2025 Conference
Message
From the Chair

As your new Chair, I want to thank everyone who attended this year's Conference in Albany on April 26 and 27. You are the ones who make the conference happen by coming together to share your energy and experiences with each other.

Special thanks to retiring chair Judith Hunter for her six years of leadership, for lining up this year's conference speakers and donors, and for doing everything possible to make this transition run smoothly.

For their work on the conference, thanks also to:

• Jane Dodds, Conference Coordinator

• Summer Downing, Associate Coordinator

• John Hurley, DRC Treasurer

• Mike Zagrobelny, incoming DRC Vice Chair

• Liz Moran, incoming DRC Secretary
  

For their work on the Program Book:

• Cindy Appleton

• Karen Ash

• Suzanne Coogan

To our session leaders, panelists and speakers:

• Congressman Paul Tonko and State Senator Pat Fahy

• Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, Assemblyman John McDonald, Senator Chris Ryan, Senator Pat Fahy

• Steve Gamache, Deputy Director, NY Legislative Commission on Rural Resources

• Ryan Adams, Senior VP at Actum, on Social Media

• Frederick Kowal, United University Professionals

• Congressman Dan Goldman

To our event Sponsors:

• Governor Kathy Hochul and the NYS Democratic Committee
  for the Friday opening reception

• NYS Attorney General Tish James
  for the Friday dessert reception

• NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli
  for Saturday breakfast

• New York State United Teachers
  NYS AFL-CIO
  CWA Local 1124
  AFSCME
  IBEW Local 2104
  IBEW Local 2023
  1199 SEIU Healthcare East
  Teamsters Joint Council 18
  for Saturday lunch

And to the Albany Downtown Hilton union staff for their outstanding support.

Going forward, we are looking for volunteers from the membership to work on various DRC committees. Please let me know if you'd be interested in helping out!

This new web site remains a work in progress. Many thanks to Jay Jacobs, NY State Committee Chair, for making the Run web template and hosting available to us and to all our counties at no cost. Thanks also to Ed Reed of Livingston County for his invaluable technical assistance and wisdom during this process.

--Bill Thickstun