Jing Cao, Senior Associate Scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Jing Cao is a research scientist with over 15 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College and started her career at Acorda Therapeutics studying neurological diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. She is currently a Senior Associate Scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, working to figure out mechanisms of metabolic disorders such as obesity and Type II diabetes. When not in the lab, she is gardening, hiking, and organizing outreach and community events for the local Wellesley College alumnae club. For more information, visit regeneron.com 

Dr. Freya Dittrich, DO, Emergency Medicine, Northwell Health, Northern Westchester Hospital

Freya studied at Binghamton University’s Harpur College, where she received her B.S. in Biology-Psychology and later studied at New York’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she received her undergraduate fellow in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Upon finishing her studies, she began work as an Emergency Medicine Special Intern and then an attending physician. She also has her New York State license to practice medicine and surgery. Freya is board certified in Emergency Medicine and is a member of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians. She is also the recipient of multiple awards like the1994 Student Athletic Trainer of the Year, Binghamton Orthopedic Associates in 1999, The Medical Society of New York Community Service Award, 2005’s Physician of the Year, Medexcel USA and Affiliates 2016 Physician of Excellence, and the Putnam County EMS Council. Additionally, she is an athlete, mother, and sister–all of which she cares about very deeply. For more information visit nwh.northwell.edu

Madison Fletcher, Jr. Vice Commander of New York’s 2^nd District, Veterans of Foreign Wars & more!

Madison grew up in Brewster, NY, graduated from Dover High and then joined the US Navy, stationed on board the USS Wasp LHD1. After leaving the service, Madison attended and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and went on to work at 5-star establishments. Following the birth of her daughter, Madison returned to New York and became a private chef. Unfortunately, her time in the Navy took a toll on her knees so she had to rethink her career. She went back to school and currently attends Marist College where she restarted the Student Veterans Association. She became the first female Commander of her VFW Post and was tapped by a state representative to become Junior Vice Commander of New York’s 2^nd District. She now runs three offices, New York City, Castle Point and Albany where she meets with veterans to get them the services and care they need. For more information visit veterans.ny.gov

Naveen Perwaiz Khan, Scientist, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Naveen was born in Karachi, Pakistan and attended college at McGill University, Montréal, Canada. She completed her B.Sc. in Physiology and M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine before moving to New York. She currently works in the Hudson Valley as a Scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals with a research focus on muscle and metabolic disorders. For more information, visit regeneron.com

Regina Morini, First Assistant County Executive and Former Putnam County Legislator

Regina was born and raised in Mahopac, New York. Educated in the public schools, she married and raised three children. Her two daughters reside in California and her son lives with his family in Brewster, NY. She became the first Assistant County Executive under David D. Bruen, Putnam County’s first County Executive. She served eight years in that role and then ran for the office of Putnam County Legislator. She served in that capacity for 18 years, for many being the only woman on the Legislature. Regina has been a witness to history noting changes throughout the towns and county and population growth.

Corinne Pitt, Senior Investigator, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department

Dedicated to a life of public service, Corinne first became interested in law enforcement as a young girl reading Nancy Drew books and watching the X Files. A nature lover, she expected to get into Environmental Police work after she obtained a degree in Environmental Science. However, her career took a different path when she joined the Office of the Putnam County Sheriff. As a Sheriff Deputy, Corinne has served in the Narcotics Enforcement Unit, Road Patrol, Youth Bureau and has also served in specialized units including Honor Guard, Bike Patrol, the Motorcycle Unit, and in Hostage Negotiations. Corinne rose through the ranks and is now a Senior Investigator of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations and serves as a Task Force Officer to the Department of Homeland Security. She is the first female to ever be promoted within the Office of the Putnam County Sheriff, and the first female detective in the County of Putnam. When she’s not on duty, you may find her caring for her family, including her daughter, her gardens, and animals including a mini donkey, goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, two dogs, and a parrot, canary and a finch. For more information visit putnamsheriff.com

Melissa “Mel” Windecker, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs

Mel is a native of the Hudson Valley and an alumnus of Kennedy Catholic High School. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the University of Chicago and has her M.A. in International Security. Prior to her current role, Mel served on the Bureau’s Strategy and Resource Coordination team where her portfolio included East Asia and the Pacific and the Western Hemisphere. Mel has a ten-year professional history with the Political-Military Bureau. She has previously been a Program Manager in the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement where she oversaw the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Program in the Western Hemisphere, assisting partner countries to manage poorly secured or at-risk stockpiles of small arms and light weapons and remediate landmines and other explosives remnants of war. She has also supported the Near East Asia and South and Central Asia portfolios with such efforts and managed major explosive remnants of war remediation projects in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior to her arrival at the Department of State she worked with the de-mining NGO Mines Advisory Group and has worked for the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in West Africa. For more information visit state.gov

Jennifer Cassidy, Historian Moderator & Putnam County Historian

Jen has been affiliated with the Historian’s Office since 2013 and was appointed Historian in 2022, by MaryEllen Odell, Putnam’s first female County Executive. She has published numerous articles, edits local history books, hosts roundtable events and history celebrations, and received a national Award of Excellence from AASLH along with Brewster High School’s Andrea Perdicho, for their production of The Letters: Voices from the Great War, an original play based on local history and performed in 2018 by Brewster High School in partnership with Southeast Museum.