Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank Welcomes Three Community Leaders to Board of Directors

The Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank Corporation (DCPLB), an organization that works to promote equitable and sustainable development by returning vacant, abandoned and underutilized properties to productive use, recently announced the appointment of three new members to its board of directors: John Bradley, executive director of the Vassar Urban Education Initiative, Shannon Decker, Dutchess County commissioner of finance, and Natalie Quinn, director of planning and development at KARC Planning Consultants, Inc. As the Land Bank charts a path for long-term growth, adding these three community leaders to its team will further this goal.

“John, Shannon and Natalie, in each of their respective careers, have been integral in shaping how Dutchess County communities plan for growth and understand both the opportunity and complexities that come with making properties functional again,” said DCPLB Board of Directors Chair, Angela DeFelice. “Their experiences within both the public and private sector will strengthen the board’s decision-making as we continue our mission.”

John Bradley

Bradley brings a combination of education, healthcare, finance and leadership experience to the Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank board. He presently serves as executive director of the Vassar Urban Education Initiative through Vassar College, an organization that connects Vassar students to local public-school students for mentoring, college counseling and teaching English, a position he’s held for nine years. Prior to that, Bradley spent more than a decade as the executive director of Liberty Community Services and, before that, as a director of the Yale-New Haven Health System.

Bradley earned a master of business administration from the University of Chicago and a bachelor of arts in history from Yale University and is a resident of the Town of Poughkeepsie. He was jointly appointed to the board by Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino and City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers.

Shannon Decker

Decker, who lives in Pleasant Valley, has deep financial and accounting experience and is currently the commissioner of finance for Dutchess County, an appointment through Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino. She brings more than 19 years of experience within the County’s Department of Finance to the role, from joining as an accountant, then advancing to senior accountant and then senior research analyst. Prior to working on the government side, she had a career within the private sector at Sickler, Torchia, Allen & Churchill, CPAs and Sedore and Company, CPAs.

Decker holds a master’s degree in accountancy from SUNY Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from SUNY New Paltz. She was appointed to the board by the Dutchess County Legislature.

Natalie Quinn

Quinn brings more than a decade of land use, zoning and community development experience to her role on the board of the Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank. Since 2023, Quinn has led private and municipal planning projects for KARC, guiding development from conception through construction, including zoning analysis, environmental review and land use approvals. Prior to this role, Quinn spent several years with the City of Poughkeepsie, leading the PK4Keeps Comprehensive Plan, a citywide zoning code update, the Poughkeepsie Innovation District zoning code and the city’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Her work streamlined the city’s land use review and approvals process, helping to facilitate the approval of more than 1,500 housing units and one million square feet of commercial space.

A resident of Poughkeepsie, Quinn holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, as well as a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Quinn was appointed to the board by the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council.

About Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank

The Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank (DCPLB), a partnership between Dutchess County and the City of Poughkeepsie, works to promote equitable and sustainable development by returning vacant, abandoned and underutilized properties to productive use. Guided by community input, DCPLB focuses on creating affordable housing, supporting local homeownership, preserving historical properties and redeveloping commercial and industrial sites to foster resilient, thriving neighborhoods across the City of Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County.

To learn more about the Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank or follow along with its work, visit www.dcpoklandbank.org or follow the organization on Facebook (Dutchess County-Poughkeepsie Land Bank Corporation) and Instagram (@dcpoklandbank).