Pathfinder Foundation Elects New Trustees

Edmeston, New York, February 16, 2017 ... The Pathfinder Village Foundation announces that Victoria Johnson, Deborah LeCates, Carolyn Lewis, and Thomas Novack have been elected to the Board of Trustees.  The Foundation raises funds and public awareness for Pathfinder Village, an internationally renowned planned residential community that offers an array of quality residential, educational, vocational, volunteer, and other services to people living with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities.

“My fellow Trustees and I are pleased to announce the newest members of the Foundation Board; these new members will join the Board in May and bring tremendous talents and experiences that will help position the Foundation as it works to raise funds, work with other organizations, and build awareness in support of Pathfinder Village,” said Kathleen Gozigian, Cooperstown, the chair of the Board of Trustees.  “These individuals are recognized for their professional expertise and leadership in community non-profits, and are deeply committed to serving individuals with developmental disabilities.”

“Over the past three plus decades, the Foundation has been fortunate to attract exceptional individuals that volunteer their time and talents to help us achieve our mission,” said Paul C. Landers, Foundation President.  The 2017 slate of new members is no different.  They bring knowledge, experience and passion to Pathfinder.  Our success over the years is very much attributed to our board leadership.  We look forward to working with our 14 member Board of Trustees as we continue the good work on behalf of Pathfinder Village.”

Trustees of the Pathfinder Village Foundation, a non-profit supporting organization, oversee fund raising and community education efforts including capital projects and operational support efforts, planned giving campaigns, and special events that benefit Pathfinder’s scholarship program.  The Trustees also supervise the management of the Foundation’s named funds and endowments.  Trustees are elected to three year terms, and may serve up to three consecutive terms before transitioning off the Board.  Peter Macarthur of New York recently completed nine years’ service; Philip Lewis and the Honorable John Lambert, both of Cooperstown, will transition off the board later in 2017, each having served three terms. 

The new Foundation Trustees include:

Victoria Johnson, Edmeston, who has served as the School Nurse at Edmeston Central School since 2008, and provides vital services to the school district as the attendance officer, student mentor, and chair of the Wellness Committee.  She also has managed a law office, taught high school health classes, and was an Intensive Care Unit Nurse in Cooperstown and Albany.  She was a founding member of the Tri-Town Youth Commission, serving as its president from 2010-2016.  She has volunteered as a member of the local youth soccer commission, served on the Cooperstown Soccer Club Board of Directors, and helped raise funds to build Grant’s Field at Pathfinder Village.  She lives in Edmeston with her children and husband, Timothy Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer of the Otsego Electric Cooperative, Hartwick.

Deborah Cox LeCates, Cooperstown, received her Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from Columbia University.  Mrs. LeCates then worked as the Director of Admissions at the John Carroll School, a parochial high school, in Bel Air, MD for a decade.  In 2003, the LeCates family relocated to Cooperstown, where Mrs. LeCates has been an active full-time parent and community volunteer.  She is a strong supporter of youth sports and community education through her work with the Cooperstown Soccer Club and the Clinton Cudas Swim Club.  She is married to Lt. Col. William LeCates, MD, the medical director at Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, who also serves in the New York State Army National Guard.

Carolyn Lewis, Cooperstown, is a Regional Development Manager for the Friends of Bassett, the fund raising organization for Bassett Healthcare Network.  Focused on major gifts, Mrs. Lewis works to identify, cultivate and steward donors committed to Bassett Healthcare’s mission.  Prior to joining the Friends of Bassett last June, she was the Economic Development Coordinator for SUNY Oneonta, and the Otsego County Economic Developer.  She volunteers for the Cooperstown Youth Baseball Board, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, and serves on the Village of Cooperstown Economic Sustainability Committee.  She is married to Philip Lewis, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Leatherstocking Cooperative Insurance, Cooperstown.

Thomas Novack, Norwood, N.J., is a Managing Director on JP Morgan’s Investment Banking Management Team.  He joined the firm in 1973, and has covered the financial services community as a banker.  He is a graduate of Ramapo College Mahwah, N.J., and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, and completed the Credit Training Program at Chase Manhattan.  Mr. Novack and his wife, Alison, are active Pathfinder Village parents, supporting capital campaigns and program initiatives for over a decade.

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In addition to Mrs. Gozigian, Judge Lambert and Mr. Lewis, current members of the Pathfinder Village Foundation Board of Trustees include Stephanie Fadale and J.S. Hope of Hamilton; Patrick Kinley of Fly Creek; Joseph Leo of New Hartford; Michael Perrino of Cooperstown; Hamdi Ulukaya of New York; and Christy Zajack of Oxnard, California.  Paul C. Landers serves as the Foundation’s President.

Founded in 1983, the Pathfinder Village Foundation, Inc. is a separate non-profit, supporting organization that raises funds and public awareness in support of the mission of Pathfinder Village.   Pathfinder Village was established in 1980 to provide people living with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities an independent and fulfilling lifestyle. As it works to provide quality supports for older individuals living with ID, the Village also offers highly successful educational, vocational and outreach programs.  To learn more, visit pathfindervillage.org, or visit our fan page on the popular social networking site, Facebook.