Finger Lakes Regional Prosperity Network (FLRPnet)

Dan Fessenden serves as the Executive Director of the Fred L. Emerson Foundation, a fourth-generation family foundation located in Auburn, New York. Previously, Dan was the founding Executive Director of the Cornell Agriculture & Food Technology Park, and a member of the government relations team for the Carrier Corporation. Dan also served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1993 to 1999. Dan has been actively engaged with various business, civic and educational organizations throughout the Central New York region, and currently serves as a Director of the Tompkins Financial Corporation, Tompkins Trust Company, and Midstate Mutual Insurance Company. He has also served on the board of several charitable organizations including the Seward House Museum, Wells College, and the American Agriculturist Foundation.

Lou Walcer was appointed in June 2011 as the first Director of the Kevin M. McGovern Family Center For Venture Development in the Life Sciences at Cornell University. Lou came to this role with a track record of building and launching new products and new ventures as a Marketing/Business Development/New Product Development Director and Consultant to Merck, Schering-Plough and Wyeth; as Officer and Consultant to many Biotech/Medical Device companies; as President of the medical device drug delivery company Medimop USA; and as a Consultant to and Senior Commercialization Officer at Cleveland Clinic Innovations. Lou earned a B.A. degree from Cornell University’s College of Arts & Sciences, and a Master of Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School.

Gene Yarussi served as President and CEO of Emerson Power Transmission
(EPT) between 1989 and 2006 capping a 42-year career. Under his leadership, EPT made several U.S. and foreign acquisitions and positioned the company to operate as one cohesive organization. Since retirement, Gene has consulted with several local start up ventures and has extensive public service. He has served, is currently serving, or consulted with: The Sciencenter,TC-3 Foundation, Racker Centers, Family and Children’s Service, Challenge, Love Living  at Home, Congregational Church and Tompkins Public Library.

Jeannette Frank is Executive Director of The Arc of Schuyler in Watkins Glen, NY a
nonprofit that provides supports for people with disabilities. The Arc operates a vocational training center, Glen Industries, specializing in co-packing of dry food products and bottling of hot and cold acidified and low acidified foods for small scale producers. Jeannette has over 35 years of programmatic and administrative leadership experience in the field of developmental disabilities. Through partnership agreements, she has been instrumental in opening up some of The Arc’s services to the general public. Examples are operation of the county public transit system (Schuyler County Transit), county mobility management information help line (Transportation Link Line), and a community arts center (Franklin Street Gallery and Gift Shop).  She currently serves on the Board of Directors for SCOPED (Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development), Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben Workforce, NY and the Finger Lakes Collaborative, a consortium of 13 regional Arc Chapters. Jeannette earned her bachelor’s in Social Work from The College of Saint Rose in Albany.

Mr. Hartz has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tompkins Trust Company, and Executive Vice President of Tompkins Financial Corporation since January 01, 2007.  Prior to his current role, he was a Senior Vice President of Tompkins Trust Company, with responsibility for Tompkins Investment Services since 2002. Mr. Hartz has been a Director of Tompkins Trust Company since January 1, 2007.  Mr. Hartz is a native of Ithaca having graduated from Ithaca High School and Cornell University.  In addition to serving on the board of TCAD he serves on the boards of Cayuga Medical Center and Cayuga Health System, and The Legacy Foundation.

Natasha R. Thompson is the President & CEO of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier in Elmira, NY.  She has over 20 years of experience in food banking having started her career as an Americorps*VISTA volunteer in 1997.  Natasha has been with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier since 2001 and in her current role since 2008.  Under her leadership, the Food Bank was recognized in 2017 as Feeding America’s Food Bank of the Year. Natasha holds a BA in Psychology & Religion and an MBA, both from the University of Rochester.  She has served as the Chair of the Food Bank Association of New York State and a member of Feeding America’s National Council of food banks.