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CORTLAND
REUSE
Meet our Board of Directors
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Tammie Whitson
Board President
Owner Cinch Art Space & Pottery Works
Tammie is originally from Susquehanna County just south of Binghamton. After living in New York City for 12 years Tammie and her husband moved to a farm in Marathon. She is the co-owner of Cortland’s landmark Cinch Art Space and Pottery Works. Tammie is a fiber artist and accidental sheep farmer. Her passion for Reuse and Upcyling has brought over 4 years to our Board.
Cal Norris
Board Secretary
Builder's Best
Cal Norris has worked in various parts of the local construction industry for over two decades. He has spent the past 17 years working in building material sales at Builder’s Best in Cortland. Cal is passionate about keeping useable materials out of our limited landfill space and giving them an extended life. He is proud to support the ReUse mission.
Brian Fitz
SUNY Cortland IT
A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Brian is a recent transplant to Homer, NY. While living in NJ, Brian served as his hometown’s Vice-Chair of the Democratic Committee and on the Parks & Recreation Committee. Through all his activism, environmental sustainability has always been a core priority. Brian currently works at SUNY Cortland as a programmer. Brian spends most of his spare time making music, which may or may not include him singing karaoke in a hotdog suit.
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Abby Thomas
SUNY Cortland
Director, Advisement and Transition
Abby has lived in the Cortland area for 20 years. She works at SUNY Cortland as the Director of Advisement and Transition, where she supports new students as they begin their college careers and throughout their academic journey. Abby enjoys building community and finding ways for others to make connections. She is excited to be part of Cortland ReUse and help support its mission.
Kristina Thelen, MPA
Board Vice President
Executive Director United Way
Kristina has a background in Business
Community and Economic Development and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. She has owned and operated small businesses for 10 years (including reuse businesses) and has professional experience in grant writing, marketing, communications, outreach, governmental relations, and philanthropy.
Reed Cleland, MPA
GO ITHACA
TDM Program Manager
Reed ‘RC’ Cleland is a lifelong Cortland County resident and graduate of the Homer Central School District (Class of 2018). He works at the intersection of nonprofit environmental policy with mobility program management in Tompkins County and the greater-Ithaca region.
Reed holds his Master’s of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, and he earned his Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University (Class of 2022). He has the honor of representing Homer in part-time elected office on the Cortland County Legislature. In his personal life, Reed enjoys volunteering in his community, practicing martial arts, and walking around Homer with his dogs!
Jeremy Jimenez, PhD
SUNY Cortland
Foundations & Social Advocacy Department
Originally from Jersey City, this vagabond has spent half his adult life away (California, Louisiana, Norway, Venezuela), traveling through 180 countries before coming back to his Northeast roots here in this "Climate Resilient" Cortland county. These days this Education professor prefers a slower life rewilding his garden, chatting about Education on his Curious & Unqualified podcast, playing music, and working through ReUSe to build local community, which is what he thinks all of us will need to rely on someday when the diesel runs out.
Casey Pennington, PhD
SUNY Cortland
Asst. Professor of Literacy
Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, Casey has spent the last twenty years living on both coasts of the US. She is a former theatre owner (Lamedog Theatre, Santa Monica, CA), former UCH-Cooperative Housing President and Cabinet Member, a former K-12 public school teacher, and now an Assistant Professor of Literacy at SUNY Cortland. She is the parent of a preschool-aged child who attends Homer Elementary. Casey's work centers on activism, including children's embodied and emplaced storytelling practices that inform and transform equitable teaching and community practices. Casey is also the founder of Crown Table, a grassroots community organization that targets the needs of Cortland County residents. Events include Crown Table Feast (November 2025), the Crown Table Toy Swap (December 2025), and the upcoming Crown Table Seasonal Clothing Swap (April 2026). Casey is dedicated to serving Cortland County and looks forward to working alongside residents in solidarity.
Theresa Rossiter, CPA
Board Treasurer
Ernst & Young
Theresa is originally from Ireland and has lived in Homer for the past 20 years (after living in the East Village for 12 years). For the past 25+ years, she has coordinated an IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in Syracuse during tax season. She also serves on the board of the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County. She is excited to join the Cortland ReUse board!
Bradford Allen
bradfordallenmusic.com
Bradford grew up just down the road in Binghamton. His passion for education, athletics and the arts have led him to a career as a Musician and Licensed Massage Therapist. He’s proud to be a part of the Cortland Community now and loves living here with his wife and children.
Bradford strongly believes in conserving and sharing our finite physical resources in order to indulge in the infinite capacities of creativity and love.
Megan Swing
SUNY Cortland
Energy and Sustainability Engagement Coordinator
Growing up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Meg spent a lot of time in awe of the natural world and also crafting with her mom. She studied sustainability, mass communication and languages which lead her to working at SUNY Cortland in the Sustainability Office. Meg is passionate about everyone finding their sustainability niche and loves that ReUse allows her to flex her creative muscle while doing good by the planet and creating community
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