Binghamton Zoo Welcomes New Executive Director

Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park welcomes new executive director

BINGHAMTON, N.Y.

The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park has a new leader.

Whitney Point native Jacqueline Peeler has been named the new Executive Director, taking over for Steve Contento.

Peeler worked at the zoo as a volunteer in 1986 and served as visitor services associate and seasonal zookeeper.

After leaving Ross Park, she worked at the North Carolina Zoo and the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, Illinois.

In 2014, she was named Director at the Henson Robinson Zoo in Springfield.

Peeler says she was ready to move back home.

"I learned so much when I was here. I wanted an opportunity to come back and be closer with my family. Most of my family is here in Binghamton and in the surrounding areas. This was a great opportunity to come back to this area," said Peeler.

Peeler says she will work towards re-establishing the Zoo's accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which was lost in 2014.

Her first day was 2 weeks ago and she is familiarizing herself with the zoo, while visiting the areas and exhibits where she used to work.

Copyright 2017 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved.http://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/local-news/binghamton-zoo-at-ross-park-welcomes-new-executive-director/647284941

Upcoming Events & Webinars

Best Practices for Internal Controls in Small Arts Organizations [NYSCA Webinar] December 4th, 2014 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM  Register Now  This webinar is free and the live version is open only to nonprofits receiving funding from the NYS Council on the Arts. The recording will be made available to NYCON Nonprofit Members.   Many small arts nonprofits have limited administrative staff, but the same expectations from funders (and regulators) regarding their organization's internal controls. NYCON has seen this issue come into sharper perspective as we, and many of our nonprofit members (including smaller arts groups) have had to go through the NYS Grants Gateway and Prequalification process in order to continue to receive our state funding. One of the biggest questions we heard during this process was "How can we possibly create, document and consistently apply complex Internal Control processes in an organization with 2 or 3 or 4.... staff people?" This training will focus on the implementation of simple, yet effective internal controls processes that allow your organization to reap the benefits of accountability, efficiency, and fraud prevention despite running a smaller nonprofit. It's Not Too Late: Year-End Major Gifts Fundraising for Nonprofits [Webinar] December 9th, 2014  12:00 PM - 1:00 PM  Presented by Andy Robinson, Consultant and Trainer Andy Robinson Consulting, LLC Cost:  $49 Member Rate $69 Regular Rate  REGISTER NOW NYCON is proud to partner with our State Association colleagues in Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina to bring you this webinar.   The most effective way to raise money is face to face -- and the most lucrative time to ask is right now!  In this webinar, Andy Robinson will walk you through the process of major gifts fundraising, step by step. Whether you're a veteran fundraiser or new to the field, you can expect to gain practical information and advice to help in: Identifying prospects Setting up appointments Meeting with donors How to structure the conversation -- and "the ask. Materials & Log-in/Call-In Instructions: Webinar materials (PowerPoint PDF and other handouts), along with instructions on how to log in and call-in, will be emailed to attendees prior to the date of the webinar. Nonprofit Committee Structures under the New Nonprofit Revitalization Act [Lunch & Learn Webinar] Wednesday, December 10, 2014 from 11:00am to 12:30pm Presented by Susan Weinrich, VP of Organizational Development Services Free & Open to NYCON Members Register Today   Join us for this webinar and explore the changes in nonprofit board committee structure under the new law. Many rules have changed regarding board committees and nonprofit board governance. Gone are standing and "ad-hoc" committees. Now we define them as "committees of the board" and "committees of the corporation." Do you know who can be on each committee? Do you know what the roles and responsibilities are for each? Do you need minutes for each? Who should chair them? How do we bring non-board members onto a committee? For committees of the Board, what authority do they really have and how do we ensure they are accountable to the board?  Join us for this webinar on the practical implications of committee structure changes - and learn where to start. Nonprofit Fraud & Abuse: A Unique and Personal Perspective [Special Webinar] Thursday, December 11, 2014   11:00 am to 12:00 pm Free & Open to NYCON Members Register Today The mismanagement and misappropriation of nonprofit funds is a serious issue. Not only is it illegal, and carries with it significant penalties, it also takes valuable resources from people who truly need services and damages the brand of all nonprofits. It can also severely impact the lives of those involved with the organization. In this honest and frank webinar, you will hear from a former nonprofit executive director recently convicted of conduct relating to grants management fraud. Learn about the path he chose, the decisions he made, the lessons he learned, and, most importantly, how to avoid this type of event occurring at your own nonprofit organization. Executive Director Retreat for New Nonprofit Leaders December 10th-12th, Latham,NY REGISTRATION  INFO Participants will be introduced, through practical application, to mastery of the diverse skills necessary to achieve success in their current role. Led by a multi-disciplinary team of experienced instructors, this retreat emphasizes real world elements of nonprofit executive leadership, management and problem-solving.   Latest Job Postings on the [NEW] NYCON Nonprofit Job Board... Executive Director Brooklyn, NY Coordinator, Marketing and Communications New York City Care Managers Albany & Hudson Falls Outreach Specialist Albany, NY Community Health Specialist  Albany, NY Astronomer, Public Outreach & Education Schenectady, NY Health Care Research Analyst Rochester, NY Program Manager, Best Practices & Strategies/Community Health Improvement Rochester, NY Administrative Coordinator Troy, NY Insurance Sales and Service Positions Menands, NY Social Work Coordinator Albany, NY Director of Development and Community Relations Albany, NY All Members can Post jobs for FREE! Click to learn more.

Forward email This email was sent to amarietta@nycon.org by vvenezia@nycon.org |   Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.

Nonprofit Knowledge Matters

View this email in your browser            Wanted: Courageous Board Members For too long, a myth has hung over the nonprofit community like a scary fog:  that nonprofit advocacy is somehow spooky. Nothing could be further from the truth, because advocating for missions is a core part of our sector’s proud legacy. If you eat in smoke-free restaurants, drive safely on divided highways, have a Social Security card, use your civil rights, or are a voting female, then you are benefiting from the past advocacy work of nonprofits – and board members. That’s why we are excited to let you know about a new campaign,Stand For Your Mission, launched to raise awareness - specifically among nonprofit board members - that being an advocate for the nonprofit’s mission is an important role for every board member to play. Advertisement Don’t just sit on a board: Stand for your nonprofit’s mission. The Stand for Your Mission campaign calls on all nonprofit board members to stand up as powerful champions for the missions they serve. The campaign is designed to unleash the full potential of nonprofit organizations to advance their missions in their local communities by engaging board members more directly as advocates on behalf of their organizations. The goals of the Stand for Your Mission campaign are to: Bring about a sustainable shift in the understanding and expectations around board engagement in advocacy; Move advocacy from an ancillary to a key board leadership role; and Strengthen the nonprofit sector’s ability to advance the public good. Importantly, this new campaign is not being advanced by ghosts, ghouls, or goblins, but by trusted, mainstream organizations in the nonprofit and grantmaking communities that recognize the need to change the culture around nonprofit advocacy so it is embraced as an effective, everyday tool for advancing nonprofit missions. The National Council of Nonprofits collaborated withBoardSource, the Alliance for Justice (with its Bolder Advocacyinitiative), the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, the Campion Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, to curate a set of core resources for board members, CEOs, and grantmakers. Please share the Stand for Your Mission discussion guide as a useful resource with your board. Read on for more resources for courageous boards Talking about That Which Shall Not Be Named [what it really costs to be a charitable nonprofit] While we wish we could just wave a wand, magical thinking won’t stop those who rate and rank nonprofits by focusing on the cost of a nonprofit’s operations, rather than its impact in solving community challenges. So what can nonprofits do to shake off this aversion to costs? Remember Harry’s invisibility cloak? Throw it off! Be bold and brave enough to have candid conversations with donors about what it really costs to deliver programs and services.   Bring financial sustainability closer in 3 easy steps First, let’s toss out the shape-shifting term “overhead” that means something different to everybody and instead just call all these costs what they are, whether “fundraising,” or rent, or “general administrative.” Second, let’s ignore any apparent incentives to be fuzzy about the full expenses needed to deliver a nonprofit’s services or programs. Instead, by fully embracing our own costs, nonprofits will help manage expectations about what is really needed to solve problems in communities. Third, let’s find the courage to talk about the costs, especially with donors and grantmakers – and document them, demonstrating accountability and candor consistent with a culture of transparency. We think this is the right approach – and we’re inviting you to join us by:“owning your own costs.” Read on for more on owning your own costs. Join us for a Special Webinar to Raise Awareness About Costs At the National Council of Nonprofits, we and our State Association network are tackling misconceptions about costs one step at a time. Transparency about costs first requires knowing how much it actually costs to provide services and deliver programs. This means that someone at every nonprofit should be able to properly account for program related costs as well as those costs that cut across all the activities of the nonprofit. We know this can a challenge, so our network is hosting a special program designed to help your nonprofit #OwnYourOwnCosts. Please join the National Council of Nonprofits and our State Association network for a free webinar about proper cost allocation, so we can all own our own costs and spread the message that all costs, whether for fundraising or administration, or anything else related to advancing our nonprofit’s mission are essential. Guest speaker: Jeff Russell, founder and CEO of Jitasa October 23 | 3:30 - 4:30 pm Eastern Resources for Board Members Good governance (National Council of Nonprofits) Checklist for IRS Form 990 board governance policies(National Council of Nonprofits) Board members’ voices count! Video: Your advocacy can make a difference More resources about scary stuff Creating Order From Chaos – Roles for philanthropy in disaster planning and response(Jessie Ball duPont Fund) Risk, risk, and more risk – and resources for managing it (National Council of Nonprofits) Losing tax-exempt status(National Council of Nonprofits) 501h election: A simple way to protect your nonprofit from lobbying missteps (National Council of Nonprofits) What information must a nonprofit make available to the public? (National Council of Nonprofit) Worth Reading Is your nonprofit scared of social media? Aespire explains the three myths of social media. New! The Sustainability Mindset, by Jeanne Bell and Steve Zimmerman This month’s poll: Does your board monitor the impact of public policies on your nonprofit's mission delivery and resources? Tell us in this quick, one-question poll and look for the results in next month's Nonprofit Knowledge Matters. Share this newsletter with your staff, board, and nonprofit colleagues Did you receive this email from a friend? Sign up now to receive this free e-newsletter each month. © Copyright 2014 National Council of Nonprofits. All rights reserved  1200 New York Avenue, NW | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20005 | www.councilofnonprofits.org

This message was sent to amarietta@nycon.org from: National Council of Nonprofits | info@councilofnonprofits.org | 1200 New York Ave NW Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20005 United States

Manage Your Subscription

Click here to report this email as spam.

Upcoming Events & Webinars

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Medicaid Compliance...(But Were Afraid to Ask)  A special four-part NYCON "Lunch & Learn" Webinar Series brought to you by the Experts; FREE for NYCON Members. Non-Member Nonprofits are $75 per session or $275 for series.  If you would like to attend all four,please choose "Series" Ticket type.You will be automatically registered for each session through June. All webinars are from 11am to 12:30pm. Register Medicaid Compliance... Medicaid Compliance Plans ... Medicaid Self Auditing...Medicaid Self-Disclosures... Medicaid Audits ... Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse...Office of the Medicaid Inspector General ... OMIG...If these words and phrases are part of a typical day at your nonprofit, we have designed the perfect series of webinars for you. Participants will hear directly from experts in the field (including David Ross, former Acting Medicaid Inspector General for the State of New York, and David Rottkamp, CPA and leader of Grassi & Co.'s not-for-profit practice area) and get the practical information they need to provide appropriate oversight and management of Medicaid-funded programs, understand the role of the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, and much more.   Next Webinar: Know Thy Compliant Self: How to Conduct a Medicaid Self Audit May 15th, 2014 11:00am to 12:30PM Presented by David R. Ross, Esq, and David M. Rottkamp, CPA Register Part of any provider's compliance program is their compliance plan, and the key part of any compliance plan is the concept of risk assessment and self auditing. This means identifying where errors are most likely to be made, and then reviewing your Medicaid claims and documentation for compliance with applicable requirements. Hypotheticals for risk assessment and self audit will be discussed. As participants will hear, self auditing can be the best preventative medicine. A question and answer period will be provided. Complying with the Nonprofit Revitalization Act:  Practical Webinars for New York Nonprofits Presented by David Watson, Esq, Sr. VP of Legal Accountability Services, NYCON and Michael West, Esq., Legal Advisor, NYCON May 20th and June 26th, 2014 Webinars are held from 11:00 am to 12:30pm The Nonprofit Revitalization Act is a landmark change in the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York and will usher in a modern era for the operation and governance of nonprofit corporations starting July 1, 2014. As always, here at the New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. (NYCON) your one-stop tool box and soap box we eagerly anticipated the updated statutes and have prepared a practical webinar series to address your immediate needs in the updating of your bylaws and governance materials. We encourage all of our Members to take advantage of these webinars. Part 1: New York Nonprofit Revitalization Act Part- Steps To Compliance - An Overview A comprehensive overview of the Act to take place with a plenary Q/A portion to be held in February, April & June. This offering will provide you with an overview and a practical set of actions to take to amend your bylaws to meet the new standards of the Act Part 2:  New York Nonprofit Revitalization Act: Implementing Your  Compliance Checklist - Whistleblower, Conflict of Interest, Committees & Executive Compensation These webinars will be held In March and May will be a more detailed and focused on the various topics included in the Act that are new and have implications on Board governance in general and your operations specifically. Click here to register. Dates: May 20th   Cost: FREE & Open Only to current NYCON Nonprofit Members. All webinars are from 11:00am to 12:30pm. .  Date: June 26th Membership Benefits: Get to Know Us! [Webinar] May 30, 2014 2:00 pm Register In our "Get to Know Us" Sessions, NYCON staff will tell you a lot more about our membership benefits - and answer all the questions you have regarding our process, costs and what you get for FREE. We will be talking about these benefits... Nonprofit Training, Education and Professional Assistance NYCON empowers our members with the best practices, policies, and procedures as well as information on ever-changing regulations, funding, accountability and more. Cost Savings Solutions for Nonprofits NYCON leverages the purchasing power of thousands of nonprofits to bring you economies of scale on everything from Office Supplies to Fundraising Software. The Nonprofit Voice in New York State NYCON represents our members on the local, state and national level, giving voice to small and medium sized nonprofits everywhere.

Upcoming Event Listing How to Conduct a Medicaid Self-Audit Nonprofit Revitalization Act Webinars Membership: Get to Know Us Fundraising Breakfast Roundtable Webinars & Events from Our Partners Southern Tier Workshops Fundraising Breakfast Roundtables For Mid-Hudson Valley Nonprofits  Part III: May 22nd, 2014   8:00am to 9:30am Creating A "Planned Giving Culture" at Your Nonprofit   FREE RSVP TODAY NYCON is pleased to bring a series of three exciting, interactive discussions on fundraising to Mid-Hudson Valley nonprofits this spring. NYCON staff expert Audrey Grifel, with 25+ years of practical experience working with nonprofits on fundraising and donor management, will be facilitating these exciting discussions with our special guest speaker, philanthropist Nick Preddice. Mr. Preddice will give you a rare glimpse into the world of a major donor - sharing his expertise and advice.  Other Upcoming Webinars & Events from NYCON Partners....  Telling Your Story with Blogs, Photos, and Videos  FREE: 10 Tips for Measuring Programs Through Data     Before You Install: Selecting Software That Suits Your Needs   Southern Tier Capacity Building Mini-Grant and Assessment Programs: Resource Development & Fundraising 101: Building Relationships and Moving People to Act [Binghamton] July 10, 2014 9:30am-1:00pm  Strategies for Not Just Good...But Great Governance![Binghamton] August 6, 2014 9:30 am-1:00pm