Julie Krieger

Board President

Mrs. Krieger is the former Vice President & Group Manager of the Middle Market Commercial Banking Division for M&T Bank in the Hudson Valley.  She is a graduate of Marist College and volunteers on various human services organizations throughout the Hudson Valley.  Mrs. Krieger joined the WSHV Board of Directors in 1987.  In 1993 she accepted the role of Treasurer and Chairperson of the Audit and Finance Committee.  Mrs. Krieger was appointed President of the Board of Directors in 2015 and continues to serve today in this capacity.

Samantha Awand-Gortel

First Vice President

Ms. Awand-Gortel is a lifelong resident of Phoenicia in Ulster County. She holds a BS in Sociology from Wingate University in NC.  Since 2008 she has been working at Ulster Savings Bank and is the Branch Manager in Phoenicia.  She is a member of the Phoenicia Rotary and is also a member of the Phoenicia Business Association and the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce Leadership class of 2018.

Paul Geary

Second Vice President

Mr. Geary joined the Board in 1997.  He was elected to the position of Secretary in 2000 and Second Vice President in 2001 of the WSHV Board of Directors.  He is also the Chairperson of the Human Relations Committee.  A lifelong resident of Kingston, NY and a graduate of Marist College, Mr. Geary retired from 23 years of service with IBM.  After leaving IBM Mr. Geary became an Associate Funeral Director with Keyser Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Inc. and A. Carr & Son Funeral Home until his retirement in 2020.

Howard Whitaker

Secretary

Mr. Whitaker lives in Kingston, NY and has been a Board member since 1985. He was a former Board President, served as Second Vice President and was a member at large on the Executive Committee of the Board.   Mr. Whitaker is currently the Secretary of the WSHV board of directors.  Mr. Whitaker is retired from IBM and is a very active community volunteer.

Terry Parisian

Treasurer

Mr. Parisian joined the Board in 2015. He has been a Saugerties resident for over 40 years and has a long history of volunteering in the community.  He has devoted his time to many youth activities as well as taking an active role in guiding the educational and economic well-being of Ulster County. He has served as a Trustee on the Saugerties Board of Education, President of the Ulster County School Boards Association, and Board Chair of the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce and is currently a Trustee for the Village of Saugerties.  Terry is employed in property management with Newburgh Mall Realty, LLC, as a General Manager.

Lewis C. Kirschner

Member

Mr. Kirschner has served on the Board for over four decades initially joining the WSHV Board in 1966. Among the many things that Lew has done for WSHV he served on the Building Committee raising funds for the construction of the Agency’s Community Rehabilitation Center. Lew previously served as the Ulster County Treasurer and Ulster County Legislator. Lew is very active in the community and has served on a wide variety of not-for-profit boards.

Donna Rocap

Member

Ms. Rocap joined the WSHV Board of Directors in 2003.  She has held positions at Fleet Bank and Sperry Cuono, Holgate and Churchill Accountants.  Ms. Rocap is currently the Associate Dean of Administration at Dutchess Community College.

Brianna Peak

Member

Originally from Long Island, Brianna decided to move to the Hudson Valley during an internship with Central Hudson Gas & Electric in the summer of 2008.  Upon graduating with her BS in Mechanical Engineering from SUNY Binghamton she began working full time for the company and currently serves as the Senior Director of Gas Operations.  Brianna became a WSHV Board Member in 2018 and currently serves as a member of the Human Resources Committee.

Jessica Kaznowski

Member

Jessica is a lifelong resident of the beautiful Hudson Valley. She holds a Master’s Degree in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from SUNY Empire State College. Jessica currently works for Central Hudson Gas & Electric as a Program Manager in Research & Development and Innovation. She is a large supporter of United Way, and sits on both the Emerging Leader’s Committee and Pull the Tank Planning Committee. Jessica also serves as the Program Committee Chairperson for Wraparound Services of the Hudson Valley.

Carolyn Strauch

Member

Cindy "Jill" Roosa

Member

Jill joined the WSHV Board of Directors in 2023. Born with cerebral palsy, she has used a wheelchair throughout her life and has long been a passionate advocate for disability rights. She holds a B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Counseling from SUNY Cortland, where she also founded a student group focused on disability advocacy. Jill began her professional career at the Center for Disability Services (formerly the CP Center) in Albany, NY. She later served as a Housing Coordinator at an Independent Living Center in Virginia before relocating to Florida, where she worked at JP Morgan Chase for 11 years. In 2024, Jill received the Al Felmet Award from CP State, recognizing her lifetime of advocacy and her dedication to improving the lives of people with disabilities.

Annmarie Dwyer

Member

Annmarie is a long time resident of Saugerties, NY where she resides with her family.  She is retired from 40 plus years in banking. Starting as a teller working her way up the
ranks to AVP Branch Manager. Her last position held was AVP BSA/Compliance/Reg O Officer with Empire State Bank in Newburgh NY.

She has been active in many local boards throughout the years currently serving on the board for The Boys & Girls Club Saugerties Unit. Active in many fund-raising events, cochairing the Annual Auction Committee and chairing the Annual Holiday Craft Fair. She’s excited to be apart of the Wraparound Services of Hudson Valley board.