Alan J. Burgess, FACHE, CFAAMA is board certified in healthcare administration by both the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the American Academy of Medical Administrators (AAMA). He earned his Bachelor of Science from the Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah and his Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. Following his 21-year career in the United States Air Force as a Medical Service Corps Officer, he transitioned to the civilian healthcare field. He has been CEO of several small rural hospitals, including two Critical Access Hospitals.
He was CEO of a two-hospital joint-venture in Kingston, NY where he led the startup operation of a brand new clinical laboratory serving the two member hospitals and the surrounding communities. He was awarded an 18-month personal services contract as the Medicaid Hospital Audit Program Manager for the State of New York. He directed a system of three federally qualified rural health clinics (FQRHCs) serving the Karuk Tribe of California. For most of the four years prior to heading the Tehachapi (CA) Hospital, he was the Tribal Health Administrator/CEO of the critical access hospital on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, serving the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes. Mr. Burgess was appointed the CEO of the Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District, effective June 1st, 2007. As CEO of the District, Mr. Burgess managed the day-to-day operations of the Tehachapi Hospital and Rural Health Centers in Tehachapi, Mojave and California City. He also presided over the construction of a new, CEQA and seismically compliant, replacement Critical Access Hospital – budgeted for a total cost of $87 million that will open in the Fall of 2016.
Mr. Burgess joined the American College of Healthcare Executives in 1973 as a student affiliate and has been a member or fellow ever since. Mr. Burgess has been a member of the American Academy of Medical Administrators since 1979, except for a brief period where he attempted “retirement.” When he rejoined the profession, he renewed his affiliation with the AAMA where, as a Fellow, he has served on the board of the American College of Small and Rural Hospitals, on the AAMA Annual Conference Planning Committee, and on the Board of Directors for eight years. He served on the Board as the elected Director for Region IV, as the Appointed Director for Professional Advancement, as the Treasurer, Chair-Elect, Chairman and as the Immediate Past Chair the Academy for 2012. He was the 2008 recipient of the Vanguard Award of the AAMA and in 2009 he was recipient of the Richard A. Harley Diplomate of the Year Award for Healthcare Executives.
Mr. Burgess is also a lifelong Scouter. He joined the Boy Scouts in 1959 and has been actively registered ever since. He earned his Eagle Scout Award with the Eagle Class of 1964. He is a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow and was honored with the Founder’s Award. He earned his Wood Badge beads as a member of the Fox Patrol and has staffed seven Wood Badge courses, including the very first Twenty-First Century Wood Badge Course in the Western Region. He has been recognized for his service to youth with the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver Award. He has served as a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Unit Commissioner, District Commissioner, a District Chairman, as the Council Vice President for District Operations, and two-terms as a Council President. He and his wife, Kathryn, are the proud parents of four sons, Christopher, Jonathan, Benjamin and Timothy – all Eagle Scouts!
Mr. Burgess is a very active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having served as a counselor in a branch presidency, twice serving as a bishop and also serving as a counselor in a stake presidency. He is retired and currently serves in several church positions and with his wife entertains as a professional Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Elizabeth A. Garofalo-McKenney a 1975 graduate of Canastota High School, Elizabeth received an A.A.S. Degree in Secretarial Science from the State University of Morrisville in 1977, where she was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Furthering her education, in May of 1980 she earned a B.S. Degree in Accounting from LeMoyne College, Syracuse. Elizabeth went on to earn an M.S. in Education-Vocational Technical Education from the State University of New York at Oswego in 1996.
In September of 1996, Elizabeth accepted a position as a High School Business Education Teacher in the Canastota Central School District. She was responsible for pursuing and receiving Career and Technical Endorsement (CTE) approval from the NYS Department of Education for the High School Business Department. The original layout and design for the Canastota School District Website was created by Elizabeth’s Web Design Class and has proven invaluable to the school and community.
Under her direction, the Canastota Business Department was recipient of the NYS Department of Education Business Department of the Year competition in 2004, 2006, 2010, and again in 2014.
Elizabeth has served in many advisor capacities while a teacher at CHS. She has been the advisor for the Youth Summit Group, Tri-pine Journal, Student Store, Senior Class, and Graduation. Her most cherished activity, however, is her supervision of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Canastota High School and Junior High chapters. Elizabeth is, and has been, the advisor of the Canastota Future Business Leaders of America since 1996. Under her supervision, the chapter has actively competed and has received several awards at the district, state, and national levels. Throughout the years, several members of the Canastota Chapter have become New York State FBLA officers, including one member being elected by the state to serve as New York State FBLA President in 2014-2015.
Elizabeth is affiliated with the Future Business Leaders of America at the state level. A Board of Trustee member for twenty years, she served three terms as chairperson of this board. Elizabeth also served as State Office Advisor for several years. In this capacity, her duties included planning and overseeing leadership training for state officers and members, conducting workshops, communicating with, and evaluating officers periodically. She has also served as script and staging coordinator for state conferences. In 2015, Elizabeth was elected to serve a three-year term on the FBLA National Board of Directors, serving as the representative for the Eastern Region.
She is a member of the Business Teachers Association, the Business Education 2020 Committee in support of business education, and serves as a liaison for NYS FBLA with the Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for New York State.
In addition to her advisor duties at CHS, Elizabeth is a member of the Canastota Alumni Association, serving as president since 2015. In 2013, she was the recipient of the Vincent V. Albanese Alumni Achievement Award and in 2015 received the Outstanding Female Alumnus Award from the Canastota Central School District. She has served as a board member for the Canal town and continues to maintain their website.
A lifelong resident of Canastota, Elizabeth is the daughter of Canastota alumni, Ernest and Carmelina Fazio Garofalo. Her sister, Ann Garofalo Wieder is a 1977 graduate of CHS. Elizabeth continues to call Canastota her home, residing with her husband, Robert McKenney.
Ed is a Founding Partner in Cerasia & Del Rey-Cone LLP, which he formed in early-2014 in New York, New York. For nearly 25 years, he has handled employment law cases for clients in the financial services, insurance, transportation, pharmaceutical, healthcare, media, sports, higher education and retail industries. Ed represents Fortune 500 companies and leading universities, as well as senior executives, entrepreneurs, celebrities and coaches. For 16 years prior to founding the Firm, Ed was a partner at some of the world’s most prestigious law firms, where he held leadership positions within those firms’ employment law departments.
Ed has a proven record of success as a trial lawyer. As a result, peers and clients have recognized him as one of the leading employment litigators of his generation. Ed has been ranked as one of the top 25 employment lawyers in New York in Chambers USA, which is one of the leading publications that ranks lawyers in America. Chambers has stated that Ed is “as good an employment litigator as there is. He’s very experienced, highly principled and always works diligently to obtain the best results.” Chambers also has commented that Ed is “highly esteemed,” “hailed as an outstandingly strong advocate,” and that “his litigation skills are impressive.”
Ed also has been listed for the past several years in Best Lawyers in America in two categories (Litigation – Labor & Employment and Labor Law – Management), as well as listed in New York Super Lawyers. In 2011 and 2012, Lawdragon/Human Resource Executive magazine named Ed as one of “The 40 Up and Coming Corporate Employment Lawyers” in the United States.
Ed is admitted to practice law in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as in several federal courts around the country and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ed has litigated cases in over 25 states.
Ed received his J.D., summa cum laude, and graduated Valedictorian from the University of Bridgeport School of Law in 1991, where he was an editor for the University of Bridgeport Law Review. In 1987, he received a dual B.S. in industrial and labor relations and managerial law and public policy from Syracuse University.
Ed graduated from Canastota High School in 1983. His parents, Caroline and Ed, live in Canastota. His sisters, Clara and Linda, are graduates of CHS. Ed lives in West Orange, New Jersey with his two sons: James (age 20), who is a junior at Dickinson College, and Patrick (age 19), who is a freshman at Hobart College. James and Patrick are studying pre-law.
David L. Vanderwerken’s Biography – Class of 1964 (Posthumously) – For News Article
David L. Vanderwerken was born in Canastota, New York. On October 29, 1945, the only son of Harriet and Leon Vanderwerken. At an early age David developed a love for both sports, and reading and writing, all of which shaped his life.
Like most boys of his generation David enjoyed all sports. He played football, basketball, and baseball but his true love was baseball. He was a left handed hitting catcher with a picture perfect swing. While at Canastota High School he participated in Colgate Seminar graduated as a member of the top ten, and won a Regents Scholarship.
David entered Colgate University in the fall of 1964. Thereafter he became a member of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity, where he lived for his remaining years. His goal was to become an English Professor and he worked diligently toward that goal at all times, with laser focus, and was undeterred. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at Colgate.
Following Colgate he entered Rice University in Houston, Texas where he received his MA and Ph.D. in English. He began a 43 year research and teaching career at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth in 1971. While at TCU he taught courses in 20th century American Literature and started a course in Sports Literature. He taught classes on William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, the Jazz Age, the American Dream and developed Jewish American Literature and Sports Literature program, which were among the most popular at TCU according to the Registrar. Shortly before he retired in 2014 he developed and taught the American Short Story course for the first time.
David received the Chancellor’s Award for distinguished teaching at TCU. He was a founding member of the Sports Literature association and Fulbright Scholar to Hungary in 2005 and 2008. He taught at the University of Debrecen. After 2005 he was asked back to teach again in 2008. His students loved him and referred to him as “Dr. V.”
He was the author of three books, wrote and delivered many conference papers and his scholarship appeared in the American Literature Journal, the Journal of Modern Fiction, and Studies of Twentieth Century Literature.
David was never afraid of new things and had an inquisitive mind. At various junctures in his career he served as Chairman of TCU’s English Department. When he retired in September 2014, he was granted Emeritus status from TCU.
David died of cancer on January 5, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Karen, who now resides in San Diego, California with her daughter Shari and son-in-law Greg Green. David’s mother, Harriet passed away only last year. He is also survived by two sons, Brian and Eric, who live in Texas.