2020 Grants Conference

Steve Densmore has spent the last 25 years working as a communications professional in the Hudson Valley. An award winning writer and journalist, Steve spent much of that time working in the trenches for several weekly newspapers and magazines, serving as a reporter, editor and publisher (sometimes all at the same time!) Steve’s career path evolved substantially in 2005 when he began working as a communications consultant for several Hudson Valley nonprofit organizations. This grew to include the Dyson Foundation and the Walkway Over the Hudson nonprofit organization, where he has spearheaded public relations and grant writing for the last several years. Steve launched Choice Words in 2010 in response to an increasing call for supportive communications services among Hudson Valley nonprofits. He has served on various boards of directors during his career including the New York Press Association, the Vassar Warner Home of Poughkeepsie, the Barrett Art Center, and the environmental advocacy organization, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. He lives in Montgomery.

Briana Maloney has been grant writing for ten years. She is a research and information specialist with experience in social media and web design. She has previously worked as an academic librarian at Rockland Community College, Mount Saint Mary College, and at the New York State Library as a public information advocate where she sought funding for various statewide public education programs.She is on the board of the Rondout Valley Education Foundation. She currently resides in Kerhonkson, NY.

Elizabeth has been with the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan County since 2013 and currently serves as the President and CEO. She works with the Board of Directors, professional advisors and volunteers to plan, structure, implement and monitor an effective development program that will increase endowed and non-endowed assets, develop and maintain good relationships with nonprofit organizations, and steward current and prospective donors. During her time with the Foundation, charitable assets have grown to nearly $30million, with over $11million in charitable grants and scholarships from their 270+ funds being distributed back into the community since inception.

Elizabeth is an Orange County native with a strong background in development and marketing having worked at Inspire – Orange County Cerebral Palsy Association and the Town of Wallkill Boys & Girls Club prior to joining the staff at the Community Foundation.  She is a 2004 graduate of Emerson College with a degree in Marketing Communications. Elizabeth is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Orange and obtained her Certified Fundraising Executive certification in 2014. She serves as the Immediate Past President of the Mid-Hudson Valley Association of Fundraising Professionals, Vice President of the Board of Directors of Safe Harbors of the Hudson, a Trustee on the Orange Regional Medical Center Foundation, a Sustaining Member of Junior League of Orange County, a member of the Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Auxiliary and the Middletown University Club. She currently resides in the City of Newburgh with her husband Bill Fioravanti, their daughter Mira and stepdaughter Caterina.

As Senior Program Officer of the Dyson Foundation, Jen is responsible for the full range of the grantmaking process including proposal review, site visits, and program monitoring. Jen is the primary program officer responsible for Legacy and Family and Directors Discretionary funding.

Mr. Oates, who was previously the president and CEO of HVEDC, has returned to lead the organization into the future. Under Mike’s direction, the organization will focus on key industry sectors, workforce and real estate development and infrastructure improvements that will help grow our regional economy.

Mr. Oates is the former Managing Partner of Bellefield Development Partners LLC, the developer of Bellefield at Historic Hyde Park in Dutchess County. Bellefield is a $500 million culinary campus located directly across the street from The Culinary Institute of America, comprising over 2 million sq. ft. of commercial and residential development.

Prior to joining Bellefield, Mr. Oates was the CEO of Hudson River Ventures, a small business investment fund focused on Food & Beverage, Tourism, Hospitality, 3D Printing and Innovative Technology with investment projects located in the Hudson Valley.

Elizabeth Waldstein has served as Walkway Over the Hudson’s Executive Director since 2010. In that time, the Walkway organization and its responsibilities have grown dramatically. Under Elizabeth’s direction, Walkway has raised an additional $4 million from competitive grant funding and private sources to support major programmatic and capital initiatives such as the Dutchess Rail Trail connection, the 21-story Walkway Waterfront Elevator, and many Walkway Master Plan improvements including benches, lighting, signage, the design and construction of both West and East Volunteer Pavilions, the Ulster and Dutchess Welcome Centers, the upcoming East Gate Plaza, and more.

Elizabeth initiated the highly successful Walkway Volunteer Ambassador program, formulated a new strategic plan, implemented a new membership program, completed the second Camoin Economic Impact Study, and has led the Greater Walkway Experience marketing and branding initiative. Under her leadership, Walkway’s operating budget has grown from $227,000 in 2010 to more than $1.2 million, reflecting the passion that the Walkway Board, staff, and volunteers all share for continuing the Walkway’s positive economic and quality of life contributions to the Hudson Valley and nearly 600,000 visitors every year.

She possesses a M.S. in Marketing Communications from Iona College, B.A. in Communication Arts from the College of New Rochelle, and a Grant Professional Certification (GPC) from the Grant Professionals Certification Institute. She founded the Grants Professionals of Lower Hudson in 2008 to advance the field of grant writing in the region. She has been an Adjunct Professor at Pace University and SUNY Purchase, and guest lectures regularly on grant writing. Ms. Howie has received numerous awards and recognition including a Presidential Award for a Desert Storm fundraiser; the Visiting Nurse Association of Hudson Valley’s first Corporate Service Award; Association of Development Officers’ 2007 Peter J. Gallagher Award for Leadership & Service; and the Grant Professional Certification Institute’s 2019 Pauline G. Annarino Award, the grant writing industry’s highest national honor for impact on the grant writing industry and profession.

Since founding iSER Consulting in 2013, Sue has successfully secured hundreds of millions in incentives for iSER clients. The sources of these funds include federal, state and local economic incentive dollars, employee-based tax credits, brownfield cleanup tax credits and tax/ sales tax abatements. Her secret? Listening to clients, seeing unexpected opportunities, and making exciting connections others may not see. Then having the background skills and the relationships to seize each opportunity and make it happen. Throughout her career, Sue has worked across public and private sectors to gain approvals, identifying and securing public support, and articulating project goals to broad audiences. She is savvy to the inner workings of government and public support and is attuned to developing consistent, effective communications. Sue holds a master’s degree in public administration from Marist College, and an undergraduate degree from Syracuse University.

Cristin McPeake joined Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley in March 2014. She is responsible for monitoring individual grant and scholarship funds while working directly with donors to help them achieve their philanthropic goals. Cristin previously worked for Rock Solid Foundation in Austin, TX. As their Program Development and Improvement Coordinator she was responsible for developing licensing, contracting and accreditation submissions for start-up child and family service organizations. In addition to policy, procedure and quality improvement process development, she also maintained and developed data management systems for each organization with which she worked. Before her move from Texas in 2007, Cristin worked locally as a Quality Improvement Coordinator for The Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie. Cristin was born and raised in the Hudson Valley. She received her bachelor’s degree from Emerson College in Boston, MA.

Marc Molinaro serves as County Executive of Dutchess County, New York. Mr. Molinaro served in the Dutchess County Legislature and the New York State Assembly before being elected County Executive for the first time in 2011. Molinaro was first elected to public office at the age of 18 in 1994, when he was elected to the Village of Tivoli’s Board of Trustees. In 1995, he became the youngest mayor in the United States when he was elected Mayor of Tivoli. Molinaro was re-elected mayor five times, and also served in the Dutchess County Legislature. Molinaro was sworn into office as Dutchess County Executive on January 1, 2012. In 2014, Molinaro was awarded the Pace University Land Use Law Center’s Groundbreaker’s Award. In 2015, Molinaro was elected Second Vice President of the New York State Association of Counties. Molinaro and his wife, Corinne Adams, reside in Red Hook, New York.

Emily Svenson is an environmental and land use attorney with the Law Office of David K. Gordon in Poughkeepsie. Svenson was elected to four terms on the Hyde Park Town Board member and served as the Town’s Deputy Supervisor. Under the leadership of Supervisor Aileen Rohr, Svenson helped launch the Hyde Park Downtown Initiative (www.hpdowntown.com), which seeks to foster a vibrant, walkable town center. She continues to serve as volunteer Downtown Initiative Coordinator. Svenson began her career in soil and water conservation before pursuing a law degree. Her legal practice focuses on assisting citizen groups advocating for environmental protection and challenging inappropriate development, as well as working with municipalities to develop land use policy. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a J.D. from Pace Law School. She lives in Hyde Park with her husband and two sons.