Dan DiClemente

President
Email: ddiclemente@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 585-594-0753

Dan was elected President of the Council in 2017. In this senior position, he manages the daily operations and sets the long-term vision for the Council. A lifelong union member and a glazier by trade, Dan is a passionate advocate for working families. He has also served as President of BENTE Local 2419, which represents 1,250 support staff at the Rochester City School District, since 2002. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, travelling and watching baseball.

Robert Leonard

Labor Relations Specialist
Email: rleonard@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 585-488-2268 | Cell: 585-703-1376

Robert is the Labor Relations Specialist for the Rochester and Finger Lakes region. He manages contract negotiations, arbitrations, internal organizing, and local affiliate operations. Robert joined the Council 66 team in 2017 after a distinguished and successful tenure serving in a similar capacity with CSEA. He lives in Ontario County and previously served as a Town Councilman. Robert’s passion for the labor movement is matched by his love for family, friends, and the Buffalo Bills.

Maria Fisher

Director of Communications & Political Action Coordinator
Email: mfisher@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 585-594-0753

Maria is the Council’s Director of Communications/Political Action Coordinator. She manages messaging, public relations and political operations for Council 66. Prior to working for the Council, Maria was the Director of Community Development and Community Outreach for Senator Samra Brouk. Prior to that she worked for PEF as the Field Representative representing members with contract and disciplinary grievances. She also served as the Chief of Staff at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. Maria grew up in a union family with a father who had two household rules never lie & never cross a union picket line. In her spare time, Maria volunteers in the community promoting organ donation.

Danielle Fasso

Administrative Assistant (Rochester Office)
Email: dfasso@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 585-594-0753

Danielle serves as the Administrative Assistant to President DiClemente. In this position, she supports the work of Council staff and maintains close relationships with our Locals across New York. She brings with her to Council 66 over 15 years of experience in providing high-level executive support to a wide range of businesses and law firms. Danielle grew up in Spencerport and now lives in Greece. Outside of work, she enjoys listening to all types of live music and going to concerts (especially country), watching her sons play soccer, and going on walks with her rescue dog, Rosie.

Yvonne Morici-Forte

Accounting Department
Email: ymorici-forte@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 585-594-0753

Yvonne has worked at the Council’s accounting department since 2004 and she oversees payroll, taxes, and accounts payable. She has over 25 years of experience as an accounting professional. She is working with the current leadership to continue to move the Council in a positive direction. Yvonne lives in the Town of Gates, and enjoys spending Sundays with her mother and three kids and going to her son’s lacrosse games.

Lisa Bauer

Accounting Department
Email: lbauer@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 585-594-0753

Lisa works in the Council’s accounting department where she processes membership dues. She started in this position in 2012. After several years of working for the Council, she left to pursue her Associate’s Degree in Office Technology at Monroe Community College and later served as a permits and applications administrator for Lightower Fiber Networks. Lisa came back to Council 66 in March 2017 and she enjoys working with President Dan DiClemente, who genuinely cares about our members. A native of Rochester, Lisa lives with her family in Spencerport. When she’s not hard at work for our members, she loves travelling and cheering on her son’s hockey team.

Jeffrey N. Mis, Esq.

Council Attorney
Email: jmis@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 716-634-6204 | Cell: 716-770-6395

Jeff serves as the Council’s Attorney for the Buffalo/Rochester areas, and he has been in this position since December 2014. He is a former City Attorney and City Court Judge. Jeff represents the Council and its unions in PERB conferences and hearings, provides legal advice to staff representatives and Local presidents, handles any litigation filed against the Council and/or its Locals, and performs legal research and renders opinions on contract and labor issues. Jeff most enjoys protecting the rights of the rank-and-file AFSCME union members who are hardworking and deserve fair representations under the collective bargaining agreements and Taylor Law. Jeff enjoys spending time with his family, going to sporting events and concerts, and playing a little basketball on the side.

John Mooney

Labor Relations Specialist
Email: jmooney@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 716-634-6204 | Cell: 716-770-6297

John is a Labor Relations Specialist for the Buffalo region. He manages contract negotiations, arbitrations and assists locals with internal organizing, and local affiliate operations. John joined the Council 66 team in 2016 after a long career with the Ken-Ton School District. John has been a labor leader since 1980 serving in several capacity’s including 20 years as President for NEA/NYUST local KTSEA.  He lives in Erie County with his wife of 38 years and enjoys spending time with his family. In addition to his passion for the labor movement he enjoys playing the piano and fishing.

Ryan Card

Labor Relations Specialist
Email: rcard@afscmecouncil66.org   | Office: 716-634-6204

Ryan is a Labor Relations Specialist for the Buffalo Region. He manages contract negotiations, arbitrations, and assists locals with their operations. Ryan joined as an LRS in 2022, after serving as a trustee on the executive board. He worked at the City of Jamestown DPW for over 25 years, serving as chief steward since 2007, and dislikes management that has no accountability. His labor roots run deep as his father was president of the local at Crescent Tool Manufacturing in Jamestown for many years, a long time ago. Ryan resides in Jamestown with his wife of 15 years, and enjoys traveling. He is also very involved in community organizations in his spare time, such as the Elks and Freemasons. He is also an avid sports fan.

Amy Smardz

Administrative Assistant (Buffalo Office)
Email: asmardz@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 716-634-6204

Amy has been the Administrative Assistant at the Council’s Buffalo office since 2001. She assists the Council Attorney and Labor Relations Specialists with preparing documents, getting ready for cases, and processing requests for arbitrations. She loves the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of working at the Council, and enjoys helping our members. When she’s not on the job, you can find Amy teaching fitness classes, taking care of her many rescue pets, or organizing folklore events for a Polish cultural organization. She is a native of Buffalo.

Kerry M. Lightcap, Esq.

Council Attorney
Email: klightcap@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 315-682-9198

Kerry is an attorney and has been working at Council 66 since 1990. He previously served as our Labor Relations Specialist in the Central New York region. In his current role as Attorney for the Council, he conducts negotiations, handles arbitrations and improper practice hearings, drafts court pleadings, performs legal research, renders advisory opinions to staff representatives in Regions 2, 3 and 4, and answers legal queries from officers of affiliated Locals. Kerry fights diligently to get a fair deal for our members, and he especially enjoys achieving favorable contract terms and winning wrongful termination cases. In his spare time, Kerry likes to ski, bike, play tennis, and coach football.

Alex Catello

Labor Relations Specialist
Email: acatello@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 518-446-9356 | Cell: 518-949-9751

Alex is the Labor Relations Specialist for the Capital Region, stretching from Plattsburgh to Albany to the Hudson Valley. He is a lifetime resident of the Albany area growing up in Amsterdam.  Alex now resides with his Wife and family in Clifton Park.

Alex has over 20 years’ experience as a Union Representative.  He has held CSEA positions in the Department of Tax and Finance, SUNY Administration System and NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.  He arrives with extensive experience gained while working as the NYS Representative and Albany Branch President for the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) Local 309.  In that role he served as an executive board and council member, managed local contract negotiations, labor-management meetings, arbitrations, and membership meetings across the area.   Outside of work, Alex enjoys spending time with family & friends, traveling and Football with his favorite team being the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders.

Adam Garfield

Labor Relations Specialist
Email: agarfield@afscmecouncil66.org | Cell: 845-596-8394

Adam is the Labor Relations Specialist for the Hudson Valley and Westchester/Rockland regions. He is a seasoned community organizer, previously spending years with the environmental and consumer advocacy organization NYPIRG (New York Public Interest Research Group). He has joined us after completing his Master’s degree in Labor Studies from the UMASS Amherst Labor Center. During his time there he was very active with the teachers and researcher’s assistants union Graduate Employees Organization (GEO/UAW 2322), in which he was a department steward and eventually elected Membership Mobilization Coordinator. Adam currently lives in Dutchess County. In his free time, he is passionate fan of hiking and road bicycling.

Trey Johnson

Labor Relations Specialist
Email: tjohnson@afscmecouncil66.org | Office: 315-883-1980
Trey is the Paralegal/Labor Relations Specialist for the Syracuse region. He assists with arbitrations, contract negotiations and legal research. Originally from North Carolina, Trey is a graduate of Wofford College and the Charleston School of Law. Prior to joining Council 66, Trey coached collegiate football at Division I and II levels. He is excited to be back in the legal space working with Council 66. In his spare time, Trey enjoys exploring the outdoors and the City of Syracuse.