Who We Are
About UCIDA
The mission of the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency is to advance the job opportunities, general prosperity and long-term economic vitality of Ulster County residents by targeting tax incentives bonding and other assistance to foster creation and attraction of new business and the retention and expansion of existing business.
- info@ulstercountyida.com
- P.O. Box 4265, Kingston, NY 12402
UCIDA Members
AGENCY BOARD MEMBERS
The members of the Agency are appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of, the County Legislature of Ulster County. The Members of the Agency constitute the governing body of the Agency (the “Board”), and have and responsibly exercise all of the powers prescribed by Article 18-a of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York (the “Act”) and other applicable law, including but not limited to Chapter 766 of the 2005 Laws of the State of New York (the “PAAA”).
Ucida Officers
Agency Staff
Hillary Nichols
Executive Director
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Board MEmbers
Michael J. Ham
Roles
Board Chair
Biography
Michael J Ham is pleased to be serving the Ulster County IDA for a fourth consecutive term and second term as the Board Chair. Ham brings a wealth of industrial knowledge in large-scale construction projects and over 36 years of economic development and leadership experience. Ham is the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 825 Business Representative and serves as the Vice President of the Hudson Valley Building Trades. Additionally, he has over 17 years of experience as a Lead Engineer and managing the day-to-day operations of multiple construction sites. Prior to his current role with the IUOE he worked as an equipment operator for more than a decade. Operating Engineers Local 825 represents more than 8,000 members in the Hudson Valley region, including Rockland, Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, and Delaware, and throughout New Jersey. Ham is actively engaged in moving forward economic development initiatives to bring good-paying jobs and benefits to Ulster County workers. As a lifelong resident of the City of Kingston Ham always enjoys a good round of golf, spending time with family, and is involved in many community and philanthropic organizations throughout the County.
Rachel Silverman, Esq.
Roles
Vice Chair
Finance Committee Chair
Governance Committee Member
Biography
Rachel Silverman, Esq is a certified coach and trusted advisor to business leaders with nearly 30 years spent designing and executing programs in business development, leadership, communications, community engagement and diversity. Her breadth of knowledge includes practicing as an attorney, leading business development and marketing for AmLaw 100 and boutique firms, and gaining valuable experience at both large media corporations and tech start-ups.
Steven L. Kelley, FACHE
Roles
Treasurer
Audit Committee Chair
Governance Committee Member
Biography
Steven L. Kelley, FACHE, has served as President and CEO of Ellenville Regional Hospital (ERH) since September 2003, He received his MBA in Health Systems Management at Union College based in Albany, NY. Mr. Kelley is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, which denotes national Board Certification in Healthcare Management.
Joseph Ferraro
Roles
Secretary
Biography
Joseph Ferraro is the President and Managing Partner of Elna Ferrite Laboratories Inc. located in Saugerties, NY. Through his accomplished leadership, he has grown Elna Magnetics to three times its original size. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University and an MBA in Business Administration from Marist College in Poughkeepsie. Ferraro has a wide array of expertise in equipment and process design management; this includes sales, marketing, engineering, finance, and production. In his free time, he enjoys being involved in his local community and is a longtime supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of Ulster County. One of his fundamental beliefs is that local leaders must be good corporate citizens in their municipalities and take the necessary steps to uplift their communities. Ferraro has been appointed to his first term on the UCIDA, serving as the Board Secretary as well as a member of the Finance and Audit Committee.
Trevor Curwin
Roles
Assistant Secretary
Biography
Trevor Curwin is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Sheeva.AI based in Vienna, VA. He has held prominent roles as the Vice President of Energy and Cloud Markets Greensparc Inc. and as the Asset Manager for Real-Time Operations for Pacific Gas and Electric Company both based out of San Francisco. He has additional experience as an Asset Manager of Real-Time Operations and Power Trading for Emera Energy Services and has received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University both located in Halifax, NS.
Randall Leverette
Roles
Assistant Treasurer
Biography
Randall Leverette is an award-winning communications and marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience crafting high profile communications, marketing communications and corporate sponsorship events for notable companies including Opinion Research Corporation, Disney/ABC and Time Warner/HBO properties in areas related to issue management, entertainment, news, sports and affiliate public affairs. Prior to working in film and television, Randall represented numerous clients and trade associations in areas of taxation, environmental, farm, trade policy and FDA regulation. He’s also practiced Community Economic Development in local Washington, DC communities while serving as Chairman and CEO of the Adams Morgan/Mt. Pleasant Community Development Corporation.
Kaustubh Wahal
Roles
Board Member
Governance Committee Chair
Biography
Kaustubh Wahal brings nearly two decades of deep experience in Strategy and Finance to the UCIDA board and is the current Chair of the UCIDA/UCCRC Governance Committee. He currently serves as a managing director at H2C Securities Inc. (a part of the Investment Banking division of Fifth Third Bank) and provides Healthcare companies with strategic advice related to mergers & acquisitions and other corporate matters. Kaustubh’s investment banking career has been focused on companies in healthcare, technology and manufacturing sectors, where he has advised C-Suite level management teams and Boards of Directors of both public and private companies. Prior to joining H2C, Kaustubh led the healthcare effort of the Corporate Advisory Group at MUFG. He began his investment banking career at Citigroup and further developed his expertise and skills in client engagement at Lehman Brothers, Lazard Frères, and UBS Investment Bank. Kaustubh holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from Barrett Honors College and W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He also has a degree in Zoology (with Honors) from the University of Delhi. Kaustubh resides in Ulster County with his family and enjoys traveling, good food, and meeting people from all walks of life.
