Board of Trustees
Finger Lakes Community College is governed by a ten-person Board of Trustees. Five Trustees are appointed by the Ontario County Board of Supervisors, the College’s sponsor. Four Trustees are appointed by the Governor of the State of New York. One Trustee is a student of FLCC and is elected by the student-body.
Current Board Members
Donald Cass, B.S. (Chair)
A former lieutenant in the Geneva Police Department, Donald Cass went on to serve as city councilor from 1996 to 1999 and mayor of Geneva from 2000 to 2007. He has experience in industry and nonprofit sectors. He is currently the Faith Formation Coordinator at Our Lady of Peace in Geneva. He serves on the Geneva Public Library Board, as chair of the Geneva Planning Board, and on the steering committee of the Neighbor to Neighbor Fund. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2012.
Richard Russell, B.A. (Vice Chair)
Rich Russell is a retired small business owner who resides in Canandaigua. He previously served on the Canandaigua City Council and was one of the city's two representatives on the Ontario County Board of Supervisors, where his committee assignments included chair of the FLCC Projects Committee. He joined the FLCC Board of Trustees in 2016.
George W. Cushman, A.S., M.B.A. (Secretary)
George Cushman has served in executive positions at a wide range of corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations. He most recently supported the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship. Previously, George held senior roles at Achieving the Dream, the Hispanic College Fund, and as president/CEO of a national firm specializing in the staffing of engineering, IT, and health and science professionals. He joined the FLCC Board of Trustees in 2018.
Stephen R. Martin, B.S.
Stephen R. Martin, retired senior vice president of Canandaigua National Bank and Trust Co., joined the FLCC Board of Trustees in December 2013. He previously volunteered on the Finger Lakes Community College Foundation from 2006 to 2013. He also served 15 years on the Victor Central School Board of Education, including 10 years as president.
M. Joan Geise, B.A., M.A.
M. Joan Geise joined the FLCC Board of Trustees in 2008, serving as its chair from 2013 to 2015 and again from 2022 to 2024. She is a retired educator with more than 35 years as a high school social studies teacher at Victor Central School.
Geoffrey Astles, B.A.
Geoffrey Astles, who joined the FLCC Board of Trustees in January 2016, served as Ontario County administrator from 1999 until his retirement in 2011. During his more than 30 years with Ontario County, he served several administrative roles, including deputy county administrator responsible for health and human services and a division manager with oversight of planning and economic development.
Frederick A. Wille, B.A., M.S., Ed.D.
Fred Wille has worked in public education for 41 years as a teacher and administrator, including five years as superintendent of Bloomfield Central Schools. Throughout his career, he taught elementary and middle school as well as graduate-level courses. Upon retirement, he continued to remain connected by working part-time as an instructional leadership coach at the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education. He is also the East Bloomfield town supervisor and serves on the Genesee Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council. He joined the board in August 2024.
Donna M. Mihalik '15, A.S., B.A., M.A.
Donna M. Mihalik joined the FLCC Board of Trustees in 2009. She is vice president of Web Seal Inc., a manufacturing firm where she has held various management positions since 1991. She has served on not-for-profit boards in Rochester, Pittsburgh, and Miami, including chair of Big Brothers/Big Sisters-Greater Miami, and volunteers with University of Rochester Medical Center Friends of Strong Council, Friends of Ganondagan, YMCA, Empowered Girl Alliance and other community groups.
Misty J. Hall, Student Trustee
Misty J. Hall of Shortsville, a physical education and liberal arts double major, is the student trustee for the 2024-25 academic year. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and Student Corporation. Misty is currently working in the Academic Advising, Career and Transfer Services (AACTS) Office as a student aide. Misty plans to transfer to Nazareth University to major in nursing.
