Board Members
Richard Weiss
Richard Weiss
Richard Weiss is an American financial professional and founder of Weiss Advisory Group, where he continues to serve as a consultant. With over four decades of experience in public accounting, he has built a career specializing in financial planning and advisory services. Weiss holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the City University of New York and has earned multiple professional certifications, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Personal Financial Specialist (PFS®), Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), and Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Putnam County Savings Bank and Putnam County Housing.
Marjorie Keith
Marjorie Keith
Marjorie Keith is an American nonprofit executive known for her extensive career with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Putnam County. She began her career at CCE in 1974 as a family consumer science program leader and rose to the position of executive director in 1987, a role she held for over three decades. Throughout her tenure, Keith played a significant role in advancing the organization’s mission in agriculture, environmental resources, nutrition, and community development. Her leadership was marked by successful collaborations, program development, and engagement with volunteers and staff. She announced her retirement in 2024, concluding a 44-year career dedicated to education and community service.
Kimball Gell
Kimball Gell
Kimball Gell is a partner at Fresh Company, started in 2004, and Dolly’s, a restaurant opened in 2018. Based out of the Garrison Institute in Garrison NY, Fresh Company provides food service at this respected organization, and offers catering locally. In 2010 Fresh Company opened a café at the Storm King Art Center in New Windsor. Dolly’s is a full-service restaurant on the banks of the Hudson River at the Garrison Landing. Kimball’s role is in administration, event planning, and project development. Prior to Kimball’s 20 years as a small business owner, she worked in finance, including eleven years with Merrill Lynch Investment Banking. After receiving her MLS from Rutgers University in 1997 she spent several years managing the library at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences, in Manhattan. Kimball graduated from Croton Harmon High School and Albany University. Kimball moved to Garrison in 1998 to raise 3 children, quickly gaining a passion for the natural beauty of the Hudson Valley. She is an active board member of Bethany Arts Community, a non-profit residency and community arts organization in Ossining NY.
William Dunkel
William Dunkel
William (Bill) Dunkel has strong ties to Putnam County, spending his childhood going through the Carmel School District graduating from Carmel High School in 1991. Bill received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management Science from State University of New York Cortland. In 1998, Bill came back to Putnam County starting a career in banking with Tompkins Community Bank (then Mahopac National Bank) as their first Management Trainee. Bill has spent the last 25+ years developing his banking career and experiencing tremendous growth. Today, Bill is a Senior Vice President and Senior Commercial Loan Officer heading up the Hudson Valley Market’s commercial lending team. Bill is President of the Board for Habitat for Humanity of Putnam County, where he’s been a board member since 2014, and belongs to various chambers and business organizations throughout Putnam, Westchester and Dutchess County. Bill lives in New Milford, Connecticut with his wife, Lauren, and four children.
Kerrie Mehalakes
Kerrie Pratt
Kerrie Mehalakes is the District Director of New Business at Central Hudson Gas and Electric. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the Cameron School of Business at the University of North Carolina. She has been working at Central Hudson for 15 years and has held multiple positions within the company. In her current role Kerrie is the liaison to the Municipalities within Putnam and Dutchess Counties. She works closely with large commercial developers interested in building their business in the area. She is originally from the Hudson Valley and loves all that it has to offer. Kerrie is an active volunteer in her community and at Central Hudson with their multiple fundraising efforts. She also enjoys volunteering at the Greek Church in her community. She currently lives with her family in Hopewell Junction.
Dylan Miyoshi
Dylan Miyoshi
Dylan Miyoshi is a Government & Community Relations Program Manager at New York State Electric & Gas. Throughout his career, he has worked tirelessly to effect change within the Hudson Valley community. Under his direction, NYSEG launched a companywide food drive to provide food banks across New York with food and essential supplies for those in need during the holiday season. He coordinates and leads employees from NYSEG’s Brewster office in monthly volunteer opportunities across Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties. Dylan holds a Political Science degree from St. John’s University. In addition to serving on the Putnam County EDC Board of Directors, he serves as a
board member for the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation. With his high energy, Dylan is always looking to cultivate relationships with elected officials and community stakeholders on behalf of NYSEG, while continually finding ways to improve the lives of his neighbors in the Hudson Valley.
Alana Daly Mikhalevsky
Alana Daly Mikhalevsky
Alana Daly Mikhalevsky is the Vice President of Communications & Public Policy at the Northeast Gas
Association. She is originally from Nelsonville and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from
Washington College and a master’s degree in business management from the City University of New
York. Prior to joining the Northeast Gas Association, she worked at Central Hudson Gas & Electric for
over 12 years and previously worked at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, DC. In 2019, Alana
was named Central Hudson’s director of Public and Government Relations, overseeing corporate
communications, community relations, media relations, government affairs and economic
development. In addition to serving on the Putnam County Economic Development Board of Directors,
Alana is a member of the Poughkeepsie Business Alliance, Dutchess County Economic Development
Advisory Board’s Marketing Committee, and is a trustee for the Archdiocese of New York’s Dutchess
County Regional School Board. Alana lives in southern Dutchess County with her family.
Kathleen Abels
Kathleen Abels
Putnam EDC President Kathleen Abels Kathleen Abels is the President of the Putnam County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC). Her primary responsibility includes attracting appropriate new businesses to Putnam County. Marketing, public relations and developing strategic alliances are her top skill sets. Abels was appointed to her current position on July 1, 2019, after serving on the Board of Directors of the PCEDC for several years. She brought with her extensive experience in community outreach, customer service, construction and project management, as well as strong core values. Abels previously completed a lengthy career at NYSEG, culminating as their Manager of Community Outreach and Development.
More recently, Abels’ focus has pivoted to assisting existing Putnam County businesses to survive and recover from the financial disaster incurred by shutdowns necessitated in order to diminish the spread of the Corona virus.
A resident of the County since childhood, Abels presently serves on the Boards of Directors for the Town of Southeast Cultural Arts Coalition and for Friends of Lasdon Park in Katonah, NY. She actively supports the Old Town Hall Theatre project in downtown Brewster and was the former Chair of the Town of Southeast Historic Sites Commission for many years.
Abels received a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Mercy College and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Pace University.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
(845) 808-1021
Send Email