Presenters
Gigi Alvaré
Director of Education, The Rockwell Museum
111 Cedar St., Corning, NY 14830 / 607-765-9093 /
Gigi Alvaré is Director of Education at the Rockwell Museum and has sustained partnerships with school districts, agencies and artists throughout her tenure. She has directed arts education programs since 1984, and served as a Panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts. In 2010 she received The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes; ARTS Partnership Award and a “Crossroads” grant for a performance piece. In 2014 she presented a solo show of her artwork at 171 Cedar Arts Center, Corning, NY.
Samantha Bellinger
Museum Educator, Plattsburgh State Art Museum: SUNY Plattsburgh
Myers 235; 101 Broad St., Plattsburgh, NY 12901 / 518-564-2498 /
Samantha Bellinger is the Museum Educator at Plattsburgh State Art Museum. She has her Masters in Arts Administration from Skidmore College and her Bachelors of Arts in Art and Art History from Dickinson College. Her Master’s thesis focused on utilizing the Contextual Learning Model in museum exhibits and she looks forward to sharing the practical applications with her colleagues.
Mary-Nell Bockman
Communications and Development Director, Adirondack Architectural Heritage
1745 Main Street, Keeseville, NY 12944 / 518-834-9328 /
Mary-Nell Bockman is a marketing professional with years of experience in corporate and nonprofit marketing. She manages Adirondack Architectural Heritage’s (AARCH) multi-channel communications, membership recruitment and fundraising campaigns. Mary-Nell is also an Adirondack 46er, musician, and former ironworker, who restored and lives in an 1840s house on the Boquet River near Essex, NY.
James Brangan
NEIWPCC Information Officer, Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership Coordinator; Lake Champlain Basin Program Cultural Heritage and Recreation Coordinator
54 West Shore Rd., Grand Isle, VT 05458 / 802-372-3213, ext. 213 /
Jim Branfan’s current work focuses on facilitating cooperation between New Yorkers, Vermonters and Quebecers to improve appreciation of the national heritage area’s natural and cultural resources. Jim has established Lake Champlain Bikeways routes, developed interpretive paddling trails, and created a wayside exhibit program for the Champlain Valley. Jim served on the Vermont Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, the 2009 Champlain Quadricentennial, and the War of 1812 Bicentennial. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Connecticut and worked as a reporter for two newspapers, then as a wilderness/snow ranger for the Clearwater National Forest, and for the Monongahela National Forest.
Christine Campeau
School Program Manager, Adirondack Museum
P.O. Box 99 / Route 28N/30, Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812 / 618-352-4606 /
Christine Campeau is School Programs Manager & Educator at the Adirondack Museum, where she has worked for over eighteen years. The aspect of her job that Christine finds most rewarding is the opportunity to share regional history and culture with a variety of audiences in a variety of ways, from showing kindergarteners how clothes were washed in the 19th century to a graveyard tour for museum members to a presentation on Seneca Ray Stoddard. She lives in the heart of the Adirondacks in Long Lake and is a proud member of the LLCS Board of Education.
Sara Capen
Executive Director, Niagara Falls National Heritage Area
716-778-4607 /
Sara has been with the National Heritage Area since 2009 where she works to connect youth to the rich historic, cultural and natural resources within the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. With more than 10 years as a professional history teacher, Sara understands the importance of connecting youth to the rich history in their backyard and fostering a sense of stewardship for the places that tell those stories. Sara applies that same philosophy at Niagara University where she serves as an adjunct professor instructing a class on Tourism and Destination Development for the College of Hospitality.
Rob Carr
Exhibits and Programs Manager, The Wild Center
45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, NY 12986 / 212-9603728 /
Rob Carr has over 10 years of experience in exhibit and program development and interpretive training. He is currently the Exhibits and Interpretive Programs Manager at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY, where he provides expertise and leadership on a full suite of interpretive program and exhibit development activities, including interpretive training, program design and delivery, exhibit planning and design, writing, graphic design, and exhibit and program evaluation. Rob is also an experienced facilitator and interpretive planner who employs a range of creative methods to evolve ideas into concepts, develop themes and storylines and generate a shared vision among staff and stakeholders. Prior to The Wild Center, Rob directed the on-site education at the International Crane Foundation’s world headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts from Susquehanna University and a master’s degree in Environmental Interpretation from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Rob is also a Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG), Trainer (CIT) and Host Trainer (CIHT) through the National Association for Interpretation
Rob Cassetti
Senior Director, Marketing & Creative Services, Corning Museum of Glass
One Museum Way, Corning, NY 14830 / 607-937-5371 /
Rob Cassetti joined The Corning Museum of Glass in 1999 as manager of education and creative services. He became a director of the Museum in 2001 and was named senior director in 2007. He is responsible for marketing, communication, visitor experience, and creative direction for the Museum, in addition to the operation of the Museum’s live glass demonstrations. During his tenure at the Museum, Cassetti has developed a series of signature programs—including the popular 2300° events, hot glass demonstrations, mobile glassblowing initiatives, and GlassLab—that have transformed the public profile of the institution. From 1993 to 2001, Cassetti helped to plan a major expansion of the Museum. He created the Museum's glass demonstration program, the Hot Glass Show, and led an exhibit development team composed of writers, designers, and scientists to plan the Museum's Glass Innovation Center. Since 2001, Cassetti has championed and further developed the Museum's hot glass outreach initiatives. Under his leadership, the Museum has become a global leader in mobile glassblowing technology and hot glass programming. These outreach initiatives are seen each year by more than 400,000 people around the world. In 2005, Cassetti was asked to explore the next phase of expansion for the Museum—this time to better accommodate guests and the Museum's expanding collection of contemporary glass. The new Contemporary Art + Design Wing of the Museum, based on Cassetti's master plan, will open in 2015. Cassetti holds a B.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Architectural Record, and Architecture. He has spoken widely on museum planning and glass technology, including broadcast appearances on Discovery, National Public Radio, Martha Stewart, The History Channel, and PBS. Prior to joining the Museum, Cassetti worked for more than 10 years as a glass designer with Steuben Glass. He was named design director in 1992. From 2002 to 2004 he consulted with Steuben to help facilitate the planning and execution of the company’s 100th anniversary. Cassetti is President of the Board of Trustees of The Museum Association of New York, and a member of the Corning Incorporated architectural advisory committee.
Mark Castiglione, AICP
Acting Executive Director, Hudson River Valley Greenway / Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area
625 Broadway 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12207 / 518-473-3835 /
Mark builds partnerships that promote the protection of our natural, cultural and historic resources. Through his work at the Greenway, Mark engages public and private sector partners to advance regional planning, trail development, and heritage tourism in the Hudson River Valley. Mark serves on the Executive Board of the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association, representing nearly 700 professional planners, students, and officials throughout Upstate New York. Mark is a certified planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He holds a BA in US History and master’s degree in regional planning from the University at Albany.
Amy Catania
Executive Director, Historic Saranac Lake at the Saranac Laboratory Museum
89 Church St. Suite 2, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 / 518-891-4606 /
Amy Catania has worked at Historic Saranac Lake since 2007 and as Executive Director since 2009. Under her leadership, the Saranac Laboratory Museum has expanded its public programs and developed professional museum exhibits interpreting Saranac Lake’s unique history as a center for medicine and scientific research. Catania received a Masters in Liberal Studies, concentration in History, from Plattsburgh State University and B.A. in Latin American Studies from Oberlin College. Prior to working at Historic Saranac Lake, she worked as a public school Spanish teacher.
Mark Catton
Owner, M. Catton & Co.
115 Central Ave. SW, Le Mars, Iowa 51031 / 859-240-1260 /
Mark Catton is the founder of M.Catton & Co., LLC a company that works as either the prime contractor leading a team of designers/fabricators or acting as the owner’s representative. Mark has over thirty years in the fabrication then design build industry and prior to M. Catton & Co. Mark was a founder and principal at MurphyCatton, Inc. Mark grew that company from the two principals in a four-car garage to a forty person international fabrication firm located in sixty five thousand square foot facility in Northern Kentucky.
Mark has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Arts Technology.
Kathleen Coleman
Curator, Saratoga County Historical Society, Brookside
6 Charlton St., Ballston Spa, NY 12020 / 518-885-4000 /
Kathleen Coleman has been the curator at the Saratoga County Historical Society, in Ballston Spa, NY, since 2008. She is responsible for collections management as well as exhibition development and implementation. While at Brookside, she has worked with volunteers and interns to conduct a complete inventory of the textile collection.
Kathleen received a Certificate in Museum Studies from the Harvard University Extension School. She received her BA in Theatre Design from Binghamton University, where she specialized in costume design. Kathleen’s prior work experience includes the Walter Elwood Museum as Collections Manager, and the Harvard Theatre Collections as curatorial assistant.
Meg Colombo
Public Relations/Social Media, Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester
500 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607 /
Meg Colombo is a passionate technology and tourism professional who has served the New York community for over twenty years. An alum of Rochester Institute of Technology, Meg has worked closely with numerous organizations on e-marketing, PR, and social media strategies, thinking outside of the box to enhance their online presence and image. She currently manages Public Relations and Social Media at Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester. She has been ranked as Number 1 on DMOs Tourism Professionals Love to Follow – October 2011 Edition and Number 15 on Top 100 Most Influential Tourism Professionals on Twitter - July 2011.
Sean Conklin
Assistant Curator, The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University
Cornelius Welch Drive, St. Bonaventure, NY 14706 / 716.375.2494 /
Sean Conklin is the Assistant Curator of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University where he develops exhibitions and educational programming that demonstrate the importance of the Arts in rural communities like the one in which he grew up. A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, he holds degrees in New Media Publishing and Museum Studies. Previous experiences include educational gaming development for the Luce Foundation Center for American Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and exhibition and interactive media design at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. A lover of art, tech and caffeine he will always take being called a nerd as a compliment.
Gary DeYoung
Executive Director, 1000 Islands International Tourism Council
PO Box 709, Wellesley Island, NY13640 . 315-482-2520, ext. 211 /
Gary DeYoung has managed the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, a bi-national destination marketing organization, since 1997. The Tourism Council is a unique partnership between the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority and Jefferson County, New York. It markets a tourism region that stretches along the St. Lawrence River in Northern New York and Eastern Ontario. Gary has 35 years of experience in destination marketing. Before coming to the 1000 Islands, he held several positions with Promotion Management, Inc. in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he managed marketing programs for the Green Bay Area Visitor and Convention Bureau, Brown County Arena, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, the National Railroad Museum, and numerous special events. In addition to his Green Bay experience, he spent five years as the Director of the Wausau Area Visitors Council in Wausau, Wisconsin. Gary is a past president of the Association of New York State Convention and Visitors Bureaus and a past president of the New York Tourism Promotion Agencies Council. He lives on Wellesley Island with his wife, Peggy.
Thomas Dunne
President & CEO, OnCell
1160-D Pittsford-Victor Road, Pittsford, NY 14534 / 585-419-9844 /
Thomas Dunne is the founder of OnCell and has served as Chief Executive Officer and President since OnCell's inception on November 4, 2006. Prior to OnCell, he founded VoicePort, LLC, a speech applications development company. While with VoicePort the company grew by over 250% each year for four years. He also founded a telecommunications company called Group Long Distance of N Fl. Inc. While there he managed the company through four years of rapid 200% per year growth. He earned his A.S. from the University of Florida and a B.S. in Economics from the University of North Florida.
Carla Eilo, Administrative Director and Registrar
Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society
P.O. Box 189/ 242 Station Street, Lake Placid, NY 12946 / 518-523-3830 /
Carla Eilo is one of the newest additions to the Adirondack museum scene. Carla received a Master’s in Museum Management at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She was hired as the Director this past July at the Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society and History Museum. As a young professional, she is enthusiastic to continue the mission of the Historical Society and loves learning the community’s history through the Society’s wide-ranging collections.
Sarah Fisk
Director of Education, SUNY Poly Children’s Museum of Science and Technology
250 Jordan Rd., Troy, NY 12180 / 518-235-2120 /
Sarah Fisk has worked at CNSE CMOST since 2003 and is presently the Director of Education. She is responsible for creating and administering the museum's overall vision for educational programs and activities, including oversight of all community-based engagement events. Sarah has always had a passion for science, holding a BS in Natural Resource Management/ Environmental Science from Paul Smith's College of the Adirondacks. She discovered her affinity for informal education while still in college, and further developed it while serving as an AmeriCorps Educator. From there, Sarah determined that she wanted to work in a museum environment advocating for increased access to early childhood learning opportunities.