Maureen is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Walkway. She was elected in December 2022 after serving as Vice Chair and Co-Chair of the Board Management Committee.  She was trained as a Walkway Ambassador in 2016 and continues to proudly collaborate with the Walkway staff, more than 140 volunteer Ambassadors, the New York State Parks Department, and the New York Bridge Authority, all focused on delivering programs and services to the more than 600,000 visitors who enjoy one of our nation’s most unique state parks.

During her more than 35-year career she has lived in Asia, Europe, and the US, where she held global executive roles with Deutsche Bank, Novartis and Lee Hecht Harrison. Most recently, she was the VP of Organization and Leadership Development for Nuvance Health, where she led the health system’s talent function and served on the COVID task force.  As a small business owner in the Hudson Valley, she provides her clients with high-impact leadership development, assessment and coaching services, aligned to their business strategies and priorities.  She is a consultant with Dr. Vince Molinaro’s Leadership Accountability Consultancy and is a member of the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce Executive Leadership Program Committee. 

Maureen has received global recognition for her leadership work, including President’s Awards for her global talent programs and diversity and inclusion workforce councils. She is a published author, a certified Executive Coach and assessment expert and a career development advisor.

Maureen also supports the Hudson Valley community through additional volunteer service roles.  Since 2019 she has served on the Marist College School of Management’s Advisory Board, where she serves as an Executive in Residence and mentors undergraduate students and leads scholarship fundraising efforts.  In addition to representing the Walkway on the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce, she was also recently appointed to the Chamber’s Executive Leadership Program Committee, where she looks forward to contributing to the continued development of the region’s current and future leaders.

Rocco is a physician and is certified by the International Coaching Federation in leadership and performance coaching. He founded NEAC Coaching and Consulting, LLC after a rewarding career in medicine, as an opportunity to work with healthcare professionals and help them improve their effectiveness and satisfaction with their work. Rocco is an avid walker who has hiked and walked extensively in the northeast and in Europe. He strongly believes that exercise and being outdoors are essential components to physical and mental health and well-being. Rocco brings this passion and experience to his work on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Walkway.

In his medical career, Dr Chiappini specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He was medical director of several rehabilitation units over the course of his career and worked with patients with multiple medical conditions including, stroke, brain injury and physical trauma. He has now shifted his focus to healthcare leadership development and coaching. 

Rocco previously served on the board of directors of the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire. He has been named Top Doctor in rehabilitation medicine by New Hampshire magazine. He speaks Italian with fluency and some Spanish.

Chris is the Head of Leveraged Lending/Finance at M&T Bank. In addition, he oversees the Financial Sponsor Group, the Fund Banking Group, SBIC Investing and is a member of the Senior Loan Committee.

Prior to joining M&T Chris was the Head of Leveraged Finance at FBR Capital Markets, a Managing Director in debt Capital Markets at Credit Suisse and a Managing Director in Loan syndications at Chase Manhattan Bank.

Chris is a life time Hudson Valley resident growing up in Garrison and currently residing with his partner Ali Verdicchio in Cold Spring. He has been a Walkway over the Hudson Board member since 2019. In addition to his commitment to the Walkway Over the Hudson Chris also is a member of the Finance Committee for the Mohonk Preserve.

Anita and her husband, Dan, have been volunteers and supporters of the span across the Hudson since they walked in the opening day events 15 years ago!  They both value their time spent as trained ambassadors and love the opportunity to share the Walkway with all who venture forth.

Anita has been a part of private education for 28 years in the Hudson Valley, originally at Poughkeepsie Day School, and for the last 6 years at Oakwood as an Admissions Associate and recently moved to Community Engagement Liaison.  Prior to relocation Anita, for thirty years, moved from classroom teacher to admissions administrator in various Quaker schools in the Philadelphia region.

A strong believer that education continues throughout your life providing educational opportunities for regional residents and visitors continues to be an important base of her varied community involvements - reflecting her belief that participating in your neighborhood is important.  She has served as past President and board member of the Dutchess County YWCA;  presently is the Board President of the Catharine Street Community Center; serves on the Board of Directors of Arts Mid- Hudson, and also serves on the Advisory Board of the Hudson Valley Community Foundation - in addition to being Board Secretary and member of the Board of the Friends of the Walkway.   Each of these positions reflects her belief that there is an amazing variety of opportunities in the Hudson Valley - just stretch your imagination and find your neighborhood.

Ed Bergstraesser is a corporate communications strategist and writer with more than 25 years of experience in public relations, corporate social responsibility, issues management and community relations in a variety of industries and settings. 

Prior to establishing a consultancy in 2019, Bergstraesser was external affairs director at AT&T for a dozen years, handling public relations and public affairs for the company, including media and analyst relations, CSR, crisis communications and investor relations.  Before that, he worked with public relations agencies, not-for-profit organizations and Fortune 500 companies, including United Airlines and MCI.  He has substantial experience in mergers and acquisitions communications.  In addition, he’s directed national and grass roots public awareness programs, most notably an award-winning on-line voter registration drive, bringing together public and private entities to register 75,000 citizens in the nascent stages of Internet commerce and advocacy - and garnering 300 million impressions along the way, as well as a Smithsonian Award. 

Ed maintains executive board of director membership in Parks and Trails of New York and is affiliated with multiple non-profit organizations, including Rotary International and the Izlind Wellness Collective. A winner of seven industry awards, he’s also actively involved in a host of other corporate communications and public affairs associations.

His first job out of school was with The Chicago Reporter, an award-winning, investigative monthly on urban affairs and race relations.  He has a political science degree from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, as well as business-related certificates and graduate work.

Maria Alejandra Rojas Diaz is a bilingual finance and community engagement professional with more than eight years of experience in corporate banking, treasury management, and nonprofit outreach. She began her career at Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP) and BBVA, in Lima, Perú, where she managed multi-million-dollar corporate portfolios, launched treasury management products, and drove efficiency projects that delivered significant revenue growth and cost savings.

In 2023, Maria transitioned her career to the United States, where she now serves as Community Outreach Manager at Ulster Savings Bank. In this role, she designs and delivers financial literacy programs, cultivates partnerships with community organizations and businesses, and advances the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) objectives. Her work emphasizes financial empowerment, particularly for low- and moderate-income and Spanish-speaking communities.

Maria is also part of the Leadership Associates group of United Way of Ulster County, where she collaborates with their mission.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Universidad de Lima, where she graduated in the top 10% of her class. She is licensed with FINRA’s SIE and holds certifications in Residential Mortgage Lending and Fair Lending. Recognized for her leadership, she was awarded the Women’s Empowerment Award by Seasoned Gives for her commitment to equity and social justice.

With a unique combination of corporate finance expertise and grassroots community leadership, Maria is passionate about building cross-sector partnerships that advance financial security, equity, and opportunity.

Alex is a Leadership Dutchess 2024 graduate, long-time Hudson Valley resident, and an avid hiker and cyclist. At Central Hudson, the region’s gas and electric utility, Alex leads the Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Applications, and Technical Architecture teams, driving transformative technology initiatives across the organization.

Over the past eight years, Alex has led or contributed to many of Central Hudson’s largest technology projects, including initiatives in geographic information systems, customer information management, data analytics, and IT operations. His experience has taught him the keys to project success—collaboration, innovation, and strategic vision—and he has helped shape the technical solutions supporting Central Hudson's operations. Alex is committed to creating technology solutions that reduce costs and enhance the experience for Central Hudson’s customers.

Beyond his professional role, Alex is active on the Chamber Foundation’s Professional Development Planning Committee and serves as Central Hudson’s loaned executive to the United Way of Dutchess and Orange. He volunteers with and supports United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and Rebuilding Together. Currently completing a Master’s in Geographic Information Systems from Penn State University (Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society), Alex also holds a Bachelor’s in Sociolinguistics from SUNY New Paltz.

Jim brings a wealth of leadership experience and a deep commitment to public service to the board. Currently serving as Vice President of Safety & Hospitality at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, he oversees critical operations that ensure a safe, welcoming environment for patients, staff, and visitors alike.

Before transitioning into healthcare administration, Jim dedicated over 25 years to a distinguished career in law enforcement, retiring at the rank of lieutenant. His background in public safety, crisis management, and community engagement has uniquely positioned him to lead with integrity and foresight in the healthcare sector.

A devoted husband and father of three, Jim enjoys spending time with his family and their dogs. He is also an avid learner, currently taking on the challenge of mastering the game of golf.

Stephan Hengst is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Big Gay Hudson Valley and has spent his career focusing on building community and driving engagement and tourism for brands that include The Provincetown Business Guild, The Culinary Institute of America, Whole Foods Market and Stonyfield Farm. Having established a wide range of business development initiatives in support of the world’s premier queer travel destination, Provincetown, Massachusetts, as the Executive Director of the Provincetown Business Guild, he’s focused on building the Hudson Valley’s reputation as a world-class LGBTQ+ community and travel destination.

Having produced the largest annual event on Cape Cod, Provincetown’s annual Carnival Parade, as well as events like Provincetown’s Annual Pride Celebration, Bear Week, Holly Folly and First Light, Hengst has extensive experience in working with municipalities to attract visitors and drive business growth. Hengst also has extensive community health experience, successfully supporting Provincetown and its businesses as the destination recovered from COVID-19 and then working with health organizations to manage and stem misinformation as related to the emergence of spread of Mpox.

Hengst and his husband Patrick Decker co-founded Big Gay Hudson Valley in 2008 and have focused on creating experiences and promoting resources that empower people to make new connections, explore the Hudson Valley & live as their authentic LGBTQ+ selves. New York State’s only multi-channel resource for regional LGBTQ+ travel, BGHV serves 150,000+ digital users annually with a community event calendar, local guides and tourism information. BGHV also produces a wide range of events including Out on The Farm, Hung With Care: A Queer Holiday Burlesque Spectacular, The Meet Market Pop-Up Gay Bar, The Gay Gasp Queer Comedy Show and the BARNWOOD Queer Art Show.

In 2024 he established Kingston NY’s first-ever multi-day Pride Celebration as well as Pride In The Sky, the premiere LGBTQ+ pride event on the iconic Walkway Over the Hudson. Spanning Poughkeepsie and Highland, Hengst worked in partnership with I LOVE NY/LGBTQ, New York State Parks and the Walkway Over the Hudson Friends Group to make this event possible, with more than 3,000 attendees joining the celebration.

Hengst also published Big Gay Hudson Valley’s first-ever Queer Travel Maps for Dutchess and Ulster Counties in 2024. More than 30,000 printed maps have been distributed across the region in partnership with Dutchess Tourism, Ulster County Tourism and I LOVE NY.

Always believing in his mother’s advice to be the best gay person that he can be, he’s focused on connecting likeminded friends over the years for the betterment of the Hudson Valley community.

Mike has spent the last two decades as a commercial leader for startups and growth-stage technology companies. He was the head of sales at an artificial intelligence platform that revolutionized how news organizations connect with audiences across social media platforms.  He co-founded webinar.net, a virtual events platform, and is currently a founding partner of annex.agency, an Ulster County-based design and marketing services provider.

Mike is a SUNY New Paltz alumnus, then an Ulster County weekender, now a full-time resident. He's a former bike commuter with over 1,000 CitiBike rides, an occasional jogger, a hobbyist musician. Mike joined the Walkway Over the Hudson board to support its mission of creating community connections across the Hudson Valley region. He is also a board member of the New Paltz Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, where he led the launch of a new pedestrian safety initiative called "Expect A Pedestrian." This campaign aims to raise awareness among drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and intersections, creating a safer walking environment for everyone in the community.

As a co-founder and partner at Basch & Keegan, Maureen A. Keegan has practiced personal injury law exclusively since 1986.  Maureen’s areas of practice include all aspects of civil litigation, medical malpractice, wrongful death, automobile and trucking claims, product and premises liability.  Initially, Ms. Keegan worked for a medical malpractice defense firm in New York City.  Based in Kingston for the last 30 years, Ms. Keegan has successfully represented clients throughout the Hudson Valley, greater New York City, and Capital District areas who suffer injury or death from medical errors. 

Moe is an enthusiastic Ulster County resident for the past 30 years. She enjoys biking, hiking, skiing, and all the benefits of living in the Hudson Valley.  Moe has been a WOTH member for more than three years, and has served on the Development and Recruitment Committees.  Beginning her legal career in New York City supplied exposed her to a wide practice of law.  Having specialized in personal injury for the last 30+ years, she has appeared in most of the Courts in the Hudson Valley.  She was Corporation Counsel for the City of Kingston, and has served on numerous not-for-profit boards. Currently, she is a board member at People’s Place, a community outreach for people in need in Ulster County.

Shirley served as the Chair of The Ambassador Advisory Committee for the past two years. Within this committee, she has led the Ambassador Workgroups and has taken on many roles within this group. She has been a Walkway Ambassador since 2017, working at the pavilions, giving tours to children and adults, driving the tram and participating in events. Shirley has taken a lead in many committees, chairing the successful Walkway Talks program, mentoring new ambassadors and was part of the team who created and established the Explorer Program. She received the prestigious Don Cady award last year for her service as an ambassador.

During her 43 years of teaching both in Scotland and the United States, Shirley taught a variety of ages and subjects. She spent the last 23 years of her career at Poughkeepsie Day School teaching Social Studies, English and other specialized courses to middle school students. Shirley led many professional workshops around New York State as well as in New Jersey and Tennessee. With her student led approach to progressive education, her innovative teaching style and paperless classroom, she helped many teachers become part of the digital age in education.

Shirley is a native of Scotland but has lived in Dutchess County for almost 40 years. She is a member and past president of the Dutchess Scottish Society and presently holds the role of their financial secretary. During her skiing days she was Vice President of the Hudson Valley Ski Club and ran many ski trips. Shirley also supports other local groups, volunteering with Dutchess County Parks and Mills Mansion.

Fred W. Schaeffer is an attorney and iconic community leader known for his instrumental role in the development of the Walkway Over the Hudson. His leadership, vision and dedication have significantly contributed to the revitalization of the Hudson River waterfront and transformed a vital recreational resource for the community. Through his commitment to public service, Schaeffer continues to create a lasting impact on the region.

Fred has been practicing law in Poughkeepsie for 59 years. His practice focused on estate planning and environmental issues, demonstrating his strong commitment to serving clients and advocating for community interests. He provided legal counsel as he engaged in significant community development initiatives, showcasing his dedication to enhancing the quality of life in the Hudson Valley.

Fred has served in appointed and elected town official capacities, and on many community boards and committees throughout his career. Schaeffer played a crucial role in the establishment of the Walkway Over the Hudson project in the early 2000s. His vision and efforts to convert the abandoned railroad bridge into a public space involved collaboration with state and local governments, foundations and businesses, environmental groups, and community members. Under his leadership, the conversion project secured $40 million funding, navigated regulatory challenges, and ultimately opened to the public in 2009.

Fred W. Schaeffer attended Dutchess County Community College where he found his passion for reading, and excelled in college sports. He was president of his fraternity while at Hartwick College, and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School. His academic and teamwork emphasized background equipped him to assist and contribute meaningfully to community initiatives.

Schaeffer’s continued involvement with local civic organizations reflects his dedication to fostering community development and sustainability in the Poughkeepsie area. Fred continues to be a daily presence on his bike at the Walkway, where he shares his stories and photos of the history of the Walkway; striving to create an environment of  "the Friendliest Park."

Andrew Taffe is a lifelong resident of Poughkeepsie, New York and graduate of Marist College. As a Licensed Insurance Broker for Marshall & Sterling since 2016, Andrew has worked closely with clients throughout the Hudson Valley providing customized insurance solutions. Andrew holds multiple designations including CLCS (Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist) and Surety Level 1 from the National Association of Surety Bond Producers.

Andrew’s areas of expertise include Construction, Real Estate Development, Manufacturing and Hospitality. Andrew has been instrumental in the continued growth of Marshall & Sterling’s Construction Practices Group which serves as a resource for General and Trade Contractors throughout New York State. Andrew is an active member numerous trade associations including NESCA (Northeastern Subcontractors Association), AGC NYS (Associated General Contractors) and CCA (Construction Contractors Association of the Hudson Valley). Andrew is a recent graduate of the Construction Leadership Academy of New York State, hosted by the AGC. Focused on the success of his clients Andrew provides a wide range of services including Financial/Contract review, risk strategy implementation and cost containment initiatives.

Mary Ann became a Walkway ambassador in 2022 and was recognized as its Rookie of the Year.  A regular volunteer in the pavilions, she was asked to join the Merchandise Committee in 2022.  In 2023 she was instrumental in forming the Explorers Committee and has served as its lead since then.  A member of the Ambassador Advisory Committee, a mentor for new ambassadors, and a docent for children’s Explorer tours are some of the other roles she has assumed since becoming a red-vester.

A native of Dutchess County, Mary Ann grew up in Salt Point, has lived in Rhinebeck and currently resides with her husband in Stanfordville.  She was an early elementary teacher in the Rhinebeck School District for thirty-five years.  During her career, she served on numerous curriculum and hiring committees, as grade level chair as well as a cooperating teacher for local student teachers.  In 2005 she received the SUNY New Paltz Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.  For seven years, Mary Ann was an adjunct at Marist College where she taught courses for teacher candidates and supervised student teachers.

Mary Ann is a member of the Poughkeepsie branch of American Association of University Women.  She is a co-lead of an interest group, an active participant in their Leading to Reading initiative and a substitute volunteer at a Poughkeepsie elementary school.  In addition, she has served as the secretary of the Rhinebeck School Retirees for fifteen years.

A Poughkeepsie native, Michael attended Poughkeepsie schools and graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Babson College.

Michael began his banking career in New York City with the Marine Midland Trust Company (now, HSBC). He returned to Poughkeepsie in1965 to work with then then Dutchess Bank and Trust Company, rising to the level of Executive Vice-President. In 1989, he joined the former Fishkill National Bank, and following a series of mergers and acquisitions, achieved the position of Vice-President and Senior Business Development Officer for M & T Bank.  Michael retired in March of 2007.

Michael currently serves on the Directors Advisory Council of the Hudson Valley Division of M & T Bank, and is a financial advisor to the WSDG Group, LLC.

Michael has previously served on several boards of not-for-profit and community-based organizations, including leadership positions. He is currently a member emeritus of the Board of the Friends of The Walkway over the Hudson, having served as a Board member and its former Treasurer for several years.

He is a Trustee of the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery and served as its President for eighteen years.

Howard “Howie” Schwartz has a long history in the Music, TV, Film and Recording Studio Business. A native of Buffalo, New York, “Howie” is a classically trained musician (Bassoon) and a graduate of The Eastman School of Music.

After he returned from military service as a DJ for Armed Forces Radio in Europe during the Vietnam Era, Howie moved to Hollywood. He worked as a recording engineer and mixer for studios and Rock and Roll Bands there. After a big earthquake Howie moved back East to work in the studio business in New York City. He started Howard Schwartz Recording (HSR/NY) in 1975 and over the next 40 years grew it to be one of the largest recording studio complexes in the US.

An experienced CEO and marketing professional, Howie is one of the founders of Non-Profit industry organizations like The Society of Professional Audio Recording Services (SPARS), The International Teleproduction Society (ITS), The New York Production Alliance (NYPA), and The Audio Engineering Society (AES).

Howie has been a member of the Boards of those organizations and has been President or Chairman of most. He currently resides in Highland, NY with his partner Dr. Mikki Meyer and is a Real Estate professional for Berkshire Hathaway (BHHS Hudson Valley Properties). He has been a Walkway Over the Hudson Board Member and active committee member since 2016. Howie or his company HSR/NY, has been nominated for Grammy Awards and Oscars and has won multiple Emmy Awards.

During her career at IBM, Kathy worked on mainframe design, managed mainframe subsystems, and launched the first small enterprise server line.  As Vice President of Global Transformation, she led architecture projects across the US, Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia.   She has Masters of Degrees in both Mathematics and Computer Science.

In her retirement, she has been involved in nonprofits to help promote the Hudson Valley and its sustainability.  As a member of the Walkway Friends Board of Directors for 9 years, she has served as secretary and been recognized as one of the ‘Great Connectors’.  She is a Master Gardener Volunteer Emeritus at the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Dutchess County where she has taught numerous classes and designed several local gardens. Kathy also tutors 4^th graders in math in the Poughkeepsie city schools. In addition to gardening, she enjoys biking, hiking, kayaking on the Hudson River, x-country skiing, reading, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Her family has resided in Dutchess County for centuries and as the 12^th generation, Kathy is the first non-farming generation!  Her farming background defines her love of the Hudson Valley and her volunteer activities in environmental sustainability.

John is the immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Walkway, serving for three years.  He has served on the Board since 2006 and, since the opening of the Walkway in 2009, has been the Chair of the Amenities Committee, responsible for coordinating the Park's buildings, benches, and in particular its spectacular solar / LED lighting.

Since beginning his architectural career in 1968, he and his team at WSDG (Walters-Storyk Design Group) have been responsible for the design of over 3000 studios and content creation / performance spaces around the world, beginning his career with the creation of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in New York City’s Greenwich Village.  Since then projects include historical renovations, additions and new construction projects in media production, corporate, government, transportation, education, broadcasting and cultural / entertainment sectors for such clients as diverse as Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, J Cole, Bob Marley, Whitney Houston and Jack Antonoff; corporate entities such as Spotify, Sony, CBS, Novartis, and IBM; global governmental AV installations as well as educational institutions, including Berklee College of Music, UCLA, NYU, Drexel, and USC.

In addition to his nearly 20-year service at Walkway, he proudly serves as a member of Highland's Rotary Club, as well as an active supporter of many of our area's arts and not for profit organizations, including Dutchess County SPCA; Maverick Concert Hall; Bardavon Opera House; Glimmerglass Opera; and Upstate Films.  Concurrently, he is an adjunct professor of architectural acoustics at Berklee College of Music and a frequent contributor to publications, conferences and teaching institutions in the professional audio field.

John is a longtime resident in the Mid Hudson Valley, having raised both sons with wife and partner Beth Walters, sharing their time between their homes in Highland, Durham, NC; and coastal Caribbean Mexico.