Seasoned executive, with over 27 years of experience working within the banking sector. Currently with Walden Savings Bank as Vice President of Retail Delivery & Marketing, overseeing all branch and call center operations and the Marketing department. As a key member of the bank’s senior management team, work on numerous internal committees including Compliance, ALCO, BSA, and IT Steering.

Prior to joining Walden Savings Bank in 2014, served as Regional Branch Director for Hudson Valley Credit Union, Vice President, Area Retail Leader with Key Bank in addition to branch sales and management positions with The Bank of New York and Nashville Bank of Commerce.

Extensive expertise in both retail banking and strategic marketing and have a long standing track record in building successful sales/service infrastructures, elevating service quality, increasing employee engagement and using data analytics to achieve strategic objectives. Passionate about all the latest digital trends and technology as a whole.

Community involvement has been and continues to be important to me both personally and professionally. I currently sit on the board of directors for both Leadership Orange and Vision Hudson Valley (formerly the Orange County Citizens Foundation). I have also had the privilege to work on the board of both Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh and the CRVI Foundation.

In addition to holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from SUNY New Paltz, I am a proud graduate from the ABA Graduate School of Banking. As an individual always looking to grow, have completed a number of professional certifications including the Wharton School of Business Leadership Program, Google Analytics Certification, NAFCU Management Development Institute, Leadership Orange and the Pattern for Progress Fellowship.

Lyle R. Shute has been a resident of Orange County, NY for over 50 years, and resides with his wife and family in Campbell Hall, NY

Lyle attended Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, and he is a licensed professional engineer in NY, NJ, & Pennsylvania.  He specializes in sustainable and high performance building systems design, and has obtained his LEED AP credential.

Lyle is active in the community, is currently the President of the William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association, Inc. www.bullstonehouse.org as well as a member of the Town of Hamptonburgh ZBA

Ali is a planner focused on urban redevelopment, public realm, and historic preservation. She is currently the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Newburgh, NY where much of her work focuses on redevelopment and economic development, remedies for severely distressed property, and inclusionary and participatory planning. She has previously held positions with the City of Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and with several consulting firms focusing on municipal planning and economic development. Ali holds an undergraduate degree from Bard College and graduate degrees in City Planning and Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her family in Newburgh, NY. Ali joined the VHV board in 2022.

Bill has been in health care fundraising and marketing since 1981 and has been a Certified Fundraising Executive since the mid 90’s. He has served on the New Jersey Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Board, as the founding President of the AFP NY Westchester Chapter serving as President from 2010-2016, and on AFP’s national Diversity Committee.  He was a member or Rotary Clubs in Peekskill, NY and Jersey City, and now in East Wallkill, NY (Chair of the International Service Committee) and as well as many community non-profit boards including a FQHC and a home for “border babies.” 

He has served on the Constitution Island Association Board in Cold Spring, NY since 2006 and is the Development Chair currently leading a $700,000 campaign to renovate the island’s historic Warner House. He is a member of the Vision Hudson Valley board of trustees and has participated in their 2021 rebranding, recruitment of a new Executive Director and enhancement of their development program.

Currently President, Garnet Health Foundation in Middletown, NY since 2014, Bill served as Vice President, Marketing & Development for Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt Manor, NY (2007-2014) and as Senior Vice President for Development and Public Affairs for Liberty Health System (three hospitals, medical group, HMO and home care company) in Jersey City, NJ (1992-2007). Prior to these positions, he worked at Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, NJ and as a reporter.  He has worked on multiple capital campaigns including a $16 million one that doubled the size of Hudson Valley Hospital Center and $20 million campaign for a replacement facility for a new waterfront Jersey City Medical Center.  He recently completed a $3.3 million Future Is Orange campaign for the expansion of Orange Regional Medical Center and is currently managing the $7 million Every Minute Counts campaign for the expansion of the emergency department and trauma center launched earlier this year.  

During his time with the Garnet Health Foundation, foundation assets have grown from just under $4 million to over $11 million (July 2021 financials).

FEMA trained, Bill served as the spokesperson for Jersey City Medical Center and the New Jersey Hospital Association on September 11 as well as other serious regional disasters including nursing strikes, patient celebrities, large public chemical spills and train collisions in the Meadowlands. In the early 1980’s, Bill won regional and national awards for coordinating an international media campaign when Dr. James Oleske, a pediatric immunologist, documented the transmission of AIDS to unborn infants.

Bill is a graduate of William Paterson University, Paterson, NJ and New York University’s Brooklyn Campus and earned a 300-hour Certificate in Fundraising Management.

An avid outdoorsman, Bill is a member of the AMC 4000 Footer Club of the White Mountains and Catskill 3500 Club and volunteers as a fire tower observer at Balsam Lake Mountain in the Catskill Mountains during summer weekends. He resides in Oakland, NJ with his wife Gail and their Small Munsterlander bird dog Minna. His son Jack works for the State of New Jersey as an energy sustainability case manager and his daughter Natalie works as a cardiac quality case manager for Englewood Hospital. 

Owner of DeBuck Sod Farm.

Danielle is a dynamic leader and established architect with over 20 years of experience in the architecture industry.  In her role as Assistant Vice President in LAN’s Goshen, New York office she excels at maintaining client relationships, working with consultants, leading design teams, and managing contractors. Danielle’s desire to design started from a young age and since starting her career, she has built a strong portfolio of work that reflects a robust creative spirit. She has an extensive background in sustainable design practices and high-performance buildings and her diverse skills and abilities allow her to take projects from the schematic design phase through construction. Danielle has the ability to see both the big picture and the intricate details that are required for a successful project.  She also is a chair of the firm’s LAN’s Womens Network.

Vice President - M&T Bank

John is a partner who has been with the firm since September of 2014.  He is a New York State licensed attorney with over 20 years of practice experience focusing in the areas of real estate, environmental, land use, zoning and municipal law. John represents developers and municipalities throughout the Hudson Valley in the land use review and approval process. He regularly appears before (and represents) local municipal planning, zoning and legislative boards in often complex and controversial approval processes. John has worked with major international corporations and successfully obtained approvals for the construction of cell towers, gas stations, drug stores, banks and big box retailers, as well as single family residential subdivisions and multi-family residential developments. In addition, John has also been involved with approvals for religious and educational uses.

John is able to manage all aspects of the land development process, beginning with negotiating contracts/leases, conducting any due diligence, procuring the necessary land use approvals (including navigating clients through the SEQRA process) and litigating any disputes.

John also utilizes his real estate and general municipal law skills to represent numerous municipal housing authorities within the Hudson Valley.

Vice President, Academic Affairs - SUNY Orange

Former county executive

Stefanie proudly serves as Executive Director of Beautiful People. She is an entrepreneur-turned nonprofit director, community advocate and partnership facilitator. Creative endeavors include Orange County's All Access Pass and HappyHudsonValley.com. She is a writer, a hard worker and change-maker with a passion for community. She holds a B.S. in Business and Management from SUNY Empire. Her husband, James and her children are the center of her world.

Licensed Civil Engineer with a broad range of design, permitting, review, and construction experience. Focused on land use engineering consulting. Interested in managing and coordinating site development projects from inception to completion.

Kara J. Cavallo is a Partner concentrating in the areas of real property tax certiorari, civil appellate practice, and civil litigation.  Kara primarily represents taxing jurisdictions and petitioners in tax certiorari proceedings with respect to real property tax exemptions, valuation and assessment.  Kara represents assessors, municipalities, and not-for-profit and for-profit entities with respect to a wide array of real property cases including condominiums, apartments, restaurants, golf courses, hemp and cannabis, manufacturing, residential subdivisions, senior care, rehabilitation and treatment centers, and other commercial and industrial properties.  She handles cases at both the trial and appellate level involving the valuation of real property, charitable, religious, agricultural, business investment, and other real property tax exemptions, selective assessment, and constitutional issues impacting real property taxation and assessment.

Kara received her Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, in 1994 from Arizona State University, with a major in Political Science and a minor in Spanish.  Kara received her Juris Doctor degree in 1999 from the University of Arizona, College of Law, where she was an Executive Note Editor for the Arizona Law Review.

Kara was admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of New York in 2002.  She clerked for the Honorable James B. Sult at the Arizona Court of Appeals after graduating from law school and practiced as a litigation associate in the Phoenix office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP before joining J&G in 2004.

Kara currently serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Rights Society, Inc. and as a Trustee on Vision Hudson Valley’s Board of Trustees.  Kara previously served on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Bar Association of Orange and Sullivan Counties (“WBAOSC”), including as its President, and is a member of both WBAOSC and the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York.  She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association, Real Property Law Section, and the Committee on Condemnation, Certiorari, and Real Estate Taxation.  Kara is a subscribing member of the Orange County Assessors Association and an associate member of the New York State Assessors Association and the International Association of Assessing Officers.  Kara published her Note while serving on the Arizona Law Review and has lectured at seminars and continuing legal education presentations, including on the topics of appellate practice, not-for-profit governance and compliance, and real property taxation and assessment.

Kara has been selected as a Woman Leader in Law by Martindale-Hubbell in April 2023.  Kara was also selected as a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers in 2023.