Who We Are

Our Board

Debra Eileen Lewis,

Founding Board President

Debra holds a BA entitled The Arts and Education from William Smith College in Geneva, NY, with a concentration in creative writing and a minor in Religious Studies. She is a graduate of The Entrepreneurship Network in Rochester, NY, where she acquired knowledge that helped her in planning and running the organization. She has experience teaching children creative writing, being a self-employed massage therapist, and teaching yoga (mostly prenatal and children's yoga).

These days, Debra is primarily a full-time homeschool mom of a daughter named Theia (now 9!). As Debra was founding the toy library, Theia’s scribbles could be found all over toy library papers and notes where she added her own two cents to the project. Debra enjoys nature connection, music, dancing, herbalism, gardening, yoga, and the arts, and is excited to see the toy library grow.

“I hope every child in our region will have access to a large variety of high-quality playthings, and that all our lives will become more playful and joyful because of it,” Debra says. “I look forward to helping the community join together to continue to make our organization's vision a reality.”

Connect with me on LinkedIn to learn more. Just say you know me through my job at the toy library ;)

Erika Mudrak,

Secretary

Erika Mudrak grew up in Ithaca. After she attended college at the University of Rochester (earning degrees in Mathematics and Biology), she spent 10 years living in Virginia, Wisconsin, and Iowa while pursuing degrees and training in Ecology and Statistics. In 2013 she moved back to Ithaca to accept a job as a statistical consultant at Cornell.

Erika has two young daughters and was an enthusiastic member of the Toy Library for 18 months before joining the board.

“We love the toy library because we are able try out a new toy without investing money in it and I can keep up with a variety of age-appropriate toys as my daughters grow. I love that there are also a variety of board games, building sets, and puzzles that appeal to adults as well. I also love supporting an organization that provides all these things to families across our community.”

Maddy Dolkart,

Board Member

Maddy holds a BS from Mills College of Education and an MS in Education from Hunter College. Originally from NJ and RI, she and her husband moved to Elmira, NY where they raised their now grown daughter and son.

For over 45 years, Maddy served as a preschool teacher and was always the one her friends turned to for fun early childhood activities. Her at-home play dates were memorable for their messiness and wealth of developmentally appropriate activities

She did not have a dining room with real furniture until her children were past needing that play space. Thus, her favorite hurrah came in 1993 when she created The Toddler Program at Chemung Valley Montessori School in Elmira, NY. There she worked for 23 years guiding numerous 2-3 year olds and their families - always ready to recommend specific educational resources, including literature and toys, and eager to make a difference in the lives of parents.

Maddy currently serves on the Chemung Valley Reading Partnership Board, is a member of Traveling Books, prepares meals for The Community Kitchen, and helps fundraise for Congregation Kol Ami. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, exercising, yoga, walking with friends, playing mahjong, and traveling with her husband - especially to visit her grown children and other relatives and friends in NYC, Philly, NH, and Maine.

Alicia Sautner,

Board Member

Alicia is a Mental Health Counselor and works primarily with children and families in the Ithaca & Cortland community. Originally from Westchester, NY, she has worked in both school and community based roles, providing mental health support to children who otherwise wouldn't have access to counseling services. Alicia has also volunteered as an open hours host, signing on new members and contributing to providing a clean and fun environment for kids to play! When she's not volunteering or working, she's usually attending trivia nights, seeing live music around town, or finding new hiking trails.

Beril Kaplan Corum,

Board Member

Beril holds a degree in Marketing Communications and has experience in advertising effectiveness research. After pausing her professional career, she’s excited to channel her skills toward supporting local organizations that align with her values. A long-time member and dedicated volunteer of the Finger Lakes Toy Library, Beril believes deeply in the power of play and community connection.

She enjoys walking along Ithaca’s trails, attending local family events, practicing yoga, and cooking Mediterranean dishes. Beril loves building new connections one family event at a time and values creating inclusive, joyful spaces where children and families can thrive.

Jeff Boles,

Board Member

Jeff earned an associate’s degree from Tompkins Cortland Community College in Human Services in the fall of 1989 and has been with the Finger Lakes independence Center (FLIC) as an Advocacy Specialist since May of 1997.

Jeff uses his personal and professional experience to educate individuals and groups about people with disabilities. He is a strong advocate for community and recreation inclusion and has helped recreation programs in Tompkins County develop inclusive policies.

Jeff has served on the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Subcommittee of the Tompkins County Community Service Board since the early 2000’s and currently serves as co-chair and works with his co-chair and committee members to improve services and programs for Tompkins County residents with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Jeff also joined the Gadabout Transportation Board of Directors in 2019 where he remains and serves on the Service Committee of Gadabout Transportation.

Melody Welles,

Board Member

Melody is a Pennsylvania native, though Ithaca is now considered home. She has worked in the human services field since 2019, and holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) in infant and toddler care. She is the founder and director of Kids Like Us (KLU), a New York Sate 501 (c)(3) that serves adoptees; foster youth; and low income families.

Melody primarily works as a nanny and respite care provider. Her education background focuses on child development, developmental milestones, nutrition, communicable diseases and vaccines, and positive guidance. As an adoptee and former foster youth, Melody sees the value in organizations that prioritize children and low income families. Joining the Toy Library was an amazing way to support a great nonprofit and connect with individuals who have similar interests.

Melody is currently studying Human Development at Cornell University, while running her nonprofit and private business. In her free time, she can be found reading, writing, singing, volunteering, taking a walk, or providing mentorship to youth in surrounding areas.

Our Volunteer Bookkeeper

Kelly Sauve,

Bookkeeper

(she/her)

Kelly holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Northeastern University (NU) in Boston, MA. She has worked in various educational settings: At the Center for STEM Education at NU she worked with the Mayor's office, non-profits and industry professionals to develop and implement programs aimed at eliminating the achievement gap in Boston Public Schools. One of the programs, the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp, eventually led to a cross country move to Houston, TX to work for The Harris Foundation in a national role as a program director.

Kelly's experience in education has focused primarily in the STEM areas and her work has encompassed everything from grant writing to program development and implementation to staff management to data analysis and program evaluation.

Now in Ithaca, NY, Kelly spends her time as a mom to three children, Jordan, Lucy, and Benjamin and as the organizational manager of the Ithaca Farmers Market. She loves the toy library because it allows children to construct their own meaning of the world through play. "The Toy Library is a great opportunity for lots of children and is also affordable and environmentally conscious. I'm excited to be a part of the organization and see how it helps our community."

Our Staff

Caroline Hyneman, Director of Operations

(she/her)

Originally from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Caroline has called Ithaca home for the past decade. A licensed social worker, Caroline’s passion for supporting children and families has led her to work primarily in local schools. She strongly believes in the critical role of play in a child’s educational and social-emotional development, and she is excited to contribute to the Finger Lakes Toy Library's mission of providing access to high-quality play experiences for all children in our community.

When Caroline’s not at the Toy Library, you might find her curled up with a good book, practicing yoga, catching a film at Cinemapolis, or exploring Ithaca’s beautiful trails with her husband and very energetic border collie, Kamu.

Our Interns

Jillian Cretella

(she/her)

Jillian is a junior psychology major at Ithaca College. In her free time, she likes to go thrifting, hang out with friends, and draw. She joined the toy library because she strongly supports children's ability to play and explore, while also supporting a culture of reusing.

Our Volunteers

Amber Smith,

Founding Board Vice President (2016-2020)

Open Hours Host

(she/her)

Amber was the toy library's volunteer Executive Director for our first 15 months of operation and is now the Executive Director of the Family Reading Partnership. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Child Development from Empire State College and has 15+ years of experience as a nanny. Much of her research during her education focused on play and its benefits and international iterations. She has extensive knowledge of infant and toddler development and its relationship to their play.

In her spare time Amber loves to hike, camp, kayak, and sit around a bonfire with friends.

"Creative, open-ended, and imaginative play are essential to early development. Play is a child's method of communication and growth, and the toy library is a fantastic way to bring children from all corners of our community together in play."

Kay V.,

Open Hours Host

(she/her)

Kay joined FLTL because she just loves libraries!

Challenge Workforce Solutions,

Toy Cleaners

Challenge Workforce Solutions is a non-profit organization that is committed to creating pathways to employment for people with disabilities or barriers. They began volunteering weekly at FLTL in November 2022. The participants always enjoy their time at the toy library for a unique volunteer experience cleaning recent toy returns to ensure the continuation of FLTL's health standards. They are self-described "Santa's helpers" all year round!

Riya Mittle,

Open Hours Host

Riya is a junior at Cornell University studying Economics. She joined FLTL because she feels everyone deserves a wonderful childhood filled with the magic of playing with toys and reading fun books!

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