Board & Governance

People support decisions they help to make, and Cornell Cooperative Extension believes strongly in shared leadership through locally elected Boards of Directors and active program development committees.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Seneca County is governed by a 13 member Board of Directors that consists of 11 elected community volunteers; 1 voting member appointed by the Seneca County Board of Supervisors and a representative from Cornell University. It includes people from towns throughout Seneca County who bring their knowledge of community needs and concerns to the governance of this organization. Our board sets policy, hires staff, prioritizes educational programs and works with Extension's educational staff to ensure program effectiveness.

Our Board of Directors guides the direction of the workshops, classes and other services that we offer the residents of Seneca County, and reviews the effectiveness of our efforts. Our programs have evolved over the years to reflect changes in values, ethics, community norms, family structures, mobility and the economy in direct response to this grassroots community involvement.

CCE-Seneca is delighted to have active and diverse Board of Directors who are key to achieving strong and meaningful community impacts! If, as you read more about how we are governed, you believe you have a contribution to make to our programming as a volunteer, please get in touch! We welcome your input and ideas!

  • President Bob McKeveny, Retired School Superintendent
  • Vice President Jolene Steele, Banker
  • Treasurer Marnie Bastedo, Generations Bank
  • Secretary Kathy Chase , Cayuga Wine Trail

Members:

  • Kelsey DeCloux-Rappleye , Co-owner of Westwind FarmsĀ 
  • Bradley Ellis, Craft Beverage Owner Fall Street Brewing
  • Phil Plummer, Winemaker, Montezuma Winery
  • Mike Ruiz, Real Estate
  • Mark Sinkiewicz, Esq., District Attorney
  • Jeff Trout, Board of Supervisors

Ex-Officio:

Contact

Ave Bauder
Executive Director
whb65@cornell.edu
315-539-9251

Last updated April 12, 2023