About us.

 The LHEC is administered by a nine member Steering Committee, selected by the four sponsoring organizations - Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents, Dutchess County SBA, Rockland County SBA, and Westchester Putnam SBA. The governance structure includes both superintendent and board of education representatives in order to facilitate the ongoing sharing of information and the development of a cohesive, strategic advocacy agenda. The organization is registered as a 501c(6).

LHEC Steering Committee

Kelly Lappan (Chair)
Dutchess County SBA, Executive Director

Rita Golden
Mt. Pleasant Cottage, Board of Education
Frank Schnecker
Ossining UFSD, Board of Education

Karen Belanger
WPSBA Executive Director, LHEC Administrator

Ileana Eckert
North Rockland CSD, Superintendent

Leeann Irvin
Rockland County SBA, Executive Director
Victoria Tipp
Chappaqua CSD, Board of Education
Mary Fox-Alter
Pleasantville UFSD, Superintendent
Ray Sanchez
Ossining UFSD, Superintendent

Mark Villanti
Spackenkill UFSD, Superintendent
Government Relations Consultant
The LHEC contracts with Ostroff Associates, an Albany-based firm, for state and local governmental relations services.  ​
Administrative Support
​The Westchester Putnam School Boards Association provides administrative support for the LHEC, which includes membership dues and outreach, financial processing and reporting, IRS filings, ongoing communications and updates, and other related responsibilities.

LHEC Subscriptions

The Lower Hudson Education Coalition is solely supported by subscription fees from school districts in the four county region of the Lower Hudson Valley (Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester).  The LHEC serves as a clearinghouse for regional legislative activities, lobbying for regional public education issues with state and federal officials and providing legislative information to the subscribing school districts.  The LHEC can best accomplish its goals when all 77 school districts are subscribers.