COMMISSION BOARD and BIOS

Robert F. Cross was first appointed by the Governor to the Albany Port District Commission (“APDC”) in December 1998.  In June 2000, Commissioner Cross was elected Chairman of the Commission.  Commissioner Cross also serves as Commissioner of Water for the City of Albany, having been appointed by Mayor Gerald D. Jennings in February 1996. He is responsible for management and supervision of the City of Albany Department of Water and Water Supply, which operates the system supplying drinking water to the City as well as the neighboring communities which purchase Albany water. From 1987 to 1995, Commissioner Cross served as Assistant Commissioner for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). A career DEC employee, Commissioner Cross joined the DEC in 1978 and served in a variety of positions until his appointment as Assistant Commissioner in 1987. He holds B.S. and M.A. degrees in biology, and previously served on the Albany City Planning Board, the Governor's Task Force on the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and the State Drought Management Task Force.  Commissioner Cross is also author of the 2003 presidential biography, Sailor in the White House: the Seafaring Life of FDR, and Shepherds of the Sea: Destroyer Escorts in WW II, to be released in 2010.  Both books are published by the Naval Institute Press in Annapolis, Maryland.

Megan E. Daly was appointed to the Albany Port District Commission in 2006. Ms. Daly is the Deputy Commissioner for the City of Albany’s Department of Development and Planning and has been a part of the City’s economic development team since 2002. Prior to that she served as Senior Economic Development Planner for Albany County and previously worked for economic development agencies in both New York and Maryland. In 1997, Commissioner Daly did graduate work at the University of Maryland and worked in southeast Baltimore on a study of industrial lands at the Port of Baltimore. She received her master’s degree from the University at Albany, in Urban and Regional Planning. She currently serves on the Statewide Zone Capital Corporation Board for NYBDC and as a Secretary to the ACES Business Incubator Board of Directors.

Leo Dean was first appointed to the Albany Port District Commission (“APDC”) by the Governor in 2004.  He serves as Secretary to the APDC.  Commissioner Dean is a Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Norvest Financial Services, Inc.  He possesses over fifty years of experience at all levels, and with all types, of insurance products and services.  Commissioner Dean is a licensed Agent and Broker for Property and Casualty, Life, and Health Insurance.  He serves as the Secretary to the Albany Water Board and has previously served as a Water Commissioner for the Town of Waterford for 17 years.  Commissioner Dean is a graduate of Albany’s Christian Brothers Academy and Siena College.  During World War II, he served our country in the Army with the 517th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team, receiving the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Parachute Badge (with star for one combat jump), and the Eastern Theatre of Operations with five battle stars. Commissioner Dean is also the recipient of the very prestigious French Legion of Honor Medal, France’s highest decoration, for his service to that nation during WWII as an American Paratrooper. Commissioner Dean continues to jump out of perfectly good airplanes as a hobby.

Anthony Ferrara was first appointed to the Albany Port District Commission (“APDC”) in 1998 and serves as APDC Treasurer.  Commissioner Ferrara has over 45 years of banking/financial services industry experience.  During his banking career, he served at all levels with State Bank of Albany/Norstar Bank/Fleet Norstar where he retired as a Senior Vice President.  Commissioner Ferrara also serves as Chairman of the City of Albany Industrial Development Agency, Chairman of the Albany Water Board, and as a board member for several community organizations such as the Teresian House and Center of Disable Foundation.  He has received a number of achievement awards including Edward J. Riley Memorial Award (United Way), the Jacob Herzog Leadership Award (Albany Local Development Corporation), and the Cerebral Palsy Board of Directors Service Award.  Commissioner Ferrara is a life-long resident of the City of Albany.

Dominick Tagliento was appointed to the Albany Port District Commission (“APDC”) in 2009.  Commissioner Tagliento, a successful small-business owner, operated and owned Tagliento’s Deli in Rensselaer for over forty-five years.  He was elected to the City of Rensselaer Common Council in 2000 and continues to represent the City’s 5th Ward on the Council.  Commissioner Tagliento serves as Chairman of the APDC Audit Committee.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM

Richard J. Hendrick, General Manager
Terrence P. Hurley, Chief Financial Officer
Frank J. Commisso, Business Manager
Thomas M. Owens, General Counsel
David Williams, Security and Threat Assessment Director
Thomas McGuinness, Information Technology Manager
Annie Fitzgerald, AP/Data Processing Manager
James Williams, Maintenance Foreman
Linda Wilkinson, Commission Secretary

MAINTENANCE STAFF

Jason Carroll

William Mahan

John Shell

James Williams

Nick Barber

Josh Ostrander

PORT MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE

Tony Vasil
A.J. Vasil Associates, Inc.
732/390-1711   Fax: 732/390-2055