Board of Directors

Robert Braathe, President

Robert Braathe is a part-time and online professor of marketing and leads marketing efforts for his company, the Career Service Station, where he finds people the jobs they desire and deserve through resume writing, career coaching and LinkedIn assistance. He teaches marketing locally at Hudson Valley Community College, University at Albany and SUNY Adirondack.

Prior to his teaching career, Robert worked in management and sales roles for Disney, Gap and Apple between 1995 and 2018.

Some of his marketing roles and projects have included working with Club Getaway, a singles resort in Kent, CT in 2002, Geaux Chapeaux Millinery in Westchester County, NY since 2006, and co-hosting a podcast with over 200 episodes for Future Creators / North River Ventures.

Robert received his MBA from Western Connecticut State University, and a Bachelor’s in Hospitality, Restaurant and Travel Administration from UMass Amherst.

Since 2014, he’s been writing lyrics featuring vocals and music from Brian Huff, Hannah Schmeling, Libby Weber, Luisa Fischer, and others. Robert’s inspirations for writing lyrics include Michelle Branch, Bernie Taupin, Quincy Jones, Dua Lipa and Debbie Gibson.

He enjoys connecting with others through LinkedIn, Zoom calls and meeting for coffee.

Prior to serving as President Elect and President, Robert served as the EVP of Membership for the AMA NY Capital Region Chapter in 2021 and 2022.

Ali Anechiarico, Immediate Past President

Ali is the Director of Marketing for Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte, CPAs, P.C., the largest CPA firm based in the Capital Region. Ali oversees and implements all marketing initiatives for the firm that are designed to grow the TBC brand and expand the reach of the firm’s portfolio of accounting, tax, and advisory services.  Prior to joining TBC, Ali oversaw all marketing initiatives for a leading intellectual property law firm in Albany.  Ali has extensive experience with professional services marketing including event planning, email marketing, advertising, branding, and business development.

Ali has been a member of the AMA New York Capital Region Board of Directors since 2017. She has volunteered her time as the EVP of Sponsorship, VP of Communications, President-Elect, and President. She is on the Board of Directors for the Colonie Chamber of Commerce, and on the Advisory Board for Ithaca College, Customer Experience Program. Ali is also a member of the Marketing Advisory Group for CPAmerica, one of the largest associations of independently owned and managed CPA and consulting firms in the world.

Ali enjoys spending time with her beautiful daughter, gatherings with friends and family, and traveling. She is a big Syracuse basketball fan, Buffalo Bills fan and enjoys the Saratoga racetrack in the summer!

Chelsie Jankow, Chapter Advisor

Chelsie Jankow is the Marketing Manager at the New York State Dental Association. Here, she is responsible for implementing integrated marketing campaigns that support NYSDA’s Marketing and Membership departments’ efforts to renew, recruit and retain members. She also spearheads resident initiatives, campaigns, and plans events for dental students. In addition to that role, Chelsie is the marketing liaison and consultant for Jankow Companies, a real estate development company based in Albany, NY. Prior to these roles, Chelsie built marketing and brand awareness programs for a SaS company, which encompassed all aspects of marketing and communications including event and conference coordination, email marketing, social media, customer marketing and more.

Chelsie graduated from the University at Albany with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing. She has been an AMA member since March 2017 and on the AMA New York Capital Region board since April 2018. In addition to her work  with AMA New York Capital Region, Chelsie also volunteers with Capital Region Sponsor-a- Scholar, mentoring and empowering underserved, promising students to succeed in high school, college and life. In her free time, Chelsie enjoys spending time with her husband golfing, the beach, and spoiling their ten-pound rescue Morkie.

Heather Mallette, CPA, Treasurer

Heather is currently a Supervisor at Teal, Becker & Chiaramonte (TBC), which is the largest CPA firm based in the Capital Region. Heather has worked at TBC since 2019, and has previously taught accounting courses for SUNY Cobleskill.

Prior to starting her accounting career, Heather obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Financial Services with a minor in Forensic Accounting from SUNY Cobleskill and Master’s in Accounting from The College of St. Rose.

Heather joined the AMA Board in July of 2023 as the Treasurer for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year.

Lynn Halliburton, EVP of Chapter Operations

Lynn Halliburton, EVP of Chapter Operations for the AMA NY Capital Region Chapter, currently is a Masters Student at SUNY Albany studying policy and nonprofit management. Lynn also serves on other non profit boards including the Rockefeller Public Administration Student Association (PASA) and We The Peace Org.

Previously, Lynn worked in management for nonprofit and government entities including the Behavioral Health Group (an opioid treatment facility) and Questar III BOCES.

Lynn started her career fundraising for several charitable causes including Feed The Hungry, The Boys and Girls Club and The Karma Honey Project, a charity which helped to restore the Honey Bee population in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

In 2015, Lynn was a New York State Director for the UNIFORM campaign which raised $300K for Liberian children dealing with the aftermath of the Ebola crisis. NBA star, Shaquille O’Neal served as an ambassador for the campaign and over 8,000 uniforms were purchased for Liberian children to attend school.

In 2020, Lynn served as a communications advisor for Women For Biden, a grassroots organization affiliated with the Biden-Harris 2020 Presidential Campaign.

Lynn received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Studies from the University of Illinois. Originally from Long Island, Lynn moved to Albany, New York a few years ago. In her spare time, Lynn enjoys writing political op-eds, playing chess and trying the latest restaurant in the Capital Region.

Lynn previously joined the AMA Board in July of 2022 as the Secretary Elect, and will serve as the EVP of Chapter Operations for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year.

Andy Murphy, MBA, EVP of Programming

Andy Murphy is the Associate Director of Marketing at Siena College and is tasked with executing the college’s paid marketing strategy. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing degree and a Master of Business Administration degree concentrating in data analytics, both from Siena College. Andy’s true passion is in educating the next generation of marketer leaders. Overseeing the college’s marketing internship program he highlights the importance of decision based marketing to his interns and how effective creativity is through analysis.

Andy comes back to board after previously holding positions as Executive Vice President for Strategy and Operations. Prior to that he was a Media Specialist. Tasked with creating and implementing engaging programming for current and new members of the AMA chapter, Andy hopes to see you at future events.

In his free time, you’ll catch Andy at a craft brewery, photographing a wedding or on the golf course.

Marlene Navarro, EVP of Marketing and Communications

Marlene Navarro is an Account Director at Augustine, a full-service advertising agency with a focus on Foodservice, Shopper Marketing, Travel and Tourism clients. Marlene implements strategic marketing plans and leads client partnership accounts with a team of project managers, graphic designers and copywriters with the goal of delivering creative that disrupts, changes behavior and drives unparalleled results.

Marlene served as the Director of Marketing at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute/Sodexo and prior to that, led the marketing and communications for UMass Amherst Dining, the largest collegiate dining program in America, voted #1 Best Campus Food by the Princeton Review. Marlene started her career in Communication working with nonprofits, specifically those supporting youth in foster care and after school programs that promote positive youth mentoring.

Marlene received her degree in Public Relations and Communications from California State University, Sacramento. Born and raised in Northern California, Marlene has worked across the United States and has now made the Capitol Region her home. Along with the great outdoor scenery and recreational activities, her newly found love for the Buffalo Bills and bone-in chicken wings are only some of the reasons to love the area. She resides in Troy with her wife, Katie and two pets (Beesly and Monster).

Adam Rossi, EVP-Elect of Chapter Operations

Adam T. Rossi is the Assistant Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Brand Partnerships for Hudson River Community Credit Union, a not-for-profit financial institution with more than 25,000 members and $350 million in assets. At HRCCU, Adam is responsible for leading the credit union’s overarching marketing strategy as well as overseeing product advertising, member communications, public relations and sponsorships.

Prior to joining HRCCU, Adam served in a number of marketing roles for various professional organizations including as Director of Marketing for the New York State Bar Association – the largest voluntary state bar organization in the nation.

Adam holds a bachelor’s degree in music industry from SUNY Oneonta and a master’s degree in communication from the University at Albany. In his free time, Adam enjoys attending live music concerts, spending time with friends and family, and traveling to new places.