Meet HVTP’s Board of Directors
Gail Parrinello
Board of Directors, Term ending 2026
Owner, Cornwall Yarn Shop, Ltd.
Contact: cornwallyarnshop@aol.com
BS Nutrition, Cornell University
MS Nutrition, Syracuse University
I opened the Cornwall Yarn Shop, Ltd. in 2004 as a means of keeping myself busy in retirement while doing something I loved. I was hoping to offer some locally produced yarn, but was greatly disappointed to find none existed. Fast forward to now - I am still in business and happy to say I have my own custom-milled yarn line: Hudson Valley Fibers, made in the region from all locally-sourced wool and alpaca. I am excited about the future of the farm-to-fabric industry.
I grew up on a dairy farm in Central New York, the 4th child of a John Deere dealer. Both businesses were family-owned and operated, and placed my roots solidly in New York State agriculture. My husband and I raised our two children in Cornwall, NY, where my shop is located, and where we still reside today.
Kathy Ursem-Fogarty
Board of Directors, Term ending 2025
Former Clothing Designer and Owner of Midnight Mercantile, LLC
www.midnightmercantile.com
BA Fashion Design, Kent State
Kathy Fogarty was raised in a small town outside Cleveland, OH. When she graduated from Kent State University, she packed her bags and headed to New York City. Kathy spent many years designing clothing in New York City’s garment district for several large and small companies.
Kathy and her husband eventually left NYC to move closer to family in the Newburgh area. As she settled in the area and with the arrival of their son, Kathy wanted to work closer to home. She knew there had to be a way to bring together her creativity, love of beautiful natural fabrics, knowledge of the fashion industry, and desire to create a locally supported business she could call her own. Kathy spent many a night knitting, sewing, and weaving things that would be useful, beautiful, and good for the planet.
Her company ‘Midnight Mercantile’ was born. With the help of her dear friend, Gail, and lots of experimentation, Kathy began making 100% wool felt sheets that she made into bags, wreaths, and bottle cozies, and other decorative home products & accessories – giving new purpose to cast-off wool fiber that a local yarn mill was unable to process into yarn. Her felting process does NOT use water or chemicals. Kathy sources her core materials locally with businesses that pay fair wages to their employees.
Lilly Marsh, PhD
Board of Directors, Term ending 2026
Production Weaver, Lilly Marsh Studios LLC
Contact: marsh.lilly38@gmail.com
Facebook: Lilly Marsh Studios
Instagram: @lillymarsh
Lilly Marsh has been fascinated by fiber art for decades, both as an active personal practice and as a technological process of identity in the cultural history of the twentieth century. Her early practice included keeping natural colored Corriedale sheep, teaching spinning, and quickly grew to include hand weaving, hand and machine knitting, and dyeing. Her knit wire sculptural work has been exhibited across the United States (and Canada).
Marsh was awarded her 2016 doctorate in American Studies at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) for original research into 20th-century American Hand knitting. Her dissertation, “Knitting Rebellion: Elizabeth Zimmermann, Identity and Craftsmanship in Post-War America,” was completed in August 2016.
Currently residing in Queensbury, NY, Marsh divides her time between a hand-weaving and dye studio at the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY, and a studio at her home. Her dissertation appeared as a book chapter late in 2017, and her current textile work is based on hand-dyed handwoven wearables and home décor.
Mary Jeanne Packer
Board of Directors, Term ending 2026
Founder & President, Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill
Contact: mjpacker@battenkillfibers.com
BS Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MS Communications Management, Syracuse University
Mary Jeanne Packer is the president of Battenkill Fibers Carding and Spinning Mill, a fiber processing mill located in Greenwich, NY. MJ Packer founded the mill in 2009 to provide value-added, custom carding and spinning services for fiber farms and others, and to manufacture yarn and fiber products for wholesale and retail markets.
The mill produces 100-150 lbs of artisan-quality, natural-colored, and dyed semi-worsted yarn daily using refurbished traditional milling machinery. Battenkill Fibers brought nearly 20 new full-time and part-time jobs to rural Washington County, NY, and in 2015 was named the County’s Small Business of the Year.
Jeffrey Silberman
Board of Directors, Term ending 2027
Maple Shade Farm &
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
Jeffrey Silberman’s experience includes many years as a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City, and he served five successive terms as chairperson of the Textile Development and Marketing Department of the Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology. He retired in January 2020. He is the co-owner of Maple Shade Farm in Katonah, New York, which produces natural fibers and dyes for academic research.
Prof. Silberman is an international textile consultant specializing in natural fiber program development and demand-enhancement strategies. From 2001-2016, he simultaneously served as consultant to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) Secretariat and as Executive Director to the International Forum for Cotton Promotion (IFCP). He has designed and implemented related development programs in more than fifteen countries, including Turkey, India, Armenia, and Nepal; linen development programs throughout Russia, including the Vologda, Kaluga, Kostroma, and Yaroslavl oblasts; and cashmere identity for the Mongolian Cashmere FibreMark Society in Ulaanbaatar.
Prof. Silberman was a core member of the team that developed and launched the Egyptian Cotton Logo and Promotion Program (CottonEgypt) for the Government of Egypt. He is a winner of the Winrock Award for Service and Dedication for his work with Russian flax producers.
Cecelia Tkaczyk
Cece’s Wool & Yarns, Former NYS Senator
Board of Directors, Term ending 2025
Elaine Gerber
Board of Directors, Term ending 2027
Woodland Meadow Farm, LLC - Alpaca
Elaine and her husband Chuck founded Woodland Meadow alpaca farm in November of 2011. Since then, their herd has grown from three to over seventy alpacas. Along with their growing numbers, they have gained extensive knowledge of all things alpaca.
The farm is home to all levels of quality, from champions to fiber animals. The farm's philosophy on selling breeding stock is to first meet with potential buyers to find out what they are looking for in an animal. This helps ensure the new owners receive the right alpacas for their needs.
All sales include the level of mentoring needed to create a stress-free environment for the alpacas and their new owners.