Office

Charlotte Smiseth, Office Manager

Program Directors

Lorraine Waitman, Backpack Program Co-Chair; Karen Sheeley, Backpack Program Co-Chair; Susan Philliber, Summer Breakfast Program Chair; Charlotte Smiseth, General Distribution Program and Holiday Basket Chair

Board Officers

Susan Bruck, Board President; Ginger Whispell, Board Vice-President; Charlotte Smiseth, Director of Operations; Tasha Clemmer, Co-Treasurer; Roseanna Smith, Co-Treasurer; Rod Basten, Corresponding Secretary; Brittney Donovan, Recording Secretary

Board Members

Samantha Bruck; Erica Riordan; Michael Brown; Rich Roosa; Jeremy Pierce; Thomas Jackson

Charlotte Smiseth

Charlotte Smiseth has been the Director of Operations for the Rondout Valley Food Pantry since late 2019. Charlotte is a graduate of Rondout Valley High School and a local resident her entire life. She is extremely passionate about helping her neighbors and friends in times of need. She builds personal connections with every guest she encounters at the food pantry and tries to make them feel as if they are talking with a friend while taking their custom grocery order. She is also our acting volunteer coordinator who organizes jobs, times and training for all of our wonderful volunteers. Charlotte loves interacting and meeting her neighbors whether they are volunteers, guests, donors or just community members with questions about what it is we do at the Rondout Valley Food Pantry.

Roseanna Smith

Roseanna Smith, Co-Treasurer moved to Stone Ridge five years ago and has been a member of the Board since 2018. It was the Backpack Program that first drew Roseanna to this wonderful organization, raising her awareness of the large number of needy families in her own neighborhood, and, following in the footsteps of current Board President (and one of Roseanna's role models) Sue, Roseanna hopes to help reduce the insecurity and stigma associated with accepting help from the food pantry. 

Karen Sheeley

Karen has lived in Cottekill for 53 years. She retired from Rondout Valley School after working 8 years in an Elementary school  and 21 years as a secretary to  District Office Administrators. She also was a Hospice volunteer nights and weekends for 8 years. Karen started volunteering at the Food Pantry in 2012 and then the Backpack Program in 2013. Karen has organized volunteers to assist with the Backpack program for the past several years and communicates with School staff regarding the nutritional needs of the students in the Rondout Valley School District. Karen has been Co-chair with Lorraine Whitman for the last few years. Covid-19 has given them quite a challenge but they are getting the job done.

Michael Brown

Michael retired from a career in teaching and is now farming and gardening. He organized  many charity fundraisers with his students at the Red Hook Middle School in the hopes of guiding them into a a life-long interest in making the world a better place.  He has been supporting the Rondout Valley Food Pantry for the last three years.  He increased his support last year after a giant maple tree fell within inches of him while on his tractor and he realized that he needed to do more to express his gratitude for life and to support others. 

Erica Riordan

Information coming soon

Susan Bruck

Sue has been the Board President since 2017 and has lived in Ulster County most of her life. Her volunteering career has included leadership positions in Ulster County 4-H, the Marbletown Reformed Church, AYSO, and the Rondout Valley Central School District She is honored to work for and with the community creating lasting relationships and memories for everyone involved with an emphasis on removing all stigma from the food pantry experience.

Rod Basten

Information coming soon

Susan Philliber

Susan Philliber, Director of the Summer Breakfast/Lunch Program for Children, has lived in the Hudson Valley for more than 35 years. She and her husband ran the Youth Group program at the High FallsReformed Church for more than 10 years. Before moving to the Hudson Valley she taught and ran a search unit at Columbia University in New York City. Philliber Research and Evaluation, in Accord, is a family-owned business, providing non-profits throughout the US and abroad with research assistance to measure the outcomes of their work.

Thomas Jackson

Information coming soon

Ginger Whispell

Ginger has been the Board Vice President since 2018. She has lived in the area her entire life. She became involved with the pantry because she strongly feels that food insecurity should not be an issue. There should never be a reason for someone to worry about having enough food for themselves or their family. She believes that everyone who needs the help should feel comfortable to come to our pantry and be able to get what they need.  

Brittney Donovan

Brittney Donovan has been the Recording Secretary of the Rondout Valley Food Pantry since 2018 and manages all meeting note taking. She is a graduate of Rondout Valley High School and SUNY Ulster and is an AmeriCorps alum. Brittney has extensive volunteer experience working to alleviate hunger and food insecurity throughout the United States. She enjoys serving in her community and making sure people are taken care of.

Jon Thomas Tolbert

Jon Thomas had started as a guest and has together with his Uncle Harry and our extreme volunteer Justin(pictured on the left) has been ready to pitch in whether its a board matter or reaching out to local pantry agency representatives .No matter as board members we are all a bad day away from needing a kind supportive gesture from our community at the Rondout Valley Food Pantry :)

Rich Roosa

Information coming soon

Tasha Clemmer

Tasha has been Co-Treasurer since 2018. She began her career as a public school Math teacher in New York City in 2004 and is currently teaching Math for Ulster BOCES's alternative high school. She is an active member of Christ the King Episcopal Church and in her free time she enjoys gardening and spending time with her family outdoors.

Lorraine Waitman

I moved to Lomontville in 2012 following a long career at the United Nations. I started volunteering at the Food Pantry in 2014. In 2018 I began working with Karen Sheeley as Co-ordinator of the Weekend Food Backpack Program. Working with other volunteers at the Food Pantry has been a wonderful experience. I love that our pantry focuses on neighbors helping neighbors in our community.

Samantha Bruck

Information coming soon

Jeremy Pierce

Jeremy Pierce has served on the Rondout Valley Food Pantry Board of Trustees since 2012. She is the liaison to the Marbletown Reformed Church, one of the Food Pantry’s church stakeholders. Jeremy also worked as a food distribution volunteer at the Food Pantry from 2012 to 2020.