Rob Watson Jr. (Poughkeepsie High School Class of 2005) is the inaugural Executive Director of the Harvard EdRedesign Lab and Lecturer on Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. At EdRedesign, Rob leads an interdisciplinary team of staff, fellows, consultants, research affiliates, and students supporting 70+ communities in urban, suburban and rural contexts across the U.S. each year to develop cradle-to-career systems of opportunity.

His work has focused on themes of civic engagement, community development, and educational equity in the U.S., Latin America, and Africa. Prior to joining EdRedesign, Rob served as a consultant and advisor to organizations that include the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, Harvard College, Tufts University, The Social Impact Studio, FUSE Corps, The Foundation for Louisiana, The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, The Obama Foundation, and Harlem Children’s Zone. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, Rob has co-founded five civil society organizations in Paraguay, including, Teach for Paraguay, member of the global Teach For All Network and the Paraguayan Government's first national youth service program.

Rob is deeply committed to advancing transformative community development in his hometown of the City of Poughkeepsie. In early 2020, he partnered with the Mayor, Superintendent of Schools and community stakeholders to co-found the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet (PCC), a collective impact organization that convenes leaders across sectors to develop a citywide cradle-to-career agenda for children, youth and families. Rob currently serves as Board Chair of the PCC. He is also a co-founder of the Poughkeepsie Service Accelerator (PSA), a place-based service year collaborative that aims to attract and retain local talent to pursue social impact careers in the City of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County region. Additionally, Rob serves as a board member with the Art Effect, Ampact New York advisory board member, and formerly served on the board of the Poughkeepsie Public Schools Foundation.

In January 2024, Rob was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar. Rob is a member of the Board of Directors of StriveTogether and the Children's Funding Project, a former World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and former Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Millennium Scholar. He holds a B.A. from Harvard College, an Ed.M in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Mid-career Master's in Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard Kennedy School.

Andrea L. Reynolds began her career in professional philanthropy at United Way of the Mid-South and then Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.

She took this experience back to the Hudson Valley where she became President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Dutchess County in 2005.

It was here that Andrea led efforts to grow the Foundation from $22 million to $55 million in assets, $3.5 million in annual grants, and expanded the service area to include Putnam and Ulster counties creating Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.

She became President and CEO of the Dyson Foundation in 2015, a private family foundation serving 6 counties in the Mid-Hudson Valley whose annual grantmaking is more than $14 million. During this time, the Dyson Foundation created more “Beyond the Grant” programs to support nonprofit professional development, and organized the Hudson Valley Funders Network, an organization created to help nonprofits during the COVID pandemic that continues to provide educational programming to both nonprofit and funding organizations.

Andrea has personally supported numerous charities and causes over the years including affordable housing and community development, HIV/AIDS services, tourism, economic development, children and families, hospice, public broadcasting, reproductive rights, literacy, philanthropic associations and grantmaking committees, and food access.

Andrea received her Masters of Science in Social Work administration and planning from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Memphis Branch. Her undergraduate work was completed at Hartwick College, where she majored in business management and minored in music and sociology, with a concentration in psychology.

Sally Cross is a development professional with nearly 40 years’ experience, including at the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley and SUNY New Paltz Foundation. Now as a fundraising consultant, her practice focuses on individual giving, major gifts, and planned giving programs. An Ulster County resident for the past 24 years, she is an active volunteer and serves on several local boards.

Yvonne Flowers is a lifelong City of Poughkeepsie resident and former four-term Common Councilwoman. She is the first African American to become city mayor.

She is a graduate of Poughkeepsie City School District and Dutchess Community College. She has served as Chair of the city’s Finance Committee, Co-Chair of the city’s Procedural Justice Committee and has been on the board of directors of numerous organizations, including R.E.A.L Skills Network Inc., Hudson River Housing and the Dutchess County Board of Ethics. She worked at Dutchess Community College for more than 33 years as the college’s Grants and Contracts Finance Officer and former Supervisor of Student Accounts Office.

Flowers became involved in community activities at a young age, working alongside her father John M. Flowers Sr., who coordinated large community events, including the John Flowers Old Fashioned Easter Egg Hunt, Father’s Day Parade/Celebration, and Community Day Picnic.

Greg Mott is the Superintendent of Schools for the Poughkeepsie City School District. Appointed as Superintendent of Schools in July 2025, Mott spent nearly 30 years as an educator, primarily in his native area of Buffalo, New York. A graduate from SUNY Buffalo, from which he also earned a Master’s degree in Elementary Education and a certificate in School Administration and Supervision, Mott served as a teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, and an administrator.

He joined the former Poughkeepsie City School District Superintendent, Dr. Eric Jay Rosser, in Poughkeepsie just as the district was preparing for the first fall of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has since had a hand in several major accomplishments, including:

• Helping each elementary school earn the “good standing” designation from the State Education Department for the first time in 13 years
• Increasing grades 3-8 proficiency rates in ELA and Math
• Identifying, adopting, and implementing a research-based K-8 ELA and math curriculum
• Leading the creation of the “Mindful Morning” literacy program, extended learning time, the Dual- Language Program, and a plan for greater supports for English Language Learners, as well as transforming and expanding the universal Pre-K program from half-day to full-day
• Assisting in the development of the Community Schools model and the 5-year Strategic Plan

Most recently, Mott spearheaded not only the Elementary Reconfiguration plan, but the movement to supply bus service to most elementary school students.

Sue Serino’s story is one of grit, service, and heart. At just 15, she began working to help support her family – waiting tables, managing a local diner, and eventually starting her own in-home childcare business as a single mom. Her path later led her to real estate, where she became a small business owner, helping first-time home buyers achieve their dreams right here in the Hudson Valley.

Frustrated by government red tape, Sue entered public service, serving on the Hyde Park Town Board and Dutchess County Legislature before spending eight years in the New York State Senate. There, she became known as a tireless advocate for seniors, veterans, families and small businesses – especially during the pandemic. Sue led efforts to protect nursing home residents, expand mental health support, and fight for fair funding for programs like the Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Program.

Now, as Dutchess County Executive, Sue brings her lived experience to every decision she makes. From cutting red tape and championing public safety to investing in mental health care and supporting the County’s workforce, she leads with empathy, urgency, and a commitment to delivering results that truly touch lives.

Sue lives in Hyde Park with her husband Mark and remains guided by the same principles that first brought her into public service – hard work, common sense, and a strong belief in the power of community.

Jill Roche Gomez is the inaugural Executive Director of the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet, the city’s cradle‑to‑career backbone initiative that unites government, schools, nonprofits, business, philanthropy, families, and youth to ensure every child thrives. Appointed in October 2023, Jill leads implementation of the Cabinet’s 10‑year strategy—guiding fundraising, data‑driven planning, and cross‑sector collaboration designed to connect 5,000+ Poughkeepsie young people and their families to transformative opportunities each year by 2033, building pathways to socioeconomic mobility.

A results‑oriented nonprofit leader with more than 15 years of experience, Jill is known for building strong civic infrastructure, authentic relationships, and securing the resources necessary for community change. Before PCC, she spent a 15-years at the Hunts Point Alliance for Children in the South Bronx—six years as Executive Director—where she tripled the organization’s budget, expanded staff, and forged neighborhood‑wide partnerships that improved educational outcomes for youth and families . Earlier roles with Education Pioneers, Bridgeport and New Jersey departments of education, and the New York State Courts focused on strategy and educational equity, experiences that honed her expertise in policy, collective impact, and community organizing.

Jill holds a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and an LL.M. in International Law & Human Rights from Maastricht University in the Netherlands . A Hudson Valley resident, she is passionate about harnessing collective action to expand opportunity and believes every child deserves pathways to discover their spark—and succeed.

James Watson is an Emmy Award-winning journalist with more than a decade of experience helping some of the world’s largest media companies launch new ventures on television and in print, including CBS News, NBC Olympics and The New York Times.

James was a member of the production team behind “60 Minutes Sports,” a spinoff of the legendary Sunday evening newsmagazine produced by CBS News. While at CBS News, he was involved in the production of nearly 20 stories for “60 Minutes Sports” and “60 Minutes.” Prior to joining CBS, James covered three Olympic Games for NBC. He was also a member of the founding editorial team of Play: The New York Times Sports Magazine, where he worked with leading writers such as David Foster Wallace.

Nearly a decade ago, James returned to his hometown of Poughkeepsie, NY.

In 2019, James partnered with Poughkeepsie’s Mayor, Superintendent of Schools and community stakeholders to co-found the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet, a cradle-to-career place-based partnership nonprofit that convenes cross-sector leaders and community members to develop a citywide agenda for children, youth and families. James was also a co-founder of Lead for Poughkeepsie, an AmeriCorps-sponsored public service fellowship program created to attract and retain homegrown talent to pursue social impact careers.

James holds a B.A. from Boston College. He is also a graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner and four-time nominee.