Past Wall of Distinction Inductees

2017

Paul Bromley

Paul R. Bromley was born August 17, 1955, in Glens Falls, NY the second of three sons to Richard Bromley and Mary O’Brien Bromley. He grew up in the Woodfin Park area of Hudson Falls. He attended Maple Street Elementary School and Hudson Falls Junior and Senior High Schools graduating in the class of 1974. Paul worked on local dairy farms during and after high school. Farmers such as Cliff and Roy Wicks, David, and Merrilyn Pulver, and Otto and Francis Hunsperger helped shape his work ethic. He then moved on to the construction field working for Howard Burch Construction in South Hartford, NY and then Torrington Industries of Glens Falls, NY.

In 1976 he married Roxanne Bain of South Argyle, NY. Together they raised two children, Thomas and Elizabeth. In 1977 he landed his dream job with Finch Pruyn & Company of Glens Falls, NY in the company’s Woodlands Division starting out as an equipment operator and progressing to Operations and Construction Management.

In 2002 Paul started a new career when he and his son Tom and brother Brian formed Bromley Sawmill and Machinery LLC, providing general contracting services. After 15 years the company continues to flourish in the Washington and Warren County area.

He has been a member of the Kingsbury Town Board for 12 years and is a life member of the Kingsbury Volunteer Hose Company.

Paul and Roxanne built their home on Kingsbury Road and shared 39 years together before her passing in 2016. He has four wonderful grandsons.

Melissa A. Durkee

Dr. Durkee was born on November 2, 1973 in Glens Falls, NY. She attended Hudson Falls Central Schools until she graduated with honors in 1991. She played varsity basketball and softball and was a member of the National Honor Society. She worked annually with her family on the community fundraiser Sandy Hill Days. Dr. Durkee discovered a passion for pharmacy during high school. She was accepted to the Albany College of Pharmacy (ACP) during her junior year of high school.

Dr. Durkee continued community service during college through her involvement in Lambda Kappa Sigma and enjoyed participating in local health fairs and educational events while
completing her pharmacy education. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Pharmacy from ACP in 1996 and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Campbell University in 2000. She completed an ASHP Accredited Specialty Residency in Geriatrics with Campbell University and Duke University Medical Center in 2001. Dr. Durkee is dually licensed in NY and NC and has achieved certifications as a pharmacist immunizer, certified geriatrics practitioner and board certification in ambulatory care pharmacy.

Dr. Durkee is currently the Associate Chief of Pharmacy for Clinical Services for the Durham VA Health Care System (DVA HCS) serving over 65,000 veterans across North Carolina. She
has had the honor and privilege of serving our Nation’s Heroes in this role for over 15 years. She leads over 40 clinical pharmacy specialists providing clinical pharmacy services in over 17 specialty areas including critical care, nutrition support, cardiology, internal medicine, infectious diseases, oncology, anticoagulation, primary care, emergency medicine, pain management, women’s health, and geriatrics.

Dr. Durkee is active in state and national pharmacy organizations and serves on several local, regional, and national committees. She has collaborated on professional publications and is considered a national subject matter expert on clinical pharmacy staffing models and professional practice competency evaluations. Dr. Durkee has mentored and supported the training of hundreds of pharmacy students and
residents, always encouraging them to be open to opportunity and embrace the lessons learned from mistakes.

Dr. Durkee lives in Cary, NC with her husband, Brenden, and their children, Cameron and Caitlin. She visits Hudson Falls at least once a year to spend time with her best friend from high school (Marla), parents (Jane and Bob), and her brother (Kevin) and his family.

Judy Chittenden Moffitt

Judy Chittenden Moffitt was born January 20, 1960, to LeRoy and Dolores Chittenden – the oldest of six children. She grew up in Hudson Falls and graduated from Hudson Falls High School in 1978. Following high school, Judy attended Cornell University and received a BS in Biology in 1982. In 1984 she received her Secondary Teaching Certification from Siena College and in 1992 earned her MS in Secondary Education in Science from The College of St. Rose.

Judy began her career teaching biology and chemistry at SPA Catholic High School in Saratoga. She currently teaches chemistry and college-level forensic science at South Glens Falls Senior High School where she has been teaching for 27 years. In 2002 and 2012 she earned National Board for Professional Teaching Certification in adolescent/young adult science. In 2014 she was awarded the status of New York
State Master Teacher.

Judy is passionate about helping families and communities address the many issues of addiction. She is one of the original members of Hometown vs Heroin and Addiction, co-chair of Friends of Recovery-Warren and Washington (FOR-WW), a leadership member of Recovery Advocacy in Saratoga (RAIS), a member of the Community Coalition for Family Wellness and Facing Addiction a Community Effort in South Glens Falls
and sits on boards of directors for the Council for Prevention of Washington and Warren Counties, Catholic Charities Care Coordination of Albany, and St. Luke’s Recovery Center in Mechanicville. She has also helped to start 3 local NarAnon Family Support groups that help families and friends who love someone with an addiction and has earned a certificate as a Recovery Coach. In 2015, Judy was honored to receive a
Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding service in the community from the Warren and Washington
County District Attorney’s Offices.

She has a great love for Jesus which has led her to become a leader in the Landing, a Christian ministry for adolescents. It has also helped her find her purpose in life– “Go tell the people what I did for you and tell them I will do it for them” a constant reminder that hangs in the front of her church, the Gospel Lighthouse of Hudson Falls– the home of the ‘Hope Dealers’.

Judy lives in South Glens Falls with her son Nicholas who has taught her the meaning of unconditional love and her many animals.

Jeffrey J. Murphy

Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey J. Murphy was born on September 9, 1960 to James and Alice Murphy and is a 1978 graduate of Hudson Falls High School, attended Adirondack Community College, and the Zone 5 Law Enforcement Academy.

One year later he joined the Hudson Falls Police Department where he would go on to serve for twenty years retiring as Deputy Chief of Police.

Since being elected in 2011, Sheriff Murphy has spent his time in Office making sweeping changes within the agency. All of these ideas, philosophies and platforms have had one intended goal, to elevate the perception of the office in the minds of the public and enhance its ability to provide professional law
enforcement and correctional services to the people of Washington County.

The Sheriff has started many community-based programs under this “Community First” initiative including a Law Enforcement Explorers Post available to youths aged 14-20 who are interested in Law Enforcement as a career which was recognized by the Boy Scouts of America for “significant
leadership” to the youth of the County.

Sheriff Murphy also founded the Hometown vs. Heroin and Addiction Committee in response to the opiate epidemic and developed a diversion program offering treatment in lieu of incarceration for those struggling with addiction.

The U.S. Department of Justice recently recognized the Sheriff with an award stating “Under your leadership, the men and women of the Sheriff’s office have implemented a culture of community engagement promoting strong relationships between law enforcement, families, and the communities
they serve.” The award went on to say “Community First greatly enhanced the quality of life for the citizens of the Northern District of New York and people of the United States of America.

Norma Scivetti Myers

Norma was born in Brooklyn, NY, the daughter of immigrant parents Corsignana and Vincenzo Scivetti from Giovinazzo, Italy. She and her older sister Ann enrolled in the Hudson Falls Central School system when Norma was in first grade. Seasonal town offerings such as playground activities at Maple
Street Elementary School and ice skating at Derby Park along with school-sponsored events, clubs, girls’ intramural sports, and music provided an atmosphere to thrive outside the classroom. These activities transitioned Norma from a Brooklyn girl to a Hudson Falls Tiger.

Norma graduated from Hudson Falls with the class of 1968. She continued her education at Russell Sage College where she received a BA degree in French and Spanish followed by an MA degree in Advanced Classroom Teaching of the Foreign Language from SUNY Albany. After a successful year of
teaching in Lawrenceville, NJ, she returned to Hudson Falls in 1973 to teach French and Spanish for ten years. She organized and chaperoned student travel to France, Spain, and Canada and established the local chapter of the Société Honoraire de Francais. She advised the French Club, Cheerleaders, and
Junior Prom and served on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council.

Norma studied as one of four Rotary Scholars chosen from the United States to participate in a teacher exchange in Chavaniac, France during the summer of 1979. At the annual convention of the NY State Association of Foreign Language Teachers, she taught colleagues how to integrate culture into their
lessons. She was inducted into the Delta Kappa Gamma Honor society in 1982.

While she and her husband John were raising their daughters Jessica and Laura, Norma remained active professionally honoring requests from teachers in area schools as a long-term substitute, invited speaker, and private tutor. She was a Board member and headed the Education Committee of the International Arts and Culture Association.

Norma represented the South Glens Falls community on the Citizens Advisory Committee and the School Business Connection and secured a visitation with children’s author Ann McGovern for the elementary students. She returned to teaching in the middle school in South Glens Falls in 1993 and in
2001 became a SUNY Albany adjunct professor at the senior high offering French 4 and 5 as college credit-bearing courses. She again formed a chapter of the Société Honoraire de Francais for her students.

In retirement, Norma joined Soroptimist International of the Adirondacks. As part of the Service Committee, she volunteers weekly at Catholic Charities to help displaced women. This group was given the Volunteer Award of the Diocese of Albany last year.

Janet Van Deusen Merrill

Janet was born to John and Brenda Van Deusen on April 20, 1966, the youngest of four children, all of whom graduated from Hudson Falls Central School. Her siblings are Greg Van Deusen, Jill Stimpson, and Sheila Van Deusen.

In 1984 Janet graduated 11th in her class with a 91 average. She was a member of the National Honor Society, French Honor Society, and Junior Senate. During her high school years, Hudson Falls had four sports seasons for girls – field hockey, volleyball, basketball, and softball. Janet received 14 varsity
letters over the four years.

Janet continued her education at Ithaca College, graduating Cum Laude in 1988. At graduation, she received the President’s Award for excellence. She had a dual major in Physical Education and Athletic Training. She played four years of basketball at Ithaca.

In 1989 she got her Master’s degree in Athletic Training from the University of Virginia. From 1989-2001 Janet was employed as Head Athletic Director at Northern High in Durham, NC. There she met and married Gary Merrill in 1992.

From 2001-2002 she was Athletic Director at Triangle Orthopedics and from 2003-2004, Athletics Director at Duke University Sports Medicine.

Janet and her dog Divot were killed in an automobile accident on March 27, 2004 en route to go jogging.