Four New Members Join SUNY Orange Foundation

MIDDLETOWN – The four newest members of the SUNY Orange Foundation’s Board of Directors are community leaders Sandra Iberger, Sue Sheehan, Patricia Claiborne and Antonio Rivera Jr.
Iberger is currently the vice president of operations for the Greater Hudson Valley Health System while Sheehan is a retired professor and administrator at SUNY Orange. Claiborne retired from Cornell Cooperative Extension in 2010 after 37 years with that organization and Rivera presently serves as chief executive officer at Top of New York Consultant, LLC.

Iberger joined Orange Regional Medical Center in 2008 and serves as site administrator for Orange Regional’s Medical Pavilion in addition to her operations role. She has more than 25 years experience as a healthcare executive and has worked in both academic medical centers and community-based hospitals.

Prior to joining the Greater Hudson Valley Health System, Iberger  held several senior-level executive positions within New York academic medical centers, including NYU Langone Medical Center, Continuum Heath Partners, Saint Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center and Beth Israel Medical Center. Iberger is a retired member (Major) of the United States Air Force, New York Air National Guard.
For more than 40 years, Sheehan was employed within the academic and administrative sectors of higher education, including tenures at Dutchess Community College and SUNY Orange. When she retired from SUNY Orange in October 2006, Sheehan was serving as the associate vice president for Student Services. During her tenure at the College, she was the director of financial aid, acting affirmative action officer, part-time transfer credit evaluator, adjunct professor of psychology and interim vice president for student development.

Sheehan earned an associate’s degree from Dutchess Community College, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY New Paltz. Presently, she is a member of the boards of directors of the Middletown Kiwanis Club and the Salvation Army, and is chair of the local CTEA Committee at SUNY Orange.

A past educator, program leader and executive director for Cornell Cooperative Extension, Claiborne managed all aspects of the organization’s operations at the time of her retirement, providing leadership and opportunities for the youth and families of Orange County. Since retiring, Claiborne has worked on a temporary basis as state extension specialist and as consultant for several Cooperative Extension associations.

She currently serves on the Orange Regional Medical Center/Greater Hudson Valley Health System’s Board of Directors, where she is vice president of the ORMC Board and former chair of its Governance Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for HONOR, ehg, of Middletown, and the Orange County Human Rights Commission. She is a member of the Middletown Kiwanis and the Orange County Farm Bureau. She has received awards and recognitions for her dedication to the community, some of which include the Human Rights Commission Award, Tribute to Women of Achievement Award, National Association of Extension Home Economists Diversity Award and the Leadership Orange Pinnacle Award.

Rivera has worked in various aspects of housing preservation and development, urban renewal, real estate development and community affairs for more than three decades. His background, prior to joining Top of New YOrk Consultant in 2009, included time spent as director of operations for the New York School Construction Authority for Real Estate and Development (2007-09), assistant commissioner in the Office of Community Partnership for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (1997-2007) and assistant commissioner of the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (1994-96).

Rivera also was director of community affairs for the New York City Housing Authority (1993-94) and deputy ombudsman for the Office of the New York City Council president (1988-1992). From 1982-87 he was director of the Progress Neighborhood Preservation Company in East Harlem.

Nick Illobre, chair of the Foundation Board Development Committee, stated, “We are very pleased to welcome these outstanding volunteers to the Board. All four have a record of commitment to education, and three are graduates of community colleges, so each truly understands the values and mission of both the Foundation and the College.

“Also, each brings a unique prism through which she or he will view the College and their diverse voices. Sandra Iberger brings us the understanding of a major employer in the healthcare industry and Sue Sheehan’s professional experience in financial aid will be invaluable to our Scholarship Committee,” Illobre added. “Pat Claiborne is one of the most widely respected educators and community leaders in the Hudson Valley. After years of hoping she might join the Foundation, we are extraordinarily fortunate that she has decided to bring her vast experience to us. Finally, and equally important, Tony brings with him decades of experience in partnerships between the public and private sectors, particularly in urban environments.”

The SUNY Orange Foundation was established as a non-profit corporation in 1987. The mission of the Foundation is to generate funds and build resources to enhance learning opportunities for students and the community. During the 2015-16 academic year, the Foundation expects to award more than $320,000 in scholarships to help deserving SUNY Orange students.