Board of Trustees, Sing Sing Prison Museum, 2024
- Robert W. Elliott (President) serves as a consultant to organizations developing solutions to operational, economic, community and environmental issues. He has broad leadership experience in government and offers his expertise to a number of non-profit boards in the Hudson Valley and beyond. Previously, he was NYS Deputy Secretary of State and currently is Chair of the Hudson River Foundation and Chair of the Bethel Homes.
- Stephanie Lynn (Vice President) is a founder of Ossining MATTERS Educational Foundation and a member of Jacob Burns Film Center's Partners in Education Committee and serves on their Board of Trustees. Stephanie also serves on the advisory board of Rehabilitation Through the Arts. She has a strong interest in children's books and previously published one for use by the Brooklyn DA's office for children who must go to court.
- Sean Pica (Secretary) is the Executive Director of Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, a nonprofit that provides college education, life skills, and re-entry support to incarcerated men and women to help them make a positive impact on their own lives, their families and communities. Sean earned a Master of Professional Studies from the New York Theological Seminary, a Master of Social Work degree from Hunter College and is currently pursuing his MBA at Mercy College.
- Robin Melen (Treasurer) is a program officer at the Westchester Community Foundation, where some of her grantmaking supports programs that create improved outcomes for youth and adults involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. She’s a former board member of Rehabilitation Through the Arts. She is passionate about changing the conversation around incarceration, rehabilitation, and re-entry. She earned her master’s degree from Manhattanville College.
- Elias Alcantara is the founder and CEO of Bronx Element Strategies (BESt), a social impact and justice strategy consulting firm that advises organizations across the country on how to build sustainable social justice reform. He is a Fellow at Columbia University’s Center for Justice and served five years in the Obama White House in the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. He is a graduate of Lehman College of the City University of New York.
- Ronnine Bartley has long been dedicated to serving the needs of children, both as a teacher and as a school administrator. She received a BA degree in Psychology, with a minor in Education from York College, and received an MA degree in School Administration and Supervision from Touro College. Ronnine has personal experience with the criminal justice system as a family member of a previously incarcerated individual, and values initiatives that support rehabilitation and reduce recidivism.
- Angela Buonocore served in communications leadership roles during her career at some of the world’s top corporations, including GE, IBM, PepsiCo, and ITT. She retired as SVP and Chief Communications Officer of Xylem, an ITT spinoff. She is known for creating award-winning advertising and PR campaigns and philanthropic efforts, launching brands, and developing outstanding communications talent. In 2007, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, her alma mater. She also serves on the board of Equal Justice USA and the Student Press Law Center.
- Anthony Czarnecki worked as Chief of Staff at the Westchester County Correction Department for 25 years, served as Executive Director of the Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association (MASCA) for 5 years, and is now president of The Chartwell Group USA – a criminal justice consulting firm. A graduate of Iona University, he earned an M.A. in criminal justice at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (C.U.N.Y.) and a graduate degree in public administration from Pace University. Mr. Czarnecki is the senior adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Westchester Community College and is a recipient of the “SUNY Chancellor’s Award” for Excellence in Teaching. He is a long-serving member of the Board of Trustees of the Westchester County Historical Society and is a contributing writer for WESTCHESTER HISTORIAN Magazine.
- Gale Epstein is co-founder, President and Creative Director of Hanky Panky Ltd., an upscale intimate apparel brand that is designed and manufactured locally and distributed worldwide. A resident of the Hudson Valley, Gale is a life-long supporter of social, environmental, and animal rights issues. She is a patron of Blue CoLab in the Center for Technology, Policy and the Environment at the Seidenberg School at Pace University and is a member of WellMet Philanthropy, a giving circle for women. She studied at Washington University and Parsons School of Design.
- J. Philip Faranda is the broker and owner of J. Philip Real Estate, headquartered in the Town of Ossining. A native of Ossining himself, his 4 children all attended Ossining Schools. Phil graduated from Villanova University with a BA in English. He is a past Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service President, was a member of the Ossining Downtown Redevelopment Working Committee, and also serves on the Ossining Historical Preservation Committee.
- Brian Fischer served as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision from 2007 to 2013. Before that, he was the Superintendent of Sing Sing Correctional Facility from 2000 to 2007. His career in corrections dealt with improving treatment services to offenders, particularly with those with mental health issues. He has a B.S. degree from Upsala College, a M.S. from the University of Bridgeport and a M.S. from the New York Theological Seminary. He has taught at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and at Pace University. He sits on a number of non-profit boards dealing with criminal justice issues and has been an expert witness in matters related to prison and jail issues.
- Jane Friedman is a leading publishing executive, consultant and innovator, who has worked with such internationally bestselling authors and literary luminaries as Michael Crichton, Anne Rice, Dennis Lehane and Neil Gaiman. She served as the first female global CEO of a major publishing enterprise when Rupert Murdoch named Friedman President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide (NewsCorp) in 1997, and she remained in that role until 2008. In 2009 Friedman co-founded Open Road Integrated Media with Jeffrey Sharp. At Open Road, as CEO, Friedman revolutionized the digital publishing industry by creating ebooks from legendary authors including William Styron, Pat Conroy, Alice Walker, James Jones, and Pearl S. Buck. For her work with Open Road, Friedman was named one of Fortune Magazine’s most powerful women entrepreneurs. Friedman has been recognized by numerous organizations and publications including Fast Company's Fast 50, Publishers Weekly's Person of the Year and The Wall Street Journal's 50 Women to Watch.
- Sandra Galef has been committed to public service both as a volunteer and as an elected official. She recently retired after 30 years as a Member of the New York State Assembly. Prior to that she served on the Westchester County Board of Legislators for 13 years. Sandy was a leading advocate for legislative and ethics reform in Albany and deeply involved in matters pertaining to education, tax reduction, government efficiency, health, environmental/clean energy, consumer and voting rights.
- Lt. John Gilman has a passion for preserving and acquiring historical artifacts of Sing Sing, and the stories that they may tell of the near 200 year evolution of Sing Sing. John began his career as a NYS Department of Corrections Officer at Sing Sing Prison in 1984, before assignment at several Hudson Valley Facilities. He returned to Sing Sing in 2000, and was promoted through the ranks of Sergeant and Lieutenant before he retired in 2022. John attended Dutchess Community College for Police Science, and is a member of the Local #1 Bricklayers in NYC. He also has a background in Historical preservation.
- Abigail Lewis is a strategy and operations leader who has held a variety of roles in IBM, including Director of Strategy, IBM Research; Director Partnerships, IBM Watson Health; Program Director, IBM On Demand Innovation Services. She began her career at Greater Boston Elderly Legal. She has a J.D. from Fordham Law School and a BA from NYU. She has raised two children in Ossining and coached AYSO girls soccer.
- Samuel North has been teaching Social Studies at Ossining High School for 20 years. Recently, working with a grant from the Westchester Community Foundation, Sam and colleagues from Ossining and Peekskill High School developed curriculum related to criminal justice and incarceration policy and reform in the United States with a focus on Sing Sing Prison. Beginning in the Fall of 2020, a new college level elective course on criminal justice and incarceration will be offered to students at both Ossining and Peekskill High Schools. Sam is also a Trustee of the Peekskill City School District Board of Education; A board member of the Black Diamonds for Academic Excellence; and education advisory board member of New Era Creative Space.
- Lithgow Osborne is the great-grandson of Thomas Mott Osborne, the eminent penal reformer and warden of Sing-Sing from 1914-16, and a member of the board of the Osborne Association for the past 25 years. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the New York School for Interior Design, his career has been in the antiques and design fields
- Barbara Robinson received a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Iona College. Her thesis topic was "DNA Testing and the Law In New York State." Barbara currently works in the area of abuse and neglect and is an advocate for children and families. Barbara facilitates a monthly book discussion group titled "Talk Culture Literary Book Club" through the Ossining Public Library. She is a volunteer for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and is a member of the Town of Ossining Landlord Tenant Council. Barbara can also communicate using American Sign Language.
- Elihu Rose is Vice Chairman of Rose Associates, Inc., a real estate investment and management firm which builds, owns and operates residential and commercial properties in metropolitan New York, Boston and Washington, DC. Dr. Rose is also an adjunct associate professor in the Department of History at New York University, and has been a visiting lecturer at numerous institutions including the U.S. Military Academy, West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis. He is an accomplished writer, contributing articles to various military history journals. He and his wife founded the Susan and Elihu Rose Foundation, which provides philanthropic support to a variety of organizations. Dr. Rose lives in New York City.
- Mark Sarazen received a BFA in Printmaking and Painting from Antioch College. He owns Sarazen Editions, a digital printmaking company, and is a charter member of the International Association of Fine Art Digital Printmakers. Mark has served as president of the Ossining Arts Council and on the Ossining Village Arts Committee.
- Michele Y. Washington is a New York City-based design researcher and strategist who works with non-profits, startups, and cultural institutions. She is currently a Columbia University Community Scholar and founder of “CuriousStory Lab,” a curated series of podcasts and short docs on architects and designers of color. She holds two master's degrees, her most recent in Design Criticism from the School of Visual Arts.
- Clifton "Skye" Williamson is a co-founder of Transforming Lives. As an artist, Skye expressed his skill and passion for the arts by developing and directing educational, theater, and trauma-related rehabilitation programs for incarcerated people. Skye is presently an Associate at Galaxy Gives, he supports the Learning & Impact team in the areas of database management and research. He is also a fellow at the REFORM ALLIANCE where he is working on a range of Special Projects (e.g., Court Watch App, NFT Dow, Job Fair). Skye holds a BA in mathematics from Bard College. His undergraduate studies focused on algorithms, probability and statistics, and machine learning. His lived experience and ongoing research form the cornerstone of his passion for learning and trying to identify the most effective ways to support the criminal legal system reform movement.
- Arthur M. Wolpinsky started as a Narcotic Correction Officer for the N.A.C.C. at Ridge Hill Rehabilitation Facility in Yonkers on 2/8/71. Laid off due to cutbacks, then after the Attica riot 9/13/71, was rehired with D.O.C S. at Ossining Correctional Facility. Has been a Correction Officer at Sing Sing since 10/25/71. He is the Facility Historian, Photographer, and Security Liaison Officer. In 1984 while in charge of the Barber Shop, he started a Barber Program for the inmate to obtain their license.
- Mayor of Village of Ossining, Rika Levin (Ex Officio) is the 17th mayor of Ossining representing more than 26,000 residents. Rika Levin’s family immigrated to the USA when she was seven years old and was raised mostly in New York State. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and earned her MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU. She spent more than 25 years in management, new product development, diversity management, and eventually Chief Marketing Officer in Fortune 100 companies in New York. Rika’s public service in Ossining began in 2015 when she was appointed Village Trustee.
- Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg (Ex Officio) represents NY's 95th District (including Ossining). She has also served as Supervisor of the Town of Ossining. She became involved with the Sing Sing Prison Museum while serving as Chief of Staff in the Ossining office of Assemblywoman Sandy Galef. She has been instrumental in working with State agencies to obtain grants for the Museum, as well as to get the Museum recognized as a priority project by the Regional Economic Development Council.
- Omar Lopez (Village Liaison)
