Staff
Hello! Community Foundation staff members are able to assist you in learning more about achieving your philanthropic goals. Contact us to begin your conversation.
Community Foundation staff work remotely, except you will find us in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The best way to reach us is through email listed below.
George P. Ferrari, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
George has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Community Foundation of Tompkins County since August 2005.
George has been a committed and active participant in the Tompkins County community since 1980 with a special focus on mission driven organizations that combine alleviating individual suffering and injustice with working for societal change. Previously, he served as the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Tompkins and Tioga Counties and as Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service’s Crisis Line Manager. George was the founding Executive Director of AIDS WORK of Tompkins County. He has also served in positions with Head Start as well as in residence life at Cornell University.
George is a past board president of the Grantmakers Forum of NYS, now called the NY Funders Alliance, an association of foundations from across upstate New York. He is a member of the Ithaca Rotary club and the Estate Planning Council of Tompkins County. George serves on the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the board of directors of NYCON, a statewide membership organization which enriches communities by building the capacity of nonprofits through services and advocacy.
George has a degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology.
George enjoys camping, working out, opera and many varieties of both gin and chocolate though typically not together. He lives in the City of Ithaca with his spouse Daniel Hirtler, an architect and founder of the firm Flatfield Designs. They enjoy weekly Saturday family breakfasts with their daughter and granddaughter.
Steph Bailey
Chief Development Officer, beginning February 2026
Community Foundation of Tompkins County is pleased to announce the appointment of Steph Bailey as our new Chief Development Officer, while also celebrating the retirement of Nancy Massicci, who concludes an extraordinary 11-year tenure with the foundation. Bailey will begin February 9 and Massicci will retire on April 30 creating an overlap for training and continuity.
Bailey brings more than 15 years of experience in philanthropy, fundraising, and nonprofit leadership for a variety of roles at Centralus Health, the Tompkins Chamber, Family & Children’s Service, and Hospicare. In this role, she will lead our development strategy, donor engagement, and philanthropic partnerships, building on a strong culture of generosity and community engagement.
Gloria Coicou
Chief Engagement, Equity & Grants Officer
As a Black American with Haitian roots, Gloria values culture and diversity and welcomes the opportunity to be a tremendous catalyst in the DEI space. She is the first Chief Inclusion & Community Engagement Officer. Gloria is a service-oriented leader who is passionate about fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, equity, and racial justice are explicitly recognized as fundamental parts of the Community Foundation. She works to create spaces for the Tompkins community to feel empowered and valued regardless of what they “seem” to be on the outside. Gloria champions the foundation’s DEI efforts, all grant-making practices, and community engagement efforts and programming.
She has dedicated her life to serving, healing, and catering to the needs of marginalized communities while advocating for equity. She graduated from Cornell University with her masters in public administration in 2019. While at Cornell, she chartered and served as President of Healthcare Students Association, a graduate student organization that focuses on the intersection of healthcare, humanitarianism, and community. Her efforts to feed hungry students from the trunk of her car began the food insecurity conversations around Cornell’s campus. After 2 months, it grew into a movement with 200+ volunteers, 7 community partners, a partnership with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, an executive board, Cornell sponsorship and a location. These efforts earned her team the Inaugural Professional Student Organization of the Year Award.
Prior to this role, Gloria served as the Community Engagement Director for the Ithaca Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program housed at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC). Gloria is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and has served on many boards including the Ithaca Health Alliance and Mutual Aid Tompkins. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at the Enfield Food Pantry, TC Action, Friends of the Library, and the Friendship Donations Network. Gloria recently completed her eCornell Professional Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Gloria lives locally with her son, Joshua, and enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, cycling, and attending live music events.
Amy LeViere
Chief Philanthropic Services & Systems Officer
Amy joined Community Foundation in 2009, coming with experience as an entrepreneur, self-employed, and having managed a wholesale business. Prior to that, as a financial consultant at M&T Bank Investment Group, Amy developed many connections throughout Tompkins County. Amy graduated from Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Business Management.
Amy has served on various boards, including AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) Finger Lakes Chapter and Cornell Club of Ithaca. She has served in various roles in her community including volunteering as an Ombudsman through Office for the Aging, and as a supporter and as a founding officer of Dryden Sports Boosters (DSB). Amy has stayed active by seeking to improve financial systems in the non-profit sector and serving as an officer for FINZ Finance Officers Association of Tompkins County. She stays involved in her church and faith community. Amy has raised five sons and continues to enjoy sporting and outdoor activities. Amy is excited to be a part of Community Foundation and looks forward to continuing to promote the intersection of philanthropy with all aspects of community life.
Nancy Massicci
Chief Development Officer, retiring April 2026
Nancy Massicci joined the Community Foundation of Tompkins County in 2015 as its first Chief Development Officer, bringing more than twelve years of leadership experience from Tompkins Financial Advisors and Cornell University Alumni Affairs and Development. During her tenure at Tompkins Financial Advisors, she established the Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund—a donor-advised and pooled income fund designed to streamline clients’ charitable giving and grantmaking strategies.
Nancy earned her bachelor’s degree in economics, business, and management from Empire State College. She holds the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) designation, reflecting her deep expertise in the financial, legal, and philanthropic components of charitable planning. She also completed the Plus Delta fundraising methodology program and is a graduate of the Trust and Estate Administration schools of the New York Bankers Association.
Nancy is an active community leader, serving on the Board of the Estate Planning Council of Tompkins County and the Planned Giving Advisory Council for Unity House. Her previous leadership roles include serving as president and board member of the Finger Lakes Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Rotary International, the United Way Pacesetter Campaign, and the Ithaca High School Sports Booster Club. She has also volunteered with the City Federation of Women’s Organizations Endowment Committee, the Tompkins Learning Partners Capital Campaign, and the Tompkins Cortland Community College Foundation Alumni Committee.
Nancy resides in Ithaca with her husband, Peter. She is a Certified Group Fitness and Schwinn Cycle Instructor and as often as possible gets away from her laptop to cycle, hike, play Pickleball and to participate in Women Swimmin’ on Cayuga Lake to support Hospicare.
Madeline Rosas
Administrative Manager
Madeline joined the Community Foundation in late 2021, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the medical field and a strong background in business management, human resources, and community engagement. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Business Management from the Art Institute of Phoenix and a Certification in Medical & Dental Office Assisting from the Professional Career Development Institute in Atlanta. In 2024, Madeline completed the Leadership Tompkins Program and earned a Certification in Human Resources Management Program from Cornell University.
Throughout her career, Madeline has held a wide range of roles within the medical sector and has also managed a family-owned music business, where she helped shape a creative vision centered on a universal sound known as “Ragin’ Mambo, Mambo Escalante.” Her experience spans music creation, dance, and event coordination, reflecting her ability to blend creativity with organization and leadership.
Madeline lived in Ithaca from 2020-2024 and is a proud mother of two. Her daughter graduated from Cornell University in 2024 with a degree in Animal Science, and her son works full-time while supporting family projects. Deeply committed to service, Madeline volunteers in direct-care roles, supports community fundraising efforts, and co-authored a children’s book with her daughter, The Girl with Blue Hair, The Springin’ Fling.
Outside of work, Madeline enjoys dancing, music, food, reading, spending time in nature, and building meaningful connections with others.
Ava Bashant
Development Assistant
The Community Foundation’s most recent addition, Ava Bashant joined the team in November 2025 in a temporary position that stretches to mid-2026. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Binghamton University in May 2025 with a BA in English, Creative Writing and a BA in Comparative Literature. She managed social media accounts for Binghamton’s Comparative Literature Department and the Harpur Palate Literary Magazine, and has experience as a freelance content writer and editor on Fiverr. Outside of the classroom, many of her professional skills were developed in the restaurant industry working as a server and bartender. Born and raised in Albany, Ava found her home in Tompkins County when she moved into the area with her partner and their two cats, Jovial and Jasmine. Her free time is spent with a book in hand, lost in an antique shop, or experimenting in the kitchen. She is honored to serve as the Development Assistant and join the Community Foundation in supporting and growing the local community.
Ying Lin Zhao
Community Data Analyst, Cornell University Intern
Ying Lin is a sophomore at Cornell University, majoring in Statistical Science. Ever since graduating as a math major in high school, she knew that her interest lies in mathematics and working with data. This interest led her to the Community Foundation and she joined the Community Foundation in the Spring of 2023 as a Community Data Analyst. Currently taking courses about data analytics and data science, she is eager to not only learn from the people she interacts with at the Community Foundation but also look to apply what she learned.
Coming from the mixing pot of mixing pots, New York City, Ying Lin has always enjoyed working with diverse groups of people and has always felt a sense of reward when she can contribute to communities she feels connected to. In New York City, she has worked with many non-profit organizations to help educate youths and raise awareness for autism. In Cornell and Tompkins County, she aspires to continue helping local communities and learning from people of diverse backgrounds.
