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Staff & Consultants

María Alvarez, Executive Director
María Alvarez has worked with senior citizens groups as an organizer, advocate, and director of housing and caregivers programs for over 30 years. She has designed and implemented educational, social service, and leadership programs for older adults. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Marquette University and a Master’s Degree in Non-Profit Management from the New School for Social Research where she was a Sloan Fellow.

Joan Akpan, Media/Marketing
Joan has a comprehensive background in communications with 20+ years leading client relations to integrated marketing and project execution. Her experience includes working in the Advertising industry in Seattle and New York City, managing clients such as American Standard and Disney. She also worked in Visual Merchandising for Speedo and Liz Claiborne. Joan also oversees several youth tennis initiatives developing programs focused on making tennis more accessible to all.

Sarah Askew, Outreach Counselor
Sarah Askew grew up in Oswego County and currently resides in Tompkins County. She graduated from SUNY Oswego with a degree in English literature and did graduate work in social issues. Sarah has worked in the health care and human services fields for over 10 years. She is passionate about helping people and being a force for positive change in the world.

Oladipupo Eddie Babatunde, Outreach Counselor
Eddie is based in New York and specializes in gerontology, health education, and community outreach. He is experienced in designing and implementing health programs, with a focus on addressing the unique needs of diverse communities through client-centered care and advocacy. Eddie holds a Master’s in Health Education and Promotion and is committed to advancing health equity and empowering underserved populations. He is also fluent in English and Yoruba.

Stefania Buta, Program Development Coordinator
Stefania is a proud resident of Central NY and attended college at SUNY Cortland. She later received her Masters in Public Health from Columbia University. She comes to StateWide with a background in research methodologies and experience with domestic and international community resilience initiatives. In her free time, Stefania enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and her rescue dog, Toby.

Tiffany Erhard, Senior Medicare Patrol Director
Tiffany lives in Western New York and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Jamestown Business College. She has over a decade of experience working directly with seniors in various settings, including her previous role at Senior Life Matters, where she assisted with healthcare and various aspects of aging.

Gene Dumlao, Outreach Counselor
Gene joined the staff in 2011 and provides counseling on Medicare benefits and the EPIC program to help enrollees make informed choices. He is a certified HIICAP (Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program) counselor. Gene assisted seniors for five years at EPIC, the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage plan for NYS. He honed his skills and knowledge on their Helpline and EPIC Outreach Field Representative. Previously, he was with IBM in Dallas, TX serving as a Customer Fulfillment Professional and Warehouse Manager. Gene has been solving issues and doing what is right and fair for organizations and members for over thirty years.

Marcus Harazin, Patient Advocates Program Coordinator
Marcus Harazin is implementing StateWide’s initiative on Patient Advocacy. A lifetime member of StateWide who has recently retired as Deputy Director of the NYS Office for the Aging, Marcus will be making presentations throughout the state to help seniors negotiate the health care system and collect information to inform policy makers about needed changes in the health care delivery system.

Beata Karpinska-Prehn, Outreach Counselor
Beata Karpinska-Prehn came to the U.S. in the 80’s from Poland as a political refugee. She served as an Americore national service volunteer, resettling other refugees and has worked for over 25 years at the independent living center in Syracuse, advocating for disability rights, access to benefits, transportation, healthcare, and affordable and accessible housing. Beata also coordinated the NY Connects program in the Syracuse area and serves as a Council Member on the NYS Independent Living Council.

Gail Myers, Deputy Director
Gail joined the staff of StateWide in April 2011. In 2013 she was named Deputy Director. She is a certified HIICAP (Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program) counselor, a certified Long Term Care Ombudsman, and has served on the NYS Dept. of Health DSRIP CBO/Cultural Competency Workgroup.
Gail has more than three decades experience working to improve health and human service programs and as a public relations specialist.
Prior to joining the staff of StateWide, Gail was appointed by Governor Spitzer to serve as the Special Assistant for Community Affairs and Public Participation at the New York State Office for the Aging. She was also the political director for the Medical Society of the State of New York, the principal lobbyist for the New York State Nurses Association, and legislative assistant to the Chairman of the NYS Assembly Ways & Means Committee. She is currently serving as President of Bethlehem Neighbors, a neighbor helping neighbor “village” in Albany County.

Jarol Rivera, Outreach Counselor
Jarol has called “The Big Apple” home for over a decade. He graduated from CUNY Lehman College with a degree in Cultural Anthropology. He has a background in public health detailing, case management, and emerging migrant communities in NYC. He recently served as Health & Wellness Advisor, coaching people of all ages in healthy living. When not helping others, Jarol enjoys playing volleyball, travelling, and playing the piano at his local choir. “

Candy Rivera-Whitehead, Outreach Counselor
Candy is a long-time resident of the Capital Region and recently joined the StateWide Senior Action Council team in June. She is a dedicated and compassionate Outreach Counselor who has worked with the senior population for 35 years. Candy began her Outreach career in 1987 with the inception of the NYS EPIC Program where she continued to work for 27 years, educating seniors throughout New York State on the cost saving benefits of EPIC. After leaving NYS EPIC, Candy worked with a Medicare health plan for 8 yrs. where she became proficient in educating, assisting and guiding “New to Medicare” members through the basics of Medicare and selecting a plan that met their needs.

Leslie Sierra, Outreach Counselor
Leslie joined the Staff of StateWide in April 2012. She comes with over 20 years experience working with the senior population and is a certified HIICAP counselor. She started the Brooklyn Caregivers Program while a Sr. Case Manager for The Institute for Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly and was responsible for one of the first support groups for caregivers in Brooklyn. She was the first of many to recognize and honor caregivers for the unpaid work they do in the borough of Brooklyn. As a Crime Prevention Specialist, Leslie trained over 500 seniors and staff on crime prevention, elder abuse, and financial abuse for the Ft. Greene Senior Citizens Council. Leslie is also President of the Board of Directors for a 325 unit Co-op in Brooklyn and an ardent wedding and event planner.

Aaron Snyder, Outreach Counselor
Aaron lives and works in Western New York and has a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from the University of Buffalo. He has worked in healthcare for over a decade in a variety of fields, most recently as a caseworker and assessor for individuals with developmental disabilities. He is passionate about helping folks to navigate the complicated world of healthcare to ensure the best possible outcomes. In his free time he enjoys writing for tabletop roleplaying games and cooking.
REGISTER FOR STATEWIDE’S BUDGET BRIEFINGS
BUDGET BRIEFINGS The Governor released her budget this week, on the heels of the State of the State address. Her major themes are making NYS more affordable for families and addressing crime. StateWide will be hosting two zoom budget briefings to share details on the...
2024 Election Information
Early voting ends Sunday 11/3. Use regular polling places for in person voting on Tuesday, November 5th. Voting hours: 6 AM - 9 PM Find your poll site, track to see if your absentee ballot was received or check your registration status here. If you have any issues at...