The Authority consists of nine members, three appointed by the Governor of New York State, one appointed by the Temporary President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. Two members are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Albany, with the advice and consent of the Common Council, and two members are appointed by the Albany County Executive, with the advice and consent of the County Legislature. All members of the board shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority.
BOARD CHAIR
Appointed by: The Mayor in 2005
Michele spent 25 years as the President and CEO of Discover Albany (Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau); joining the Bureau in January of 1992. As the president she oversaw and directed all bureau operations, which continue to focus on promoting Albany and the surrounding regions as a convention, group tour and leisure travel and quality of life destination.
MEMBER
Appointed by: The County Executive in 2024
Mike McLaughlin is currently serving as Deputy County Executive for the Office of the Albany County Executive. Born and raised in Portland, Maine, Mike originally came to the capital region to attend school at Siena College and currently resides in Bethlehem, NY with his wife and two children. He has worked in the capital city of Albany as a public servant for his entire professional career.
TREASURER
Appointed by: The County Executive in 2012
Mr. Steven C. Lernerwas appointed to the ACCA board by County Executive Dan McCoy in September 2012. He is a Licensed Associate Broker with Vanguard-Fine, LLC where he has been since early 2008. He is responsible for the development of commercial brokerage activity, focusing on retail, office, and light industrial leasing and sales.
SECRETARY
Appointed by: The Mayor in 2014
Sarah Reginelli is a dedicated and experienced leader in revitalization and urban development and proud champion of the Capital Region. Previously, Sarah served as President of Capitalize Albany Corporation and CEO of the City of Albany IDA/CRC, leading the City’s economic development efforts through transformational real estate development, targeted business assistance, and strategic planning.
MEMBER/ASSEMBLYMEMBER
Appointed by: The Speaker of the Assembly in 2013
John T. McDonald III (born April 5, 1962) was elected Member of Assembly for the 108th Assembly District on November 6, 2012. McDonald is a life-long resident of Cohoes, who is a husband, father, small businessman, pharmacist, and public servant deeply rooted in his community. His district includes parts of Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties. It includes Cohoes, his hometown where he previously served as Mayor for 13 years, sections of Albany, Troy and the communities of Green Island, North Greenbush, Rensselaer, Waterford and Watervliet.
MEMBER
Appointed by: President Pro-Tempore of the NYS Senate in 2019
Michael Hoffman is the owner of Turf Hotels, a local hotel management company in the Capital District. He is very hands on in the day to day operations of his five local properties: Hampton Inn Albany, Homewood Suites by Hilton Albany, Staybridge Suites Albany, Hampton Inn & Suites Saratoga Springs Downtown and Homewood Suites Saratoga Springs.
MEMBER
Appointed by: The Governor in 2022
Dominick Purnomo, Wine Director & Co-Owner of Yono’s & dp An American Brasserie, grew up in his family’s restaurant working alongside his parents at an early age before going on to State University of New York at Morrisville to pursue a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management. Upon finishing Morrisville in 2000, Purnomo came back to Albany to work in the family business and took over the day-to-day operations. It was then that he discovered a true passion for wine. After having dined in some of the world's finest restaurants such as Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and Lespinasse in New York, Purnomo wanted to bring a world-class wine program to Albany, more specifically to Yono’s.
MEMBER
Appointed by: The Governor in 2023
Joe Bonilla is a results-driven entrepreneur committed to providing tough, but decisive leadership in communications, startup business, and media. As the co-founder, managing partner, and senior media director of Relentless, an award-winning creative strategy firm headquartered in Albany, NY with offices in Greenville, SC and Las Vegas, Joe has led Relentless to work with some of the most recognized organizations (including but not limited to: Deloitte, Uber, Amtrak, Waste Management, Bow Tie Cinemas, and many more) and public figures over the past decade-plus in business.