About Us

Gary Dake, Founder of the Dake Foundation for Children, is President of Stewart’s Shops in Saratoga Springs, NY He has over 35 years of experience working for and now running his family and employee owned business. Gary is on the Board of Directors of Saratoga National Bank and Arrow Financial Corporation. He further serves the community by serving on the Saratoga-Warren-Washington County Workforce Development Board, and the James A. Eddy Memorial Foundation. He is a 1982 graduate of St. Lawrence University with a B.A. in Economics. When he’s not in the office, Gary can be found on the golf course, in the woodshop, baking bread, or spending time with his kids and grandkids. Gary lives in Saratoga Springs with his wife, Aimee.

Sarah Burns serves as Executive Director of the Dake Foundation for Children. With over 16 years of experience in the field, her career has spanned from the corporate finance sector in San Francisco to the nonprofit world of Upstate New York. She is an experienced leader with a passion for building and maintaining community partnerships. She attended SUNY Empire State University and earned her degree in Business Administration with a focus on Nonprofit Management. A lifelong volunteer and active member of the community, Sarah wholeheartedly believes that a community is stronger when its members lift each other up.

As Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of DZ Restaurants, Nancy has helped DZ become one of the fastest growing and successful restaurant corporations in the region. In 1999, Nancy moved to Saratoga Springs, NY with her family from Cooperstown. Nancy continues to give back to our community with many years of volunteer leadership and community involvement. She loves to ski, babysit her granddaughter and be with her family.

Pam Fisher is the Director of Community Relations for Hudson Headwaters Health Network where she oversees the organization’s public relations activities.

Fisher is a graduate of Syracuse University, and received her M.B.A. from the University at Albany. She is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Adirondack, a Post Star 20 under 40 winner and received a national sales award having served as membership manager of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce from 2013-2016.

Fisher serves on the board of directors of the Adirondack Theatre Festival and has also volunteered and raised funds for numerous organizations in the Glens Falls region. As a cochlear implant recipient with lifelong hearing loss, Fisher was inspired to lead a 2020 capital campaign to fund the purchase and installation of a state-of-the-art hearing loop at the Charles R. Wood Theater, the first of its kind in the area.

She resides in Glens Falls with her husband, Jeff, and their two children, Colin and Claire.

Tina Morency joined the Dake Foundation in 2018. She resides in Gansevoort, N.Y. with her husband, 2 daughters, and 4 dogs. Tina attended A.C.C. and graduated with an Associates degree in Accounting. After, she joined Stewart’s Shop’s where she has been employed for over 25 years. Tina now manages the Corporate Audit Department. In her spare time she enjoys camping, traveling, and attending concerts with her family.

Zachary Waterstram is the Accounting Manager for Stewart’s Shops at the Distribution Center. He has earned his CPA and a Master’s Degree in Business from SUNY Oswego. He joined the Dake Foundation in 2020. Zack grew up in Saratoga County and now lives in Ballston Spa with his wife and two children. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and coaching his son’s soccer teams.

Donna Hermann joined the Dake Foundation for Children in 2024. She spent the majority of her career in the healthcare industry working for Kaiser Permanente, CDPHP and most recently MVP Health Care in Operations and Compliance. Retired now, Donna volunteers at the Saratoga Senior Center and their Regional Food Pantry. She has a passion for interior design and works with a local realtor staging houses for sale. Donna lives in Saratoga Springs with her husband Joe of 35 years and has adult children in Boston and Los Angeles.

Rosemarie Riddell Bogdan has concentrated in the area of personal injury law since entering private practice over twenty five years ago. She graduated from Cornell University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree, and from Albany Law School with a Juris Doctor degree in 1992.

After serving as a confidential law clerk for a New York State Supreme Court Justice, Rosemarie entered private practice in 1993. She has been a partner of Martin, Harding & Mazzotti since 1999. Over the years, Rosemarie has had the privilege of representing individuals in all aspects of personal injury litigation. She has successfully handled cases in the New York State Supreme Courts, New York State Court of Claims, New York State Appellate Division, United States District Courts, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Superior Courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

Steve Butler is the Executive Director of the Saratoga Springs YMCA, the Flagship branch of the Saratoga Regional YMCA. The Saratoga Springs YMCA currently serves over 15,000 individuals with memberships and offers a variety of programs from Aquatics, Sports, Health and Fitness, Education, Childcare and Outdoor Recreation.
Steve is a native of Bradford, Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree from The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford where he majored in Hospitality Management and minored in Accounting.

Steve currently resides in Queensbury with his wife Lindsey, their son Hudson and their three dogs Roman, Neymar and Dempsey. In his free time, Steve loves to golf, hike and travel.

Christina Cicardi is the Health Benefit Manager at Stewart’s Shops. She earned her BA in Psychology from the College of Saint Rose and is a 2024 graduate of Leadership Saratoga. Christina grew up in Saratoga Springs and still resides there with her husband Zach, daughters Kendall and Carson, and their bulldog Rosie. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and going to concerts.

Rachel Dunn is a motivated litigator, educator and thought-leader in public service, criminal justice, and victims’ rights.  With 17 years of experience trying cases, she has prosecuted cases in 22 counties in New York state. She currently serves as the Regional Director for the Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. In that role, she leads investigations and prosecutions of abuse and neglect of residents in nursing homes and other residential healthcare facilities, along with obtaining criminal and civil remedies against those responsible for fraudulent Medicaid billing schemes. Previously, in 2017 she was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo as the Special Prosecutor and Inspector General for the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. There, she led a team of attorneys that both prosecuted cases, and also trained and advised law enforcement and district attorneys regarding vulnerable victim interviews, charging considerations, and trial tactics.

Rachel is a resident of Saratoga Springs, having lived there for over 10 years (the longest spot she’s ever stayed, as a proud military brat). She wouldn’t choose anywhere except Upstate New York to raise her kids, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, and help grow the community she cares so much about! 

Kim Fahey is a pediatric physical therapist and clinic supervisor at Kids Care Pediatric Rehab in Latham, NY. She graduated from D’Youville College with a Master’s in Physical Therapy in 2001, and has been working in pediatrics ever since. She joined the Board of Directors/MAP of the Dake Foundation in 2018. Kim has first hand experience with attempting equipment referrals and letters of justification for patients that have been denied. She is excited about the opportunity to help children receive equipment they may not normally receive through insurance. Kim resides in Clifton Park, NY, with her husband, Josh, and her two children, Braden and Addison.

Alana Gorman is a physical therapist in the Malta office of Sports Physical Therapy of New York. She graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelors in Clinical Health Studies and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She joined the Board of Directors of The Dake Foundation in 2015, and has served on the Medical Advisory Panel since then. Alana loves spending time outside with her family and dog. She enjoys living in Saratoga because of its close proximity to the mountains for hiking and skiing.

Linda Miller, PT, DPT, is a 2003 graduate of SUNY Adirondack (Queensbury, NY) with an Associates Degree in Math & Science and a 2005 graduate of Russell Sage College (Troy, NY) with a BA in Biology and a minor in Spanish. She went on to graduate from Sage Graduate School (Troy, NY) in 2008 with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Over her 14 year career as a physical therapist, Linda has worked solely in pediatrics with a passion for working with children with multiple disabilities. In 2014, Linda became a Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) International Trainer while helping to establish and implement the MOVE curriculum within a private school for children with disabilities. This school quickly became a MOVE Model Site, displaying exemplary implementation and use of the MOVE curriculum.

Linda is a strong advocate for children encouraging them to use their body to their full capacity without setting limitations, only high expectations. Linda enjoys spending time with her family, coaching her son in sports, and exercising.

Taylor Scheurer, MS, OTR/L, CSRS is from South Glens Falls, NY. She attended Ithaca College for her BS/MS in Occupational Therapy. She works at Glens Falls Hospital in acute care with a variety of diagnoses. In her spare time, Taylor enjoys reading, hiking, and cooking. Taylor chose to be a part of the Dake Foundation to assist with improving quality of life and independence with valued activities. She sits on the Medical Advisory Panel and assists with reviewing grant applications.

JoAnne (Sperry) Starks is a graduate of Glens Falls High School and holds a BS in Business Administration from SUNY Potsdam. She is the Director of Marketing for AAFCPAs, a leading CPA and consulting firm based in Westborough, MA, where she exercises her superpower, wordsmithery. She has over 20 years’ experience in Marketing and Communications.

JoAnne recently moved back to Queensbury with her husband (Mike) and two boys (Kaleb and Hudson) after spending 20 years in Massachusetts. In her spare time, she aspires to climb the Adirondack High Peaks. She enjoys giving back to the nonprofit community and is a regular volunteer through Catchafire.

She gravitates to projects that support education, youth development, and diversity & inclusion.

Bruce began his career with The Jones Firm in 2011 as a law clerk after graduating from Albany Law School as Valedictorian of his class. Bruce is an active member of the Saratoga County Bar Association having served on its Board of Directors since 2015 and as Chairman of the Mock Trial Committee. Previously, he has served as a director of Saratoga Arts and as the project coordinator for NYSTLC (New York State Trial Lawyers Care), Inc., a not-for-profit corporation established to provide local victims of Hurricane Irene with much needed legal advice. Bruce lives in Saratoga Springs.

Ian Townsend is the Eastern NY Territory Manager for NBT Bank, where he has built his career since 2005. Originally from Delhi, NY, he moved to Saratoga County after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University at Albany. Actively involved in his community, Ian serves as a board member for the Northeastern Subcontractors Association (NESCA) and participates in various regional organizations. He lives in Ballston Spa with his wife, Laura, and their two children, Emily and Owen. Ian enjoys spending his free time with his family, playing sports, reading, and traveling.