Mary Alison Burt has worked for 35 years as a special education teacher in the Jamestown School District. She currently serves on the planning committee for the annual Chautauqua Area Buddy Walk for Down syndrome awareness. Alison also has volunteered with Special Olympics, Girl Scouts and New Hope Assistance Dogs. Professionally, she became familiar with The Resource Center when students transitioned out of high school. Alison has a brother who has received supports from The Resource Center for many years, and her late sister-in-law also received supports from TRC.

Marie Carrubba, Esq., is the Executive Director of the Southwestern Independent Living Center. Long an active community volunteer, Marie is a member of the Jamestown Community College Board of Trustees; serves on the Chautauqua County Workforce Investment Board; chairs the Board of Community Services; serves on the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities; and is a Board member of the Fenton History Center. Marie first served on TRC’s Board from 1989 to 2000 and was Chair from 1997 to 2000. She also has served as Secretary and Vice Chair. She was reelected to the Board in 2010. She has been involved with TRC since 1983. Marie received our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, our Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2000 and our Advocate of the Year Award in 1993.

Dawn Columbare, DNP, retired from Jamestown Community College after a career in which she served as Professor and Director of Nursing. Following retirement, she was a national nursing education consultant. Active in the community, she serves on the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees for The Creche, Inc. She is a longtime member of Zion Covenant Church, where she served in many roles including Chair of the Leadership Team.  Dawn chairs the Lily's Hope and Birthing Kit committees of Zonta International and sits on a Scholarship Committee for the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. She also serves on the Chautauqua County Board of Health. She was first elected to TRC’s Board in 2017.

Richard Erickson is the Director of Accounting for Chautauqua Institution and the Athenaeum Hotel. Professionally, Dick is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of CPAs. He has served on the advisory committee of the Southwest Chapter of the American Red Cross. Dick has served on TRC’s Board since 2015, and was Board Chair from 2022-25.

Lisa Goodell is the retired Executive Director of the Chautauqua Blind Association. She is the Secretary of the Rotary Club of Jamestown and Secretary of the Rotary Club’s Community Service Fund. Lisa also is the Treasurer on the Creche Board of Directors; is a member of the Chautauqua Striders Board of Directors; and serves on the Finance Committee of Court Appointed Special Advocates in Chautauqua County. She was elected to TRC’s Board in 2019 and serves on our Special Incident Review Committee.

Todd Jacobson, MD, is the retired Medical Director for Occupational Health at UPMC Chautauqua. He helped start TRC’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center. Todd is a member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the New York College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Locally, he is a past Board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Jamestown and the Jamestown Safety Council, and he plays trumpet with the Jamestown Municipal Band and the Pearl City Big Jazz Band. Todd has been a member of TRC’s Board since 2003, serving as Chair from 2012 to 2015. He has a daughter who receives supports from The Resource Center.

Scott James has been involved with The Resource Center for many years. He was one of our most dedicated volunteers when we used to hold our annual basketball festival on the streets of Jamestown. He is a huge supporter of area sports teams, having helped Jamestown Community College’s basketball team for 20 years and the Jamestown Tarp Skunks baseball team. Scott received the 2025 “Be the Change” award from the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association for his contributions as a coach and supporter of Falconer High School’s sports teams, and for his ability to recover from a major health issue. Scott was appointed to serve a vacant seat on the TRC’s Board last year.

Kathy Field worked for The Resource Center for 39 years before retiring in 2021. She helped out with many of our special events over the years and was named our Volunteer of the Year in 2006. Kathy cared deeply for people with disabilities, and she served as the Correspondent for some people living in our homes. She has served on the Nominating Committee for two years.

Laurie Goold has a son who receives supports from The Resource Center. She has served on the Nominating Committee for two years.

Jessica Gugino, Ph.D., is a Special Education Instructor at SUNY-Fredonia. Jessica is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, CEC Teacher Education Division, CEC Division on Career Development and Transition, and CEC Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities. She is a voting member of the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation and a New York State Certified Teacher in Elementary Education, Special Education and Secondary Social Studies. Jessica performs advocacy work for individuals with exceptional learning needs, and she volunteers with her therapy dog in local schools. Jessica has a son who receives supports from The Resource Center.

Mary Jo Hamilton worked for The Resource Center for 40 years before retiring in 2021. Mary Jo spent much of her career working at our Intermediate Care Facility on Foote Avenue, and for her last six years at TRC she was our Director of Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services. Her knowledge, wisdom and experience are invaluable. Mary Jo currently volunteers with Pack-A-Snack, a program to help feed disadvantaged children. She has served on our Nominating Committee for two years.