Richard F. Rothbard, President of the Board Richard and his wife Catherine have resided in Chestnut Ridge since 1982. Both of their children attended East Ramapo public schools. He is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Research Foundation of The City University of New York, which manages approximately $350 million annually in funding for faculty research activities at the nation's third largest university system. As a trustee since 2005 Richard has worked with library leadership to:
* upgrade the library's website
* extend the library's service reach with remote book and media drop-off and pick-up facilities, as well as expanded delivery to the homebound
* create a wireless environment in the building
*reduce constraints on hours of operation
* obtain support for special projects from elected officials
* improve security in and around the library building.
Richard was responsible for Finkelstein's selection as the first site that exhibited "Letters to Sala," which chronicled the World War II Nazi labor camp experiences of East Ramapo resident Sala Kirschner, as told in the book Sala's Gift, written by her daughter Ann Kirschner. Following its appearance at Finkelstein in the spring of 2007, the exhibition went on to tour the United States and Europe. The story has also inspired a play of the same name. Richard received his B.A. from Queens College/CUNY and his Master of Public Administration from Baruch College/CUNY. He is active in a variety of community and professional organizations. Denet Alexandre Denet Alexandre and his wife and four children have been residing in Hillcrest since 1999. Three of their four children attend the East Ramapo Central School District. He is a very involved member of the community at large and is on the board of several community, ecclesiastic and nonprofit organizations. Mr. Alexandre is a graduate of Saint Thomas Aquinas College with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Science (1993). He holds an M.S. in School Psychology from the College of New Rochelle (1999) and a School Administration (SAS) degree from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY (2004). He is certified in several other areas in education including school counseling. Mr. Alexandre had worked for many years as a school psychologist and as a history teacher. He has worked in the field of education for about 17 years in different capacities. He currently works as a school counselor for the local school district.
David Hershkowitz David Hershkowitz and his wife and children live in Wesley Hills. He is a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) with over 20 years experience as a retirement actuarial consultant. He currently works for a Westchester based actuarial and administrative consulting firm. His children attend area schools.
David volunteers his time in the community in various ways including serving on the ERCSD Board of Education Public Relations Committee and as a Board member and Trustee of his synagogue.
Marion Reiss Marion Reiss' association with the Finkelstein Library has been longstanding, starting with her membership in the Friends of the Finkelstein Library and continuing with the founding of the Holocaust Study Center in its annex. She has also been associated with the Benjamin Kruger English Library in Beit Shemesh, Israel, as part of the Ramapo-Israel Twinning Committee.
Marion is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hunter College/CUNY, where she earned her undergraduate degree. She received her M.A. from Columbia University and a guidance certificate from St. John's. She has been a guidance and career counselor at LaGuardia High School of the Arts (the Fame school), and prior to that a social studies teacher and founder of the Social Science Westinghouse Competition at the Bronx High School of Science. She has also been an adjunct professor of sociology at Rockland Community College.
Her community work has included membership on the board of the Holocaust Museum and Study Center, member of the Town of Ramapo-Israel Twinning Committee and Town of Ramapo-China Twinning Committee, the Town of Ramapo Consumer Protection Board, and the Rockland County Girl Scouts Council. She has also published a variety of articles.
Vivian Street Vivian is a proud graduate of Ramapo High School. She is the mother of one son and grandmother of 6 living in North Carolina. She has worked for the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities for over 32 years. She is currently the Rockland County Community Support Team Leader and Region 9 Coordinator for the Public Employees Federation of New York State. She has also been a Trustee in the First Baptist Church for over 15 years and a Sunday school teacher.
Vivian was named a New York State Women of Distinction by Senator Thomas Morahan. A recipient of several awards, Vivian has served on various Boards in community and civic organizations in Rockland. She served for many years as a union leader locally and State-wide. She also served on the board of the United Way of Rockland for over 4 years.
The Library's Board of Trustees usually meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 8 PM in the Founders' Room on the second floor of the Library. The public is welcomed to attend. Please call Ms. Angela Sers, Library Clerk, to confirm meeting dates and starting times: (845) 352-5700, ext. 256.
Library Director: Bob Devino
Senior Department Head: Fred Sandner
On October 18, 2008, Finkelstein Memorial Library dedicated a garden in memory of former library trustee Lucile H. Holt who died on Aug. 12, 2007. Click here for the link to the Garden Dedication. Ms. Holt was an educator and former president of the Rockland Negro College Fund. At the time of her death at age 84, Ms. Holt had served as a trustee of the library for thirteen years and as a member of the Hillcrest Civic Association and the Spring Valley branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The garden is the library's way of saying thank you for the remarkable contribution that Ms. Holt made to our entire community.
On October 26, 2008, Finkelstein Memorial Library dedicated a garden in honor of former library trustee Alice Golar who retired on June 30, 2008. Click here for the link to the Garden Dedication. Mrs. Golar served on the Library Board of Trustees from 1972 until her retirement on June 30, 2008. She served on the board alongside Robert H. Finkelstein, the benefactor and longtime board president of the library. Mrs. Golar replaced Mr. Finkelstein as board president after his death in 2001 and served as the library's board president until her retirement earlier this year. As a Library Trustee, Mrs. Golar has been instrumental in the overall development of the library over the past 36 years. Mrs. Golar continues to remain active as a member of the Friends of the Finkelstein Memorial Library. The Trustees and staff of the Finkelstein Memorial Library owe Mrs. Golar much gratitude for her many years of distinguished service and wish her all the best in her retirement.