Mohawk Valley Community College welcomes Anna Tobin D’Ambrosio and Dana Jerrard as its newest Board of Trustees members after their appointments on March 8, 2021, by Governor Andrew Cuomo under Article XX, Section 2004 of the Oneida County Charter and Section 6306 of the New York State Education Law. While both will be eligible for consideration with renewable terms in the future, D’Ambrosio’s term will expire on June 30, 2023, and Jerrard’s term will expire on June 30, 2025.
D’Ambrosio, President and CEO of Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute since 2017, is committed to working toward the Institute’s growth through enhancing programming, engaging the community, and drawing new audiences. She was instrumental in the development of a long-range strategic plan, outlining a vision for the future and blueprint for new opportunities and community participation.
D’Ambrosio served on the local planning committee of Utica’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors, a board member at Williamstown Art Conservation Center in Massachusetts, and is a past board member for the Museum Association of New York. She also has won several regional awards, including Woman of the Year for the arts through the Mohawk Valley Chapter of New York State Women, Inc. (2017), the Christopher P. Destito Tourism Leadership Award (2020), and was a 2012 award recipient at the YWCA Mohawk Valley’s Salute to Outstanding Women.
D’Ambrosio holds a master’s degree from the Cooperstown Graduate Program, received her bachelor’s degree from College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, and has furthered her studies through the Attingham Program, Victorian Society Summer School, and a Winterthur research fellowship.
Jerrard is a part-time human resource director at Jay-K Independent Lumber Corp., and prior to that, spent more than 30 years in managerial positions at Vicks Lithograph and Printing beginning as an account manager before moving to human resource manager and finally IT manager.
Jerrard, no stranger to MVCC, has volunteered for the College’s Foundation since 1998, served on the most recent College President Search Committee in 2007, and was president of the Foundation’s Board from 2003 until 2015. He also has a long track record of participating in various community organizations. He has been a member of the Rotary Club of Utica since 1986, holding many club offices in that time including serving as president for one term and newsletter editor and secretary for more than 20 years. He also is Rotary District 7150’s governor-elect for the 2021-22 year, a position in which he will be the regional leader of 40 rotary clubs with more than 1,000 volunteers in Central New York.
Jerrard also holds the Alumni Class President office at Cornell University, is a volunteer for the United Way of the Mohawk Valley, was a founding member and first board president for Senior Services of Utica, Inc., served as president and a board member of Family Services of Utica, was chair of the Small Business Council of the Utica Area Chamber of Commerce, and is a board member of the Utica Chapter of the American Red Cross.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in food science from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.