Board Members

Su Ghosh, President

Su has lived in Ithaca since 1999, when she arrived as a freshman at Cornell University.  After graduating in 2004, she joined the ranks of Cornell graduates that never left town.  Su is a Research Administrator at Cornell University, and has been a member of the Board of the Village since 2015.  She has two children in the Ithaca City School District and is a committed believer in the continued pursuit of educational equity.

E. Christine Thompson | Vice President

Christine is the Assistant Director of Admissions for Diversity in the College of Arts & Sciences at Cornell University. In the past, she has taught at Ithaca College as a lecturer in Communication Studies, and  worked in Admissions at Ball State University in Indiana. Christine holds a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and a Master of Arts in Organizational and Professional Communication from Ball State. In her free time, she is a member of the EILC, a lifestyle family photographer, mother of two kids in the district (pre-k and third grade),  dog mom, and lover of the outdoors. 

Madeline Weiss | Treasurer

Congratulations Madeline Weiss on your position as Treasurer on the Village at Ithaca board! Bio and profile picture coming soon!

Meredith Sax Bourne, MD, Secretary

Meredith Sax Bourne, MD (she/her/hers) is a family physician and recent Ithaca transplant, originally from Madison, WI. She spent the last 8 years in Minneapolis, MN, training, teaching, and practicing full-spectrum family medicine. She has worked in professions as diverse as custodial cleaning, customer service, floral arranging, sex education, violence prevention, community organizing, origami crafting, and STEM tutoring. She enjoys working with parents, families, and kids of all ages, creating safe space for everybody in her clinical practice, blasting Lizzo to the neighbors, and using her privilege to disrupt systems of oppression. She lives in South Hill/Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫˀ land with her two young children, her partner Mark (aka her “house manager”), countless trees, and many dust bunnies.

Deborah Jordan, Board Member

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Deb is an educational administrator overseeing the early childhood program in the Ithaca City School District. In the past, she was a special education teacher for many years (preschool-high school), and had also worked as a teacher aide, instructional coach, early intervention provider and adjunct instructor. Deb is a proud mom of 2 Ithaca High School graduates, enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, friends, family members, and her dog Rosie. 
Deb has spent her 30+ years as a teacher and school leader being an advocate for educational justice…working to create a culture of inclusion and belonging for students, families and educators. She is deeply committed to the principle “when we lift each other up, we all rise.

Esther Castillo, Youth Board Member

Esther is a senior in high school, a youth activist, and a dedicated community volunteer. She guides students in restorative circle practices at Beverly J. Martin in the Ithaca City School District, fostering skills like listening, respect, and problem-solving while helping peers navigate conflict constructively. She also serves as a leader on the Village’s Youth Board, a student-led advocacy group giving young people a voice in local decision-making and addressing issues affecting youth of color. A recipient of the Kirby Edmonds Action Award, Esther was director and assistant producer of the film Restoring Joy, which received an Award of Distinction at the 2024 Cayuga Film Festival.