A twenty-five-member board is authorized in the New York State Archives Partnership Trust's legislation. Board members are selected for their leadership and commitment to education and cultural affairs.

The Governor appoints thirteen members. The Board of Regents names four. The Majority Leader of the Senate and Speaker of the Assembly each appoint three members of the board, and the Minority Leaders in the Senate and Assembly each appoint one member. 

Archives Partnership Trust Duties and Responsibilities

Meeting Minutes

Archives Partnership Trust Board Committees
 

Archives Partnership Trust Board Members:

Stephen Pagano, Chair

Stephen_Pagano.jpgStephen Pagano, of Niskayuna, is the Trust Board Chair.  Mr. Pagano is a former executive of Time Warner Cable. During his 30-year tenure with the company, he served in various capacities. He spent 15 years in New York City helping to build the cable system in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. He later served as executive vice president of the company's West region (Los Angeles, Hawaii and San Diego), an area with more than 2.5 million subscribers and revenues in excess of $3 billion dollars. Prior to that, he served as division president of the Albany region. He has been a resident of the Capital Region for the last 22 years. During that time he has served on many local boards. He is the past chairman of the Ellis Medicine Board of Trustees and currently sits as a board member. He is also a board member of Parks and Trails NY. He has been a prior board member of the Capitol District YMCA , WMHT, Schenectady Science Museum and WAMC. He lives in NIskayuna New York with his wife and 4 cats and is the parent of three grown children and one grandchild. (Appointing Authority: Governor's Office)

George R. Hearst, III, Vice Chair

George-Hearst.jpgGeorge R. Hearst III, of Menands, is the Trust Board Vice Chair.  Mr. Hearst was appointed to the Trust Board by the Senate Majority Leader to the Partnership Trust Board.  Mr. Hearst is a fifth generation California native, who moved to the Capital Region in the fall of 1989 to join the Times Union and now serves as Publisher.  Over the last decade, Mr. Hearst has been instrumental in leading several multi-million dollar capital renewal programs, including the implementation of digital publishing standards and content systems at the Times Union.  An advocate for the community, Mr. Hearst is an active board member in several local organizations covering health and human services, education and cultural arts.  He recently chaired the very successful Heritage Campaign for the Albany Institute for History and Art, as well as serves on the boards including St Peter's Hospital, University at Albany Foundation, Inc., Double H - Hole in the Woods Ranch and the Community Foundation for the Capital Region.  Mr. Hearst is a graduate of Pepperdine University and is the recipient of numerous distinguished service awards for his community work.  He resides in the Village of Menands with his wife Christine. (Appointing Authority: Senate Majority Leader).

Desiree Potvin, Secretary

Desiree PotvinDesiree Potvin, of Woodbury (Highland Mills), currently is the Woodbury Town Clerk (since 1999), the Woodbury Village Clerk/Treasurer/Budget Officer (since 2006) and Secretary to the Woodbury Fire Chief.  Desiree also serves as President of the New York Association of Local Government Records Officers (NYALGRO), a member of the Local Government Records Advisory Council (LGRAC) and a grant reviewer for the State Archives LGRMIF program.  Desiree also serves as Treasurer of the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce, Woodbury Historical Society and Woodbury Beautification Committee.  Desiree is also a member of the Woodbury Lions’ Club and a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers national football team.  She is married to her husband, Timothy, and spends as much time as possible with her nephews and nieces.

Angel Hernandez

Angel Hernandez.jpg

Angel Hernandez is a native of The Bronx, particularly from the Soundview section. A proud graduate of CUNY Herbert H. Lehman College with a B.A. in Sociology and M.A. in History, Angel enjoys educating locals and visitors about the borough's rich history and ever-changing demographics. He works closely with educational institutions in an effort to teach local and neighborhood history to students – a subject rarely taught in the classroom.
Although his passion for Bronx history dates back to his adolescent years, it was Angel's 8-year tenure at The Bronx County History Society as Director of Programs and External Relations where he fully grasped his ambitions to one day be an official Borough Historian. As a former college student of current Bronx Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan, Angel brought a similar passion to The Society when he began The Bronx Latino History Project, raised funds for audio tours to be implemented at the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage and the Valentine-Varian House (Museum of Bronx History), conducted scores of walking tours and lectures on Bronx history, and worked with after-school programs to export quality Bronx historical programming. 
After his tenure at The Society in late 2018, Angel created his own tour guide company called Bronxcursions, Inc. In addition to offering some of The Bronx's best walking tours and lectures, Bronxcursions offers quality bus tours, consultations, and always highlights local businesses. With an ongoing relationship with The Bronx Tourism Council, Angel has led some of the council's most popular experiences like "The Bronx Breweries and Distilleries" and "Bronx Mansions and Cottages" trolley tours. It was this same partnership that during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic Bronxcursions and The Bronx Tourism Council produced the still popular podcast series "Go Bronx Podcast," which won the prestigious Webby award in the Best Limited Series category the following year.   
In April 2019, Angel was elected president of The Huntington Free Library and Reading Room, a historic city landmark completed in the 1890s and considered to be one of the borough's oldest public libraries. Leading the library’s daily operations on the cusp of a new age, Angel envisions new implementations that will keep its legacy alive. For example, the library's entire collections are currently being digitized and the library just finished an extensive roof restoration project - the first of its kind in the institution’s history. Just this past May 2023, Angel was appointed as the Bronx's 5th official historian by Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, making him the city’s youngest and very first of color. He also serves as Director of Government Relations with The New York Botanical Garden.

Daniel J. Cunningham

Daniel CunninghamDaniel J. Cunningham recently retired as the Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services (OGS). During his tenure with OGS, Dan helped to transform and reimagine the agency in his roles as Assistant Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Director of Human Resources Management, Associate Commissioner for Administration, Deputy Commissioner for Administration and Operations, and, finally, as Executive Deputy Commissioner. Dan’s career in State service began in 1984 with the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations. In 1987, he joined the NYS/CSEA Labor-Management Committees administering the NYS/CSEA Joint Apprenticeship and Safety and Health Programs, and working with agency labor-management teams fostering collaboration and enhancing organizational performance and the career mobility of the State’s CSEA-represented employees. In 2018, Dan received the New York State Academy for Public Administration’s Public Service Excellence Award in recognition of his many contributions to governmental efficiency over his long, distinguished career in service to the people of New York State. In addition to his recent appointment to the Board of the NYS Archives Partnership Trust, Dan is a Board Member of the NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, and Board Member and Fellow of the State Academy for Public Administration.

Patricia Niles Dohrenwend

NYS Assemblymember Patricia Fahy

Fahy-headshot.jpgNYS Assemblymember Patricia Fahy represents the City of Albany and the Towns of Bethlehem, Guilderland, and New Scotland. A leading advocate for job creation and education, Pat has been the prime sponsor of over 25 bills and co-sponsored more than 200 bills, including legislation to provide substantial cost savings to municipalities by allowing them to own and update street lighting equipment; protect residents and businesses from potential petroleum disasters; provide state funding for Pre-K transportation; enact greater penalties for public lewdness; and provide tax relief for owners of undeveloped land to encourage conservation. Pat serves on six committees, including Environmental Conservation, Higher Education, and Tourism. During her first term in office, Pat was awarded Freshman Legislator of the Year by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) and Advocate for Choice award by Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood (UHPP). Before her election in 2012, she served as Associate Commissioner of Intergovernmental Affairs and Federal Policy in the NYS Department of Labor, where she advocated for economic stimulus, extended unemployment benefits, and youth training initiatives. Pat is a former elected member of the Albany School Board. She serves on the Board of Directors of the UAlbany Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, and recently served on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Albany. Before moving to Albany, Pat served as the Executive Director to the Chicago Workforce Board. She spent nine years in Washington D.C., including service in the Clinton Administration as the Associate Director for Employment and Training in the Congressional Affair’s Office of the U.S. Department of Labor under Secretary Robert Reich. Pat is married to Wayne Bequette, a professor at RPI in Troy, NY. They have two children and live in the City of Albany. She has a Master of Public Administration from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Political Science from Northern Illinois University.

Dr. Kristi Fragnoli

Kristi FragnoliKristi Fragnoli is a Professor in the School of Education at The College of Saint Rose since 2003. Dr. Fragnoli has been involved in multiple forms of research and educational community dialog.  She has presented at international, national, state and regional conferences for the National Council of Social Studies, the National Council of History Education, and the American Association of College for Teacher Education.  Dr. Fragnoli was awarded the Bruce W. Dearstyne Annual Archives Award, Excellence in Educational Use of Historical Records and the Dr. Benita Jorasky Outstanding College Educator Award, or Demonstrated Excellence in Teaching, by the New York State Council of Social Studies.  Prior teaching experience includes Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Cortland and adjunct teaching at Syracuse University.  Dissertation work was completed at State University of New York at Binghamton.

Dr. Kimberly Gilmore

Dr. Kimberly Gilmore, of New York City, is Director of History and Corporate Outreach at History Channel/ A&E Television Networks.  Dr. Gilmore received her doctorate in American History from New York University in 2005.  As an on-staff historian, her primary focus is to create curricula and education outreach initiatives for middle and secondary school classrooms, museums, and cultural institutions.  She serves as an editor of The History Channel’s Save Our History publications and the Idea Book for Educators, and has written lesson plans in American and Global history.  Gilmore has collaborated with school districts throughout the country as part of the Teaching American History grant program to help design course units emphasizing critical thinking, reading comprehension, and media literacy skills.  She is a member of the Editorial Board of the Organization of American Historians Magazine of History and is active in numerous historical and educational professional organizations including the National Council for History Education, the Organization of American Historians, the International Society for Technology in Education, and the American Historical Association. (Appointing Authority: Board of Regents)

Harold Holzer

Harold-Holzer-Reduced.jpgHarold Holzer is the Jonathan F. Fanton Director of The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City, a post he assumed in 2015 after 23 years as senior vice president of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He also served for six years as chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation, and the previous 10 years as co-chair of the U. S. Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, appointed by President Bill Clinton. In 2008, Holzer was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush. Holzer is the author, co-author, or editor of 52 books on Lincoln and the Civil War era. His recent Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion won the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize, the Mark Lynton History Prize from the Columbia University School of Journalism, and the Goldsmith Prize from the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School.

Holzer’s 2012 book, Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America was the official young-adult companion book for the Steven Spielberg film Lincoln, for which Holzer served as script consultant. He also authored The Civil War in 50 Objects, which traces the conflict through the collections of the New-York Historical Society, where he served for three years as the Roger Hertog Fellow.

In addition, Holzer (www.haroldholzer.com) has written some 550 articles in both scholarly journals and popular magazines, published 15 monographs, and contributed chapters or prefaces to more than 50 additional volumes. Among his many other awards are a second-place Lincoln Prize in 2005 for Lincoln at Cooper Union, and book prizes from the Freedom Foundation, the Manuscript Society of America, the Civil War Round Table of New York, and the Illinois State Historical Society, along with lifetime achievement awards from the Lincoln Groups of New York, Washington, Peekskill, Kansas City, and Detroit; as well as honorary degrees from nine colleges and universities. Holzer is a member of many history boards and advisory committees, and for 20 years has served as vice chairman of The Lincoln Forum.

Holzer lectures throughout the nation. One of his programs, “Lincoln Seen and Heard,” with actor Sam Waterston, has been staged and telecast from such venues as the White House, the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library, the Bill Clinton Presidential Library, the Library of Congress, and Ford’s Theatre. Holzer also appears frequently on C-SPAN and the History Channel, has served as an on-air commentator on CBS, PBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and the BBC, and has created and performed Lincoln programs onstage with such actors as Kathleen Chalfant, Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Stephen Lang, Norm Lewis, Liam Neeson, Chris Noth, Fritz Weaver, and Dianne Wiest.

Before joining the Met in 1992, Holzer spent his early career as a journalist, a campaign and Congressional press secretary for Rep. Bella Abzug, an aide to New York Governor Mario Cuomo, and as spokesman for New York’s PBS station, WNET. He and his wife Edith live in Rye, New York, and have two grown daughters and a grandson. Biography in Brief/ January 2016

Harold N. Iselin

Harold-Islin2.jpgHarold N. Iselin, of Albany, is the Managing Shareholder of GreenbergTraurig LLP's Albany office and Co-Chairs the firm’s Government Law and Policy Practice. He focuses his practice on governmental affairs, health care, and insurance matters, representing diverse clients before the New York State executive branch and state legislature. Additionally, he has represented numerous clients in managed care and insurance transactions, often involving complex regulatory issues. According to Chambers USA 2019 Guide, sources describe Mr. Iselin as "phenomenal, extremely knowledgeable and pragmatic." He was described by sources in the 2018 Guide as “the best healthcare regulatory lawyer going, period,” and being “superbly connected with government agencies.” Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Iselin was a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, following which he became Assistant Counsel to the Governor of New York with responsibility for transportation, education, veteran's affairs and freedom of information matters. (Appointing Authority: Governor's Office)

Peter J. Millock

Peter-Millock.jpgPeter J. Millock, of Albany, NY, is a partner in the law firm Nixon Peabody, LLC and senior member of the firm’s Health Care practice, which encompasses hospital-to-hospital alignments; affiliations among physicians, hospitals, long-term care providers and mental health and disability services providers; purchases and sales of nursing homes, clinics and medical practices; enforcement matters before New York State agencies; certificate of need and other applications requiring New York State agency approval; and Medicaid and other payor audits. He has crafted innovative health care arrangements in New York, including the first alignment between a New York and an out-of-state hospital, the first alignment between a Catholic and a secular hospital, one of the first affiliations of long-term care providers and one of the first applications for an assisted living residence in New York State. Prior to working at the firm, Peter served for 15 years as general counsel to the New York State Department of Health and is very familiar with its regulations, procedures and protocols. In addition, he routinely appeared before state regulators. Peter participated in the development of state health regulatory policies and health related state legislation. He contributed to deliberations on barriers to private investment in New York health services providers, the future of New York’s certificate of need process, parent/subsidiary relationships in hospital systems and corporate practice of medicine prohibitions. Peter is past Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Health Law Section. (Appointing Authority: Governor’s Office)

Thomas J. Ruller

Tom Ruller Thomas J. Ruller recently retired from his position as New York State Archivist, a role he held since 2015. An active professional for 35 years, he is the author of several peer-reviewed journal articles and reviews on the use of technology in Archives and the preservation of records in electronic form. Tom has been a consultant for several State governments and other organizations focusing on electronic records management and preservation. He remains actively engaged as a Board Member and Steward of the Archives Partnership Trust.

Gary Smith

GSmith.jpgGary Smith, of Clifton Park, brings over 40 years of Hotel Marketing and Operations experience to the Albany, NY, hotel scene.  Mr. Smith founded Hospitality Management Group (HMG) in 2000, when he formed a consulting group advising various Hospitality and Food Service Operations around the state.  He founded the Desmond American Wine Festival in 1987, and the Saratoga Wine and Food Festival in 2001.  He spent fourteen years with the independent Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, New York, as General Manager and concurrently nineteen years as Vice President of Marketing for Village Square of Penna Inc, the parent company of The Desmond.  Mr. Smith was employed as Director of Sales with Marriott’s Marco Beach Hotel in 1984 and 1985.Through HMG, Mr. Smith in collaboration with is two sons, Garrick and Justin, developed concept design, participated in construction, and provided management of 74 State, a 74 room boutique hotel and conference facility constructed within and historic building in downtown Albany, NY, opening in January of 2007.  He has worked with a variety of hotel openings and management of third party hospitality investments since 2002. Mr. Smith served in many community and civic endeavors including Chairing the Eastern New York Nature Conservancy, Chairing the Albany – Colonie Chamber of Commerce, and serving on numerous boards throughout New York’s Capital Region.(Appointing Authority: Assembly Minority Leader)

Catherine Stollar Peters

Catherine Stollar Peters Catherine Stollar Peters is currently Associate Director of Assessment and Data Analysis at the Office of Library and Information Services within the State University of New York. She previously held positions at Bethlehem Public Library, Albany Public Library, New York State Archives, and Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Since 2009, she has worked as an adjunct instructor for University at Albany College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity teaching courses in electronic records management and digital libraries. In 2017, She earned a Ph.D. in Information Science studying the socio-technical interactions and personal digital archival activities of public library computers users. American Libraries Magazine awarded her dissertation a "Notable Dissertation" of 2018 because of her qualitative evaluation of library policies as structures that can either support or hinder user activities. Her current research focuses on digital archives, public libraries, program assessment, and data analysis. (Appointing Authority: Governor's Office)

Rosemary S. Vietor

Rosemary S. Vietor, of New York City, is President of the Bowne House Historical Society.  Bowne House, which dates from 1661, is the oldest surviving structure in Queens. Bowne House has been a museum open to the public since 1947 and is known for its association with the principle of freedom of conscience in America.  Mrs. Vietor formerly served on the Board of the Colonial Dames of America.  She currently is Treasurer of the New York Committee of the Garden Club of America and is on the board of the Millbrook Garden Club.  Prior to retirement, she was an investment manager and Vice President of JP Morgan; Clariden Bank (a subsidiary of C. S. First Boston); and the Mathes Company. (Appointing Authority: Senate Minority Leader)

Christine W. Ward

Chris_Ward.jpgChristine W. Ward, of Troy, retired from the position of New York State Archivist and Chief Executive Officer of the New York State Archives Partnership Trust in 2014. She served in these capacities for over a decade. Throughout her career, Ms. Ward published and lectured on topics concerning the archival profession and provided expert advice to national organizations on the management of preservation programs as well as on administration and strategic development for cultural organizations. Ms. Ward has taught at the graduate level and in several continuing education programs, and, most recently, has written on the topics of archives and education, documenting New York State history and archival advocacy. As State Archivist, Ms. Ward represented the New York State Archives on the Board of the Historical Society of the New York Courts, the New York State Freedom Trail Commission, and the Flushing Remonstrance Celebration Commission and she was New York State’s Historical Records Coordinator. She was a member of the Board of the national Council of State Archivists and served as that organization’s Secretary/Treasurer from 2012-2014. Ms. Ward is a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists, the archival profession’s highest honor. Among her other professional honors is the University at Albany’s Distinguished Public Service Award. She is also a fellow of the University’s College of Arts and Sciences and of the New York Academy of History. Ms. Ward was the 2011 recipient of Russell Sage College’s Women of Influence award and the 2014 Walch Leadership Award from the national Council of State Archivists.