Board of Directors

Laura Quigley- President

Laura is the Commissioner of Community Resources for Sullivan County. She oversees four county departments: Center for Workforce Development, Office for the Aging, Veterans Services and Transportation. She also oversees the Community Assistance Center. Her long career in public service has allowed her to create programs and services that positively impact people’s lives.

Prior to becoming Commissioner, she was the Director of the Center for Workforce Development where she was responsible for bringing people and organizations together to create workforce solutions for youth, recipients of public assistance, adults, displaced workers and business customers.  She believes strongly in partnering wherever possible to maximize the positive impact on the community.  Laura has brought the rural voice to numerous regional and statewide workforce related efforts focused on building partnerships that will meet the changing needs of businesses and workers.

She is honored to serve as the President of the Monticello High School Academy of Finance Advisory Board and as President of the Sullivan County Child Care Council Board.

Rachel Diness-Tourtellott – Vice President

Rachel started her social work career in 1994 working with children with significant and special healthcare needs. After 10 years she shifted her focus to supporting children with developmental and educational needs. She has over 20 years of experience as a coordinator for evaluations for the Committee on Preschool Special Education at Best Friends Services. She is also a Special Education Advocate for Open Doors Educational Advocates.  Rachel has a BA in Creative Arts in Therapy and a master’s degree in social work. She has dedicated her career to assisting children and families with medical, educational, emotional and social stressors. Rachel is honored to serve as the Vice President of the PTA at her son’s elementary school, Vice President of the Frank and Rosemary Iovieno Caring for Children Foundation and Vice President of the Sullivan County Child Care Council Board.

Jodi Kane – Treasurer

Jodi is a former employee of the Child Care Council and became a board member because she believes that the agency is crucial to the health, safety and success of the children and families in our county. She has an AAS in Early Childhood Education, a BA in Human Development/Psychology, a master’s degree in social work.  She is an accredited Child Forensic Interviewer.  She was formerly a Senior Caseworker at Sullivan County Department of Family Services Family Violence Response Team Unit, and she currently works as a School Social Worker at Sullivan County BOCES.

Nora Rausch- Secretary

Nora is a native Sullivan County who grew up in Wurtsboro with her brother and five sisters. Nora and two of her sisters married brothers who came from a family of nine children; thereby creating a very large extended family! Nora has five adult children who are married and thirteen wonderful grandchildren. Family is the main focus for Nora and believes that our children are our greatest treasures. Nora’s interest in the Child Care Council stems from the fact that while she was able to be a stay at home Mom, only one of her daughters has had that luxury; the others are two income families that need to rely on outside childcare. Her family’s search for quality childcare has brought to the forefront how important the services offered by the Child Care Council are to Sullivan County. Nora is honored to be able to take part in the development of quality childcare in Sullivan County. Nora is also a Master Gardener with Cornell Cooperative Extension of SC.

Kulli Kask

Kulli is a CPA and is currently a partner in Cooper Arias, LLP, a local CPA firm. Kulli is from Estonia, has been living in Bethel, Sullivan County, with her husband, Victor, and daughter, Madeline, for the last 15 years. She holds BS Summa Cum Laude in Accounting and MS/MA in Engineering. Being a parent and working full time has been challenging, and without close family living in the area to help out, finding quality and reliable daycare has been very important. She is committed to supporting the expertise in early childhood education and resources that the Council makes available to the area childcare providers, by improving the childcare quality and making it more affordable.

Lindsay DeVries

Lindsay joined the Child Care Council in December 2022. She completed her associate’s degree in early childhood education and has 15 years of experience in this area. From being a daycare teacher, to assistant director, and director in one of Orange County’s largest day care facilities, she comes with extensive experience and knowledge of infant through preschool education. Lindsay is now a stay-at-home mom and runs a family business.  She is also involved in the PTA at her son’s school. Children are her passion.  Lindsay wants to see all families have access to quality childcare and help childcare facilities reach their goals.

April Rodriquez-Walsh

April Rodriguez-Walsh is happily married to Stephen Walsh, the Director of the Veteran Service Agency. They have a son, Antonio, who attends high school at Tri Valley Central School District. April has been employed with Sullivan County for close to a decade and is currently a Supervisor at the Center for Workforce Development. Her goal is to improve the quality of life of individuals that are in receipt of Temporary Assistance, by offering local training, resources, and employment opportunities. Workforce Development clients with children are referred to the Sullivan County Child Care Council for reliable childcare information.  April has volunteered at St. Peters Regional School and is currently volunteering with the Sullivan County AMVETS Post 50 in Woodbourne. She is a proud member of the Liberty Elks 1545. As a member of the Sullivan County Child Care Council board, April looks forward to continuing to connect families that need childcare services with the services of the Sullivan County Child Care Council.

Catherine Castillo

Cathy has been a board member for the Sullivan County Childcare Council since 2023. She grew up in England and came to the United States in1982 to teach sewing and fiber arts to special needs people. Cathy has two boys. The first arrived while teaching at Little Neighbors Nursery School in Wurtsboro NY. Twenty -two months later her second child arrived. Searching for suitable childcare proved very challenging, so in 1996 Cathy opened Peanuts Family Day Care and ran the business from her home for 22 years. Cathy was able to put both her boys through nursery school and provide a safe, nurturing and educational environment not only for her own but for many more local children. During this time Cathy appreciated the support and dedication of the Sullivan County Childcare Council. Their dedication to our community, families and children is amazing. Children are our future and deserve rich nurturing and safe places to grow and learn. When asked to join the board I saw this as an opportunity to ensure that exceptional childcare would continue and expand in our community.

VACANCY
The Board Development Committee accepts on-going resumes and letters of interest from community members interested in serving on our Board. Please click here to forward information to us by e-mail.