CFD Board of Directors
Laurie Schwartz, MA, Co-Founder and Chair
Laurie Schwartz is a co-founder of Circle of Friends for the Dying. She is one of the early leaders of the hospice movement in the United States. In 1979, she co-founded and directed what is now Hudson Valley Hospice and was recognized in 1995 by Hudson Valley Hospice and ARCS as a dynamic visionary and social activist. She has trained hundreds of people in the arena of dying, death, and bereavement through Hudson Valley Hospice’s volunteer trainings and through Securelanding programs. Laurie co-founded Community Possibilities in 1984 (which assisted community leaders in forming their desire into vision and then into action) and the Woodstock Jewish Congregation in 1986. She has served on numerous Boards of Directors, held positions of administration, and worked as a trainer/facilitator. In 2018, Laurie was again honored by Hudson Valley Hospice for her commitment and service to the community.
Dr. Randall Rissman, MD, Co-Chair
Randy Rissman is a family medicine doctor in Woodstock, New York, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including HealthAlliance Hospital-Broadway Campus and HealthAlliance Hospital-Mary’s Avenue Campus. He received his medical degree from University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and has been in practice for more than twenty years. Randy assists with the Education and Awareness Committee.
Laurie Slavin, Treasurer
Laurie has worked for many years as an attorney specializing in newborn adoptions. She founded and headed two adoption agencies, one in South Florida and one in Upstate New York, and continues to work on behalf of children and families. For the past five years, Laurie served as Treasurer on the Board
of Directors of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation and as Treasurer of the Hudson Valley Sudbury School Board of Trustees. She looks forward to supporting the compelling mission of Circle of Friends.
Dale Miller, Secretary
Karen (Dale) Miller has been putting her ideas into action since founding the first breastfeeding boutique in the USA in 1996. She started this company because she saw a gaping, unfulfilled need at the beginning of life, and for twenty years, she was able to provide Park Slope, Brooklyn, with resources, classes, and support. Her model is now the standard for care in the industry. Currently, her focus is on providing that same level of information and personal involvement for those nearing the end of life. She has been looking for creative ways to start these conversations, such as being a death D.J. With experience as a social media director, volunteer coordinator, marketing consultant, and stand-up comedian, she hopes her skills will be useful in supporting the mission of CFD.
Barbara Sarah, LCSW, Co-Founder and Board Member
Barbara Sarah, co-founder of Circle of Friends for the Dying, is the founder of the Oncology Support Program at HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, New York. Following a breast cancer diagnosis in 1992, she left a twenty-year career as a school social worker on Long Island and chose to dedicate herself to work in oncology. She is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NY State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and the NY State Governor’s Award for Innovation in Breast Cancer Education. Barbara’s work in the Hudson Valley has taught her the importance of creating a home for the dying. For twenty-five years she has been an instructor of Morita and Naikan therapies, Buddhist-based strategies for mental wellness. She was instrumental in bringing Death Cafés to Westchester County, where she organized conversations in that community about the end of life.
Caren Martineau, Founder of Bevival
Caren Martineau is an innovator and mapper of cultural zeitgeists. Over the course of her long career as an award-winning creative director, she developed brand solutions for global corporations, design firms, celebrity products and entrepreneurial ventures. She volunteered and served on the Boards of several non-profits, then took a leap of faith to become a vocal advocate for social change. Caren was motivated by the emotional and financial cost of not preparing for the end of life. She introduced the term death literacy into America’s lexicon and launched Bevival.com, a dynamic source of education for an aging society confronting their mortality. As a gathering place and online platform, Bevival develops content, programming, and community events designed to help change our relationship with mortality, long before time of need.
Timothy Copeland, MS
Timothy Copeland has always been a strong advocate of end-of-life care. He has a Master of Science Degree in Thanatology in addition to being a dedicated service leader in the funeral world at the local, state, and national levels for over thirty years. Tim brings innovative solutions and unwavering support to individuals and families dealing with the complexities of end-of-life care and the grief that accompanies it. With his unparalleled expertise in business and genuine empathy for people, Tim supports CFD with comprehensive abilities in office management, financial oversight, and stakeholder coordination, along with a long-standing commitment to providing quality care with dignity and equanimity.
Matt McTigue
Matt currently works as Chaplain for Saint Peter’s Health Partners, providing end-of-life spiritual care to community hospice patients. Prior to hospice chaplaincy, he served as the chaplain for the Crucial Care and General Medical Units at Providence Saint Vincent Medical Center in Oregon. In addition to family and caregiver support, he was part of the hospital’s Peer Support Program, and led Critical Incident Stress Debriefs in order to promote well-being, resilience, and healing during and after traumatic events. Matt has a background as an organizational development consultant, focusing on strategic planning, leadership development, and executive coaching projects across multiple industry sectors, including a focus on non-profit and faith-based clients. He has served on the Board of Directors for several non-profit organizations, supporting change through leadership, strategy, and mission.
Courtney Conte
Courtney has spent her entire life in the picturesque Hudson Valley, drawing inspiration from its natural beauty and rich history. With a solid background in museums, she has developed a deep appreciation for preserving stories and cultural heritage. Now, she is channeling her skills and compassion into a burgeoning career as a deathcare worker, serving as both a death doula and funeral celebrant. Additionally, Courtney is a talented harpist and sound healer, and she plans to integrate the soothing sounds of her music into her work, bringing comfort to those in their final moments.
Advisory Council
Carol B. Armitage, Consultant
Jimmy Buff, Radio Kingston
Rev. Lynda Elaine Carré, Wellspring Passages of Hudson Valley
Gai Galiztine, Donor Management System coordinator
Gary Heckelman, our Building Renovation Manager for Circle Home
Joshua Koplovitz, JD, Wapner Koplovitz & Futerfas
Joel Mandelbaum, MD, Hurley Avenue Family Medicine
Maggie Carpenter, MD Nightingale Medical
Vicki Stent, Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty
Ann Hutton, Editorial Consultant
Amanda Yanzek, LCSW, Nuvance Center for Healthy Aging
Honorary Board
Jennifer Gohlke Khan, JD
JoAnna (Scari) Scaramuzzo, former CFD Vice Chair
Stephen Wilder, former CFD Board Chair
Elise Lark, Co-Founder, former Home Director, former CFD Board Chair