BETHANY GIZZI

President

Bethany began her career at MCC as an adjunct in 1997 and is now a Professor of Sociology in her 24th year at MCC. She has been in a leadership role in the union since 1999 and is currently serving in her 10th year as the FA President. In addition to her leadership within the Faculty Association, she also serves as a member of the AFT Higher Education Program and Policy Council, the NYSUT Higher Education Policy Council, and the NYSUT Women’s and LGBTQ Committees. Her academic areas of expertise include gender & sexuality studies, sociology of the family, social movements and environmental sociology.  Bethany developed the Gender & Sexuality studies degree at MCC and serves as the faculty advisor for students in that program. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the student LGBTQ co-curricular club, the Pride Alliance and is a certified Safe-Zone trainer and Implicit Bias/Anti-racism trainer. Bethany and her family live in a rural town outside of Monroe County where they have a small family farm with chickens, goats, 3 dogs and 4 cats. You can find pictures of her goats on Instagram at Three Goat Acres (@threegoatacres).

TAINE VINCI

Vice President for 

Professional Staff

Prior to retiring in 2020, Taine was the longest standing professional staff member in the Faculty Association with 42 years of service to MCC.  She held academic rank as a full professor with a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and is a proud MCC alum with an AS degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences and a Certificate in Human Services. Her final position with the College was as the Associate Director of Registration and Records-Graduation Services. Previously Taine held a variety of positions in the Student Services division. Taine has held eight terms as an FA Vice President, served on the past seven contract negotiation teams and has been a long-time member of the Labor Management Committee.  She attended and presented at several of the annual NYSUT Community College Conferences and has served as a delegate to the NYSUT Representative Assembly. Even in retirement Taine continues to be committed to the union and to representing the needs and concerns of the professional staff as well as teaching faculty.  She hopes her long history and experiences at the College can continue to benefit the important work being done by the Faculty Association on behalf of the members.

JENNIFER HILL

Vice President for Teaching Faculty

Jennifer has been teaching in the Biology Department at Monroe Community College since 2006 and has been involved in the Faculty Association since 2008.  She has held a variety of positions including Secretary, Acting Contract Chair, Institutional Chair and currently serves as the Vice President for Teaching Faculty.  Additionally, she has served on the Executive Committee, Labor-Management Committee and several Negotiation Teams. Jennifer’s commitment to providing an outstanding, affordable and transformative learning experience for our students is the foundation of her work as an educator at MCC.  As a union leader, she strives to represent our members fully and fairly and help maintain a high-quality workplace and institution for students and all employees.  We are “stronger together”.

RENEE RIGONI

Secretary/ Treasurer

Renee has worked as an accounting professor at MCC since 1988. She holds a BS and MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology, where she earned her degrees as a part-time evening student.  In her spare time, she plays second violin in the Brockport Symphony Orchestra and the Brighton Symphony Orchestra.  Renee serves as the Contract Administrator and the Secretary/Treasurer for the FA.  As she approaches her retirement, she is looking forward to traveling with her husband of 40 plus years in both this country and abroad. ​

GORDON DUTTER

Grievance Chair

Gordon has been teaching history at MCC since 2004.  He has yet more teaching experience, including K-12 experience.  His main qualification for grievance chair is that he grew up complaining about his mother’s cooking.  He is currently holed up with a wife, two recently rescued dogs, and a more recently rescued cat, dreaming of the day when he can say, “Never again will I have to speak with a computer.”​

JULIE SLATE

Membership Chair

NATASHA CHRISTENSEN

Diversity & Inclusion Chair

DINA GIOVANELLI

Communications Chair

DAVID LEDERHOUSE

Health & Safety Chair

David is a Network Specialist in Communications and Network Services.  He has worked at MCC since 2010 and has over 20 years’ experience in the technology field. As a network specialist, he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of MCC's Campus Network – keeping all of the technology that MCC employees and student rely on running smoothly. You may have seen David on a ladder installing WIFI Access points or out and about on campus activating network ports.  In his field there is always something new to learn or a problem to solve and teamwork is key. David is looking forward to working in a different role now that he has joined Faculty Council and looks forward to working to ensure that working at MCC is rewarding and safe for all employees. 

DOUGLAS RIVERS

Legislative Chair

Doug is an alumnus of Monroe Community College, having graduated from the Automotive Technology Program. He continued his education at SUNY Oswego in Vocational Education and SUNY Brockport earning a Master of Public Administration degree. Doug began his employment at MCC in 2004. He is an Associate Professor at the Applied Technologies Center where he coordinates the GM ASEP program. In this leadership role, he is required to coordinate, teach and interact with General Motors, on a regional and national level. In addition, he has served as a Program Coordinator for T-TEN and ATAP, Adjunct Coordinator, Team Leader, Automotive Club Advisor, RTP Chair, Faculty Senator, NYSUT Member Organizing Institute (MOI) Member, and Faculty Council Site Director.

JAMES MCKENNA

Teaching Director

Jim teaches Drugs & Behavior classes in the Health & Physical Education department and serves as the Faculty Advisor for the Men's Basketball program and an advisor/mentor to student athletes. He regularly brings guest speakers to campus to present on Narcan training and the C.A.R.E. program (Credit Abuse Resistance Education). Jim has served on Faculty Council as the Teaching Director since  2016 and has also served as a member of the FA negotiating team. Jim is an outspoken advocate for students and faculty.

JUDI SALSBURG-TAYLOR

Teaching Director

JILL MCPHEE

Professional Staff Director

Jill is a Senior Technical Assistant in the Biology Department, and has been at MCC for over 33 years.  She manages, coordinates and provides technical support for all laboratory sections in the Biotechnology and Clinical Lab Technology programs, plus some in the General Biology area. With 16 different courses and multiple sections of several of them, it can be a busy place on the third floor of building seven!  And no- we aren’t dissecting things up here in my area, just playing around with bacteria, fungi and DNA.  Outside of work, Jill enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and ShihTzu puppy, Bentley, reading, cooking and traveling when she can. She is also involved with Camp Good Days and Special Times, Golisano Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House, in several fundraising events linked to childhood cancer research and community support. 

KRISTA HAUSCHILD

Professional Staff Director

LINDA QUINLAN

Adjunct Chair

Since the Fall 2018 semester, Linda has been an Adjunct Instructor in Transitional Studies, teaching TRS 092/094.  She has also tutored EOP students during this same time.  Prior to coming to MCC, Linda was a mathematics teacher at Gates Chili High School for 25 years – where she was also an active member of her union! In her role as Adjunct Chair, Linda chairs the adjunct committee and has been involved in the adjunct sub-team for negotiations.

JEFF BAKER

Adjunct Director

Jeff is Adjunct Professor of Psychology and is in his 20th year at MCC. He has also taught at RIT and several other universities. Jeff has held the role of Adjunct Director (with some time off) for over six years. He is a past member of the FA negotiating team, has served on the adjunct and communication sub-teams, and has conducted FA training sessions for adjunct faculty. He has also been president of the New York State Conference of the American Association of University Professors, which is both a faculty union and a non-disciplinary professional advocacy group. Jeff is currently president of the Learning Disabilities Association of New York State. He has a M.S. in counseling and a Ph.D. in psychology with an educational specialization.

CHRISTINE PLUMERI

Site Director

Christine is a Professor of Sociology in the Anthropology/History/Political Science/Sociology department, where she has been teaching Sociology, mainly Criminology, since coming to MCC in January 2003. She was born in Niagara Falls and grew up in a proud working-class union home, joining her first union at age 20 while working as a construction laborer in Houston, TX. She has an AAS in Criminal Justice from Niagara County Community College, a BS in Criminal Justice and Political Science from SUNY Brockport, and an MA in Sociology from University at Buffalo. Prior to coming to MCC, she taught fulltime in her alma mater’s Department of Criminal Justice at SUNY Brockport. 

BILL HORTON

Site Director

Bill was born and raised in North Chili, NY, graduated from York Central, and is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He obtained an A.A.S. in Heating and Air-Conditioning Technology in May of 1992 and completed a five-year apprenticeship in HVAC (Journeymen) with Sheet Metal Workers Local 46, May 1997; working for 15 years for the Leo J. Roth Corporation as an HVAC field technician and an apprentice instructor at the union hall. He became an HVAC Instructor at MCC in the fall of 2007. He continued his education, earning a B.S. in Vocational and Technical Education in 2016 from Empire State College and a Masters in Adult Education from Buffalo State College in 2017. He worked on a NYSERDA grant that allowed MCC to create a Solar Training Center and SUNY approved solar certificate within the HVAC/R program. He is pleased to have a chance to serve on Faculty Council as the site director for the Applied Technologies Center and hopes to become more involved in union leadership. Bill enjoys all outdoor activities including hiking, biking, camping, and fishing. He has two huge dogs that he loves to walk in all four seasons of weather and incredible beauty of New York State. He has enjoyed 28 years of marriage to his wonderful wife as they raised their son and daughter. 

ELLEN MANCUSO

NYSUT PAC

SONJA LENHARD

Office Manager

Sonja has been with the FA since January 1999. She started off as a part-time secretary then became full-time several years later and is now the FA Office Manager. She also serves on the FA Scholarship committee and coordinates all of the FA events & parties. Sonja received her Associates Degree from MCC in 2011. She has worked alongside FA Coordinator, Marlene Goho, and past FA presidents Mike Goho and Charlie Clarke. Sonja enjoys camping in the Adirondacks and Thousand Islands with her husband and crazy dog Finn. She has two grown boys, Nick and Zack.