Local residents among Orange County’s rising stars

By Connor Linskey
Posted 9/14/21

Twenty-three individuals who either live, work or volunteer in Orange County have been selected as 2021 Orange County Rising Stars including 10 local honorees.

“The independent selection …

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Local residents among Orange County’s rising stars

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Twenty-three individuals who either live, work or volunteer in Orange County have been selected as 2021 Orange County Rising Stars including 10 local honorees.

“The independent selection committee was delighted to receive a pool of nominations from across the county and across disciplines for consideration for this year’s award,” said Barbara DeStafeno, 2021 Rising Star Chairwoman. “The individuals selected have helped their organizations thrive, whether by directly addressing new realities brought on by the pandemic or finding creative solutions for continued success. This year’s honorees deserve to be recognized for excelling in their professional and volunteer service.”

Local award recipients include Ryan Arciero of Walden, Darrigan DeMattos of Burlingham, Conor Eckert of Montgomery, William Ibberson of Montgomery, Rebecca Baldwin Mantello, Esq. of Wallkill, Kelsey McDonough of Montgomery, Nichole Moretto of Wallkill, Randi Picarello of Montgomery, Andrew Romulo of Campbell Hall and Maggie Sutter of Pine Bush.

Ryan Arciero
Ryan Arciero is a client analyst at JGS, CPA, PC, a full-service accounting firm with offices located in Middletown and Poughkeepsie. He has been with the firm since Jan. 2020 and was taken on as a full-time client analyst in May of 2020. Since joining the firm full-time, Ryan has worked on various accounts and services from bookkeeping, tax services, compilations, etc. for individuals, businesses, fiduciaries, and not-for profits. Arciero is an alumnus of SUNY Orange where he obtained his Associate’s Degree in Business Administration in 2017, as well as SUNY New Paltz where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting in 2020. In addition, Arciero has been an active volunteer firefighter with the Mechanicstown Fire Department since 2013. He is currently the president of the company as well as lieutenant of the fire police.

Darrigan DeMattos
Darrigan DeMattos is the donor relations manager at Garnet Health Foundation. She is a driven fundraising and marketing professional, as well as a professional contemporary dancer and dance teacher at New York Dance Center. She holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Hartford and is currently enrolled at Marist College for her MPA. With her enthusiasm, DeMattos is always looking for opportunities to engage the community for Garnet Health. She is also a member of the Wallkill East Rotary Club and serves as the Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair. DeMattos is also a recent graduate of Leadership Orange Class of 2021 and is a committee member on the new Leadership Orange Young Professionals Development Program.

Conor Eckert
Conor Eckert is the executive director of the Town of Montgomery Industrial Development Agency (IDA), an economic development organization with a mission to attract, retain, and expand industry. He has been working in this role for almost two years and prides himself on collaborating with a wide array of stakeholders - from corporate site selectors and elected officials to local community activists. Eckert is passionate about creating jobs, wealth and opportunity through economic development within the Town of Montgomery, Orange County and the Hudson Valley. This includes understanding business attraction and expansion, real estate development, land use and finance. Eckert also serves on the Board of Directors for the SUNY Orange Foundation, Wallkill River School and the Business Council of Greater Montgomery. His true passion is working to attract and grow economic sectors that can help keep young talent in Orange County. When not working, Eckert can be found golfing, exercising, or exploring the Hudson Valley with his girlfriend Kaitlin.

William Ibberson

William Ibberson is the founder and president of Acquisitions Marketing Inc., a Walden-based marketing and advertising agency. Graduating cum laude from Coastal Carolina University, Ibberson draws from his degree in social science plus life experience to help businesses, governments, religious and educational institutions reach their target audience.

Rebecca Baldwin Mantello, Esq.
Rebecca Baldwin Mantello is senior counsel at Jacobowitz and Gubits concentrating in litigation and appeals, including civil and commercial litigation, personal injury, civil rights and municipal law. She earned her bachelor of science from St. Lawrence University, where she majored in psychology and Spanish. Mantello earned her Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School in 2007 and her master’s in Social Work from SUNY Albany in 2006. Prior to joining Jacobowitz and Gubits, Mantello was principal law clerk to the late Judge Steven I. Milligram in Orange County Supreme Court, where she analyzed complex legal issues, drafted decisions and acted as an advisor to the court. She also worked in the office of the governor for over four years, handling matters involving Freedom of Information Law and other issues pertaining to the public’s right to access information. Rebecca is admitted to practice law in New York and Connecticut. Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys running and cooking. She lives in Wallkill with her husband and their young son.

Kelsey McDonough
Kelsey McDonough is an investigator at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, an Orange County Law Enforcement agency that was first established in 1683. She started with the Sheriff’s Office in 2015 and has been assigned to the Department of Criminal Justice’s Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center since it opened in the region in 2018. Prior to her career at the Sheriff’s Office, in high school, she attended the Orange-Ulster BOCES New Vision’s Law and Government Program. It was there that she had the opportunity to earn college credits while shadowing the various Orange County law and government positions, including the Sheriff’s Office. From there, she went on to graduate magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in security threat and terrorism from Iona College, in New Rochelle. Through her experience studying abroad in Ireland and Poland as well as attending a World Summit on counter terrorism in Israel, she has used this knowledge to assist her in her investigative role today as a crime analysis supervisor for the Hudson Valley CAC.

Nichole Moretto
Nichole Moretto is the assistant vice president and bank operations administrator at Walden Savings Bank, a local community minded savings bank. Moretto has worked at the bank for 15 years and has been in her current role for the last six. She is a member of the Walden Savings Bank Corporate Culture Committee, a group of employees that work together to incorporate their six core values of the organization. Moretto is also the liaison between the bank and the Medici Scholars Program at Mount Saint Mary College. The Medici Scholars Program works to team students up with the nonprofit and art worlds to teach them about the crucial relationship between the business world and them. Moretto has a passion for education and a never-ending desire to learn more. She recently completed a project management certification from Cornell University.

Randi Picarello
Randi Picarello has owned and operated “Eat This Bakery” in the Village of Montgomery for almost 10 years. Picarello has been honored with awards for her efforts from the Chamber of Commerce and Valley Central School District. In 2019, Picarello founded the Village Preservation Committee to help educate and encourage resident participation in preserving the charm and safety of historic villages while allowing for outside growth. In 2020, Randi stepped back from her business to pursue the formation and growth of the Business Council of Greater Montgomery.

Andrew Romulo

Andrew Romulo is a senior specialist at Printeks, a firm that provides construction documentation services to architects, engineers and general contractors. He brings a unique approach to blending the physical and digital world using the latest innovations in 3D laser scanning technologies. Romulo is also the co-founder of A Day in the Life Photos and together with his wife Mitzi, documents the legacy of families throughout the Hudson Valley. He has also photographed for the Goshen Independent newspaper, Illuminate Goshen, Citizens for Street Art and many other local grassroots organizations. His prior experience partnering with companies such as HBO, Chase, New York University, Ernst & Young and Converse, among many others, allowed him to develop the skill set to work with a diverse range of clientele. Romulo’s passion to excel professionally extends from his love and dedication to his family, friends and community. He plays an active role in the arts community and participates in social justice initiatives throughout the county.

Maggie Sutter
Maggie Sutter is the director of development and special events at Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties, Inc. She has been a member of the Hospice Team for over three years and has met the challenges of the fundraising world with innovative ways to keep our communities and donors engaged. Prior to Hospice, Sutter started her career at Walden Savings Bank, first as a teller, then promoted to executive assistant to the President Derrik Wynkoop. She has served on the Board of the MidHudson Valley Fundraising Professionals for the last three years as well as the Town of Crawford Board of Assessors. For the last four years, Sutter has been a dedicated Big Sister to a now fourth grader as part of the Big Brother, Big Sister Program. She has also volunteered her time to numerous organizations that are near and dear to her heart, like Hudson Valley Cancer Resource Center, Beautiful People Adaptive Sports for Children with Disabilities and the American Heart Association. Sutter prides herself on being able to give back to her community in both her personal and professional life.

The honorees will be recognized at an event to be held on Thursday, Sept. 30 at The Barn at Villa Venezia in Middletown from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. All attendees are required to make a reservation. To make a reservation or become a sponsor, please visit www.jlocny.org and click on “STORE” to complete the registration form and make payment electronically. Please email orangecountyrisingstars@gmail.com with any further questions.