Staff

Staff

Logo place holder image

Hillary Warner

CNYTC Member

Hillary Warner has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, grounded in a commitment to community well-being. She spent several years working in direct support at Toomey Residential, later applying those insights at Planned Parenthood to shape programs that promote autonomy, health, and relationships across diverse communities in an inclusive and accessible way. In 2024, she became Justice Coordinator for the NYS Courts Fifth Judicial District, where she works to ensure equal access to justice for all.
Outside of work, Hillary volunteers with Huntington Family Center and REACH CNY. She enjoys playing softball, traveling, and spending time with her cat Moo, family and friends.
Logo place holder image

Heather Hodge Tepolt

CNYTC Member

Heather Hodge Tepolt brings more than 40 years of experience in the human services field, with a career dedicated to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental health disabilities, and substance use disorders. Her professional background includes service in a variety of roles, from direct support professional to leadership and management positions, giving her a well-rounded understanding of providing direct support and organizational development.

For the past 10 years, Heather has served as Training Manager at Indera where she oversees orientation for all new employees and provides ongoing professional development for agency staff. In this role, she focuses on strengthening core competencies, promoting effective customer service skills, and supporting employees in delivering high-quality services to the people they serve, their families, and the broader community.

Outside of work, Heather enjoys spending time with family and friends and remains actively involved in issues that are important to her community.

Logo place holder image

Crystal M. Baker

CNYTC Treasurer

Crystal is the Learning & Development Manager at AccessCNY and brings over 30 years of nonprofit experience to her role. She has dedicated her career to supporting individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses, working in both direct support and management. In the last 16 years, she has focused on training employees across the field, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to provide compassionate, person-centered services. Crystal combines her hands-on experience with a deep understanding of how services have evolved over time, using that insight to help shape better outcomes for those we serve. When Crystal isn’t working, she enjoys being with her family & pup the most. She also likes to spend time on the water and enjoys reading, crocheting, watching historical documentaries, and gardening.
Logo place holder image

Sarah Cowles

CNYTC Member

Sarah brings 18 years of experience in OPWDD services, specializing in Community and Residential Habilitation. She began her career supporting teens with dual diagnosis and has expanded to working with individuals of all ages and needs. Her background includes direct service delivery, supervisory and training roles, and she now focuses on guiding individuals and families through the initiation of Community Habilitation services with Advocates.

For the past eight years, Sarah has been part of the CNY TC team, where she values creating and facilitating access to training, support, and resources that empower families to thrive. Passionate about collaboration and person-centered care, Sarah is dedicated to helping families find solutions that best meet their unique needs.

Logo place holder image

Christopher Marchitelli

CNYTC Member

Chris Marchitelli is a learning and development professional with five years of experience facilitating, designing, and coordinating training. He served as a Team Leader with AmeriCorps NCCC and supported training coordination with Development Dimensions International. Most recently, Chris delivered educational programming for the Alzheimer’s Association. Since 2024, Chris has worked as an Employee Development Specialist at AccessCNY.

He holds a master’s degree in Adult Education and a graduate certificate in Human Resources Development from Buffalo State University.

When he’s not at work, he’s probably at the gym or playing his Nintendo Switch.

Core Values

  • Provide quality training  

  • Affordability  

  • Provide up to date training topics  

  • Provide an inclusive and accessible environment