The Wallkill Valley Land Trust (WVLT) has named Angelica Snyder of Gardiner and William (Bill) Schuster of New Paltz, to its board of directors. The WVLT also announced that long-time board member Vals Osborne of Gardiner is stepping down but will have a new role as a non-voting board member.
On Sunday, July 16, during the organization’s annual board meeting, Osborne was named director emeritus and was also awarded a resolution honoring her eleven-year volunteer service on the WVLT board of directors.
With the addition of Snyder and Schuster to the organization’s board, Christie DeBoer, executive director of the WVLT, said, “The success of the WVLT depends on a dedicated volunteer board who are committed to preserving open space, rail trails and farms. Our board also ensures the organization is well-funded and operationally sound. Bill Schuster and Angelica Snyder are highly qualified community members who will help strengthen our organization. They are a welcomed addition to our board.”
Snyder has held a variety of leadership roles at SUNY New Paltz, most recently as assistant director of operations and research.
Snyder previously served as advancement manager of individual research at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
Snyder holds a Master of Science in Applied Social Research from Hunter College and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from SUNY New Paltz.
Schuster served as executive director of Black Rock Forest in Cornwall for nearly 30 years. Schuster is also an adjunct senior research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and a trustee of the Black Rock Forest Preserve, and non-board member of the science committee at Scenic Hudson, Inc. Schuster holds undergraduate, graduate and advanced degrees in biology and ecology.
Regarding Osborne, DeBoer described her as “passionate, dedicated and committed to the WVLT. In her eleven years of service, she has chaired the WVLT historic house tours and co-chaired our education committee. Her tireless work has resulted in greater awareness and support from the community through tours and programs that are insightful and engaging.”
Osborne currently serves as a trustee and is vice chair of the executive committee of Historic Huguenot Street and is chair of the organization’s collections committee. In the recognition proclamation awarded this past Sunday, the WVLT said Osborne’s “commitment, passion and unwavering dedication to the mission of the Wallkill Valley Land Trust has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s goals and objectives” while also noting that she “has provided valuable guidance, serving as an advocate for land conservation and stewardship.”
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