CPF Board of Directors
Officers
President, David Gerber is a professional engineer with over thirty years of environmental engineering experience and is currently a Senior Vice President at Arcadis, responsible for global environmental construction services. Dave and his wife, Sharon, moved to Cazenovia in 1996 and built their home on East Lake Road. The property consists of 70 acres, a portion of which is currently farmed. Dave has served on the SUNY ESF College Foundation Board for over 15 years. In addition to serving as a board president, Dave is a member of the Stewardship committee.
Vice President, Craig Buckhout is a Co-founder and Principal at Rockbridge Investment Management, an independent advisory firm based in Syracuse. A resident of Nelson, Craig grew up on a farm in the Finger Lakes, where he gained a strong appreciation for the importance of preserving farmland and open space. As a long-time member of the Cazenovia community, he values protecting our water resources and historic character. Craig previously served on the CPF Board from 2017 to 2023, including three years as Treasurer. Craig serves on the Development and Community Engagement, Finance, and Stewardship committees.
Treasurer, Andy Mistur is a certified public accountant with over 35 years of experience serving auditing and advisory needs of solely-owned to multinational global entities, and has significant experience providing auditing services to commercial, not-for-profit organizations and healthcare providers. He served over 25 years with KPMG LLP, retiring as the Managing Partner, and joined FustCharles in 2009. Andy is a life-long resident of Cazenovia. He and his wife, Jane, reside on West Lake Road. Andy has served on numerous Cazenovia and Central New York non-profit boards. He is on the Finance, and Development and Community Engagement committees.
Executive Secretary, Jim Dungey brings his decades of fundraising and arts administration development and leadership experience to the board. His most recent position was the Senior Director of Development and Director of Major Gifts at Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts. Before working at Syracuse, he was a director at Syracuse Stage, a director at the Schweinfurth Art Center, a high-school art teacher; and has held many other philanthropic leadership roles. He lives on East Lake Road in Cazenovia. Jim serves on the Architectural Preservation & Land Use, and Development and Community Engagement committees.
Members at Large
Shere Abbott is an environmental scientist with graduate training in natural resource policy from the Yale School on the Environment. She’s spent nearly 40 years shaping national and international sustainability science and policy, working in academia, government, non-profits and international organizations. In 2011, she and her family (including two daughters and cats, and now a dog) moved to Central New York for jobs at Syracuse University. They landed in Cazenovia and found home! Having served as Willow Bank Yacht Club Vice Commodore during the pandemic, she hopes for another, hopefully healthy, “all hands on deck” experience in Caz—connecting nature preservation locally with sustainability globally.
David Beam is a Financial Advisor and Planner at Key Investments. Previously, he worked at TIAA serving not-for-profit clients at universities and hospitals. David, his wife, Dorri, their three kids and dog love the historic, thoughtful landscape in and around Cazenovia. David grew up on a small horse farm in Virginia, where his love of open spaces and woodlands developed. While living in the densely populated San Francisco Bay area alongside some of the world’s most amazing parks, mountains, and beaches, he realized that development and preservation can coexist, but that active preservation efforts to protect land and prevent development counter-productive to a community’s values and brand must be pursued. David serves on the Finance Committee.
Leslie Bowser grew up in DeWitt, NY, however some of her earliest and fondest childhood memories include Cazenovia outings with the Limestone Creek Hunt Club and Limestone and Cazenovia Pony Clubs. Thirty years ago, following law school at Syracuse University, Leslie and her husband, John, moved to Cazenovia and raised their three daughters here. She worked for the Mackenzie Hughes Law firm specializing in real estate and later worked pro bono for the Volunteer Lawyer Project of Central New York. Leslie and John continue their stewardship of their own upland parcel for the next generation, including two young grandsons. Leslie serves on the Architectural Preservation and Land Use committee.
Jocelyn Gavitt is a licensed landscape architect with a specialty in community planning. She has worked with numerous communities on projects and programs that build on and promote their natural assets in the public sphere. Locally, as president of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA), she worked to implement the GoCaz program which included GIS mapping, trail and park signage, and a website to connect people to local recreational activities. Jocelyn teaches design studios in landscape architecture and community planning at SUNY ESF. Currently, she is also acting as executive director of the Partnership for Community Development, a nonprofit organization in the Hamilton area. Jocelyn moved to Cazenovia in 2001 with her husband Jim and together they raised their 3 daughters in the community. Jocelyn serves on the Architectural Preservation and Land Use committee.
Katherine Huftalen is very excited to join the CPF board. She and her husband Rich have lived in Cazenovia for over twenty years, and have raised their four children on Hurd St., enjoying all that village life has to offer. Katherine has a master’s degree in Elementary Education and is currently a math interventionist at Burton Street Elementary School. She loves the outdoors and being in nature all four seasons of the year—especially hiking with her two labradors along the beautiful trails of Cazenovia. She is happy to be a part of an organization that puts such high value on preserving these local gems.
Susan Light holds a doctorate in literature and has spent much of her professional life working in academic departments and administrative offices. After moving to Cazenovia with her husband Eric Olson in 2003, she served on the boards of CazCares, Project Cafe, the Cazenovia Forum, Willow Bank Yacht Club, and the Village of Cazenovia. She currently serves as the vice president on the board of the Cazenovia Public Library and works as the inaugural executive director of CazArts. A regular hiker and cross-country skier on the CPF trail system, Susan is also an ADK 46er, an avid knitter, and a mediocre Laser sailor. CPF’s programs, events, and public trails have played an important role in her life and she looks forward to working with the CPF team.
Lisa Lounsbury is an association executive serving as President & CEO of two trade organizations that represent independent insurance agents in New York and Connecticut. She is also co-founder of a company that helps insurance agents navigate technology solutions for their businesses. When not working or serving on industry boards, Lisa and her mother love exploring the Burlingame CPF trails by horseback. She looks forward to helping preserve and expand the special spaces in Cazenovia for the community to enjoy. Lisa serves on the Stewardship committee.
Susie Michael works at Colgate University as an Off-Campus Study Advisor & Operations Manager. Susie grew up in Cazenovia and moved away after college only to return 22 years later to raise her two children and be closer to family. She has previously served on the Cazenovia Forum and Cazenovia Public Library boards and currently is a member of the CazCares board. She has thoroughly enjoyed all of the CPF trails whether walking, bike riding or cross-country skiing on them and would like to be on the board to help preserve them for our community.
Dan Morgan is a lifelong outdoorsman and conservationist with over 15 years of experience in nonprofit communications and the outdoor industry. He currently serves as Director of Communications for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the largest conservation coalition in the U.S. Daniel has volunteered locally with Trout Unlimited, Clear Path for Veterans, and CPF’s Walks ‘n Talks Fishing Series, and has served on several nonprofit boards. He lives in Cazenovia with his wife and two young sons, enjoying the area’s trails and waterways. Serving on the CPF Board is his way of helping protect and steward Cazenovia’s natural spaces for future generations. Dan serves on the Development and Community Engagement committee.
Jim Smith is a fourth-generation farmer in the Town of Pompey, Cazenovia School District. He and his wife own and operate Tre-G Farms, LLC, a 600-acre, organic, robotic dairy. Their son and daughter-in-law have joined the business and represent the fifth generation of this family farm. Jim is a life-long resident and a graduate of Cazenovia High School. He received his college degree in Agricultural Engineering from SUNY Cobleskill and was a member of LEAD NY Class 5. Jim currently is active as a board member for Farm Bureau and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Jim’s agricultural background and expertise is of vital importance to the CPF board. Specifically, farmland preservation, green open spaces, and ways to provide next generations the opportunities to enter farming while keeping area taxes low. Jim serves on the Architectural Preservation and Land Use committee.
Chuck Stormon and his wife Gyata have lived in Cazenovia since 1994. For many years, the Stormons have granted a trail use agreement on their Route 20 property that connects the Fairchild Hill and Burlingame trails, and Mr. Stormon has volunteered countless hours to mowing and maintaining the Fairchild Hill trails. In his professional life, Chuck is the CEO of Acumen Detection, Inc., and Managing Partner of StartFast Ventures, both in Syracuse. Chuck graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Computer Engineering. Chuck enjoys hiking, canoeing, and outdoor cooking. Chuck serves on the Finance committee.
Will Wester is the president of McIntosh Box and Pallet, headquartered in Syracuse, NY, and has served in that role since 2013, leading the operations side of the business. He joined the team at Mcintosh Box and Pallet after a decade of dairy farming here in Central New York. A Cazenovia resident since grade school, Will resides in the village with his wife and children. Coaching youth sports and volunteering with numerous activities help him remain grounded. Will works within CPF to help balance the challenge of modern sprawl and the appreciation of magnificent accomplishments in our local area. Will serves on the Architectural Preservation and Land Use committee.