Matthew Marko, P.E., BCEE | Regional Director | NYSDEC
Matthew is the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 7 Director, taking that position in October of 2016. He is a New York State licensed Professional Engineer, an American Academy of Environmental Engineers Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE), and has traveled extensively both domestically and internationally serving the environmental needs of public and private clients for over 25 years. Matthew serves as Trustee for the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry where he continues to serve as Chairman of the Board. He's a graduate of the University at Buffalo and studied abroad at the University of North London. He is well known for his presentations and publications on civic infrastructure, specifically green stormwater infrastructure, and embracing a style of adaptive management.
Sam Edelstein | Chief Financial Officer | City of Syracuse
Sam is responsible for the development and implementation of the City's first Open Door Policy, Data Privacy Policy, and Open Door Portal – DataCuse, and has been active on the Mayor's team to bring "innovation" to upgrading the City's infrastructure. He has a Bachelor's degree from Maxwell School, SU, and a Master's degree from the SU School of Information Studies.
Chris Lajewski | Director | Montezuma Audubon Center
Chris Lajewski is a passionate conservationist and birder. A native of Pittsford, NY, Chris began his career with Audubon NY in 2010 as the Montezuma Audubon Center's Education Manager, and later, Director. He is also the Program Director of Audubon's Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. Chris graduated with honors from SUNY Albany with a Bachelor's of Science degree in geology and obtained a Master's of Science degree in geology from Syracuse University where he researched human impacts on the Finger Lakes. He has also worked for an environmental consulting firm, the National Park Service, and The Nature Conservancy.
Frank Mento, P.E. | Commissioner | OCDWEP
Frank currently serves as the Commissioner of Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Ohio. Frank has a Master's degree in Business Administration from Chapman University, and BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Buffalo. Prior to the role of Commissioner, Frank was a Senior VP with Cha Consulting and spent over 28 years in the private sector consulting Industry
Jim Thayer, P.E. | Mechanical Engineer | OCDWEP
Mr. Thayer has served as a mechanical engineer for Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection for the past five years. His primary responsibility is to oversee WEP's Asset Management program. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clarkson University and is a Professional Engineer in the State of New York.
Jon Arneth, MCE | Project Manager | SUEZ
With over 14 years of experience in the drinking water industry, Jon and his team have positioned the Mohawk Valley Region well for a sustainable future. Jon graduated with a Masters in Engineering from Norwich University and previously worked as a Town Engineer in The Town of New Castle. Jon became the Project Manager at the Hinckley Water Treatment plant with SUEZ in 2017. As part of the partnership with the Mohawk Valley Water Authority, Jon has incorporated not only cost savings to the water authority but advanced technology that has optimized the water system for the Mohawk Valley Region.
Dereth Glance | Executive Director | OCRRA
Dereth brings extensive knowledge of the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency to her position, having served on its Board of Directors for six years (2004-2010), including several years as the Vice Chair and Recycling Committee Chair. She served as a U.S. Commissioner at the International Joint Commission (IJC) charged with preventing and resolving disputes and promoting cooperation for the shared waters of the United States and Canada. Prior to that, she served as the Executive Program Director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) directing water, energy, and waste reduction programs for five regional offices in New York and Connecticut. She has served on New York State's Great Lakes Basin Advisory Council, the Clean Water Network, and the Onondaga Lake Partnership Outreach Committee. Dereth graduated from James Madison College of Public Affairs at Michigan State University with a degree in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy.
Cristina Albunio, P.E. | Agency Engineer | OCRRA
Cristina Albunio is the Engineer for the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA). She joined OCRRA in September 2018 and is responsible for providing general technical services for OCRRA's integrated waste management system, as well as specific oversight of the Waste-to-Energy Facility. Ms. Albunio's 16 years of consulting experience at Arcadis includes civil site design focused on landfills; industrial facilities; upstream oil and gas facilities; and railroad expansions. She also worked on a variety of environmental permitting activities throughout the United States including Superfund sites, brownfield remediation projects and a variety of industrial construction projects in environmentally sensitive regions. Ms. Albunio holds Professional Engineering licenses in New York and Maryland. She graduated from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Department of Environmental Resources and Forest Engineering in 2002, Cum Laude.