William Roege, Vice President

Pure Waters Member since: 2017

Residence: Seneca Lake Northwest quadrant

Bill Roege retired to Seneca Lake in 2017 after a career as an Air Force officer and then as a federal government civilian in the Departments of Defense and Energy. He and his spouse, Peggy Focarino, came from the Washington, DC area and were immediately drawn to Pure Waters because of its citizen science programs—both becoming HABs volunteers, and Bill also a Stream Monitoring volunteer. By 2018, Bill was leading the HABs program.

In 2019, Bill and Peggy joined the Pure Waters board. Bill volunteered to co-chair the Finance Committee and has been a strong advocate for disciplined budgeting and performance assessment, helping the organization manage its growth. He also spearheaded efforts to publish a comprehensive Annual Report that highlights Pure Waters’ many accomplishments each year. Before joining the board, Bill helped facilitate a strategic planning project, which has produced 3 iterations over the last 5 years and continues to evolve.

Bill and Peggy believe the lake, and the surrounding area, is a jewel that they appreciate every single day. They both want to do whatever they can to make it even better for future generations and believe Seneca Lake Pure Waters is the best way to make an impact.

Jody Tyler, Secretary  

Pure Waters Member Since:

Residence: Keuka Park

 Jody Tyler has been employed by the Yates County Chamber of Commerce for almost 2 decades and loves her job of helping small businesses thrive in these quaint small towns.  She has been involved with Pure Waters for 7 years now and enjoys every minute of helping to sustain one of her favorite lakes. 

Jody lives in a little cabin in the woods between Keuka and Canandaigua Lakes with her daughter Jayde and enjoys hiking, kayaking, gardening, reading about health and nutrition and teaching friends and family how to live a sustainable life. She is the biggest fans of both Nat Geo and Mother Earth News and is often bewildered by those who don’t care for the environment. 

She believes knowledge and thoughtfulness are the key to opening other’s eyes to caring for the environment that she so loves.  0 waste is her goal, and she gets so excited to find a new way to recycle or upcycle!

Jill Ritter, Treasurer 

Pure Waters Member Since: 2014

Residence: Northwest quadrant

Jill grew up on a small dairy farm in western New York, attended Corning Community College and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Communications from Ithaca College. She worked for over 18 years as a Trainer/Technical Writer for companies catering to the College/University market.  After leaving the corporate world, Jill was a board member and bookkeeper for St. Peter's Community Arts Academy and served as the NYS Director of the Parkinson’s Action Network.  

Jill and her husband Jeff have lived in the Seneca Lake watershed for over 30 years. In 2012, they purchased a small parcel of land on the western shore of Seneca Lake for their family to enjoy.  After experiencing high water levels during in the spring of 2014, Jill wanted to learn more about how the lake level is managed and started attending Pure Waters Lake Level committee meetings. By the fall of 2015, she joined the Pure Waters Board of Directors and has served on various committees including the Communications, Events, Marketing, Finance and Membership.

Term Expires 2023:

James McGinnis (Watkins Glen)

Term Expires 2024:

Steve Bromka (Romulus)

Thomas Burrall (Geneva)

Dan Corbett (Himrod)

Frank DiOrio (Himrod)

Ron Klinczar (Hector)

William McAdoo (Geneva)

Jody Tyler (Keuka Park)

Jacob Welch (Himrod)

Term Expires 2025: