Board of Directors
Gideon Stone
(President)
Gideon Stone is a founding member of Trade Design Build, a local Architectural and General Contracting firm which was founded in 2016. After graduating from Cornell with a degree in Architecture in 2009 he chose to stay in Ithaca where he worked for various Architectural and Contracting organizations and eventually started his own company back in 2013. Being involved in one of the most intensely waste producing industries, Gideon is very aware of the importance of the mission of Finger Lakes ReUse and is excited to have the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors.
Patricia Brown
(Treasurer and Secretary)
Patricia Brown is the president of Integrated Business Ventures, Inc., an M&A advisory firm located in Ithaca, NY. She has been a sales and marketing professional, both in the field and in executive leadership positions for 33 years; for the past eighteen years she has provided services germane to the M&A process.
For her mergers & acquisitions clients, Patty is actively involved in every phase of an engagement: assessment of the current business organization and management team, development of clients’ Confidential Business Profile, all marketing functions unique to each assignment, and in the collection and flow of all information to assure the successful execution of each business transaction. She also serves the Company’s exit-planning clients in business value creation by providing expertise in the development and execution of sound commercial processes, operations, and strategic planning.
“Since moving to the Ithaca area eleven years ago, my business partner Michael Matteson and I have had the good fortune to serve clients in a number of businesses in the area and to also meet and work with a number of other service providers here. To this end, we took on the engagement to assist Finger Lakes Reuse and ultimately to help engender in this not-for-profit entity a traditional “business-centric” dimension to drive profitability and implement business practices that positively affect long-term growth objectives.
What happened to me with the FLR project took on an even deeper meaning due to the connection I felt with your environmental and social mission and with a culture that truly values individual diversity – of experiences, talent, ideas, background, identity, and personal destiny. And a culture that embraces change with a positive outlook and with a vision for a better world through stewardship of the land and of our greater community. I want to be a part of this!”
John Lemley
John Lemley, a recent retiree from Cornell after more than 37 years, was Administrative Manager in the (academic) Department of Communication for thirteen years and an administrator in human resources in the College of Agriculture for another 16. Specialty in later years was academic appointments and appointees, processes, procedures, and policies. John has an MBA and a doctorate from Cornell.
“I am intrigued at the concept of ‘reuse,’ as distinguished from ‘recycling.’ Seems to me that to the extent it can be achieved in various contexts, it makes immense economic sense to encourage and facilitate reuse initiatives whenever possible. The economic benefits derive not only from savings that result from avoiding the need to manufacture and craft new materials and merchandise, sometimes from costly and scarce raw materials, but also to livelihoods of current and potential employees and the concomitant benefit of the surrounding community.”
Marshall McCormick
Marshall McCormick joined the Finger Lakes ReUse Board of Directors in the Fall of 2014. He supports the organization through strategic growth and oversight of organizational financials. He is the President & Wealth Management Advisor of Fingerlakes Wealth Management where he actively encourages Socially Responsible Investing and supporting businesses that do good. Marshall was a Peace Corps volunteer in economic development and agriculture in Zambia & Madagascar. Marshall returned to Ithaca in 2011 and in 2013 received a Master’s degree in City & Regional Planning from Cornell. Marshall currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and Ithaca Public Education Initiative, and is a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Ithaca.
“Creating and managing wealth is a passion of mine and it pains me to watch so many our resources flow through the waste stream. The ability of FL ReUse to reinvest in our community by creating value and wealth through effectively managing our waste is a true testament to the ways our society can change. By re-envisioning our waste, we’re able to reduce our collective impact on the environment, create jobs, and provide valuable resources to the local economy.”
Megan McDonald
Megan McDonald is the Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Sustainability for Tompkins County. Since joining the Department in 2013, her work has focused on addressing housing challenges within the community and advancing sustainable practices within County operations. Megan received a Master of Regional Planning in 2005 from Cornell University, and returned to Ithaca in 2009 to become Program Manager for the NSF-funded Institute for Computational Sustainability at Cornell. Her previous experience also includes advancing the protection of environmental and cultural resources through work with the National Park Service and private consulting firms, providing historic preservation and neighborhood planning services as a Planner for the City of Raleigh, and teaching preservation planning courses at the University of Mary Washington. She joined the Board of Finger Lakes ReUse, Inc. in 2015.
“Reuse has been part of my family’s values and basic thinking from my earliest years, motivating much of my interest in sustainability, historic preservation, and planning. The combination of vision, creativity, pragmatism, and stewardship that reuse involves is inspiring, and particularly meaningful when combined with the creation of living wage jobs. Reuse empowers each of us to help our communities strike a healthy balance between environmental, economic, and social needs while learning to be mindful of the impacts our ‘stuff’ has on the world around us.”
Jodie Herbert
Yayoi Koizumi
Yayoi Koizumi, founder of Zero Waste Ithaca, dedicates her efforts to reducing waste in our community through grassroots initiatives. With a diverse background, she invests her free time in this cause when she is not working to pay her bills. As a single mother, she takes pride in having raised her son, who is currently studying at the University of Vermont. Yayoi holds a Masters degree in Philosophy from Howard University, an HBCU, and a BA from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. She left a Ph.D. program at Cornell with only a dissertation left to be done. She has a background in basic website management and social media work.
Believing in the transformative power of Zero Waste practices to address social injustices, Yayoi values the ReUse Center as a vital asset in Ithaca and is excited to contribute to its mission. Stay updated on Zero Waste Ithaca’s latest endeavors by visiting the ZWI website at zerowasteithaca.org.
Paul Mazzarella
Paul retired after 22 years as executive director of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services and remains
active in Community Housing Capital and National Neighborworks Association, and served on our
informal Planning Committee 2022-2023.. Paul brings a strong background in non-profit planning and
management, an extensive network of local community leaders, and strong written and verbal skills.
“I have been very impressed with the ambition and accomplishments shown by Finger lakes ReUse. I really appreciate the values placed on preserving the environment and promoting social justice.”
Jan Rhodes Norman
Ray Schlather
Ray is a lawyer and partner at Schlather, Stumbar, Parks and Salk. He has served on a number of boards
and public entities over the years, some of which include TC3, Ithaca City Common Council, Ithaca City
Board of Public Works, GIAC and the Hangar Theatre.
“Reduction of waste – be it of talent, interest or materials – will only improve the quality of life in this community and on the planet.”
Dr. Maria Thomadaki
Vicki Taylor Brous
Vicki has 20+ years of experience working in events and marketing,including at the Downtown Ithaca
Alliance, the Ithaca Festival, in production and operations for Farm Aid, and in various positions from local
to international non-profit organizations with a demonstrated history of working in the public relations and
communications industry. Most recently, Vicki has been Project Coordinator for Shift Capital as part of the
Southworks project (former Emerson Power Transmission / Morse Chain), a facility that may have
potential to house future programming and workforce development initiatives related to reuse.
Elizabeth Bodner
Liz has been volunteering with Finger Lakes ReUse for more than 5 years. Liz believes in minimizing
waste and creating opportunities for current and future employment. She says “ReUse feels like a safe
space for diverse individuals; it is an integral member of the Ithaca community and should endure.” Liz
served on the board of the History Center and the Queens Foundation, has corporate experience in
people and change management, quality and regulatory control. Liz has a strong interest in helping
ReUse succeed!
Lynn Leopold
(President 2014 –June 2019)
Lynn Leopold served as the former Recycling Specialist for the Tompkins County Solid Waste Management Division, providing outreach and education on reuse, waste reduction and recycling. Prior to that, she served as the Education Coordinator for 5 years for the City of Ithaca’s recycling program, Ithaca Recycles. She came to Ithaca in 1979 and in 1983 received a MS from Cornell University in Science and Environmental Education. She presently serves as a board member of Finger Lakes ReUse, Inc. and is a trustee of the Village of Lansing, and in 2011 was awarded the NYSAR3 Recycler of the Year – Lifetime Achievement Award.