Trustees appointed to oversee new Union Vale library

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UNION VALE – The town board has appointed seven trustees to oversee the recently approved Union Vale Public Library.  The library is the first in the town and was authorized by the town board in July.

Town Supervisor Betsy Maas said the town board made the appointments in August after six weeks of interviewing candidates interested in serving on the board.  Earlier this week the trustees took their oaths of office and will serve staggered five-year terms.

“The new Union Vale Public Library Board of Trustees will be terrific advocates for the library and our community given their level of passion and diverse yet complimentary skills,” said Maas.  Councilman Perry Gusikoff added, “given the level of competence these new trustees have, we are very excited about Union Vale’s and our new library’s future!”.

The new trustees are:

  • Diane Capizzuto, Chief Human Resources Officer at New Horizons Resources, Inc. in Pleasant Valley. Diane brings with her almost 25 years of Human Resources experience having worked in corporate, retail, distribution centers, 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 the award-winning author of over twenty-five more books for children. She does frequent school and library visits, teaches picture book writing, and has a popular picture book blog. She has been a resident of Union Vale for 30 years and loves sharing reading and writing with kids.
  • Art Mattiello retired from a career with more than 40 years in IT, specializing in networking and cyber security. Mr. Mattiello held positions with IBM, Cisco, Alcatel, F5, and other information technology companies.   The retiree enjoys spending time with his five grandchildren and has hobbies including photography and playing the guitar.  Art has resided in the town since 1982.
  • Mike McPartland spent 30 years in finance, mortgage lending, and in senior-level executive positions managing 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 to their Verbank home permanently. He owns 82BBQ in Verbank, is a member of the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Union Vale Zoning Board of Appeals.
  • Janet Myer, a realtor with Houlihan Lawrence and former financial advisor has resided in Union Vale with her family for 16 years.  Janet and her husband, have a shared interest in renovation and preservation having bought and sold many properties in New York and Connecticut. Janet brings enthusiasm and knowledge about sales, finance, and fundraising.
  • Jonah Ritter, President of First Direct Corp. and Tree of Life Tree Farm LLC is a 33-year resident of Union Vale with experience in technology and real estate. 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 the past 23 years and serves as the Executive Director of Instruction and Community Relations for the Millbrook Central School District. She began her teaching career in the Arlington Central School District in 1995 before becoming an administrator. Dr. Watkins has extensive knowledge of library spaces and assisted in several library renovations to make the spaces more interactive for students. In addition to her background in education, Amy is an advocate for FRAXA Research Foundation and together with her husband has raised over $1 million to help increase awareness and funds toward a cure for Fragile X Syndrome.

“I am really excited to be part of such a great team of people who will help make Union Vale’s new library exceptional,” said new Trustee Art Mattiello.  Councilman John Welsh added, “It is a very exciting development for the residents of Union Vale to finally have their own library. We wish all of them good luck on behalf of the town.”

There will be a public reception to welcome the new trustees on October 26th from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in the Union Vale Town Hall.

For Information about, or to donate to the Union Vale Library Fund, please contact Mr. Peter Krulewitch at Unionvaleresidentslibraryfund@gmail.com.




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