Biographies

Edwin D. Reilly, Jr., former supervisor of the Town of Niskayuna and emeritus professor of Computer Science at the University at Albany, has had a distinguished career. Dr. Reilly served as town supervisor from 1970 to 1979 and then again from 1989 to 1997. He joined UAlbany in 1965 as founder and director of the Computing Center and would go on to become the first chairman of the Computer Science department in 1967. He retired in 1991 after 26Fyears of service.

Prior to serving in these positions, Dr. Reilly worked at the GE Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna as manager of Digital Analysis and Computations. He also spent a brief period at the GE R&D Center in Niskayuna, before being called to active duty at the National Security Agency in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Reilly is author or co-author of six books on computing and co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Computer Science, now in its fourth edition. He is the current president of the Schenectady County Historical Society, writes a monthly op-ed piece on a wide variety of subjects for the Sunday Gazette, and continues to serve a multitude of other community organizations.

Dr. Reilly is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in physics. He and his wife, Jean, who met as high school freshmen, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2004.

Jamie Fellner is senior counsel of the United States Program of Human Rights Watch, which addresses a wide range of human rights abuses in the United States including police abuse, inhuman or degrading conditions of confinement, the mistreatment of immigrants, the death penalty, and discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities.

Since September 11, 2001, U.S. government antiterrorist policies have been a program priority as well.

Prior to her current position, she served as director of the U.S. Program from 2001 to 2007 and as associate counsel from 1994 to 2001.

Ms. Fellner is the author or co-author of numerous Human Rights Watch reports, including Beyond Reason: The Death Penalty and Offenders with Mental Retardation; Punishment and Prejudice: Racial Disparities in the War on Drugs; Race and Drug Law Enforcement in Georgia; Cruel and Usual: Disproportionate Sentences for New York Offenders; Red Onion State Prison: Supermaximum Security in Virginia; Out of Sight: Supermaximum Security Confinement in the United States; Cold Storage: Supermaximum Security Confinement in Indiana; and Losing the Vote: Felony Disenfranchisement in the United States.

Ms. Fellner earned her B.A. degree from Smith College and her JD from Boalt Hall at the University of California at Berkeley.

Dennis P. Whalen, appointed deputy secretary to the Governor in January 2007, is the chief health care advisor to the Governor and is responsible for policies and operations of the state’s health and human services agencies. These agencies include the Department of Health, Office of Mental Health, Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Office of Children and Family Services, Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Office for the Aging, Division of Veterans’ Affairs, Office of Medicaid Inspector General, Office of Welfare Inspector General, Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, Council on Children and Families, and the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

Mr. Whalen previously served in the Department of Health as executive deputy commissioner, director of the Office of Health Systems Management, and executive deputy director of the AIDS Institute. He served in policymaking positions at the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, including deputy commissioner for Program Services. He began his career in state government in 1974 as a public health educator at the Department of Health.

Mr. Whalen is a graduate of Marist College and the National Preparedness Leadership Institute at the Kennedy School of Government. He and his wife, Alice, have three children, Emily, Philip and Daria.

Ward Byron Stone is the director of the Wildlife Pathology Unit of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and has served as the state’s sole wildlife pathologist for the past 39 years. He is responsible for diagnosing, monitoring, and researching the causes of sickness and death in the state’s wildlife and conducting field and site investigations on the impact of pesticides, pollutants, and hazardous materials on wildlife. Prior to serving in this role, he received two honorable discharges from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, where he served as a Navy Corpsman.

As one of the nation’s leading wildlife pathologists, he has provided depositions and expert testimony in numerous local, state, and federal court cases, and has also addressed the United Nations on two separate occasions. He can currently be heard on the radio program “In Our Backyard” on WAMC 90.3 FM.

Dr. Stone’s dedication to wildlife and the environment is evidenced by his reputation as a leading advocate and activist for many important environmental issues throughout his career. This commitment, coupled with his willingness to push forward against conflicting corporate and government interests, has garnered him the support and admiration of many in the media, community organizations, and the general public. He has been recognized with dozens of awards and honors throughout his career, and continues to be a champion for important environmental issues.

Harry Rosenfeld is editor-at-large of the Times Union, where he currently serves on its editorial board and writes a weekly column. After nearly twenty years of service, he retired from the paper in 1997.

Prior to joining the Times Union, Mr. Rosenfeld was an assistant managing editor of The Washington Post and was in charge of its Watergate exposé, which earned the newspaper a Pulitzer gold medal for public service.

Mr. Rosenfeld has served as a Pulitzer juror four times and as a commissioner on the New York State Regents Commission on Library Services.

His dedication to the community can be seen in his work with the Elder Network of the Capital Region, where he was the founding chairman. He also worked with New York State Senator Roy Goodman to establish the Great Arts program at the State Museum, which displays art from major museums throughout New York State.

Countless awards and honors include the Outstanding Alumni Award from Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Freedom of Information Award from the Associated Press, the First Amendment Award of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith in Los Angeles, the Media Responsibility Award from the New York State Martin Luther King Jr. Commission and Institute for Non-Violence, and numerous others.