Youth Services Board
The Youth Services Board is an advisory board to the Tompkins County Youth Services Department and the Tompkins County Legislature. Members are appointed by their respective municipalities and serve as representatives of their communities. Adult members are appointed for three-year terms renewable as determined by the appointing municipality. Youth members (ages 16-20) are appointed for two-year renewable terms. All board members must be residents of Tompkins County and must complete the Tompkins County Advisory board application.
Board Meetings
Youth Services Board meetings occur on the last Monday of each month from 5:00-6:30 pm. Meetings are currently being held in a hybrid format with options to meet in person (at the Office of the Aging office) or via zoom. Most years an annual retreat is held in place of one monthly meeting and the board does not meet in July or August. All meetings are open to the public.
Meeting Minutes - Hybrid Options
Board Member Roles
Board members are responsible for:
- developing multi-year plans that include goals linked to community priorities based on locally identified youth needs, gaps in services, and opportunities for coordination.
- reviewing grant proposals that address the needs, goals, and priorities contained within the departmental comprehensive plan. Each year the board members recommend how to allocate approximately $1 million in state and county funding to local agencies and communities that plan and sponsor youth development programming throughout Tompkins County.
- supporting the work of the Youth Services Staff members as they gather, analyze and share data on youth needs; collaborate with others to develop a supportive service for youth; monitor funded programs; implement metrics to trace programmatic performance; provide training and technical assistance to nine community-based youth commissions and agencies that serve young people; coordinate a wide variety of public and private services for children, youth and families.
- participating in their communities while learning about the youth needs of each of their appointed towns.
- serving as a liaison between the County Youth Services Board and their respective municipality, attending town and/or village board meetings as needed.
- advocating for youth from throughout Tompkins County.
Current Members
Executive Committee
| Role |
Name |
Representing |
| Chairperson |
Patty VandeBogart |
At-large Member |
| Vice-Chair |
Khaki Wunderlich |
At-large Member |
| Secretary |
Lisa Monroe |
Town of Enfield |
|
Ian Schachner |
At-large Member |
Board Members
| Name |
Representing |
| Randy Brown |
Legislative Liaison |
| Erica Crawley |
At-large Member |
Ruth Merle-Doyle
Pending Official Appointment by the Tompkins County Legislature |
City of Ithaca |
| Marnie Kirchgessner |
Town of Danby |
| Susie Gutenberger-Fitzpatrick |
Town of Ithaca |
| Leonardo Vargas-Mendez |
Town and Villages of Dryden & Freeville |
| Judy Drake |
At-large Member |
| Susan Ainslie |
Village of Lansing |
| Patricia Buechel |
At-large Member |
| Jennifer Dean |
At-large Member |
| Becky Koenig |
Town/Village Groton |
| Jennifer Foote |
At-large Member |
| Brianna Foster |
At-large Member |
Current Vacancies
The Youth Services Board is currently looking for representatives from these municipalities:
- Town of Ulysses and Village of Trumansburg
- Town of Caroline
- Town of Newfield
If you are interested in applying for an appointment to the Youth Services Board, please contact Kate Shanks-Booth by calling (607) 274-5310.