Call for Board Members
The Family of Woodstock Board is currently looking for new members! Our Board members guide the agency’s overall direction while also acting as ambassadors, informing the public about our programs and their impact in the community. Our Board use their knowledge and experience to help improve the quality of services we provide and to make us aware of community needs which we are not addressing. As a Board member, we would hope that you could attend one Board meeting and participate in our subcommittee meeting per month, though not every subcommittee will meet each month.
If interested, please click here for an application: Family of Woodstock Board Application
Board Officers
PRESIDENT: Evelyn Clarke
Evelyn Clarke is the former Ulster County Youth Bureau Director, and also the county’s Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Coordinator. Simultaneously, Evelyn was also the former Director of the Ulster County Human Rights Commission. In addition to being on the Board of Family, Evelyn is currently a Councilwoman on the Esopus Town Board. Other community involvements include serving as an Associate Minister with New Progressive Baptist Church, a Voice Over Artist and member of the District Attorney’s Restorative Justice Task Force. Evelyn joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2018; and holds an MPA from Marist College.
VICE PRESIDENT I: Sherrill Silver
Having been a nurse in the community for many years, Sherrill brings understanding of the needs of the individuals and the groups we serve. In the past, she has worked on many projects promoting peace through dance and worked for political change. Currently retired, she works toward bringing universal health care laws and building community. For fun, she plays and teaches ukulele, sings, and dances (though not at the same time!). Sherrill joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2018.
VICE PRESIDENT II: Joan Eck
Joan Eck the SVP/ Sales & Marketing at Ulster Savings Bank, where she has worked for the last thirty years. She is a graduate of St. John’s University, the National School of Banking at Fairfield University with a certification in Finance and the Central Atlantic School of Commercial Lending at Bucknell University. She is also an active member of the Ulster County Continuum of Care and an advocate for affordable housing. Her husband is an attorney at Ulster Savings Bank and they have two children, 27 and 22. Joan joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2001.
TREASURER: Laura Brown
Laura Brown is a Senior Advisor at ITHAKA, a mission-based not-for-profit striving to eliminate barriers to learning, where she works on a range of projects from prison education to a civil rights database. For more than a decade, she served as ITHAKA’s Executive Vice President and the Managing Director of JSTOR, ITHAKA’s digital scholarly library. Prior to joining ITHAKA, Laura was the president of Oxford University Press, USA, where she spent most of her professional career.
In addition to Family of Woodstock, she currently serves on the boards of Yale University Press, The Gordon Parks Foundation, and University of the People. Laura joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2020.
SECRETARY I: Bruce Katz
Bruce is an internationally performing Blues and Jazz musician, teacher/clinician, former Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, and a concerned citizen. Bruce joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2018.
SECRETARY II: Marielena Ferrer-Harrington
Marielena is the Executive Director of Humanamente, a diversity and inclusion consulting organization, Chair of the Athena Network New York, a psychosocial support network in the area of social services, health, and specifically in mental health, for immigrants experiencing psychological challenges related to the migratory process, and a socially engaged artist.
Marielena has served two terms on the Ulster County Human Rights Commission and is currently a member of the Kingston Arts Commission. Marielena joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2019.
AT-LARGE I: Sam Magarelli
Sam has resided in Woodstock for more than 48 years. Sam has been very active over the last 35 years working and serving his community. Sam serves on the Woodstock Rescue Squad, Fire Company # 5 and is certified EMT with the Woodstock Volunteer Fire Dept.
Sam is the founding member of the Woodstock Soccer League, ‘Staying in Place’ a senior support network, 501 (c) (3) a Public Charity, the Woodstock Volunteers’ Day “A Day of Gratitude” 501 (c) (3) a Public Charity, and the Woodstock Repair Café affiliated with Woodstock Transition. He is a member of the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, RE Director, League of Women Voters, Phoenicia Rotary, the Library Alliance, and Friends of the Woodstock Library,
Sam has served on the Board of Directors of the Woodstock Arts Board, Woodstock Memorial Society, ‘Artists Cemetery’, Woodstock Chamber of Commerce & Arts, President of the Board of Education, Trustee of the Onteora Central School District, Chairman of the Woodstock Democratic Party. Sam was a campaign coordinator for the Clinton-Gore election effort in Woodstock and an appointed Coordinator of Volunteers’ Day by the Town of Woodstock and as an Ulster County Legislator. Sam joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2019.
AT-LARGE II: Theresa Pabon
Theresa was the former Deputy Superintendent of New Paltz Central School District, served 30 years in Kingston City School District Educator/ Administrator, and coached at Ulster BOCES for 11 years. Theresa served 28 years on the Community Services Bd – Mental Hygiene Dept. Ulster County. She was a member and past President of the Wiltwyck Quilters’ Guild, co-leader of Project Linus, and built one of the first passive solar houses in Ulster County. Theresa joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2022.
BOARD MEMBERS
Nathan Brenowitz
Nathan has served as President of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation and on the Board of Directors of the Ulster County Jewish Federation. Has served on the Finance Committee at Circle of Friends for the Dying, Music Teacher at Bard Lifetime Learning Institute,
Acting in a PAW Play, and Hunger Project Volunteer. Nathan is a longstanding member of FOWCS Committee and was the Head of Day at Family in Woodstock Hotline for many years. Nathan has served as a mediator for the Woodstock Youth Center. Served as a certified elementary and high school math teacher in NYC, a guidance counselor in NYC and Rondout Valley, had his own financial services business until 2008 and from 2008 to the present has served as music teacher, providing lessons on trumpet and conga drums. Nathan joined Family of Woodstock Board in 2016.
Robert Mansfield
Robert was creative director at Forbes Media for 20 years. He has served as warden of Christ the King Church in Stone Ridge, volunteers for the Family of Ellenville, the Circle of Life Hospice in Kingston, and is currently the Chairman of the Ellenville Rotary Club. Robert joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2023.
Deacon Bill Mennenga, MS, MPA
Deacon Bill had a 28 year career with the Rockland County Department of Mental Health, 12 years as the Director / instructor of the Rockland Community College Drinking Driver Program, established a part time private counseling practice, part time professor / Instructor at Long Island University, Dominican College, and Rockland Community College, established and operated a consulting business – Geriatric Consulting Services with a focus on individuals and their families who suffered from Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Deacon Bill served a brief stint as the Assistant Executive Director of Jewish Family Services of Rockland County and was the interim director of the Student Christian Center at SUNY New Paltz. Currently he is a Synodical Deacon at Redeemer Lutheran Church in New Paltz. Deacon Bill joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2023.
Sharon Sofranko
Sharon taught grades 3-6 at Hunter Elementary School for 22 years. Prior to that she worked in the film industry in NYC. She has been a literacy volunteer and currently serves as a member of the Olive Democratic Committee. One of her main goals in retirement is to help others. Sharon joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2023.
Maria C. Rice
Maria has forty-eight years as an educator, twenty of which was as a School District Superintendent with almost fifteen years at the New Paltz Central School District, from which she retired. Maria serves through Rotary and Friends of Ghuirgo. Maria joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2023.
Al Babcock
Al has extensive training in Crisis Intervention, Mental Health and Substance abuse services and Criminal Justice Trainings. Al joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2023.
Dr. Ivan Godfrey
Ivan has more than 30 years’ experience in the field of Criminal Justice and Human Services Administration. He is a Forensic Psychologist with NYSOMH conducting competency evaluations for severe and persistent mentally ill population. He has also been a Chemical Dependency Specialist, Ulster Co. Dept. of Mental Health. His other experience includes Ulster Co. Dept. of Corrections Psychiatric Social Worker conducting mental health evaluations and Director of Criminal Justice services at Westchester County Dept. of Corrections, overseeing behavioral health programs. He has been a Family of Woodstock Board Member since 2023.
Thomas Yaroschuk
Tom is a retired video, producer, documentary filmmaker, and television executive. Tom joined the Family of Woodstock Board in 2023.