Our Board of Directors is composed of civic leaders who serve without pay. They are responsible for managing the foundation. Board members are men and women who have proven competence in business, various professions and community agency management. They have demonstrated exceptional concern for the quality of life in our community through their leadership in diverse local organizations.
Our staff serves as independent operators and is paid on a fee basis to accomplish the administrative activities necessary to maintain an efficient operation.
The current board and staff are:
Patricia Johnson, President
Patricia Johnson is the Treasurer of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She began her employment at Cornell University in January, 1995, as the Assistant Treasurer. She is responsible for the University's debt, bank relations, cash management, risk management and investment accounting. She is also the Treasurer of Cornell Research Foundation as well as the Cornell Club of New York and she serves on several boards of corporate and not for profit organizations in the Ithaca area. Previously, she was the Investment Officer for the University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, and the Manager of Cash Administration for the Mead Corporation. She also has banking experience with Wachovia Bank and Bank of America. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Psychology and a MBA with a concentration in Finance.
Neil Olver, Vice President
Neil R. Olver, is the President of Olver & Associates, Inc., a locally owned and managed, full service general insurance agency located at Community Corners in Cayuga Heights / Ithaca NY. Mr. Olver started his insurance career with the Travelers Insurance Cos. as an underwriter and moved on to NY Casualty Insurance Company serving in the marketing department of that company. From 1987 until 1998, Mr. Olver was a partner in an Ithaca NY property and casualty agency. In August 1998 he left employment and ventured into a new business endeavor to build his own business. Mr. Olver is a CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) and a CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor). He is also very extensively involved in the Ithaca community, having served as the President of the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County Board and is currently serving as President of the Cayuga Medical Foundation Board. He has two grown daughters that he is very proud of and his hobbies include; golf, cars, watching sports on TV and collecting memorabilia.
Greg Hartz, Secretary/TreasurerLarry Baum
Larry Baum grew up in the Ithaca area moving here from a family farm in Genoa, NY at age 7. He attended the Ithaca schools and Cornell University graduating with a degree in Communications in 1972. After working outside Ithaca for a bit over a year, Larry returned to Ithaca and worked as a photojournalist and writer till 1978. In 1978, Larry and a partner bootstrapped a company that created small business accounting computer programs, rented time on large computers and provided installation and support services to small businesses and organizations. So began The Computing Center. The business started in his mother's house in downtown Ithaca. The company has grown quite a bit since then and now having over two dozen employees, providing computer systems, networking products, technical services, systems consulting, training and support throughout southern central New York. Larry serves as Chairman and CEO of the company. Larry's outside activities are many and varied. He has been involved with the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce as a board member for since 1994 and as its board president in 2002. He is currently on the Boards of Directors of Tompkins County Area Development, Tompkins - Cortland Community College Foundation, and Wings of Eagles Museum at the Elmira-Corning Airport. He is an active member of the Tompkins County Air-Services Taskforce and the Cornell University Entrepreneurial and Personal Enterprise Council. Larry has served on the Board of the Tompkins Foundation since 1998 and was Board President from 2002-2004. Larry is avid pilot and has been flying for nearly thirty years. He is active in boating, photography, and has traveled extensively. He has been married to Trudy for over 22 years and has two sons, Brian, a graduate of RPI and Ari, just completing his freshman year at Cornell University.
James Brown
For the past seven years, James has served as United Way of Tompkins County’s chief professional officer. Prior to this he led the United Way in Colorado Springs. James has held senior positions with local United Ways in Houston, TX, and St. Louis, MO. During his tenure here, James has been involved with a number of local organizations including current service on the Ithaca Rotary Club’s board of directors. He also serves as a director of Cayuga Medical Center, Hospicare and Palliative Care Services, Tompkins County Area Development, and the TC3 Foundation. In addition, James holds volunteer leadership positions with United Way of New York State and United Way of America. James and his wife Karen presently share their home with two seven-year old dogs. Their son Brian now resides in Tucson. As a St. Louis native and former student/athlete at St. Louis University, James is an extreme Cardinals fan and supporter of Billiken basketball. He shares similar passion for the Colorado Avalanche.
Anne DiGiacomoAnne DiGiacomo is Director of Campaign Training for the Division of Alumni Affairs and Development at Cornell University. Her responsibilities focus on the creation and implementation of campaign training for staff, faculty, and alumni volunteers. Anne has been with the university for 25 years and has held positions in the Offices of Alumni Affairs and University Development as well as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Anne is a third generation Ithacan and is proud to continue the family tradition of service to the Foundation that her late father Tony began in the 1970's. She has a daughter Caty who is a senior at Niagara University. Anne graduated from Cornell University in 1980 with a B.S in Consumer Economics and Public Policy.
She serves on the board of the Tompkins County Chapter of the American Red Cross. Her past volunteer activities include: Development chair and board member - Hospicare and Palliative Care Services; President and board member - Tompkins Girl's Hockey Association; Treasurer and board member - Northeast School PTA; and Treasurer and board member - Human Ecology Alumni Association.
Rob MackenzieDr. Mackenzie is the President and CEO of Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca. He assumed this role on January 1, 2003, after serving for 10 years as the medical center's Vice President of Medical Affairs.
Rob graduated from Harvard College in 1975 and from Albany Medical College in 1979. He completed his surgical internship and residency at the University of Toronto in 1984. Recent roles have included President of the Finger Lakes Management Organization, a physician organization, Medical Director of Cayuga Area Plan, a physician/hospital organization, and membership on the Boards of Directors of UnyHealth, a regional PHO network, and the Tompkins County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Dr. Mackenzie is a Diplomate of the American College of Surgery, the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He resides in Trumansburg, New York with his wife, and enjoys horseback riding, astronomy, and creative writing.
Arthur PearceArthur Pearce has lived in Ithaca since 1971 when he came to attend Cornell for a Masters degree in Urban Planning. He has over 30 years experience in real estate finance, housing, securities, and banking. He was Executive Vice President of Citizens Savings Bank and in 1997 he retired from M&T Bank as Senior Vice President, Community Banking Division.
Mr. Pearce is active in regional economic development activities and served as Chairman of Tompkins County Area Development from 1996-2000 and is currently a member of its Board of Directors. During his 30 years in Ithaca he has been active in numerous not-for-profit undertakings, including service as the first Executive Director of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (1976-1979), Chairman of the United Way Annual Campaign (1993), Co-Chair of the Sciencenter Capital Campaign (2003), the Board of Trustees of Tompkins Cortland Community College (1989-1992), and the Board of Directors of the Tompkins County Foundation (1996-Present).
Scott Russell, Director of Development
Janet Hewitt, Recording Secretary
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