Our Staff

Laura Washington assumed the role of President and CEO of the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley (CFHV) in February 2024. Leveraging her expertise in strategic planning,  partnership building, and communications, she is dedicated to amplifying CFHV’s impact across Ulster, Dutchess, and Putnam counties by fostering connections between caring donors and impactful nonprofits.

Previously, Laura served as Chief Communications Officer and Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at the New-York Historical Society and established the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s inaugural communications function.

A native New Yorker with deep ties to the Hudson Valley, Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Vassar College and a Master of Science in Strategic Communications from Columbia University. She serves on the board of Historic Huguenot Street and chairs its Education and Programming Committee. Laura also serves on the New York Regional Selection Committee for the Marshall Scholarship and as a review panelist for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Kevin J. Quilty joined CFHV in 2012 and is responsible for the asset development, marketing and outreach efforts for the Community Foundation of Ulster County. Born and raised in Ulster County, Kevin graduated from Kingston High School (’69) and earned a Bachelors of Arts with a major in History from St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH (’73). He studied language at the Universite de Besancon, France, earning a French language degree. He taught English in Versailles and travelled Europe extensively (’74-76). From 1977-2011, Kevin owned and operated Smith Mail Advertising Service in Kingston, a full service commercial printing business. Kevin was also a partner in the advertising firm of Crews, Quilty, Thompson and Wylde and worked as a Business Services Consultant for the Ulster County Development Corporation. He currently serves as: Vice President of the Business Alliance of Kingston, Kingston Mendelssohn Club (and past president) the Kingston Uptown Business Association (and past president) and serves as Government Affairs Chair on the board of the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Benedictine Hospital and as a board member of the United Way of Ulster County, the Hudson Valley Senior Residence, the Kingston Kiwanis Club, the Kingston Boys and Girls Club, Friends of Historic Kingston, Gateway Community Industries and the Ulster County Council for the Arts, now Arts Mid-Hudson.

Stephen Gnojewski joined CFHV in August of 2024 and is responsible for the asset development and outreach efforts for Putnam and Southern Dutchess. A Midwesterner by birth, Stephen fell in love with the Hudson Valley while working for the juvenile-Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in both the Westchester County Chapter and Hudson Valley Branch. Now a resident of Poughkeepsie, Stephen has continued his career in philanthropy working in higher education advancement for Vassar College and Marist College. Combining his passion for local history and environmental concerns, Stephen volunteers as the Board President of Springside, a National Historic Landscape in the City of Poughkeepsie. He received a Bachelor’s of Science from Northwestern University’s School of Speech and an MFA in Playwriting from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts. He looks forward to continuing his work, telling the stories of how donors and local nonprofits are transforming the quality of life within their communities.

Serena Marrero joined CFHV in December 2020. She is responsible for deepening and broadening the CFHV’s network of attorneys, financial advisors, accountants, brokers, and others who work regularly with their clients in the area of planned giving. She also works to develop and implement the Community Foundations’ gift planning and Legacy giving program and serves as a planned giving resource to donors, nonprofits, and professional advisors. Marrero most recently managed the Lostand Foundation. Her prior experience includes positions at Westchester Medical Center Foundation at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital, Mohonk Preserve, Abilities First, and the New York Council on Nonprofit (NYCON). Marrero serves on the board of Arts Mid-Hudson and chairs its Development Committee. She is a founding board member and past president of the Mid-Hudson Valley Association of Fundraising Professionals and has served on Arts Mid Hudson grant review committees. She holds an associate degree in Graphic Design and Advertising Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development from SUNY New Paltz.

Zoaya Fatima joined CFHV as a Philanthropic Associate in April 2024. She is responsible for providing administrative support to all activities related to fund management, donor relations, planned giving, estate administration and events. Zoaya previously worked for Revolution Prep where she was a Marketing and Communications Coordinator where she supported the overall company in marketing operations initiatives. Previously, she was the office manager and Administrative Coordinator for the College Counseling Department at Milken Community School in Los Angeles. Zoaya holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Marist College, and two Masters, one in Marketing and Communications and another in Instructional Design both from Franklin University in Columbus Ohio.

Darcy Kelly joined CFHV as Chief Financial Officer in April, 2020. She is responsible for various financial aspects of the organization. She previously worked at Poughkeepsie Day School as Business Manager and Assistant Business Manager for 25 years. In those roles, Darcy worked in the business and finance, human resources, development, and student database areas of the school. She also volunteered each year at the school’s annual auction fundraiser. For the past several years, she has also attended the annual NYSAIS Business Affairs Conference at Mohonk Mountain House. Darcy is a lifelong resident of Dutchess County and appreciates what the Hudson Valley offers residents, sandwiched between Albany and New York City. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Marist College.

Tim Wroten joined CFHV in July of 2024 as Interim Director of Special Projects to support CFHV in advancing key initiatives. He will conduct research to guide strategic decisions, advise on external affairs, and ensure the success of projects involving staff, board members, donors, and community partners.

Tim previously managed content and communications projects at the Mellon Foundation and the New-York Historical Society. He also taught English in Spain. Tim has volunteered for AIDS Walk New York, the French Institute Alliance Francaise, Fundacion Madrina, Fundacion Manantial, and the Victorian Society of New York where he served on the board.

Tim received a Master’s of Arts in arts administration from Baruch College, a Bachelor’s of Arts in history from The New School, and a certificate in teaching ESL from Arizona State University. “Practice, Progress, and Persistence: Identifying an Audience Development Framework for the French Institute Alliance Francaise,” a case study for his master’s, was nominated for the Marlow Prize in Arts Leadership. His other research has explored evolving organizational cultures and how arts organizations can promote care and social impact within their communities.

Tim’s other interests include animal welfare, immigrant and LGBTQ+ empowerment, mental health awareness, languages, travel, and the outdoors. While Tim is a Delaware native, his maternal great-grandmother, Elizabeth Kipp Elder, was born and raised in Rhinebeck.

Margareth Tan Gorman joined CFHV in November 2022. She is responsible for gift and data entry of the foundations, generating reports from the database and creating new system profiles. Margareth also supports the CFO with processing vendor payments, investment data entry and financial reports. She previously worked for Hyde Park Central School District as a Senior Account Clerk in Payroll. She also worked for The Blue Book of Building and Construction Network for fifteen years with positions in Finance, Product Support, and Paid Order Processing. Margareth was born in the Philippines but has lived in the Hudson Valley region most of her life. She arrived in the United States speaking limited English but always believed in the American dream. Margareth graduated from Plattsburgh State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English. She is grateful to work for a nonprofit and serve the community that has given her so many opportunities. She resides in Dutchess County with her husband and two sons.

Amanda Perez joined CFHV in June 2022. As the Executive Assistant for CFHV she is responsible for the overall administrative functions of the Poughkeepsie office and is the direct support for the CEO and the Board of Trustees. Amanda was born and raised in Long Island, moving to the Hudson Valley to pursue an Associates Degree from SUNY Orange. She previously worked as a Shipping Clerk and Office Administrator for a payroll company based in Monroe, where she first discovered her love for office management.

Cristin McPeake joined CFHV in March 2014. She is responsible for monitoring individual grant and scholarship funds while working directly with donors to help them achieve their philanthropic goals. Cristin previously worked for Rock Solid Foundation in Austin, TX. As their Program Development and Improvement Coordinator she was responsible for developing licensing, contracting and accreditation submissions for start-up child and family service organizations. In addition to policy, procedure and quality improvement process development, she also maintained and developed data management systems for each organization with which she worked. Before her move from Texas in 2007, Cristin worked locally as a Quality Improvement Coordinator for The Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie. Cristin was born and raised in the Hudson Valley. She received her bachelor’s degree from Emerson College in Boston, MA.

Elisabeth Giglio joined CFHV as Program Assistant in September 2022. She is responsible for technical assistance for grant and scholarship applicants. Elisabeth previously worked at Bard College as Director of Career Development where she supported college students in achieving their career and post-graduate goals and later was hired as the Talent Acquisition Manager, where she focused on recruiting and DEI best practices. Previously, she was the Assistant Director of People and Culture at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies where she oversaw HR functions, including onboarding, orientation, recruiting and staff appreciation. Elisabeth is a SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional). She earned a B.A. from Earlham College and an M.S.W. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Elisabeth is also a Trustee of the Clinton Community Library and is a resident of Dutchess County.

Kate Farinato joined CFHV as Grants Administrator in July 2024. She is responsible for technical assistance for grant and scholarship applicants as well as providing overall support for the Programs department. Prior to CFHV, Kate worked at Dutchess BOCES as a Program assistant in the ALI department where she supported the staff and students in furthering the program. Prior, she worked in Interior Design at NL_GB working on houses in the Hudson Valley region. For over ten years, Kate worked at J.Crew as a Senior Technical Colorist, overseeing the color development of textiles in NYC. Kate was born and raised in the Hudson Valley where she attended Arlington High School, studied in Boston and San Francisco, and returned to Dutchess County after an extended period in NYC. In her free time, Kate is a standing member of the Pleasant Valley PTA. She is proud to work for an organization that has done so much for the community she grew up in and where she is now raising her family.

Todd Thomas joined CFHV as Systems and Communications Manager in November of 2022. Todd is responsible for all internal and external communications and marketing including, but not limited to, online content, social media platforms, print materials and advertising. He also oversees the operational management of all internal systems, vendors, and the organizations database. Previous to CFHV, Todd worked in client services supporting the Retail Services Group of CBRE in their Tri-State offices in Manhattan; creating and managing marketing content for the group while offering operational administrative support. Prior, he was the Prospect Research Manager in the Advancement Department of The Culinary Institute of America; developing research strategies and reporting on prospective donors and sponsors to further fundraising goals. Throughout his adult life he has volunteered, fundraised and offered his time and skills to such nonprofits as GMHC, GLSEN, God’s Love We Deliver, The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Center and sat on the event planning committee of Hudson Valley Community Services. Todd started his career in the entertainment world as an actor and singer in theatre, film and television; and continues to perform occasionally to this day. Todd was born and raised in Poughkeepsie; where he attended F.D. Roosevelt High, Dutchess Community College where he majored in Communications and graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC.