency.
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Sam Messina
Sam
Messina is a
34-year resident
of Bethlehem
with more than
35 years of
leadership
experience in
government,
business and
not-for-profit
organizations.
Mr. Messina is
retired.
He previously
had a 25-year
career in NYS
Government where
he served as
Deputy Director
of the Coastal
Resources
Program and as
the Department
of State's
Director of
Administration
and Management.
He has also
served NYS
government in
management and
administrative
positions at the
Department of
Environmental
Conservation,
Lottery Division
and Budget
Division.
In addition to
government
service, Mr.
Messina was
Director of
Marketing and
New Product
Development at
Bidnet Corp.,
and a Foundation
Director at the
NYS Small
Business
Development
Center.
Prior to moving
from New York
City to
Bethlehem, he
was an Assistant
to the Publisher
of the New York
Daily News.
In
Bethlehem, Mr.
Messina is
currently a Town
Board member,
has served on
the Land Use
Management
Advisory
Committee
(LUMAC) for
seven years and
was also a
member of the
Strategic
Directions
Planning
Committee of the
Bethlehem School
District.
Mr.
Messina holds a
Bachelors of
Arts Degree in
Economics and
Business from
Pace University
and a Masters of
Arts Degree in
Public
Administration,
with a
concentration in
urban
development,
from the State
University of
New York at
Albany. He
also is a
graduate of the
Harvard
University
Advance Program
for State and
Local Government
Executives.
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Robert B. Ward
Robert Ward is
deputy director
and director of
fiscal studies
of the Nelson A.
Rockefeller
Institute of
Government, the
public-policy
research arm of
the
State University
of New York.
Mr. Ward
has written
extensively on
state and local
government in
New York, and how government
policies can
promote the
growth of
businesses and
jobs in the
state.
He is
author of the
leading text on
New York State
government for
students and
citizens, New
York State
Government:
Second Edition,
published by the
Rockefeller
Press.
Mr. Ward
previously
worked on the
staff of the New
York State
Assembly, where
he served as a
researcher and
writer for the
chairman of the
Ways and Means
Committee.
Before that, he
was a reporter
and editor with
The
Knickerbocker
News in Albany.
An Albany
native, he is a
graduate of
Syracuse
University.
He
serves as
chairman of the
Board of
Directors of
Peter Young
Housing,
Industry and
Treatment, Inc.,
a nonprofit
organization
that seeks to
"create
taxpayers" by
helping former
prison inmates
and homeless
individuals
recover from
substance
addiction and
find employment.
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Joanne
Cunningham
Joanne
Cunningham
serves as the
Executive
Director of
Healthcare
Trustees of New
York State (HTNYS),
an affiliate
organization of
the Healthcare
Association of
New York State (HANYS),
the statewide
membership
advocacy
organization
representing the
interests of New
York State’s
hospitals and
health systems.
HTNYS serves as
an advocacy,
education and
governance
resource for the
5,000 trustees
that serve on
the governing
boards of HANYS’
member
organizations,
which include
more than 550
not-for-profit
and public
hospitals,
health systems,
and continuing
care facilities
across New York.
Joanne serves as
a member of the
executive
council of HANYS,
the internal
eight-person
senior
leadership group
that shapes
decision-making
and provides
management
oversight at
HANYS.
Joanne also
serves on
several American
Hospital
Association
Committees that
focus on
expanding
trustee
engagement in
health care
policy and
advocacy.
In
addition, Joanne
has maintained a
role as Vice
President within
HANYS, providing
guidance and
assistance on
policy,
advocacy, and
education
issues.
Prior to serving
in these
capacities, she
spent twelve
years working in
health policy
and advocacy in
Washington, D.C.
as HANYS Vice
President for
Federal
Relations, and
as the primary
federal health
care aide to
Congressman
Edward J. Markey
(D-MA), Senator
Max Baucus
(D-MT), and
former Governor
William Donald
Schaefer (D-MD).
Joanne
holds a Bachelor
of Arts degree
from Potsdam
State University
and a Masters of
Health Science
degree from
Johns Hopkins
University
School of Public
Health. In
her volunteer
time, Joanne
serves as a
member of the
Hamagrael
Parent-Teacher
Association and
as a member of
the Board of
Directors of the
Visiting Nurse
Association of
Albany.
Joanne lives in
Delmar with her
husband Brent
Meredith and
their four
children.
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Thomas P.
Connolly
Tom Connolly, a
43-year resident
of the Town
serves as
counsel and
assistant
executive
director of the
Agency.
Mr. Connolly has
practiced law
with McNamee,
Lochner, Titus &
Williams, P.C.
since 1966 and
represents
financial
service
institutions and
corporations in
commercial
transactions and
litigation.
He has been bond
counsel,
issuer’s counsel
and disclosure
counsel for tax
exempt and
taxable
municipal
financings.
Mr. Connolly was
vice president
and a member of
the executive
committee of the
New York State
Bar Association,
a fellow of the
New York State
Bar Association,
chairman of the
Real Property
Law Section of
the New York
State Bar
Association and
president of the
Albany County
Bar Association.
Mr. Connolly is
a member of the
American College
of Real Estate
Lawyers and
National
Association of
Bond Lawyers.
Mr. Connolly is
admitted to
practice in
Connecticut,
United States
District Court
for the Northern
District of New
York, United
States Court of
Appeals for the
Second Circuit
and the United
States Supreme
Court. He
received an LLB
degree from Yale
University and a
BA degree from
Williams
College.
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Pamela Clark
Robbins
Pamela C.
Robbins has been
a resident of
Slingerlands
since 1990. She
is a Vice
President and
co-owner of
Policy Research
Associates,
Inc., a Delmar
research and
consulting firm.
Ms. Robbins has
over 25 years of
experience in
project
development,
management,
research design
and statistical
analysis. In
addition to
managing PRA's
financial and
personnel
operations, Ms.
Robbins directs
research
projects focused
on violence,
mental health
services and
criminal justice
overlap. She has
co-authored two
books and
numerous
articles,
chapters, and
technical
reports. She
holds a
Bachelors of
Arts Degree in
Sociology from
William Smith
College with
graduate
coursework at
the University
of Albany.
Locally,
Ms. Robbins has
been involved in
many community
boards including
School’s Out,
Bethlehem Youth
Court, Caring
Together, and
other non-profit
and religious
organizations.
She is also
involved in
local events
such as the BOU
Auction, Delmar
Dash, and Crop
Walk to name a
few. She
has been a
member of the
Bethlehem
Industrial
Development
Agency since
2005.
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Joseph P. Richardson
Joseph P. Richardson
is Director,
Business Development
for Berkshire Bank,
New York Region.
His mission at
Berkshire is to work
with the New York
Regional Team to
develop commercial
banking
relationships and
cross-sell retail,
cash management,
insurance,
investments and
trust service
products.
Prior to joining the
Bank in late
November, 2005, Mr.
Richardson was most
recently the
Director of Economic
Development for the
Albany-Colonie
Regional Chamber of
Commerce.
Before that he
worked for forty-two
years in commercial
banking. His
banking career began
in 1963 with
the State Bank of
Albany, which
eventually became
Bank of America,
where he become a
Senior Corporate
Lender and Senior
Vice President and
was responsible for
the statewide
specialized lending
group. In
1993, Mr. Richardson
joined ALBANK as the
Senior Vice
President of
Commercial Banking,
which was later
acquired by Charter
One Bank and further
acquired by Citizens
Bank.
A 1963 graduate of
St. Lawrence
University, Mr.
Richardson is also a
June, 1978 graduate
of Stonier Graduate
School of Banking at
Rutgers University
where his thesis
entitled,
"The Employee Stock
Ownership Plan:
It's Applicability,
Validity and Utility
as a Method
of Bank Lending" was
accepted for the
library and
published. He
holds several
Graduate
Diplomas from The
University of
Oklahoma National
Commercial Lending
School and is a
Certified Commercial
Lender.
Mr. Richardson has
been an active
member of many
community
organizations and
recently
was former Chair of
the Albany-Colonie
Regional Chamber of
Commerce Board of
Directors; Vice
Chair, Town of
Bethlehem Industrial
Development Agency;
member, New
York Business
Development
Corporation Capital
District/Champlain
Regional Loan and
Advisory Committee;
former President of
the Upstate New
York/Vermont Chapter
of The Leukemia
Society; a former
President of the
Empire Chapter of
Robert Morris
Associates and a
founding Director
and first President
of the Capital
Affordable Housing
Partnership.
Currently, Mr.
Richardson is a
Trustee at St.
Lawrence University
and a Director of
the Albany-Tula
Alliance. He
is the Race Director
for the
Hudson-Mohawk Road
Runners Annual
Delmar Dash and the
Event Treasurer for
the annual GHI
Workforce Team
Challenge Road Race.
He was elected a
Trustee at WMHT in
November 2005 and
was re-elected to
the Town of
Bethlehem Industrial
Development Agency
on July 12, 2006.
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Brian T. Stenson
Brian Stenson is a
Director with RBC
Capital Markets, an
investment banking
firm. He was
previously the
Deputy Director of
the Rockefeller
Institute of
Government, the
public policy
research arm of the
State University of
New York, where he
concentrated on
state and local
government fiscal
issues. He has
written numerous
reports on state
government finances
and has addressed
groups of state
government leaders
in New York and
other states. He
also served as an
advisor on fiscal
and budget issues to
Gov. Spitzer’s
administration
during the
transition period.
Previously, Brian
was Vice Chancellor
for Finance and
Business for the
State University of
New York, where he
oversaw the finances
of the SUNY system,
including the
operating budget,
financial management
and reporting,
internal controls,
human resources,
other business
functions, and
capital planning and
financing for
residence halls. He
had previously
served in the New
York State Division
of the Budget, most
recently as Deputy
for Fiscal Planning,
Management and
Authorities. In that
capacity, he was
responsible for the
development of the
State's financial
plan including
projections of
receipts and
disbursements, the
State's borrowing
and capital
financing plan,
public authorities
and local government
relations. Brian
received his
bachelor’s degree in
political science
and master's in
public
administration from
the University at
Albany. He and his
family have lived in
Delmar for over 20
years.
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IDA Staff |
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George E.
Leveille
George
Leveille, a
20-year resident
of the Town, has
more than 30
years of
professional and
managerial
experience in
public,
not-for-profit
and private
development
organizations.
Mr. Leveille is
the Town's
Director of
Economic
Development &
Planning; a
position he has
held since 2005.
Prior to joining
the Town of
Bethlehem as
Commissioner of
Public Works in
January 2004,
Mr. Leveille was
the Managing
Principal of
Tech Valley
Development
Services, LLC, a
full service
economic
development and
real estate
consulting firm
based in Delmar.
Before starting
his consulting
practice, Mr.
Leveille was
President of the
Albany Local
Development
Corporation and
the Commissioner
of Development
and Planning for
the City of
Albany. In this
capacity, Mr.
Leveille managed
the City’s
economic
development,
planning,
neighborhood
revitalization
and community
development
staffs. Mr.
Leveille also
served as
Executive
Director of the
City of Albany
Industrial
Development
Agency.
Mr. Leveille
holds a Masters
of Public
Administration
degree from the
Graduate School
of Public
Affairs at the
University of
Albany.
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Judith E. Kehoe
Judith
Kehoe is the
Comptroller for
the Town of
Bethlehem,
having served in
this position
since 1992. Ms.
Kehoe also
serves as Chief
Financial
Officer for the
Town’s
Industrial
Development
Agency.
She is
active in the
NYS Government
Finance
Officers’
Association,
serving as
President from
2001 until 2003.
She has
previously
served as a
board member on
the Bethlehem
Chamber of
Commerce.
Prior to
her position at
the Town, Ms.
Kehoe worked in
the field of
public
accounting as an
audit manager,
specializing in
nonprofit and
governmental
engagements.
She is a
summa cum laude
graduate of
Bryant College,
Smithfield, RI.
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Thomas P.
Connolly
Tom
Connolly, a
43-year resident
of the Town
serves as
counsel and
assistant
executive
director of the
Agency. Mr.
Connolly has
practiced law
with McNamee,
Lochner, Titus &
Williams, P.C.
since 1966 and
represents
financial
service
institutions and
corporations in
commercial
transactions and
litigation. He
has been bond
counsel,
issuer’s counsel
and disclosure
counsel for tax
exempt and
taxable
municipal
financings. Mr.
Connolly was
vice president
and a member of
the executive
committee of the
New York State
Bar Association,
a fellow of the
New York State
Bar Association,
chairman of the
Real Property
Law Section of
the New York
State Bar
Association and
president of the
Albany County
Bar
Association.
Mr. Connolly is
a member of the
American College
of Real Estate
Lawyers and
National
Association of
Bond Lawyers.
Mr. Connolly is
admitted to
practice in
Connecticut,
United States
District Court
for the Northern
District of New
York, United
States Court of
Appeals for the
Second Circuit
and the United
States Supreme
Court. He
received an LLB
degree from Yale
University and a
BA degree from
Williams
College.
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Terrence W. Ritz
Terry
Ritz is a
44-year resident
of the Town. He
holds a Bachelor
of Science
degree from
the State
University of
New York
Maritime College
at Fort
Schuyler. Upon
graduation he
obtained a
United States
Coast Guard
Third Mates
license for
ocean vessels of
any gross tons.
He has been a volunteer firefighter since
1981, and is
currently
serving as
Assistant Chief
of Selkirk Fire Company No.1. He started
working for
the Town's
Engineering
Division in 1985,
and has held
various
positions over
the past 22-years. He
currently has
the title of
Assistant
Engineer-Land
Surveyor.
The
majority of his
time is spent
working with the
Economic
Development &
Planning staff
reviewing projects
that require
Town Board or
Planning Board
approval.
He is
responsible for
oversight of the
Development
Planning
Committee (DPC),
which was
created in an
effort to
streamline and
improve early
communication
between
developers and
the Town during
the review and
approval
process.
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