Board of Directors

Chair – Anders Tomson, President & CEO, Chemung Canal Trust Company (Elected 12/2023 – 12/2026)

In December of 2016 Anders Tomson was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Chemung Canal Trust Company (CCTC), the oldest community bank in New York State founded in 1833.  CCTC now has 32 branches spread across 13 counties in NY and PA.  Prior to being named President of CCTC, Anders held the title of President and Chief Operating Officer at the bank, where he had regional oversight of the Capital Bank Division in the New York Capital Region.  From 2010-2015, Anders served as the President of Capital Bank, and was instrumental in facilitating the merger and acquisition of Capital Bank by Chemung Canal Trust Company. Read more.

Vice Chair – Heather C. Mulligan, Esq., President & CEO, The Business Council of New York State (Elected 12/2021 – 12/2024)

Heather Mulligan, Esq. is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Business Council of New York State, Inc., the primary, statewide association advocating for New York’s business community. Ms. Mulligan is a dynamic leader, trusted advisor and champion for economic growth, good jobs and strong communities across New York.  Ms. Mulligan joined The Business Council in 2007, as vice president of government affairs, overseeing the organization’s legislative and pro-growth agendas. Read more.

Treasurer – John S. Harris, Esq., Partner, Brown & Weinraub, PLLC (Elected 12/2023 – 12/2026)

A partner at Brown & Weinraub, a government relations and full-service law firm, Mr. Harris focuses his practice on the intersection of law, business and government. He has significant experience working with clients on environmental, energy and government affairs matters. Mr. Harris has also represented clients before state and local agencies in connection with the regulatory review, permitting, financing and development of projects such as residential apartment complexes, solid waste and recycling facilities and generation projects. Read more

Secretary – John Vero, Esq., Delaney Vero, PLLC (Elected 12/2023 – 12/2026)

John furnishes legal services to new, emerging and established businesses, commercial entities, not-for-profit and tax exempt organizations, religious organizations, healthcare organizations, municipal entities, professional service entities, civic groups, business organizations and individuals in the formation, merger, restructuring, sale, acquisition, capitalization, management, operation and financing of real and personal property, including contractual, licensing, reporting and compliance matters. Read more.

Kaweeda Adams, CEO, Paseo United (Elected 12/2021 – 12/2024)

Kaweeda G. Adams served for five and a half years as the Superintendent of the City School District of Albany, where she lead a diverse urban school district of nearly 9,700 students in New York State’s capital city. Her experience spans a wide range of service at all levels of an educational organization, community partnerships and engagement opportunities, as well as work with legislators focusing on educational advocacy and developing equitable practices and systems within business and education. Read more.

Michael Castellana, CEO, Broadview Federal Credit Union (Elected 12/2021 – 12/2024)

Currently serving as Broadview’s CEO, Castellana joined SEFCU in 1988 as a member of the executive management team and during his tenure has seen the credit union grow both geographically and in overall size. Currently the largest credit union in the Capital Region and the seventh in the state, Castellana has successfully negotiated and completed six mergers throughout the Capital Region, the Southern Tier of New York, and the Buffalo Region. Read more.

Sonya del Peral, Proprietor and Manager, Nine Pin Ciderworks (Elected 12/2021 – 12/2024)

Sonya is a proprietor and the Manager at Nine Pin Ciderworks, a New York craft cider company located in Albany’s warehouse district. Sonya is also a Partner of Bowers & del Peral, PLLC and her law practice focuses on intellectual property, real estate, alcohol industry licensing and wills. She spent the first five years of her legal practice in large law firms in New York City and Albany. In 1996, she opened her practice in Columbia County. Sonya received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Albany Law School in 1991, where she served as an Editor of the Albany Law Review. Read more.

Michael M. Fancher, Executive Director, NYS Center for Advanced Technology in Nanomaterials and Nanoelectronics (CATN2), University at Albany CNSE (Elected 12/2023 – 12/2026)

Michael Fancher is the Executive Director of the New York State Center for Advanced Technology in Nanoelectronics and Nanomaterials (CATN2) and is the Principal Investigator on over 15 projects and programs in excess of $125 million advanced manufacturing, cyber-physical systems, clean energy and entrepreneurial growth. Read more.

Anthony Gaddy, Co-Founder and President/CEO, UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce (Elected 12/2021 – 12/2024)

As a Co-Founder and President/CEO of the UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce, Anthony is committed to helping build a stronger overall business community in the Capital Region and Upstate New York. The UpState New York Black Chamber of Commerce is one of more than 145 U.S. Black Chambers in the U.S. and Canada. Read more.

David A. Parente, Director, McVeigh Funeral Home Inc. (Elected 12/2021 – 12/2024)

David has extensive experience as a funeral service professional, serving Albany area families for more than 30 years. David is very active in related business associations, as well as within the wider community. He currently serves as president of the Capital District Funeral Directors Association; member and trustee of Blessed Sacrament Church, Albany; past president of the Parish Council at Blessed Sacrament Church, Albany; and board member and vice president of The Community Hospice Foundation. Read more

Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, President, University at Albany (Elected 12/2023 – 12/2026)

Dr. Havidán Rodríguez was appointed by the SUNY Board of Trustees as the 20th president of the University at Albany in June 2017. He took office in September 2017 with more than 25 years as a leader in higher education. Before coming to UAlbany, he served as the Founding Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). He also served as President, Ad Interim, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas – Pan American (UTPA). Read more. 

Dr. Toyin Tofade, President, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (Appointed provisionally 4/2024)

Prior to her appointment as ACPHS President in July 2022, Toyin Tofade served as the dean and professor at the Howard University College of Pharmacy in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Tofade also served in multiple roles at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) in Baltimore including associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science and associate director and assistant dean of the Experiential Learning Program. Read more. 

Karen Torrejon,

Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, Humonix (Elected 12/2023 – 12/2026)

Karen is the Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer at Humonix. She invented the Glauconix platform technology in response to an unmet need in drug discovery/development and looking to bring more effective therapies to patients. Read more.

Officers
Ashley Mohl – Interim President

 

ABOUT THE BOARD

Capitalize Albany Corporation is governed by a Board of Directors elected by Corporation investors. The Board of Directors terms are staggered.  Elections are held at each Annual Board Meeting. The Board of Directors drive Capitalize Albany Corporation’s mission and set the course to pursue an integrated approach to economic development in order to maximize results, leverage resources and create efficiencies.