Who We Are

2025 Board of Directors

Jeff Crumpton

President

Jeff Crumpton joined the Conservancy board in 2020 but has been a supporter and advocate for Washington Park since he and his partner Andy relocated from North Carolina in 2011.  Jeff is Vice President of the Hudson Park Neighborhood Association, and the neighborhood’s proximity to Washington Park was a chief factor in choosing where to purchase their home in Albany.  He has a keen interest in history, architecture, and supporting our local neighborhoods.  Professionally, he works for SPINS, a Market Research firm based in Chicago, which is focused on Health & Wellness consumers and products within the retail product industry.

Allison Newman

Vice President

Allison Newman joined the Board of the Washington Park Conservancy in 2023. She and her partner David moved to State Street in the Washington Park Neighborhood in 2019.  They and their two dogs have grown to love the Park in all of its seasons. In her professional career, Allison has held senior leadership positions in strategic communications and external relations at the State University of New York and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is an active member of the board of the Approach & Beyond Foundation, and a past member of the board of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, the Arts Center of the Capital Region, Unity House, Planned Parenthood and the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Alicia Artessa

Secretary

Alicia joined the Board of the Washington Park Conservancy in 2024. She moved to Center Square in the Fall of 2016 and has lived within a three block radius of the Park ever since. Alicia, her dog Spencer, and her partner Andrew love spending time in the Park, especially their morning walks and summers at the Washington Park Farmers’ Market. As a vendor at the Market, Alicia has a special connection to Washington Park and takes great pride in participating in the events hosted there. In her professional life, Alicia is an attorney and works in politics specializing in environmental and energy law and policy. She is also an active member of the New York State Bar Association and an Issue Editor on the Environment and Energy Law Section.

Dylan Carey

Treasurer

Dylan joined the Board in 2024. He works for the non-profit Parks & Trails New York as the Director of Policy and Planning, leading the organization’s efforts to expand the state’s network of greenway trails and supporting state-wide advocacy and planning initiatives. Dylan moved back to Albany in 2018 after five years spent in Brooklyn. Dylan has a background in politics and government, having worked for Congressman Paul Tonko and for New York City’s Office of Management and Budget, and has a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute. He lives in the Albany’s Helderberg neighborhood with his dog, Marty, who he frequently takes for walks in the Washington Park.

OFFICERS

Jeff Crumpton, President
Allison Newman, Vice President
Alicia Artessa, Secretary
Dylan Carey, Treasurer

DIRECTORS

Richard Conti
Martha Mahoney
Daniel McEneny
Ta-Sean Murdock
Heather Nowicki
Sarah Read
Michaela Roberts
Stacey Stump
Naishaly Vélez Galán

EX-OFFICIO

Jonathan Jones, Commissioner, Dept of Recreation
Jay Lavigne, City Forester
Jessica Morgan, Parks Division Supervisor
Sergio Panunzio, Commissioner, Department of General Services