Currently, the CCAC consists of eight community members. Our goal is to promote and support the arts and artists in Cayuga County.

Ed Onori - Chair

Ed Onori has worked at Beardsley architect + engineers as a Project Manager for 33 years. He is a graduate of Auburn High School and Alfred State College. Mr. Onori currently resides in Auburn and is a parent to two children with his wife, Tanya.

Mr. Onori has considerable board experience. He has been a member of the Cayuga County Arts Council and the Auburn Hockey Booster for two years, the Historic Review Board of Auburn for five years and a member of the E. John Gavras Center for 15 years.

Outside of board service, Mr. Onori’s interests include running, golfing, fishing and photography. He has played and coached hockey for the Auburn Hockey Club and coached the Auburn Ice Hawks. He still enjoys playing hockey today.

Greg Lattimore - Member at Large

Greg Lattimore was born and raised in Auburn. He is a Commercial Lender for Auburn’s newest bank: Lyons National Bank. New to the position, Greg is excited with his career change and happy to be back in town to help serve the community he works and lives in.

Besides the CCAC, Greg has recently joined the Auburn Rotary in his continuing effort to give back to his hometown.

Greg has two daughters, Audrey and Emme, who are 10 and four respectively.

Jim Loperfido - Interim Treasurer

Professional Experience

Business Consultant – JGL Management Consulting, Inc, Auburn NY 1979-Present

President and lead consultant for a solutions based business services firm offering management, strategic planning and tax assistance to small and medium sized businesses. Areas of specialty -business start-up, planning, evaluation, project management, film and video distribution, information systems. Clients include, motivational, filmmakers, manufacturers, insurance, nonprofit, service, retail and individuals

  • Drop-in consultant for New York based Film Production and Animation Studio
  • On call CFO for Denver based title company
  • Drop in CFO for metals manufacturer established in 1854
  • Full Film Production Budgeting, Accounting, Payroll, Grant Applications for many National and International Filmmakers
  • Business Planner for International Film Festivals
  • Lead acquisition team for multi-$M mergers
  • Implemented plan for award winning curriculum based programs
  • Small Business Advisor & Instructor – Cornell University – Instructed prospective entrepreneurs in classroom setting on various topics including; Business dynamics and financials, Business planning, understanding and preparation, Cash flow forecasting, available thereafter for follow through consultation

Partner – ECV Inc., Auburn, NY, & New Classics Cinema, Syracuse, NY1984-Present

  • Oversee operation of retail video stores and theaters that have won national and regional awards; Voted best video stores in the USA.
  • CEO of Film andVideo Distribution Label selling film and video worldwide
  •  Recognized nationally as film industry leader in areas of business development and education
  • Voted Small Business Retailer of the Year.
  • Guest speaker for many consecutive years at annual and regional industry confabs
  • Chosen to lobby representatives in Washington and New York State Legislative Hearings
  • Chosen to represent the video industry as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of theiDEA; the independent retailer division of the Entertainment Merchants Association
  • Board of Directors/Audit Chair for 9 years+ Entertainment Merchants Association

Columnist – Finger Lakes Business Almanac, Geneva, NY, 1996-2002

  • Featured monthly columnist for popular regional business publication.
  • Recognized internally as most popular writer for FLBA – Enjoy many compliments in the field for the motivational elements of this column

Training Includes

  • Syracuse University Tax Institutes –Conferences on Tax Law
  • New York State’s Tax Preparation Certification Program
  • Syracuse University – Closely Held Companies
  • National Society of Public Accountants – Federal Taxation/Cash Flow Mgmt
  • ICS – Hotel/Motel Management
  • Great Courses – Storytelling, Religions of the World, Managing People
  • ERP – Property Investment Management
  • Common Core Techniques and Lesson Planning
  • TWUA Institute – Arbitrations, Labor Law, Newsletters & Promotion
  • Geneva Corporation – Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Dun & Bradstreet – Credit Management
  • Purdue University – Restaurant Management
  • Too many more to name…

Film & Video

  • Founding President Auburn Cinefile Society – a not for profit organization. Its mission to promote classic film and film exhibition and to facilitate a dialog regarding film history.
  • Past Board Chair and CEO of Syracuse International Film Festival and Syracuse Film City Center for 8+ years
  • Worked in various capacities on many film features and shorts
  • Judge for the video industry’s Independent B Film Program – this project critiques film from independent filmmakers and studios around the world
  • Founding President and organizer of the NY Video Software Dealers Assoc.
  • Chairman of the Board – Independent Dealers of Entertainment Association
  • Twice, National Retailer of the Year by Video Software Dealers Association
  • Best Syracuse Business Owner by Syracuse New Times
  • Architect of the video industry’s film downloading program
  • Wrote the Video Industry’s Accounting Handbook
  • One of 10 people appointed to International Special Task Force charged with raising the Home Entertainment Industry by One Billion Dollars: 1998-1999
  • Author: “CNY Film & Video Compendium” and “The Wharton Brothers and the Fall of Serials During the Dawn of Filmmaking” to be released soon

Dia Carabajal - Member at Large

Dia Carabajal is a Professor of Mathematics at Cayuga Community College. She is also an Auburn City Councilor and served for 5 years as a School Board Member for the Auburn Enlarged City School District.She serves on the Board of Directors of the Auburn Players Community Theatre and is a member of the St. Mary’s Church Choir. Dia has been on the Arts Council on and off for 15 years. She has served as President, Vice-chair and as member-at-large.She lives in Auburn with her son Matthias and her husband Lee Ballard.

Michelle Milewski - Member at Large

Michelle Milewski is the Administrative Specialist for the Strategic Growth department at Cayuga Centers, where her job duties include research, grant writing collaboration and assisting in program development. Ms. Milewski was formerly employed at Cayuga Strategic Solutions, The Citizen and Charlie’s CDs, where her love of downtown was born.

Ms. Milewski has extensive board experience. In her capacity as Office Manager at Cayuga Strategic Solutions, Ms. Milewski was the acting secretary for eight boards – Cayuga Strategic Solutions, Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, Cayuga Economic Development Agency, Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce Foundation, IGNITE, ALDC, CCIDA and AIDA, as well as their various committees. She currently serves on the IGNITE Steering Committee, the Cayuga County Arts Council and is a member of the Leadership Cayuga Advisory Council. Ms. Milewski was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner Committee and the Cayuga Centers Golf Tournament and Casino Night committees.  She is a graduate of the Leadership Cayuga class of 2016, “The Bronze Class Ever,” and was elected Class Representative.

Ms. Milewski is a Cayuga County native. She is a graduate of Southern Cayuga Central School, Cayuga Community College (AA) and Empire State College (BA). She loves Auburn and Cayuga County, and views her award-winning coverage of the Weedsport and Auburn High State Championship football teams as career highlights.

She married her husband, Steven Milewski, in 2005. Steven and Michelle reside in Auburn, where they enjoy spending their time reading, hiking and camping. In addition, Ms. Milewski enjoys photography and running, as well as caring for her three rescues. She is also borderline obsessed with Syracuse basketball, field hockey and Alabama football.

Joe Sheppard - Member at Large


Joe Sheppard was born and raised in Auburn, graduating with the AHS Class of ’98.  He attended one year at CCC before relocating to Milwaukee, WI where he attended the Professional Theatre Training Program graduating with a BFA and a concentration in Technical Production.  Following undergrad he moved around the country working in various theatres and cities, eventually settling in Northern Virginia, where he had the opportunity to serve as the Technical Director for the Ford’s Theatre and assist with the management of a $25 million renovation.  In 2014, Joe earned an MPA from George Mason University, concentrating in State and Local Government and Public Management.  Following graduation he chose to return home to Auburn with his wife (AHS Class of ’99) and children (Ages 7 & 9) to give them the same opportunities he was afforded growing up.  He is currently the Economic Development Technical Specialist with CEDA and volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America (Cubmaster Pack 11), the Auburn Players, and other local organizations.

Chuck Taylor - Member at Large

Chuck grew up in Auburn, but moved to Delaware after graduating college. He worked for 30 years as a Computer Systems Analyst.

He spent 14 years working for the DuPont Co at their Corporate Data Center in Newark, Delaware. Groups that he worked for consisted of IMS, Automated Operations and Batch Scheduling. The last 16 years Chuck worked for Computer Sciences Corp (CSC), also in Newark. CSC provides computer services for major corporations.

While at CSC, he worked on projects and provided ongoing service for DuPont, Westinghouse, Cargil, NASA, and the US Army. After retiring Chuck and his wife moved back to Auburn, the place they both call home.

Daniel Lovell - Member at Large

Daniel Lovell is a life resident of Cayuga County. He works full time for Entre Computer Services and co-owns <code_munkeys>, a local multimedia and design company. He’s served as chair of IGNITE, Cayuga County’s young professionals group, and is a past member of the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the advisory board of the Cayuga County chapter of the American Red Cross, and other boards. He’s been named Cayuga County’s Young Professional of the Year, was one of Syracuse’s Forty Under 40, and was awarded the Syracuse Press Club award for professional standards.
An avid musician, Daniel has released five albums with his band, Nightlite Mary. In the band, he plays guitar, banjo, mandolin and accordion, and also sings lead vocals and is a prolific songwriter. He is co-founder of Rockshow Records, an independent record label that represents upstate New York acts.
Daniel and his wife Claire are proud parents of five children, all talented artists. His son Daniel plays drums, guitar and saxophone. Daughter Delaney plays ukulele, flute and bass guitar, and is a singer and actress. Daughter Olivia is a dancer and crafter. Daughter Anna loves sidewalk chalk, coloring and crafting. Baby William has shown tremendous vocal talent. The family lives in Auburn with their cats, Gibby, Marshall and George.
  • Building Committee

    • Chuck Taylor, Chair
    • Ed Onori

    Communications Committee

    • Michelle Milewski