Community Caregivers welcomes new board members

GUILDERLAND – Community Caregivers is pleased to announce that five new members were elected to its board of directors.

“It is my pleasure to welcome Carol Huber, Tom Chera, Jayson White, Trisha Gannon, and Eileen Bray to our board. They each bring an expertise to our board that will be extremely valuable to support the Community Caregivers’ mission,” stated Edna Mae Reilly, board president.

Carol Huber from Voorheesville is no stranger to Community Caregivers. She was a caregiver to her parents and knows firsthand the important services the organization provides to families.

Mrs. Huber was a senior vice president of the Ayco company in Saratoga Springs. During her career, she held various revenue generation and management positions. Upon the sale of Ayco to Goldman Sachs, Mrs. Huber was instrumental in directing the integration of the two companies.

She has a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a juris doctor of law from Villanova Law School.

Thomas Chera is a Guilderland resident who believes giving back to the community is an important part of his life. Mr. Chera is senior vice president of Global Commercial Banking for Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

He spent 26 years at J.P. Morgan in Albany working with for profit and not-for-profit organizations to manage and develop an investment portfolio.

Tom is a graduate of the University at Albany and has earned Certified Financial Planner and Certified Treasury Professional designations and completed the necessary requirements for a series 7,79 and 63 licensure by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Jayson White, a Voorheesville native who now lives in Burnt Hills, is a public relations and media professional. Mr. White has 20 years of marketing, media, and communications experience with several health-care organizations. Mr. White presently serves as a senior communications specialist at Albany Med.

He was introduced to Community Caregivers in the fall of 2017 when he produced a video highlighting several client-volunteer relationships. The video was shown at the Community Caregivers gala in November. Jayson found the stories very compelling and was thrilled to become part of the Caregivers organization.

Mr. White graduated from the State University of New York college at Geneseo with a bachelor of arts degree in communications and received his master’s degree in public relations from Ball State University.

Trisha Gannon joined the board of directors in early 2017 and was elected treasurer in July 2017. Mrs. Gannon had been a volunteer serving on the Caregivers’ finance committee, providing budgeting expertise and guidance to Community Caregivers.

Her career includes positions in both the public and private sectors.  She serves as the project director in the finance office at the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. Mrs. Gannon has a bachelor of arts degree in accounting from Siena College and is a New York State Certified Public Accountant.

Eileen Bray, a longtime Guilderland resident, joined the board of directors in August 2016. Mrs. Bray retired in 2010 after 26 years of teaching in Guilderland elementary schools.

She has been a volunteer at Community Caregivers. She serves on the golf and gala committees and chaired of the raffle and auction at the 2017 gala.

Mrs. Bray has a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from SUNY Oneonta and a master of science degree from the University at Albany.

Look for information on Community Caregivers upcoming 12th annual golf outing to be held on June 11 at Pinehaven Country Club.

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Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services, including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.

Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at 518-456-2898.

Editor’s note: Regina DuBois is a member of the Community Caregivers Board of Directors.