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!

Board of Directors
President	Jolene Steele	jml626@hotmail.com
Vice President	Bradley Ellis	brad@fallstreetbrewing.com
Secretary	Kathy Chase	Katherine@cayugawinetrail.com
Treasurer	Marty Rotz	martin.rotz@yahoo.com

Board Members
Dr. Frank Catalano	dr.fcatalano@gmail.com
Douglas A. Haith	dah13@Cornell.edu
Mark James	mjames@nyfb.org
Phil Plummer	philplummer@me.com
Michael Ruiz	hookeduphomez@gmail.com
Jeffrey Trout (Board of Supervisors)	jeff@poormonfarms.com
Dr. Karen Wilson	karen_wilson@urmc.rochester.edu

Ex-Officio
Executive Director	W. Averell H. Bauder	bauder@cornell.edu
Cornell Representative	Tim Davis	tsd2@cornell.edu

Last updated February 11, 2026