Amber Shumway
Amber worked as a LPN at Oswego County OBGYN for 12 years and helped to develop and start the community program Smoke free for Baby and me. Graduated from Cayuga Community college and currently working for Oswego Health as a RN. After a few years on their med/surg unit, she now works at the Fulton urgent care.

Amber enjoys delivering home town care and also loves running half marathons and obstacle races in her free time. She lives in New Haven with her husband. She is a new board member as of 2018 and looking forward to working collaboratively with her fellow board members.

Elena Twiss | Executive Director
Elena is the Executive Director of the Friends of Oswego County Hospice.  Elena graduated from SUNY Oswego with a BA in Human Development.  Her passion has always been working with the geriatric population. She worked part time for the Friends of Oswego County Hospice before becoming the Executive Director in March of 2018.

Elena lives with her husband Patrick and their two cats in New Haven.  She is the president of the Scriba Historical Society and is passionate about assisting the Hospice program in the community she was born and raised in.

Renante Ignacio,  MD, FACP, AGSF, CMD
Dr. Ignacio is a Geriatrician and Palliative Care Physician and currently serves as Medical Director of various SNF and ALF. He serves as board member of the Friends of Hospice. He remains active in local, state and national organizations to foster geriatric care. He currently serves as the Chair of the Clinical Practice Steering Committee of the American Medical Directors Association. He is a board member of New York Drug Utilization Review Board. He also serves as the Chair of Oswego Hospital’s Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee.

Dawn Leduc
Dawn was the Volunteer/Community Support Coordinator for the Friends of Oswego County Hospice
for 6 years, and retired in July 2014. She has been an active volunteer for Oswego County Hospice since 2002 and was awarded Volunteer of the Year in 2016. Dawn was nominated for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization for "Patient Service Award" and is part of the "We Honor Veteran's" pinning/recognition program for Hospice.

In 2017 she became a member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Oswego County Hospice.
Dawn lives in Oswego with her husband Mike and has three grown children.

Jane Nalle
Jane has lived in Oswego since she was 5 years old after her dad was transferred and stationed at the Naval MilitiaBuilding on Lake Street with the United States Navy. Her parents loved Oswego and settled here to raise their 4 children. Jane knew from a young age that she wanted to be a nurse. During her Senior year at Oswego Catholic High School, she applied and was accepted into St Elizabeth College of Nursing in Utica NY.

She graduated in 1979 and accepted an RN position at Oswego Hospital. She spent the next 38 years as a staff surgical nurse, Senior RN, Operating Room Supervisor and lastly Director of Surgical Services.
She received her Certification in Operating Room Nursing in 1988, was a member of Nurse Executives of CNY and continued her Education at American Sentinal University. She retired from Oswego Hospital in September 2017. Jane lives in the town of Oswego with her husband Stan who recently retired from Exelon at Nine Mile Point 2. They raised 3 children: Erin, Meghan and Stephen and are the proud grandparents of Ella, Callen, Maci and Lila.

Josie LaTulip | Treasurer
Josie retired from Oswego County DSS after 33 years of service. She has been a Hospice volunteer for 12 years, is the treasurer of the Friends of Hospice board as well as the volunteer liaison.

She is on the supervisory committee for the Oswego County Federal Credit Union, and is an active member of St. Mary’s Church, The Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Elk’s Club. Josie is a lifelong resident of Oswego and enjoys volunteering and playing on golf and bowling leagues in her spare time.

Rhonda Hutchins | President
Rhonda is the Vice President of Compliance/CRA/Fair Lending Officer at Pathfinder Bank. She has been a Friends of Oswego County Hospice Board Member since 2013, currently serving as Secretary. Previous Board member of Literacy Volunteers of Oswego County, Habitat for Humanity, Oswego County Housing Development Council and volunteer for a number of not-for-profit organizations in the community. She lives in the community with husband David, has four grown children and family dog, Lulu.

Kathleen A. Smith
Kathleen is a lifetime resident of Oswego and graduated from Oswego schools. She is married toTerrance Smith and they have two grown children and two grandchildren. Kathleen started her career in nursing as an L.P.N. at Oswego Hospital and eventually went on to receive her R.N. and B.S.N. She was employed by the Oswego County Health Dept. as a case manager in Home Care in 1977 and continued on in Public Health, receiving an M.S. in Health Services Management. She eventually retired after 31 years in various capacities, includingSupervising Public Health Nurse and Director of Patient Services, lastly as Public Health Director. A high point in those years was in 1989 when, with the guidance and leadership of Dr.James Grant and Commissioner Rupert Collins, the Nursing service developed and implemented, among many other new programs, the Oswego County Hospice program. Now, as a Board member of the Friends of Oswego County Hospice and as a non-direct volunteer she is still involved with this wonderful program and so proud of the services they have provided to the residents of Oswego County these past almost 30 years.

Terri Richardson - Secretary
Terri has lived in Oswego for 26 years with her Husband Tom and their two boys Brennon and Austin. She works at Pathfinder Bank in Oswego, in the Human Resources Department. Terri enjoys volunteering and serves as the secretary for the Oswego Laker Swim Club.  She is also the Pathfinder Bank’s Co-Captain for their Relay For Life team

Meet Our Board

Judith Sabin Watson
Judy holds a Bachelors’ degree in Nursing and a Masters in Health Care Administration. She was employed by the Oswego County Health Dept. in a variety of nursing positions for over 35 years. She served as a Supervising Public Nurse for Preventive Services and Hospice. She retired as the Director of Patient Services. In addition to serving on the Friends of Hospice, she is the Chairperson of the Oswego Town Planning Board and volunteers for the CNY Cat Coalition.

Helen Hoefer | Vice President

Mary Christine (Chris) O'Connor
Chris is the Administrative Assistant for Friends of Hospice since November 2017. She is also a Volunteer for Oswego County Hospice. Chris was born and raised in Oswego and has two grown children.

Vera Dunsmoor
Vera is the Director of Patient Services at Oswego County Health Department. She earned an Associate degree in Nursing from Cayuga Community College in 2002. Vera earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at Roberts Wesleyan College in 2010, and a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education in 2014. She is a Registered Nurse (RN) through the state of New York.

She has a huge passion for the well-being of her community. Vera has worked for the Oswego County Health Department since 2006. Her passion for Hospice has helped her follow her dreams first as a case manager, then volunteer and bereavement coordinator, the supervisor for hospice and now the Director of Patient Services for the entire health department.