UNION VALE – The City Council has appointed seven trustees to oversee the recently approved Union Vale public library. The library is the first in the city and was approved by the city council in July.
City Mayor Betsy Maas said the city council made the appointments in August after six weeks of interviewing candidates interested in serving on the board. Earlier this week, the Trustees took their oath of office and will serve staggered five-year terms.
“The new Union Vale Public Library Board of Trustees will be excellent advocates for the library and our community because of their passion and diverse but complementary skills,” Maas said. Councilor Perry Gusikoff added, “Given the skill of these new trustees, we are very excited about the future of Union Vale and our new library!”
The new trustees are:
- Diane Capizzuto, Chief Human Resources Officer at New Horizons Resources, Inc. in Pleasant Valley. Diane brings nearly 25 years of human resources experience working in corporate, retail, distribution center and non-profit organizations. She has lived in the town of Union Vale for 49 years.
- Susanna Leonard Hill is the author of three New York Times bestsellers and an award-winning author of over 25 other children’s books. She regularly visits schools and libraries, teaches picture book writing and has a popular picture book blog. She has lived in Union Vale for 30 years and loves reading and writing with children.
- Art Mattiello ended his career with more than 40 years of experience in IT, specializing in networking and cybersecurity. Mr. Mattiello has held positions at IBM, Cisco, Alcatel, F5 and other IT companies. The pensioner enjoys spending time with his five grandchildren and has hobbies such as photography and playing the guitar. Art has been based in the city since 1982.
- Mike McPartland spent 30 years in finance, mortgage lending and executive positions leading unique and complex businesses for Citibank and JPMorgan Chase. Mike and his wife Jane have been Union Vale residents since 2014. He retired from banking in 2018 and he and Jane moved into their home in Verbank permanently. He owns 82BBQ in Verbank, is a member of the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Union Vale Zoning Board of Appeals.
- Janet Myer, a broker at Houlihan Lawrence and a former financial adviser, has lived in Union Vale with her family for 16 years. Janet and her husband share a common interest in renovation and conservation, having bought and sold many properties in New York and Connecticut. Janet brings enthusiasm and knowledge of sales, finance and fundraising.
- Jonah Ritter, President of First Direct Corp. and Tree of Life Tree Farm LLC, has been a Union Vale resident for 33 years with technology and real estate experience. Mr. Ritter has a passion for Bible study and family. Supervisor Maas says he brings vision, creativity and thoughtfulness to the library board.
- Amy Watkins has lived in Union Vale for 23 years and serves as Executive Director of Instruction and Community Relations for the Millbrook Central School District. She began her teaching career in Arlington Central School District in 1995 before becoming an administrator. dr Watkins has extensive knowledge of library spaces and has helped with several library renovations to make the spaces more interactive for students. In addition to her educational background, Amy is an advocate for the FRAXA Research Foundation and has raised over $1 million with her husband to raise awareness and funds for a cure for Fragile X Syndrome.
“I am delighted to be part of such an amazing team of people who will help make Union Vale’s new library exceptional,” said new Trustee Art Mattiello. Councilor John Welsh added: “It is a very exciting development for the residents of Union Vale to finally have their own library. We wish everyone every success on behalf of the city.”
A public reception will be held at Union Vale City Hall on October 26 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm to welcome the new trustees.
For information or donations to the Union Vale Library Fund please contact Mr. Peter Krulewitch at [email protected]
