Membership

New York State Public Service Commissioner and chairman of the council, John Maggiore, has served in various roles in the New York State Executive Chamber since 2011, most recently as senior advisor to Governor Cuomo. Prior to that, he served as Governor Cuomo's director of policy; chief of staff to Lt. Governor Robert Duffy; and the governor’s director of regional affairs. During Mr. Maggiore’s time as policy director, the Cuomo administration articulated the Clean Energy Standard, launched the electric-vehicle rebate program, implemented the NY Sun program, promulgated the offshore wind master plan, and announced large-scale renewable projects and nation-leading clean energy policy initiatives. Earlier in his career, Mr. Maggiore served as chief of staff for a leading member of the Assembly Energy Committee for eight years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Connecticut College, a master’s degree in political science and government from Rutgers University, and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University.

Greg Connors is president and CEO of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation. A lifelong Saratoga County resident, Greg brings decades of experience across economic development, government relations, community service, and real estate to the Council. He spent 11 years managing state and local affairs across New York and Vermont for GlobalFoundries. He was previously elected as supervisor for the Town of Stillwater and helped co-develop land-use regulations that enabled the Luther Forest Technology Campus, now home to GlobalFoundries Fab 8. At the time, he also authored the only real property tax revenue-sharing agreement between municipalities in New York. Greg was affiliated for over 30 years with his family’s insurance, real estate, and financial services firm in Mechanicville. He has held leadership roles in numerous organizations, including the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Stillwater Area Community Center, CAPTAIN-CHS, and the Saratoga County Water Authority. He is a past president of the NYS Association of REALTORS and served on the NYS Real Estate Board and the Center for Economic Growth.

Donna Luh is the owner of Luh Consulting Services, which offers advising on government relations, community affairs, marketing, public relations, housing, aviation and transportation. A resident of Depew, she is the former vice chair of the New York State Thruway Authority Board of Directors, the project coordinator of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, and coordinator of the $186 million Greater Buffalo International Airport Improvement Program. She holds both a bachelor’s degrees in Science and a Master of Science in Education Administration from Canisius College, Buffalo, N.Y.

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon previously served as president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and was the founding co-president of SAG-AFTRA, a 165,000-member union for the entertainment industry. After stepping down from that position in late 2013, she consulted for the AFL-CIO as special liaison for Common Sense Economics. She also taught in the Cornell/CUNY Labor Relations Certificate program. A graduate of the Cornell Industrial and Labor Relations School’s New York State AFL-CIO/Cornell Union Leadership Institute, she holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wyoming.

Patricia E. Salkin is provost of the Graduate and Professional Division and former dean of Touro Law Center at Touro College. She is the former associate dean, professor of law and director of the Government Law Center of Albany Law School. In addition to land use law, her scholarship also focuses on government ethics. She is an appointed member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and chair of the State Bar's Standing Committee on Attorneys in Public Service. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University at Albany and earned her Juris Doctor from Albany Law School.