My name is Chris Zachmeyer and I’ve been working at the Center since 1989...YIKES!!  I am originally from the Rochester, NY area but moved here with my husband by way of a short 7-year stint in Lexington, KY.  I started working at the Center on a very part time basis while I continued to work at a local hospital as an RN.  However, the more I learned about IL, the more intrigued I became and the more involved I wanted to be.  Finally, in 1996, I left my nursing career behind me and came to work at the Center full time as the Programs Manager.  In 2001 I assumed the position of Executive Director and have been extremely lucky to have inherited and hired some of the most dedicated and passionate people you will find working in this business.

I’d love for you to drop me a line and let me know what your experiences have been in working with the Center and the staff here or how we could better meet your disability needs.  Or just drop me a line and say “hello”!  I’d love to hear from you!

My name is Christine Worden, I recently joined the Catskill Center for Independence in July of 2008, as the Center’s Assistant Director. I have a strong passion for advocacy and promoting the Independent Living Philosophy. I have nineteen years experience in the nonprofit arena. I have managed programs for individuals with mental health diagnosis, acquired brain injury, neurological impairment, and developmental disabilities. I have spent several years working as an Educational Advocate for families and individuals with intellectual disabilities and neurological impairment. 

I like to keep busy outdoors and be active with a variety of sports. I enjoy gardening, music, writing and camping with my husband and children. Family time is my favorite time. I have been married for 15 years. I have been blessed with three beautiful children. Being a mother is my proudest accomplishment. All three of my children have unique and special personalities that seem to mesh together perfectly to create the best "crew" anyone could ever ask for.  My oldest son is 14 years old and has been blessed with an extra chromosome and a lifetime of challenges. He continues to impress me with his persistence and drive to succeed in life no matter what. He reminds me daily to stop and smell the roses. My daughter is 12 and she is my “mini me.” She is truly the most compassionate young lady I have ever met. She is an advocate in the making. My youngest son is 6 years old and a perfect combination of the other two children. He is very sweet, bright and loveable. Looking at him just makes me smile.

Drop me an email or give me a call if I can help you with anything. I would love to hear from you.

Laurene Reichardt is the Disability Programs Manager at the Catskill Center for Independence.  Laurene came to the Center in April 2000 after accepting the position of Community Advocate.  Originally from Bainbridge, New York, Laurene obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work from Syracuse University in the spring of 1999. 

Laurene oversees several of the programs and services offered by the Center including the Disability Navigator Program funded through the Chenango Delaware Otsego Workforce System One-Stop Career Centers, as well as the Direct Services staff at the Center.  In addition, Laurene has developed the Round T-Able Program aimed at providing youth with disabilities resources to assist with the transition to adult life and presents this program at several schools in the area.

Married to her husband, Charles, Laurene has 2 children, 2 grandchildren and lives in Unadilla with Charles, and dogs, Wilson and Dillon.

Helen Benlisa joined the staff at CCFI in April 2005 as the Project HAVA Training and Information Specialist. Early in 2006, she was promoted to Project HAVA Coordinator. Along with providing presentations and trainings, Helen attends Board of Elections’ conferences throughout the year, edits the HAVA Quarterly, Project HAVA’s electronic newsletter, and keeps track of HAVA implementation in New York State.

When not advocating for HAVA, Helen is a busy parent of a dynamic 13-year-old Boy Scout and skateboarder. She also sings with a local choir.

Hi everyone, my name is Don Wyckoff and I am the Architectural Barrier Consultant for the agency. A large part of what I do here at the Center is to help people with disabilities to stay out of nursing homes by helping them make their own homes more accessible. That is my favorite part of this job.

On the personal side, I recently married my beautiful wife Kimberly and we celebrated the birth of our first child together in June 2007. Her name is Hope Elise and she is daddy’s little girl.  Hope compliments our family as the only girl, with two boys between us, Noah age 4 and Dakodan age 12.

I am also attending college at the University of Phoenix online and I am plowing away at a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, so I am a busy guy. My biggest passion in life (besides my family and my job) is music.  I'm a lead singer that lives for the rush of a high-energy show; our music has literally touched fans all over the world. I really enjoy the fans and the feeling of connecting through the power of music ;) I look forward to many more years of touring with my band, recording music and playing for as many people as possible before I leave this earth. I just love to ROCK! If you'd like a taste of the music, check out www.myspace.com/badunclesam.  

My name is Pamela Levy.  I joined the staff at the Catskill Center for Independence in April 2009 as an Independent Living Specialist, and have already been fortunate enough to participate in many of the diverse facets and services the Agency has to offer to our community.

My experience and passion has always been working with a population that faces challenges in education, community integration, independent living and employment.  I spent almost ten years at Parsons Child and Family Center in Albany where I developed and directed the Neil Hellman School’s vocational program.   After being awarded a grant from Work Appreciation for Youth, the program expanded into the community affording students real-life work experiences in a School-To-Work setting.

I have been happily married to the same wonderful man for 37 years.  We have two incredible sons that continue to make us more proud everyday.  They are a firefighter and an attorney, and are as alike as they are different.  Two years ago, we were blessed with our first grandchild, and what can I possibly say about that…other than… she’s amazing!

My personal interests include a love of cooking (I had my own baking/catering business for many years), reading and spending time with family and friends. 

I look forward to learning more about the people and places in our area, and hope to be a valuable addition to The Center.

My name is Pete Miller, and I joined the Catskill Center for Independence staff in January 2010 as a Service Coordinator for our Medicaid Nursing Home Transition and Diversion and Traumatic Brain Injuries waiver services. I have 5 years experience working with people with developmental disabilities and 3 years experience working with adolescents with mental health diagnosis.  I strongly believe in the Independent Living Philosophy and I would like to pass on the knowledge that I have to others as they come into our waiver programs.   

 I am blessed to have a beautiful, supportive wife, Mary, and two wonderful children, Noah and Kylie.  I can honestly say that my life is never dull as a result of having two young children that like to stay active. 

My personal interests include going camping, hiking and fishing with my family as often as I can, learning to cook gourmet meals and either playing sports or watching sports.   My wife and children all love to participate in outdoor activities, which I am grateful since I spent 13 summers working outdoors at Boy Scout Camps. 

I look forward to building up our NHTD and TBI waiver services program at the Center. 

Hi, may name is Charles M. Reichardt , I was born and raised on Long Island and blind from birth, I grew up with one brother and two sisters, none of whom have a disability. I attended public schools and earned a Bachelor's Degree from Dowling College in Business Administration and a Master's of Science Degree from the Polytechnic Institute of New York in Business Management.

I worked for IBM for many years as a Systems Analyst and also trained many disabled IBM employees and customers on how to use IBM product offerings.

I currently work at the Catskill Center for Independence as a Systems Advocate acting as a liaison between our legislators and disabled community, helping to ensure the passage of legislation which positively supports persons with disabilities. I also occasionally provide information about accessible technologies to our blind and visually impaired consumers.

I also keep busy with several hobbies and am active in my home community.

Hi, my name is Jade Pendolf and I am the Vocational Services Specialist here at the Catskill Center for Independence.I started working at the Center in May 2005 as clerical staff and have now worked my way up and presently hold the position of Vocational Services Specialist. My husband, Justin, and I recently added to our family and had our first baby girl in October 2008.

Denise Burroughs joined the Catskill Center for Independence staff in August 2009 as a Vocational Services Specialist.  Denise grew up in upstate New York and then lived in New York City and its surrounding area for many years before relocating back to upstate New York in March 2002.  She has a Human Resources and Teaching background.  Prior to joining the center staff, Denise worked for two local agencies: Delaware County Department of Social Services and Delaware Opportunities.  Denise was a Job Coach at Delaware Opportunities, helping individuals in Delaware County to obtain gainful employment.  Now, she is assisting people with disabilities in becoming employed using VESID services.  Denise loves living in upstate New York in Delaware County (except for those cold winters!).  She spends as much time as possible outdoors and hanging out with her two Labrador Retrievers: Shelby (black lab) and Minnie (yellow lab). 

Hi, my name is Rina Riba , I have been working as an Independent Living Specialist at CCFI since July, 2003, and when I began, immediately wished I had known about Independent Living Centers in my previous work incarnations.

Before arriving here, my field had been social work:  first in an advocacy program for senior citizens in Nassau County, then in the medical/surgical unit of a very large department in a very large municipal hospital in New York City, followed by being a one person department in a tiny rural hospital, and finally, in a regional nursing home.

If only I had known, during my years in those venues, how much ILC’s offer to people with disabilities, my own work would have been more gratifying, not to mention that the consumers with whom I worked would have had more opportunities to enhance the quality of their lives.

One of the most important things I am currently involved with is helping people with disabilities remain in their own homes with community services:  either by preventing them from having to enter institutional settings or by helping them to get out of such facilities if they are already there.

In my day-to-day work, I enjoy searching out and providing information that consumers can use to locate whatever it is they may need to maintain their independence.  This may be about finding affordable accessible housing, retraining to a less physically demanding type of work, accessing benefits, modifying their home or a vehicle, or locating a support group, to name a few items.

My personal interests include music of various types, good conversation with special people, reading, taking walks in the fresh air, finding interesting local theater and music performances, and spending time in the company of good friends and family.

My name is Meghan Staring.  I recently joined the staff as Clerical Assistant.  I basically just try to make everyone’s day run a bit smoother.  I recently moved to Oneonta from the Herkimer area.  In my free time I enjoy riding motorcycles, going camping, and just being outside.  I am looking forward to all my new adventures here at the Catskill Center for Independence.