The Robert H. Jackson Center will host a free continuing legal education seminar titled, "Controlling the Local Tax Burden-A Dialogue" on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Topics to be discussed include The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Progress and Experience with Efforts in Consolidation of Shared Services presented by Stan Lundine, former chair of the Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, A Case Study discussion with Steve Abdella, Chautauqua County Attorney and David V. DiTanna, CPA, shareholder of Buffamante Whipple Buttafaro, P.C.; and School and Municipal Governance for the 21st Century presented by Gregory L. Peterson, Esq., Phillips Lytle LLP, Charles Zettek, Vice President and Director of Government Management Services for the Center for Governmental Research of Rochester and Dr. Kathryn Foster, Director of the University at Buffalo Regional Institute.
The program will be immediately followed by a luncheon featuring guest speaker, Shane P. Conlan, former Buffalo Bills linebacker.
Developed primarily as a continuing legal education seminar for attorneys, the seminar will appeal to a cross-disciplinary audience of lawyers, municipal officials, business leaders, school administrators, bankers, non-profit organizations and their board members.
The program is approved for state Continuing Legal Education credit for both newly admitted and experienced attorneys for a maximum of 4.5 credit hours. Phillips Lytle, an accredited provider of continuing legal education in the state of New York, will handle CLE credit requests.
Gregory L. Peterson is a partner at Phillips Lytle LLP and is office leader of the Chautauqua County offices. Peterson's focus is in all areas of real estate, including development and financial transactions, areas of corporate counseling including acquisitions, administration and strategic planning, not-for-profit corporate formation, tax exemption and qualification with New York state administrative areas. He is President of the Robert H. Jackson Center, a member of the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Peterson was recently named in the 2010 edition of the Best Lawyers in America.
Stan Lundine was appointed in 2007 to chair the Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, which was charged with making recommendations for local government merger, consolidation, shared services, smart growth and regional services. A graduate of New York University Law School, Lundine was a private practice attorney and assistant public defender for Chautauqua County before his years of elected public service when he served as mayor of Jamestown from 1970-76, a United States Representative from 1976-87, and lieutenant governor of New York from 1987-94. He retired in July 2007 as executive director of the Chautauqua County Health Network and serves on the boards of directors for several businesses and organizations including the Robert H. Jackson Center and the Chautauqua Institution.
Stephen M. Abdella is the Chautauqua County attorney and a partner in the Jamestown Law Firm of Abdella & Abdella. He has been legal counsel to Jamestown Community College since 2002. Prior to returning as county attorney in 2006, he served as counsel to the County Legislature from 1999 to 2005, county attorney from 1992-97, and assistant county attorney. Abdella was previously president of the County Attorneys' Association of the State of New York from 1996-97 and president of the Jamestown Bar Association in 2001-02. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., and was admitted to the practice of law in New York and Pennsylvania in 1986.
David V. DiTanna, a St. Bonaventure University graduate, is a shareholder of Buffamante Whipple Buttafaro P.C. with more than 15 years of public accounting experience. He manages auditing, accounting and consulting for school districts, not-for-profit organizations and governmental entities, handling forecasts, projections, compilation and review engagements associated with these industries. DiTanna also presents independent audit reports to the boards of directors for non-profit organizations and boards of education for school districts, along with consulting with many boards on their strategic financial plans. He has assisted many entities to secure financing packages to enhance their operations or to finance major construction projects. In 2005, DiTanna earned the certified financial governmental manager designation and in 2006 he earned the certified internal auditor designation, each requiring the passing of a comprehensive exam, along with meeting various experience and professional development criteria. In 2002, he was named to Buffalo Business First's "40 Under 40."
Charles Zettek, vice president and director of government management services for the Center for Governmental Research of Rochester, has been actively involved in practicing the art and science of public administration to improve local government operations for more than 25 years. His particular interest is in working directly with clients, using strategic planning principles and analytic thinking to identify ways to make operations more effective and efficient. His expertise encompasses general administrative management, public safety, public works and human service operations for counties, municipalities and school districts. Zettek received his bachelor's degree with honors in history and master's degree in public policy from the University of Rochester.
Dr. Kathryn A. Foster is director of the University at Buffalo Regional Institute, the State University of New York. Prior to assuming her current position in 2005, Dr. Foster was chair of the University at Buffalo Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Dr. Foster earned her doctorate in public and international affairs from Princeton University. Her areas of expertise include regions, governance and regional decision-making. She is the author of Regionalism on Purpose (2001) and numerous articles and reports on regions and governance. She directed the Regional Institute's award-winning performance measurement project, State of the Region: Performance Indicators for the Buffalo-Niagara Region in the 21st Century. In April 2007, she was appointed to the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness. She serves on a statewide Task Force on Maximizing School District Resources, organized by the New York state school boards.
The program will conclude with luncheon guest speaker, former Buffalo Bills linebacker, Shane Conlan, who grew up in Frewsburg. Conlan was recently selected as a Buffalo Bills' 50th Anniversary Team Honoree. In 1987, he was selected as the first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills. After his rookie season, Conlan was awarded the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. From 1988 to 1990, Conlan enjoyed three straight trips to the Pro Bowl. He played with the Buffalo Bills from 1987-1993 before retiring from the NFL in 1995. As a former Frewsburg native, he was inducted into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
Seminar sponsors include: Buffamante Whipple Buttafaro, P.C.; Chautauqua Region Community Foundation; Phillips Lytle LLP; the Robert H. Jackson Center; The Vineyard Group, LLC; Chautauqua Abstract Company; Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency; M&T Bank; Manning and Napier Advisors Inc.; Advertising Advantage; Aleksandrowicz Investors; Cattaraugus County Bar Association; Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance; Chautauqua County Health Network; Chautauqua Opportunities; Chautauqua Works; City of Jamestown; DFT Communications; Heritage Group; Holt Associates; In Hand Sam Process Service; Jamestown Bar Association; the Krog Corporation; Merritt Estate Winery; Northern County Bar Association; Peek'N Peak; Quick Solutions; The Resource Center; Rhoe B. Henderson Agency; Senior Life Matters, a division of Lutheran Social Services; The Shred Center; Southern Tier Builders Association; Town Club; WCA Hospital; Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.
The seminar and luncheon are free of charge. Seating is limited and registration is required. The registration deadline is Oct. 20. For more information, call the Robert H. Jackson Center at 483-6646.