Wallkill Valley Land Trust Adds to Board, Announces Emeritus Member

July 18, 2023

Exciting news! Angelica Snyder of Gardiner, and William (Bill) Schuster, Ph.D. of New Paltz, have joined our board of directors.

But on a melancholy note, long-time board member Vals Osborne of Gardiner is stepping down — but she’s not going far away. During the annual board meeting on July 16, 2023 Vals was named Director Emeritus, a non-voting board member. Board President Joe Pirrotta also honored Vals with a resolution citing her 11-year volunteer service on the WVLT Board of Directors.

Executive Director Christie DeBoer described Vals as “passionate, dedicated, and committed to the WVLT. In her 11 years of service, she has chaired the WVLT Historic House Tours and co-chaired our education comm

ittee. Her tireless work has resulted in greater awareness and support from the community through tours and programs that are insightful and engaging.”

Vals 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 resolution awarded this past Sunday, the WVLT said Vals’ “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”.

With the addition of Angelica and Bill to the organization’s board, Christie 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.”

Angelica has held a variety of leadership roles at SUNY New Paltz, most recently as assistant director of operations and research. She previously served as advancement manager of individual research at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. Angelica holds a Master of Science in Applied Social Research from Hunter College and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from SUNY New Paltz.

Bill served as executive director of Black Rock Forest in Cornwall for nearly 30 years. He 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. Bill holds undergraduate, graduate, and advanced degrees in biology and ecology.