POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley will honor attorneys Robert R. Butts, Esq. of Millbrook and Ephie Trataros, Esq. of Kingston at its annual Professional Advisors Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel. The event is hosted by the Community Foundations’ Professional Advisors Council, chaired by trustee Ellen L. Baker, Esq. of McCabe & Mack LLP in Poughkeepsie.

The program will be presented by 2010 honoree and Community Foundations trustee Arthur L. Gellert, Esq., of Gellert, Klein & MacLeod, PLLC in Poughkeepsie, and 2012 honoree Stephen J. Wood, CFP, CRPC, Vice President – Investments and Financial Advisor with the Wood-Silvia Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in Kingston.

“It is a pleasure to recognize Bob Butts and Ephie Trataros, as well as the entire professional advisor community, for their dedication and exemplary support for the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley,” said Sally J. Cross, Vice President of Philanthropy. “They both are community-minded attorneys who extend themselves to solve complex tax and estate challenges in ways that achieve their clients’ philanthropic goals, while working tirelessly to advance philanthropy and charitable giving in the Hudson Valley.”

Robert R. Butts, Esq. attended Poughkeepsie public schools, later graduating from Dartmouth College, and then Cornell University, where he received both his law degree and a master’s degree in regional planning. After early career work in upstate New York, he returned to Poughkeepsie to join Guernsey, Butts & Walsh, eventually becoming managing partner of that firm and its successor, Guernsey, Butts, Ostertag & O’Leary. He opened his own law office in 1995. A fourth generation Poughkeepsie attorney, he practices primarily in the fields of residential and commercial real estate, zoning, planning and land use law, estate planning and administration, and other areas of general civil law. Mr. Butts served for eleven years as a trustee of the Community Foundations, and his father, Charles Butts, also served as trustee and chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Mr. Butts is Chairman of the Town of Stanford Planning Board and has served as a board member or officer of Hudson River Rowing Association, Stanford Free Library, Vassar Warner Home, Cunneen-Hackett Cultural Center, Rehabilitation Programs, and the Town of Clinton Zoning Board of Appeals.   

Ephie Trataros, Esq. has practiced law in New York since 1993 and founded The Trataros Law Firm, PLLC in 2009. She holds an undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Albany and received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Seton Hall School of Law in 1992.

Ms. Trataros is recognized as a compassionate attorney who enjoys helping clients find innovative solutions to complex estate planning, elder law and family law situations. Her diverse practice experiences range from representing clients in complex family court custody proceedings to assisting clients in protecting their assets as part of an estate plan. Her practice areas include estate planning, asset protection, guardianships, supplemental needs trusts, elder law, probate proceedings and family court proceedings.

Ms. Trataros is President of Board of Trustees of the Friends of Senate House in Kingston. She also has served previously as President of the Ulster County Bar Association, Vice President of People’s Place, and on the boards of Junior League in Kingston and Hudson Valley Senior Residence.

Professional advisors, including attorneys, accountants, financial advisors and insurance professionals, are essential partners with community foundations across the country, helping their clients fulfill their philanthropic goals to benefit the community, while solving complex estate and tax planning concerns. 

The Professional Advisors Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, is open to Hudson Valley professional advisors and friends of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley. Registration is required. Contact Sally Cross at scross@cfhvny.org or (845) 452-3077 for a complimentary invitation.