Since its inception in 1946, MVCC has been a community effort for a community asset in many ways. One of the reasons it has continued on this path is the idea that this college is here for the students. Another reason is that MVCC’s Board of Trustees believes in that idea.

Made up of Oneida County residents who are either active or retired professionals, the Board is designed to maintain the continuity of the institution and strive for continuous improvement. One student also sits on the Board, giving added perspective and reminding the other Trustees why they are there.

The Board of Trustees holds monthly meetings, during which the public can come and voice concerns. They advocate for MVCC in government relations, fundraising, and curriculum development. Other responsibilities include approving the College budget, expenditures, and appointments to the professional workforce; negotiating contracts with (AMVA) and the Professional Association (PA); hiring the College president; setting policy based on the College’s mission and vision; and being ambassadors for the College.

There are 10 Trustees on the Board. The Oneida County Executive appoints five Trustees, four are appointed by the Governor, and the student Trustee is elected annually as part of student government elections for a one-year term. All other appointments are for seven-year terms.

Current Board Members

Camille T. Kahler, Chair

Oneida County Appointment: 2012
Term Expires: June 30, 2019

Camille Kahler was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2012 by Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente. Kahler currently serves as the Board's chair, elected in 2018. She has previously currently served as vice chair from 2015 to 2018. Kahler earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Albany Law School of Union University, and is admitted to practice in New York and Florida. She has been part of Saunders Kahler, L.L.P. in Utica since 1983, first as an associate before making partner in 1988. Kahler’s work involves a general practice with an emphasis on corporate law and real estate.

In addition to her service on the MVCC Board, Kahler has been active in a variety of other community organizations, as well, having held board positions on all of them at one point. These organizations include the Oneida County and New York State Bar Associations, the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley, the United Way of the Greater Utica Area, Inc., and The Jervis Public Library Association, Inc.

Anthony J. Colón, Vice Chair

Oneida County Appointment: 2008
Term Expires: June 30, 2022

In 2008, the Oneida County Executive appointed Anthony Colón to the Board of Trustees. He currently serves as the Board's vice chair; his term began in 2018.  After spending 10 years in California working at Mitchell International as a senior account executive and director of sales and marketing, Colón returned to Central New York in 1999 and has since owned his own business, Techno-Logic Solutions, Inc. He established his company to provide services in various disciplines including language, cultural, and human services along with IT and medical recruitment. As a Qualified NYS OCA Legal Spanish Interpreter, Colón has provided his bilingual services to a variety of entities including the New York State Court and the Central New York Psychiatric Center. He also acts as a sales and marketing consultant to local community, religious, and non-profit organizations.

In addition to his service as a Trustee, Colón has a long history of community service, including membership and leadership positions with Oneida County Workforce Development, United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica, the Utica branch of the NAACP, Hope House, Neighborhood Center, the Mohawk Valley Latino Association, Revolutionary Trails Council of Boy Scouts of America, and South Gate Ministries and Church. He is the 2015 winner of the New York Community College Trustees Marvin A. Rapp Award.

William S. Calli, Jr. 

Oneida County Appointment: 2003
Term Expires: June 30, 2017

William Calli, Jr. has been a part of the Board of Trustees since 2003, first appointed by Gov. George Pataki and again in 2010 by Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. Calli has previously served as the Board's chair from 2015-2018 and vice chairman from 2006 to 2008. 

Calli is an attorney and partner at the law firm Calli, Calli & Cully, and is a member of the Utica Neighborhood Housing Service Board of Directors. In the past he has been involved with several other organizations including the Oneida County Board of Ethics and the Oneida County Bar Association, where he is a former chair of their Real Property Committee. Calli is also a recipient of the 2012 NYCCT Marvin A. Rapp Distinguished Trustee Award. He is a 1989 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and earned his Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law in Boston in 1992.

Wendy Waters 

Oneida County Appointment: 2019
Term Expires: June 30, 2021

Wendy Waters was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2019 by Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente. Early in her career, Waters worked in sports public relations and journalism at Skidmore College and for Syracuse-area weekly newspapers. After raising her family in Rome, she returned to school and earned her teaching certification and master’s degree from Utica College as well as her administrative certification from SUNY Cortland. She served as a teacher and literacy/instructional coach for the Rome City School District. In 2016, Waters became principal at Gansevoort Elementary School a position she held until her retirement in 2019.
 
In addition to supporting community literacy and educational initiatives, Wendy has been involved in Rome Twigs, a volunteer organization at Rome Memorial Hospital, for more than 30 years, and has been a life-long member of Delta United Methodist Church. She has held leadership positions in both organizations. Waters continues to be passionate about literacy, sports, and travel and hopes to enjoy involvement in all of those areas during retirement with her husband, Stephen. She is honored to now serve her community as a member of the MVCC Board of Trustees.

David Mathis

Oneida County Appointment: 1977
Term Expires: June 30, 2022

David Mathis has served as a member of the Board of Trustees successively since 1977, acting as vice president of the Board from 2002 to 2004 and 2011 to 2013, and has been chair of the Board of Trustees three times, with terms held from 1983 to 1987, 2004 to 2006, and 2013 to 2015.

In addition to his Board of Trustees appointment, Mathis is the Chair of the MVCC Dormitory Corporation Board of Directors and the president of the MVCC Alumni Association Board of Directors.
 
Incredibly active in the community, Mathis sits on a variety of boards for organizations including the Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency; Stanley Center for the Arts; New York State Workforce Investment Board; The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter; New York Community College Trustees; Insight House; Association of Community College Trustees; and the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES School & Business Alliance Program. Mathis also has received many awards for his community involvement. Among them are United Way “Hero Award,” Oneida County NAACP Achievement Award, Utica College Outstanding Alumnus Award, Mohawk Valley Community College Alumni of Merit Award, New York State Governor’s African Americans of Distinction Award, American Red Cross-President’s Fund Award for Cultural Diversity, Association of Community College Trustees Northeast Leadership Award, the M. Dale Ensign Trustee Leadership Award, the Joseph R. Curucci Legacy Award, and the Anne M. Bushnell Memorial Award for Special Achievement. He also was named an Oneida County Historical Society Living Legend.

Elaine M. Falvo

Governor Appointment: 1988
Term Expires: June 30, 2020

Elaine Falvo has served on the Board of Trustees since her appointment in 1988, having been consecutively appointed by three Governors. She has served as Chair twice, from 1993-1996 and from 2010-2013. She also was the Vice Chair from 1991-1992. Prior to retirement, Falvo served as the chief financial officer and treasurer of H.J. Brandeles Corp. of Utica, a mechanical contractor. Through knowledge gained while employed there, Falvo was a leader in the building of three major facilities at MVCC. Falvo has been of member of several other local boards, including New Hartford Board of Education and the board of Faxton Hospital (later the Mohawk Valley Network), from which she has been able to further MVCC’s mission of helping students succeed, especially in the area’s growing career fields.

During her 26 years as a Trustee, Falvo has received several other awards including the Marvin A. Rapp Award for Distinguished Trustee Service, a Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Community College Trustees, and a 25 Year Leadership Award from the MVCC Board of Trustees. As a BOCES board member, Falvo served 25 years and received a Distinguished Service Award from the School Board Institute. One of the most actively engaged Trustees in MVCC’s history, Falvo has provided insight on enrollment management, labor relations, academic program development, and deepening MVCC’s connection to local and regional school districts and BOCES, among other service.

John B. Stetson

Governor Appointment: 1997
Term Expires: June 30, 2018

John Stetson, P.E.’s gubernatorial appointment to the Board of Trustees took place in 1997. Thirty-four year prior, Stetson founded his own engineering firm in Utica, eventually called Stetson-Harza Architects, Engineers, and Construction Managers. As CEO and senior professional, Stetson was directly involved in planning, concept development, and project management for many of the firm’s major projects. Stetson-Harza employed more than 320 architects, engineers, and technicians while Stetson was the CEO, and in 1992, the firm was ranked No. 198 in Engineering News Record’s list of the country’s 500 largest design firms.

Though he retired in 1993, Stetson has continued to serve on many local organizations’ boards, including the Holland Patent Central School District’s Board of Education, Presbyterian Homes and Services, the New York State Historical Association, and Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. He is also a registered professional engineer in New York and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Frank Dubeck, Jr. 

Governor Appointment: 2016
Term Expires: June 30, 2021

Frank Dubeck, Jr. M.D. was appointed in 2015 by Governor Andrew Cuomo. He is medical director for Change Healthcare, King of Prussia, PA, a position in which he provides clinical support for the development and maintenance of their various software solutions for the health care industry. He is a 2016 inductee to the Healthcare Hall of Distinction.

Dubeck worked previously as chief medical officer, vice president of medical policy, and regional vice president of the Utica Region at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield for more than 10 years, where he was responsible for the development and maintenance of medical policies and protocols, worked with regional and national experts to develop consensus among the medical policy committee, and oversaw implementation of policy logic, clinical editing, coding disputes and provider appeals. Prior to working at Excellus, Dubeck was the executive vice president at Summerhill Co. in Sherburne, N.Y., a physician services company, and served as a general internist at Slocum Dickson Medical Group in New Hartford, N.Y. for 12 years.

Jonas America

Student Trustee
Term Expires: May 31, 2020