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 Members

Michele Vennard

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.

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Daniel C. Lynch Esq.

VICE-CHAIR

Appointed by: The County Executive in 2020

Daniel Lynch was appointed to the ACCA board by Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy in February of 2020. Lynch is a lifelong resident of Albany County and has spent his entire professional career serving and advocating for the residents of the County. Currently, serves as the Deputy County Executive in Albany County a position he started in December of 2019.

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Steven C. Lerner

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.

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Sarah Reginelli

SECRETARY

Appointed by: The Mayor in 2014

Sarah Reginelli is the President of Capitalize Albany Corporation. A Catalyst for economic growth, Capitalize Albany Corporation facilitates transformational development projects, serving as the City of Albany's economic development arm. A registered 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization implementing programs and resources to create, retain, and attract business in the City of Albany.

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John T. McDonald III RPH

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.

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Michael Hoffman

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.

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Dominick Purnomo

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.

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Jahkeen Hoke

MEMBER

Appointed by: The Governor in 2022

Jahkeen Hoke, CEO of Business for Good (BFG), is an entrepreneur with a portfolio of business development successes and a commitment to social progress. At BFG, he drives investments into the community to build better businesses, stronger communities, and a more equitable world.  

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