Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley's Board of Directors Elects 5 Distinguished Supporters to Join Its Ranks

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. - Feb. 7, 2018 - PRLog -- The Board of Directors of Make-A-Wish^® Hudson Valley recently elected five new Directors to its Board, now comprising of 20 members.

The new directors are Robert Fuhrer of Chappaqua; Kevin G. Graves of White Plains; Michael Mueller of Yonkers; Karl Thimm of Mahopac and Jim Tobin of White Plains.

Thomas J. Conklin, President and CEO of the chapter, said: "On behalf of our entire Make-A-Wish®Hudson Valley community, I extend congratulations and best wishes to these remarkable individuals who will bring a vast array of experience and skills to our chapter. Their selfless commitment and generosity, unique business acumen and leadership talents will help assure our organization continues to make a difference in the lives of so many by granting the wishes of local children with life-threatening medical conditions."

Robert Fuhrer returns to the board for a second stint as a Director. Bob founded Nextoy, LLC in 1981. The company develops and brings new consumer product concepts to the market in the field of toys and games, puzzles, publishing, and gifts. Nextoy's clients include Hasbro, Spin Master, Goliath Games, Sterling Publishing and the New York Times. Classic Nextoy products include KenKen^® Puzzles, Crocodile Dentist, Gator Golf, and iTop. Bob is a graduate of Syracuse University, and is a long-time resident of Chappaqua, where he lives with his wife Judy. They have three grown children.

Kevin G. Graves is the Managing Partner in the law firm— Doonan, Graves and Longoria LLC— a broad based real estate, estate and business law practice operating in New York, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. Previously, Kevin served in the County Attorney's office and served on the County Executive's Cabinet as the Westchester County Director of Real Estate. Kevin is a long-time supporter of Make-A-Wish® Hudson Valley and an avid golfer. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island and received his Juris Doctorate from Howard University. Kevin and his wife reside in White Plains.

Michael Mueller is a Detective with the Yonkers Police Department, currently on assignment with the Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force. Mike joined the Yonkers Police Department in 1997 and was promoted to Detective in 2006. Mike is a graduate of the United States Department of Justice/FBI Criminal Investigation Course. He has served in leadership roles in the Yonkers Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, St. Baldrick's, and the CYO at Annunciation- Our Lady of Fatima Parish. He and his wife, Amanda, and two children live in Yonkers.

Karl Thimm, a long-time supporter of the chapter, is a co-founder of Karlen Inc, DBA Appliance Sales Plus and has been its President since 1979. He also sits on the Executive Board of Intercounty Appliance Corporation of Medford, New York. Karl graduated from Westchester Community College with a degree in Accounting and Business Management, and is a veteran of the United States Air Force. He serves as a Trustee for Putnam County Savings Bank and is a member of the Foundation Board of the Putnam Hospital Center. Karl and his wife Janis reside in Mahopac. They have two grown children and six grandchildren.

Jim Tobinis the founder and CEO of River Communications, a leading financial services marketing and public relations firm.

About Make-A-Wish ^® Hudson Valley

Make-A-Wish® grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The wish experience is a community effort involving volunteers, staff, donors and medical professionals working in tandem to make each wish come true. Since its inception in 1986, the Hudson Valley Chapter has granted wishes to over 2,500 children in the community it serves.  The Chapter's territory spans eight counties of the Hudson Valley, including Delaware, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.  The Chapter is a proud participant of the Better Business Bureau Charity Seal Program, which indicates that the organization has met or exceeded the BBB 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.  Additionally, a recent independent audit of the chapter reported that 80% of all funds raised goes to program services.  For more information about the Hudson Valley Chapter visit https://www.hudson.wish.org.