The OCWA Board is composed of civic-minded individuals with various business backgrounds. The Board has oversight over and responsibility for all of the Authority’s functions, including ongoing regulatory compliance, annual budgets, long-range budgets and all financing activities related to operations, maintenance and capital needs.
OCWA Board
- Kenneth C. Gardiner, CPA, CCIFP, Chair
Mr. Gardiner is a certified public accountant and the partner in charge of assurance services and quality control for Dannible & McKee, LLP. He is responsible for overseeing audit and accounting services to the construction industry.
Mr. Gardiner is committed to many industry and community organizations. He serves as Chairman and President of the Greater Syracuse Business Development Corporation (GSBDC) and served as past President of the Board for the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Site. He is a Founding Member of the Central New York State Chapter of Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) and has served as the Secretary/Treasurer since its inception.
Mr. Gardiner has served on the Onondaga County Water Authority Board since 2013.
He graduated from LeMoyne College (BS).
- Anthony Geiss, Jr., Vice Chair
Mr. Geiss started his career at O’Brien & Gere Engineers after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Syracuse University. His consulting engineering career consisted of design and construction of water and wastewater facilities for municipalities across the Northeast. Following consulting he joined the Onondaga County Water Authority as Deputy Director/Chief Engineer. Mr. Geiss is currently Director of LDG Services, LLC which is involved in studies for the water industry.
Besides his career as an engineer Mr. Geiss served on the Board of Directors of the New York State American Water Works Association. He has also served on the boards of the Onondaga County Resources Recovery Agency, the Town of Van Buren Zoning/Planning, the Onondaga County Planning Federation, and the Central New York Track, Field & Cross-Country Officials Association.
- John V. Bianchini, Treasurer
A 34-ye
ar industry veteran, Mr. Bianchini joined Pinnacle Investments in 2001 after working at several global financial institutions. In addition to advising individual clients, Mr. Bianchini and his team focus on employer sponsored retirement programs with the goal of stimulating employee participation and enhancing employee retention.
Mr. Bianchini started his career in the financial services industry in 1986. He graduated from the State University of New York Institute of Technology in 1980, where he earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies degree with a major in marketing and a minor in finance.
Mr. Bianchini’s experience brings clients a wealth of knowledge about the investment products and services offered throughout the financial marketplace. Mr. Bianchini is a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) General Securities Representative (Series 7), State Securities Agent (Series 63) and is New York State Insurance licensed for Life, Accident and Health.
Mr. Bianchini volunteers at the Fayetteville Fire Department, and is a board member of the Wortley Foundation which provides funding to senior citizen homes across Central New York, and he is currently Chairman of the Onondaga County Water Authority.
He resides in Syracuse, New York. Mr. Bianchini has served on the OCWA Board since 2010 and as Chair 2013 – 2023.
- Bénédicte H. Doran, Secretary
Ms. Doran is the political director for U.S. Representative John Katko. She also serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals in the Town of Onondaga where she is responsible for evaluating various requests for zoning variances and appeals.
Ms. Doran is a seasoned communications and marketing specialist, having served six years as the Communications Director for Senator John DeFrancisco and seven years prior to that as a marketing executive for several private companies.
In addition to her communications career, Ms. Doran is an active community volunteer. She currently supports such diverse organizations as Making Strides for Breast Cancer, Juvenile Diabetes, Syracuse University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and Girls on the Run.
Ms. Doran received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York, College at Oswego. She lives with her husband Matt and three sons in the Town of Onondaga, and has served on the OCWA Board since 2019.
- Douglas R. Wickman, Board Member
After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Syracuse University, Mr. Wickman worked for C&S Consulting Engineers for most of his career. His engineering experience includes all aspects of municipal work and project management involving water distribution systems, sanitary sewer systems, and drainage and flood control facilities. He provided engineering services to both the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County and also served as municipal engineer for a number of Central New York Towns and Villages. He served as the Town of Clay engineer for more than thirty years and provided engineering services to the Town of Skaneateles for almost twenty.
After retiring from C&S Engineers, Mr. Wickman served as the Town of Salina engineer for five years.
He resides in the Town of Cicero with his family and started his service on the Onondaga County Water Authority Board of Directors in July 2022.