Margaret (Ryan) Anderton, Class of 1978
Inducted 2008

Margaret (Ryan) Anderton, class of 1978, inspires family, friends and colleagues with her devotion to serving the poor and promoting social justice. During high school, she was a member of the Foreign Exchange Club, Campus Life Club, National Honor Society, and varsity soccer, basketball, and track teams. She earned a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Albany and became certified to teach high school social studies. After college, she worked for the Capital District YMCA and later the American Red Cross. In 1997, she became the executive director of Bethesda House and helped transform it from a downtown drop-in center for the poor to a multi-faceted social service agency serving hundreds of disadvantaged citizens in the Schenectady area daily. She was a founding member of the Community Crisis Network of Schenectady and served as chair of the Housing and Support Services Network of Schenectady (1998-2006) and president of the Social Service Agency Chief Executives of Schenectady (2003-2004). She continues to work at Bethesda House and to serve on a variety of boards, including the Schenectady County Mental Health Advisory Board, SC Department of Social Services Commissioner’s Advisory Board, and SC Community College Human Services Advisory Board. She has earned numerous awards, including the Schenectady Bar Association Liberty Bell Award, the SC Human Rights Commission Human Rights Award, and the PBA Community Service Award. She currently resides in Schenectady with her husband, Jack. They have two children, Katie and Jack.
 

Thomas P. Eichler, class of 1962, inspires family, friends and colleagues with his devotion to public service and improving public policies. During high school, he participated in Debate Club and the school newspaper. He also played in the band and on the soccer team. He earned a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and two master's degrees from SUNY Albany. He worked in the New York State Governor's Office for four years before joining the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. He later became the director of environmental control for the State of Delaware, a regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, secretary of the DE Department of Health and Social Services, and secretary of the DE Department of Services for Children, Youth and Families. In 2001, he became the executive director of Stand Up for What's Right and Just, an organization advocating for reform of the DE criminal justice system. He is now chief of staff for Nemours Health and Prevention Services. He also is a founding board member of the Central DE Habitat for Humanity, Christ the Teacher Elementary School, and DE Children's Campaign. He has earned numerous awards, including the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill-DE Excellence in Advocacy Award, DE governor’s Order of the First State Award, EPA Special Achievement Award, American Society for Public Administration and National Academy of Public Administration National Public Service Award, and National Governors Association Distinguished Service Award. He currently resides in Bear, DE, with his wife, Susan. They have three sons, Matthew, Mark and Michael.
 

Dr. Valerie Gaus, Class of 1982
Inducted 2008

Dr. Valerie Gaus, class of 1982, inspires family, friends and colleagues with her devotion to helping those with developmental disabilities. During high school, she participated in color guard, choir and track, and painted the music-inspired wall mural in the high school lobby with three friends. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University and master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from SUNY Stony Brook. After working as a therapist for several years, she became a residential psychology supervisor for the YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities (1992-2003), a senior supervising psychologist for YAI/NIPD Premier HealthCare (1994-2006), and opened a private practice for adults with developmental disorders, mental retardation, anxiety disorders, and depression (1994-present). In 2006, she became a staff psychologist at the Vincent Smith School for students with learning disabilities. She is an advisory board member for the Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association, a steering committee member and curriculum author for the Downstate Centers for Excellence in Dual Diagnosis, an adjunct grant reviewer for the Organization for Autism Research, and a founding board member of the New York Metro Chapter of the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed. She shares her knowledge with others as an adjunct professor, guest speaker and author of various publications, including the recently released book Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult Asperger Syndrome. She lives in Cold Spring Hills, NY, with her husband, Lider Raynor, and their two sons, Sean and Gabriel.