Index of the Board of Directors
    Scott M. Schmidt
    Robert E. Cole
    Margaret E. Luck
    Douglas D. McKane
    Whitney B. Meeker
    Gregory S. Oakes
    John C. Prindle
    Dianne R. Vertes
    Robert F. Waltman
   Francis Whitelaw
 

Scott M. Schmidt, CFSP, D-ABMDI Training Officer - HHS/NDMS/DMORT II President - NYSACCME Scott was born in Buffalo, New York and moved to the canal town of Middleport shortly after the Blizzard of ’77. A graduate of Royalton –Hartland Central School he went on to attend and graduate from the State University of New York Canton College of Technology where he received his A.A.S. degree in Mortuary Science. He received the designation of Certified Funeral Service Practitioner in 2006 from The Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. Spending his entire Funeral Service Career in Albion, NY he was elected Orleans County Coroner in 1990. The Orleans County Legislature appointed him Chief Coroner in March 2007. Through his affiliation with the New York State Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners, (an organization which he is now President of,) Scott became familiar with DMORT, joining the organization in 1996. He has been deployed as a Mortuary Officer to the Egypt Air 990 Crash in Rhode Island, the WTC attack on 9/11/01, to Gulfport, MS and St. Gabriel, LA following Hurricane Katrina and most recently to Buffalo, NY following the crash of Continental Flight 3407 in February 2009. He was appointed Training Officer of DMORT Region 2 in 2003 and is responsible for assuring preparedness of the team via annual team didactic training and requisite on-line training. Both training styles are designed to keep the members of the team in a constant state of readiness for future deployment. Scott has presented numerous programs about DMORT operations around the State of New York as well as Southern Ontario and has been an active participant in the Mass Fatality Workshops along with the New York State Emergency Management Office, New York State Police, New York State Department of Health, and the New York State Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners. He is also an Accredited Medico-Legal Death Investigator. Mr. Schmidt is a full-time Funeral Director as well as a Church Organist. He is a member of numerous community and civic organizations and lives in Albion, New York with his wife Aleka and daughters Hayley and Danielle.

Margaret E. Luck, D-ABMDI/Coroner Resides in Gloversville NY, Fulton County. Education: Graduated Johnstown High School 1978. Graduated with an Associate in Arts Degree from Fulton Montgomery Community College. ● Elected, Fulton County Coroner 1981-present ● Nathan Littauer Hospital Lifeline Manager 1980-present ● Autopsy Assistant 2000-present ● Diplomat American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigations –     (St. Lewis University      School of Medicine) 2005-present ● Board Member of NYSACCME 2005–present ● Board Member of International Association Coroners & Medical    Examiners (IAC&ME) 2016-present ● NYSACCME Member 1982-present ● Fulton County Traffic Safety Board 1995-present, Acting Chair     2010-present ● Fulton County Emergency Medical Service Board 1999-present ● Fulton County Child Abuse Investigation Team 1999-present ● Hamilton, Fulton, Montgomery County Critical Incident Debriefing    Team 1999-present

John C. Prindle, MD, At-Large ·   Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, Graduated 1966 ·   Wilson Memorial Hospital, Johnson City, NY, Rotating Intern    1967 ·   U.S. Army Medical Corp., Vietnam 8th Field Hospital, ER    Physician in   Charge 4th Artillery Group, Group Surgeon Fort    Bragg, NC, General Medical Officer, Captain, 1967-1969 ·   Lisle Medical Office, Lisle, NY, Family Practice, 1969-1972 ·   Wilson Memorial Hospital, Johnson City, NY, Emergency     Medicine, 1972-1978 ·   Chenango Bridge Medical Group, Binghamton, NY, Family     Practice 1978-1997, Medical Director / Chair of Medical Group,    1995-1997. Practice was purchased by Guthrie Medical. ·   Guthrie Clinic Inc., Binghamton, NY, Family Practice & Regional     Medical Director, 1997-2000.  Change in ownership, operated by     UHS of Johnson City then Lourdes Hospital of Binghamton. ·   United Medical Assoc., UHS of Johnson City, NY, and Lourdes     Hospital, Binghamton, NY, Family Practice, 2000-2009 ·   Broome County, Coroner, 1985-Present ·   N.Y.S. Medical Society, Broome County Medical Society,     Member, 1966-Present ·   MedNet Ltd, Binghamton, NY, Member & CEO, 1992-1999 ·   DMORT (Disaster Response Team under NDMS), Physician /     Member, 1995-2005 ·   Retired from practice in 2009 and enjoying semi-retirement by     running a small sawmill and cutting occasional timber.

Dianne R. Vertes, PhD, MD Dr. Vertes, a board-certified forensic pathologist, is the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner at the Erie County Medical Examiner's Office (ECMEO) in Buffalo, New York. The ECMEO offers its services to coroners in adjacent Niagara, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. Dr. Vertes is a relative newcomer to New York state, moving to Buffalo in 2003 from the Bay area in California where she practiced in both coroner's and medical examiner's offices. Here in New York, Dr. Vertes quickly became involved with NYSACCME and is happy to serve as the Executive Secretary; she has also hosted a meeting and spoken at several conferences. Dr. Vertes is an active participant of numerous committees and organizations at the county and regional level involved with mass fatality preparedness, forensics and ethics and child death review. She collaborates with Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania in forensic anthropology projects. Dr. Vertes is an adjunct faculty member at the University of New York at Buffalo and enjoys teaching in the classroom and around the autopsy 'table'.

Robert F. Waltman, D-ABMDI - 2nd Vice President Robert is lifelong resident of Dansville, NY, a graduate of Dansville Central School, Herkimer County Community College with an A.A.S. Degree, and Simmons School of Mortuary Science in Syracuse, NY. Rob has been a licensed Funeral Director since October 1983.  In 1993 he sought the position of Livingston County Coroner and has been serving since January 1, 1994.  Rob joined NYSACCME in 1995 and was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2000, where he has continued to serve.  He is also an accredited Medico-Legal Death Investigator. Rob is a self-employed Funeral Director working in numerous funeral homes in the area.  He is very active in the community. He has been an active member of the Union Hose Co No. 1 of the Dansville Fire Department for 40 years, having served in numerous positions including Department Fire Chief, in 2003-2005, and as a former Emergency Medical Technician He is a member and has served as Deacon for the Dansville Presbyterian Church. Rob served as commander of the Sons of the American squadron #87 of the Daniel Goho American Legion Post #87. He is active in the past commanders club where he also serves as chaplain.

Francis W. Whitelaw, D-ABMDI, C-MDI, Coroner Essex County Coroner Frank Whitelaw is a lifelong resident of the Adirondacks.  Frank served as a Trooper and Crime Scene Investigator in the Troop B Forensic Identification Unit for ten years.  He retired in 2012 after 24 years of service and was then appointed as Essex County Coroner.  Frank is accredited by the New York State Association of County Coroners and Medical Examiners,  Board Certified as a Medico-Legal Death Investigator by the American Board of Medico-Legal Death Investigators and The Death Investigation Academy.  Frank is strong advocate of training and continuing education for coroners. He lives in Bloomingdale with his wife Donna and his deputy K-9 Coroner, Lolly.  Frank also plays in the hard rock band Sonic Boom and is a rabid bowler.