MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John A. Smith
Chair
A Peekskill native, John A. Smith joined the board of CHHOP in 2018. Smith grew up in Peekskill and then moved to the Midwest with his family, living in Toledo, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri and Hamilton, Ohio before moving back to Buchanan, New York.
Throughout most of his career, Smith worked in the manufacturing industry, before retiring from his vice president position in 2010. Drawing upon his computer and data analysis skills, Smith began working at a hospital as a project manager and continuous improvement mentor and instructor. When he returned to New York, Smith supported the hospital’s data needs remotely for 18-months. He still maintains several clients remotely.
Passionate about Peekskill, Smith is a member of, and volunteer for, the local NAACP. As a volunteer, Smith uses his computer skills to assist CHHOP and several Peekskill entrepreneurs.
Ruth Wells
Vice Chair
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ruth Wells and her husband, Jim Knight, have been Peekskill homeowners since 1988. They have put down deep roots in their adopted hometown.
Wells, who holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MFA from Temple University, first became involved in Peekskill civic life in 1999 when she volunteered for a local election campaign. She volunteered on the Middle School Bond Campaign and on the PSCD Strategic Plan Evaluation Committee. In 2008, Wells began serving on Peekskill’s Planning Commission.
Wells has served on the CHHOP board since 2005, first as secretary, then chair and vice chair. She is a founder of Fred’s Pantry. During her 10 years with Fred's, she coordinated distribution of 14,000 meals annually.
Darryl Estrine
Secretary
Creative director, filmmaker, photographer and author are all appropriate titles for Content Machine founder Darryl Estrine.
Estrine began his career in Los Angeles photographing the famous faces of Hollywood, professional sports, and business for magazines including: Motorola, Microsoft, Esquire, Forbes, Vanity Fair, and ESPN.
Estrine knew he wanted to help others, and after a short conversation with Cynthia Knox at a photoshoot he knew CHHOP was the place to put his effort.
Estrine has decided to further his desire to help others by going to graduate school in the fall of 2024 to begin his studies for a masters degree in mental health counseling.
Pastor Valerie Paul-Greenaway
Treasurer
Pastor Valerie Paul-Greenaway joined the United Methodist Church of Peekskill in 2022, offering a unique combination of team building, education, research, community health promotion, the arts, public health, faith-based, pastoral care, case management, caregiver, leadership and human services experience.
As a board member for CHHOP, Paul-Greenaway's desire is to leverage vast experience in human services, education, advocacy and mental health awareness in support of client care and community outreach.
Paul-Greenaway is in the process of completing her Masters of Divinity from Drew University. A graduate of Leadership Orange (2014), she is a certified Anger Management facilitator and a Mental Health First Aid for Youth trainer. She holds a Bachelors of Art in Behavioral Science and has completed her pre-law from Marist College.
Ellen Bloom
Board Member
Ellen Bloom joined NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital in April of 2015 as director of marketing, community outreach and development after having worked in the healthcare field for over 30 years.
Bloom assumed overall responsibility for the community affairs department for NewYork-Presbyterian in Westchester County in 2019. In this role, she learned about the importance of CHHOP in our community and was thrilled to be appointed to the board of such an amazing organization.
Bloom cares deeply for the community and has been active in numerous advisory boards and service organizations in Westchester County. She received a Bachelors’ Degree from Lehman College and MPH from New York Medical College.
Bloom and her husband, Cary, have been married for 35 years. Her son, David, is a board certified pediatrician in a fellowship program in Pediatric Cardiology with St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Her daughter, Rachel, is a camp director in Brooklyn, New York. She is proud of how her family cares for others.
Michael Golio
Board Member
Michael Golio was born and raised in the Bronx and lived there for 26 years before moving up to Westchester County with his family. He graduated from Iona University in 1989 with a BA in psychology and minor in business administration.
Golio began his career in finance in 1985 and has held various relationship management positions with The Bank of New York, Chase Bank, Hudson Valley Bank and, presently, Orange Bank & Trust. Working in and around the Peekskill area since 1997, Michael has formed and number of relationships. He is also a current member of both The Peekskill Rotary and Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber.
Golio believes a strong sense of helping in the community along with partnerships, mentorships and relationships always provide the strongest wind for our sails.
Caroline King, MBA
Board Member
Caroline King joined CHHOP's board in 2025. She brings a wealth of experience in helping businesses find their voice by building relationships, empowering creativity and fostering collaboration.
King says that each person and team bring something unique to the bargaining table. And when people connect and share -- the end result can be stronger teams, better strategies, or entirely new ventures.
Kym McNair
Board Member
Rev. Kym McNair is an ordained clergy leader, educator and community organizer with more than 15 years of experience building partnerships between faith communities, nonprofits and local organizations across Westchester County. As Director of Faith-Based Initiatives for Westchester County, Rev. McNair seeks to enhance the relationship between Westchester County Government and local houses of worship.
Rev. McNair has spoken on panels, facilitated workshops for religious and civic organizations across Westchester and consulted with local congregations who incorporate faith-based, anti-oppression principles into their ministries. She is a contributor to “We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor” and has received numerous accolades and awards from religious, civic and government agencies for her work in advocating for the basic human right to be free from the imposition of power and control and engage in relationships that uphold the principles of respect, equality and safety.
Rev. McNair most recently served as Senior Director for Social Transformation at My Sisters’ Place, where she led a team of Community Trainers engaged in county-wide education, prevention and engagement efforts aimed at developing young leaders, supporting service providers and addressing domestic violence and human trafficking.
Sara Weaver
Board Member
Sara Weaver joined CHHOP's board of directors in 2021 to become more connected with the Peekskill community that she and her family adopted five years ago.
Weaver has spent years working in the consumer product goods industry, in both a marketing and sales capacity. She spent 13 years at Danone and recently left that position to pursue her passion with a smaller company, Belgian Boys. At this new company she leads the marketing and sales strategy.
It is her combined passion for food, communication strategy and serving others that Weaver has found her niche on the CHHOP board.
Alexandra Hanson
Board Member
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Dwight Douglas
Board Member
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