About

Tara (Colangione) Kersey is an Administrative Law Judge in the Office of Hearings and Alternative Dispute Resolution at the New York State Department of Public Service. Prior to her present position, she served as the principal law clerk to Judge Gerald W. Connolly from January 2007 to July 2023. In 2006, she served as an Assistant Counsel for Governor George E. Pataki and prior to such position, commencing in late 2001, she was in private practice at Holland & Knight, LLP in Boston, Massachusetts. Ms. Kersey earned her B.A. from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 1996, a J.D./M.B.A. from Albany Law School and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2001, and an L.L.M. in Taxation from Boston University in 2005. She was an Associate Editor of the Albany Law Review. Ms. Kersey was born and raised and currently resides in Troy, New York.

Jennifer Thomas Yetto is an associate in the litigation and appeals group of Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP in Albany, New York. Ms. Yetto litigates a broad range of matters, including corporate disputes, commercial real estate and construction litigation, civil rights and constitutional claims, land use, zoning and commercial development litigation, complex personal injury litigation, and employment litigation. Ms. Yetto also performs pro bono work, including the litigation of a prisoner’s civil rights trial in Federal Court. Ms. Yetto is admitted to practice in New York State and in Federal Court in the Southern and Northern Districts of New York. Ms. Yetto is also a member of the New York State Bar Association. Ms. Yetto currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Lansingburgh Boys and Girls Club.

Ms. Yetto is a graduate of Catholic Central High School (when it was still located in Lansingburgh, New York). She subsequently received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, magna cum laude, from Siena College in Loudonville, New York with a major in Psychology and a pre-law certificate. During her time at Siena College, Ms. Yetto was a legal intern with the Hon. Andrew G. Ceresia in Rensselaer County Court and a legal intern with Mental Hygiene Legal Services for the Third Judicial Department in Albany, New York. Additionally, through Siena College, Ms. Yetto served as a summer legal fellow at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. Ms. Yetto graduated from St. John’s University School of Law in 2017 with her Juris Doctor. During law school, Ms. Yetto served as a Senior Articles Editor on the St. John’s Law Review, a legal intern to Hon. Debra Freeman in the Southern District of New York, a legal intern with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and a teaching assistant for Constitutional Law, Legal Writing, and Introduction to Law for incoming law students. Ms. Yetto also served as a research assistant to Professor Anita Krishnakumar regarding statutory interpretation. During law school, through a seminar, Ms. Yetto taught criminal law to high school students in Queens, NY. At graduation, Ms. Yetto received the Dean’s Award for the highest grade in Federal Courts and the pro bono service award for completing over 500 pro bono hours of public service. Following graduation, Ms. Yetto worked at a litigation firm in New York, working on all aspects of complex commercial litigation and arbitration, representing institutional investors and insurance companies.

Ms. Yetto is originally from Troy, New York, and currently lives in Averill Park, New York, with her husband and their dog Archie.

Anne Coonrad was elected Troy City Court Judge in 2022 after being appointed by Mayor Patrick Madden in February of 2022 to fill an empty seat. In May of 2023, Ms. Coonrad was assigned as an Acting Family Court Judge for Rensselaer County Family Court. After graduating from Albany Law School in 2005, Ms. Coonrad joined the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s office as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA).   As an ADA, Ms. Coonrad prosecuted criminal cases and served as Appellate Counsel before leaving in 2008 to join the Unified Court System as a court attorney assigned to Troy City Court. Since 2015, Ms. Coonrad has volunteered to serve as a Law Competition Faculty member for the Moot Court program in Rensselaer County.

Ms. Coonrad graduated from Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing in 1984 and practiced nursing for over 30 years, predominately as a staff nurse in the emergency department at Samaritan Hospital. In the late 1990s, she developed the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program for Rensselaer County. The SANE program provides victims of sexual violence individualized care and evaluation by specially trained nurses. Ms. Coonrad worked closely with local law enforcement agencies, the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s office, and community leaders as the Coordinator of this program.

Ms. Coonrad served as a member of the New York State Board for Nursing from 2012 until she resigned at the time she was appointed as a city court judge. The Nursing Board’s primary mission is to protect the public from unsafe practices. In this role, Ms. Coonrad participated as a panel member during disciplinary and moral character hearings and acted as an advisor during Professional Assistance Program meetings. Ms. Coonrad held the position of Vice-Chairperson at the time of her resignation from the board. Ms. Coonrad has been a board member of the Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association for several years.