Board of Directors
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of the Hudson Valley’s Board of Directors helps chart the Foundation’s course. They contribute a vast array of experience and skills that helps maintain our status as the nation’s largest wish-granting organization.
As a whole, the board determines the Foundation’s mission and vision. It selects, evaluates and supports the president and chief executive officer. The board also protects the Foundation’s assets, enhances its public standing, ensures accountability, maintains legal integrity and assesses its own performance.
Howard Goldstein, Chair
Howard Goldstein is a partner and co-founder of Vedanta Capital, a diversified venture capital investment firm located in New York City. Prior to that he worked for 22 years as a general partner of Invesco Private Capital (previously Citicorp Investment Management), a global private equity manager. Howard earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A.with honors from Clark University. He is Vice President and Board Member of the H.O.P.E. For Youth Foundation and is Chairman of the Joan Goldstein Education Foundation. Howard is married to Neva, a yoga instructor, artist and a Make-A-Wish wish granter. They have a daughter, Rebecca and a son, Jesse and live in Cortlandt Manor.
Anthony Cardone, III, Vice-Chair
Anthony Cardone, III, along with his wife Fran, owns and operates Fran’s Hallmark Card and Gift store in Monroe, New York. Tony has been very active in numerous community organizations including the Leukemia Society of America, the Monroe-Woodbury Pop Warner Football League, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. Tony has been a Make-A-Wish volunteer for 14 years, and the recipient of the Kenneth R. Wolfe Award for his outstanding support of the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Tony lives in Monroe, New York.
Linda Hannigan, C.P.A., Treasurer
Vice Chair Linda Hannigan, C.P.A. is a partner with Sedore & Company, CPA P.C. of Wappingers Falls, Poughkeepsie, and Beacon. She is a licensed New York State Certified Public Accountant. Ms. Hannigan directs and oversees a significant part of the firm’s audit practice, including Single Audits of entities receiving federal aid. She provides management advisory services to such entities involving organizational systems including systems of internal control, computerized accounting systems, and compliance systems. She has many years of experience in auditing and tax management; and she is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, the New York Government Finance Officer’s Association, and the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board.
Honorable Thomas P. Zugibe, Secretary
Mr. Thomas P. Zugibe is the District Attorney of Rockland County. Prior to his election, he was a partner in the law firm of Ferraro Zugibe, LLP in Garnerville, New York. He has also served as Village Justice of West Haverstraw from 1989 to 2007. Tom served as the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of the Hudson Valley’s pro bono counsel for three years prior to his election to the Board.
Adrian “Butch” Anderson
Adrian “Butch” Anderson was elected Sheriff of Dutchess County in 1999. Currently, he leads a staff of 550 employees and protects and serves the county’s population of 280,150 and an area of 816 square miles. During his tenure in law enforcement, Sheriff Anderson spent many years in the Major Case Quad where his abilities and persistence brought various robbery and murder cases to conclusion. Sheriff Anderson was also selected to attend and graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. In the line of service, Sheriff Anderson has been awarded five Combat Crosses. He currently serves on the Executive Board of the New York State Sheriff’s Association. Sheriff Anderson is a member of many organizations including the Poughkeepsie B.P.O.E. No. 275, Fraternal Order of Police, Dutchess Community College Foundation Board, FBI National Academy, Dutchess County Detectives, Dutchess County Chiefs Association, Pawling Lions Club, and Pawling Fire Department. Sheriff Anderson is a member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA, is on the Board of Directors for the Ryan McElroy Foundation, as well as serving as the Honorary Chairman of the March of Dimes.
Karin Buchholz
Karin Buchholz is the Vice President of Community Relations & Fan Development with the New York Knicks. She has over 15 years of sports management and 11 years of community sports development. As the VP of Community Relations and Fan Development, Ms. Buchholz is responsible for delivering educational programs to children in the NY metropolitan area and oversees all of the Field Marketing for the team, which includes, Knicks Camps, clinics, tournaments, and multi-cultural marketing. Prior to her job with the Knicks, Ms. Buchholz served as the Director of Fan Development for the WNBA~~she helped WNBA teams develop and increase their fan base at the local level. Before joining the WNBA in April 2001, Ms. Buchholz spent five years with the United States Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs where she served in a number of key capacities including Director of Foreign and Cultural Affairs and Director of Athlete Development of all Olympic Sports. She also spent time at the USTA and spent three years playing on the Women’s Tennis Association’s professional tour. Ms. Buchholz was a scholarship tennis player at the University of Arizona where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in finance.
Markus Erb
Dr. Markus Erb is the Director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. He is a Diplomate, of the American Board of Pediatricians and its suboard of Pediatric Cardiology. He is also a member of the American Heart Association, Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, and the Vice President of the Pediatric Cardiology Society of New York. Dr. Erb is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at New York Medical College. He is also the author of numerous articles on Pediatric Cardiology. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University and a Masters Degree in Biochemistry from Delaware University. Dr. Erb resides in Ossining, NY with his wife Lesleigh and their three children.
Sue Esposito
Sue Esposito, Vice President, Global Equipment Network, Inc. currently directs and manages the Company’s general operations, a business which her husband started in Blauvelt, NY in 1994. In addition to her full time duties with the company, Sue has been an active volunteer with Make-A-Wish. She serves as one of the Foundation’s wish ambassadors and has participated in two walk-a-thons. She recently co-chaired the Foundation’s Gala which raised over a quarter of a million dollars. Sue is also a wish mom and a two-time cancer survivor. Her daughter Jody was a Wish recipient and also serves as a spokesperson for the Foundation. Sue also volunteers her time with Meals on Wheels, People to People and The Special Olympics. She lives in Blauvelt with her husband Jarrod and their three children.
Michael J. Kwinn, Jr
Michael J. Kwinn, Jr. is a Lt. Col. and an Associate Professor of the Department of Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Michael holds an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College and a Masters degree in Systems Engineering from University of Arizona. Michael received his PhD in Management Science from the University of Texas. Michael and his wife Brigitte established the Friends4Michael Foundation in honor of his son (a Wish Child) who passed away in 2003. Michael resides in Monroe, New York.
Peter D. Leibowits
The Peter D. Leibowits Company, Inc. {PDL Company} is a Delaware corporation, incorporated on January 17, 1983. It’s president and sole shareholder is Peter D. Leibowits. The company is largely a reflection of Mr. Leibowits’ personal career in the real estate development arena. Prior to the formation of PDL company, Mr. Leibowits had spent most of his professional career running a major, US publicly traded real estate development company. PDL Company has been primarily involved in the development and management of real estate properties for its own account.
In 1994, PDL Company entered the high-end daily fee golf course development and management business through the formation of the wholly own subsidiary, Centennial Golf Properties, Inc. {CGP}. CGP’s primary geographic area of focus is the Washington, DC to Boston, MA corridor. Within that corridor, CGP focuses on developing projects within commuting distance of major metropolitan areas. To date, CGP has developed two high-end daily fee golf facilities; Centennial Golf Club of New York in Carmel, New York, and Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, MA.
In 1995, Mr. Leibowits formed a private investment company {PDL Investment Company} which invests in publicly traded securities, private funds and administrates a family charitable foundation.
Barry Richman
Barry Richman, CPA, Partner, ERE LLP - ERE LLP is a public accounting and consulting firm with offices in Valhalla (Westchester County), New York City, and Jericho, Long Island. He has 32 years of accounting experience with expertise in audit and accounting including work with not-for-profits in his professional capacity. Barry is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. ERE is a corporate supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Barry currently resides in New Rochelle with his wife, Elise and their three children.
Thomas P. Sullivan
Thomas P. Sullivan, is the president of Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Home in Monroe and Highland Mills, NY. In addition, he is also the president and owner of William F. Hogan Funeral Home in Highland Falls, NY. He is actively involved with his community and currently sits on the board of Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties and is on the board of directors of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he serves on the finance committee of his church, Sacred Heart in Monroe. Tom is the former chairman of the Orange County Fire Advisory Board and is a member of the NYS Fire Chief’s Association and the Orange County Fire Chiefs’ Association. He continues to serve as a firefighter for the Mombasha Fire Company. Tom is a past recipient of the Marion S. Murphy “Neighbors helping Neighbors” award from the United Way. Tom and his wife have two grown children and reside in Monroe, NY.
Claudio Sandoval M.D.
Claudio Sandoval, MD is board-certified in both pediatrics and pediatric hematology-oncology. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at New York Medical College, where he teaches medical students and residents. Dr. Sandoval is active in both clinical and basic science research in the fields of ataxia-telangiectasia and minimal disease detection in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. An active member of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Sandoval has authored or co-authored over 50 research papers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Sandoval received his undergraduate degree from City College and trained in pediatrics and pediatric hematology-oncology at Schneider Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, respectively.
