DASNY is governed by an 11-member board. Board members include the Commissioner of Education of the State, the Commissioner of Health of the State, the State Comptroller or one member appointed by him or her who serves until his or her successor is appointed, the Director of the Budget of the State, one member appointed by the Temporary President of the State Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the State Assembly and five members appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for terms of three years. The Commissioner of Education of the State, the Commissioner of Health of the State and the Director of the Budget of the State each may appoint a representative to attend and vote at DASNY meetings. The members of DASNY serve without compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement of expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
The Governor of the State appoints a chair from the members appointed by him or her and the members of DASNY annually choose the following officers, of which the first two must be members of DASNY: Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers.
Lisa Gomez
Chair
Pelham (Westchester County)
Lisa Gomez was appointed as a Member of DASNY by the Governor on June 2, 2022. Ms. Gomez is CEO of L+M Development Partners, LLC (L+M). She previously served as Chief Operating Officer. L+M develops, builds and manages affordable housing with local agencies such as the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Authority. Prior to joining L+M, Ms. Gomez held positions in the Bloomberg and Dinkins Administrations as well as with JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Silverstein Properties. Ms. Gomez has a BA from Louisiana State University.
Gerard Romski, Esq.
Vice-Chair
Mount Kisco (Westchester County)
Gerard Romski was reappointed as a Member of DASNY by the Temporary President of the State Senate on May 9, 2016. He is Counsel and Project Executive for “Arverne By The Sea,” where he is responsible for advancing and overseeing all facets of “Arverne by the Sea,” one of New York City’s largest mixed-use developments located in Queens, NY. Mr. Romski is also of counsel to the New York City law firm of Rich, Intelisano & Katz, LLP. Mr. Romski holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the New York Institute of Technology and a Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School.
*Mr. Romski was appointed Vice-Chair in June, 2020
Beryl L. Snyder, Esq.
Secretary
New York (New York County)
Beryl L. Snyder was reappointed as a Member of DASNY by the Governor on June 19, 2013. Ms. Snyder is a principal in HBJ Investments, LLC, an investment company where her duties include evaluation and analysis of a wide variety of investments in, among other areas: fixed income, equities, alternative investments and early stage companies. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Vassar College and a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University. Her current term expired on August 31, 2016 and by law she continues to serve until a successor shall be chosen and qualified.
Alfonso L. Carney, Jr.
New York (New York County)
Alfonso L. Carney, Jr. was reappointed as a Member of DASNY by the Governor on June 19, 2013. Mr. Carney is a principal of Rockwood Partners, LLC, which provides medical consulting services in New York City. He has served as Acting Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Secretary for the Goldman Sachs Foundation in New York where, working with the President of the Foundation, he managed the staff of the foundation, provided strategic oversight of the administration, communications and legal affairs teams, and developed selected foundation program initiatives. Mr. Carney has held senior level legal positions with Altria Group Inc., Philip Morris Companies Inc., Philip Morris Management Corporation, Kraft Foods, Inc. and General Foods Corporation. Mr. Carney holds a Bachelors degree in philosophy from Trinity College and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Wellington Z. Chen
Queens (Queens County)
Wellington Z. Chen was appointed as a Member of DASNY by the Governor on June 20, 2018. Mr. Chen is the Executive Director of the Chinatown Partnership Development Corporation. In this capacity, he leads the Chinatown Partnership in implementing initiatives in infrastructure, post 9/11 rebuilding and public space improvements in a comprehensive effort to improve the environmental and the business conditions. He is a graduate of the School of Architecture and Environmental Studies at The City College of New York. Mr. Chen's term expired on March 31, 2020 and by law he continues to serve until a successor shall be chosen and qualified.
Janice McKinnie
Buffalo (Erie County)
Janice McKinnie was appointed as a Member of DASNY by the Speaker of the Assembly on June 12, 2020. Ms. McKinnie is the Executive Director of True Community Development Corporation where she has led various housing rehabilitation and development projects and has formed strategic alliances with local and regional community groups to promote affordable housing and economic growth within the area of Buffalo. She is also the owner of Developments By JEM, LLC, a construction and project development consulting firm and a NYS certified M/WBE business. Ms. McKinnie is a graduate of the State University College of Buffalo and holds a Master’s degree in organizational leadership from Medaille College.
Joan M. Sullivan
Slingerlands (Albany County)
Joan M. Sullivan was appointed as a Member of DASNY by the New York State Comptroller on March 26, 2019. Ms. Sullivan is President of On Wavelength Consulting LLC, a firm that assists governmental entities with development of public procurements and private companies with the preparation of effective responses to government solicitations. She possesses over 40 years of experience working in and for the government of New York State, including an expansive career at the NYS Office of State Comptroller where she last served as Executive Deputy Comptroller before accepting an appointment as Executive Director of The NYS Forum, Inc. Ms. Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration (Accounting) from Siena College.
Kent Syverud
Syracuse (Onondaga County)
Kent Syverud is the 12th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University. During his eleven years as Chancellor, he stewarded the University during a period of transformational change and growth with record applications and enrollment. With Chancellor Syverud’s vision, Syracuse University has become the best private university for veterans, tripling enrollment of veterans and military-connected families. Embracing innovation, Chancellor Syverud oversaw Syracuse’s launch of one of the first online J.D. degree programs in the nation. A noted legal scholar who served as Law Dean at both Vanderbilt University and Washington University, Chancellor Syverud continues to teach at Syracuse University’s College of Law and Whitman School of Management. Chancellor Syverud led the restructuring of governance of the Atlantic Coast Conference, serving as Chair of the Board of Directors (2019-2021). He serves on the Boards of Crouse Health System and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and previously served as Commissioner for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and co-Chair of the Regional Economic Development Council for Central New York. In 2016, he completed six years as the Independent Trustee of the $20 billion Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust.
Dr. James V. McDonald
Commissioner of New York State Department of Health
Albany (Albany County)
Dr. James V. McDonald M.D., M.P.H., was appointed Acting Commissioner of Health January 1, 2023 and confirmed as Commissioner by the State Senate on June 10th, 2023. Prior to joining the New York State Department of Health in July of 2022, Dr. McDonald served at the Rhode Island Department of Health since 2012.
At the Rhode Island Department of Health, he served in multiple roles including, Interim Director of Health, Chief Administrative Officer of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, Medical Director for the COVID unit, as well as the Medical Director for Center for Customer Services and the Drug Overdose prevention program. He was also a member of the Governor’s task force on Preventing Overdose deaths. Dr. McDonald has faculty appointments at the Brown School of Public Health as well as the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Dr. McDonald earned his M.D. from Loyola Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, his pediatric residency in the US Navy, and his preventive medicine residency from the State University of New York. He earned his M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He earned his B.S. in Biology from Siena College. Dr. McDonald is board certified in pediatrics as well as preventive medicine.
His diverse career includes being an officer in the U.S. Navy, as well as private practice in rural areas where health care shortages existed. Dr. McDonald also served in the Indian Health Service in in the Navajo Nation, serving as Medical Director of Outpatient Medicine in Chinle, Arizona.
Dr. Betty A. Rosa
Commissioner of Education of the State of New York, Bronx; ex-officio
Albany (Albany County)
Dr. Betty A. Rosa was appointed by the Board of Regents to serve as Commissioner of Education and President of the University of the State of New York effective February 8, 2021. Previously, Dr. Rosa assumed the role of Interim Commissioner of Education and President of the University of the State of New York from August 14, 2020 through February 7, 2021. Dr. Rosa had served as a member of the Board of Regents and as Chancellor thereof from March 2016 through August 2020. She started her career with the NYC Department of Education as a paraprofessional and later served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal in the Bronx and, upon appointment, assumed the responsibilities of Superintendent of Community School District 8 then Senior Superintendent of the Bronx. Dr. Rosa is a nationally recognized education leader who has over 30 years of instructional and administrative experience with an expertise in inclusive education, cooperative teaching models, student achievement and policy implementation. She received a B.A. in psychology from the City College of New York and an Ed. M. and Ed. D. in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University as well as two other Master of Science in Education degrees, one in Administration and Supervision and the other in Bilingual Education from the City College of New York and Lehman College respectively.
*Phyllis Morris is the designated representative for the NYS Education Department.
Blake G. Washington
Budget Director for the State of New York
Albany (Albany County)
Blake G. Washington is the Budget Director for the State of New York, appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul. Mr. Washington is responsible for the development and management of the New York State budget and leads a team of public servants to administer the fiscal duties of the state, including economic and revenue forecasting, tax policy, fiscal planning, capital financing and management of the State’s debt portfolio. Mr. Washington was previously employed by the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee for over 20 years, culminating with his service as Secretary to the Committee from 2015 through 2023. In that role, Mr. Washington advised the Assembly Speaker and the Assembly Majority on all budget and fiscal matters and served as the Assembly’s lead negotiator on the New York State budget. He began his career in public service as a probation officer in Sullivan County, New York. Mr. Washington earned both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from University at Albany. He lives in the Capital Region with his wife and daughter.