Meet the Team

The CCC Workforce Education and Community Engagement Division is a dedicated team of learning professionals with more than 30 years of experience and expertise!

A smiling woman with wavy blonde hair looks at the camera, wearing a black blazer over a patterned top and a gold necklace against a plain white background.Tyre Bush

Tyre serves as the Senior Director of the Workforce Education and Community Engagement Department at Corning Community College (WECE), bringing more than 25 years of dedicated higher education leadership to her role. Throughout her career, she has been a driving force for regional growth and educational access. In her current position, Tyre focuses on expanding CCC’s Open Enrollment offerings, guiding Program Coordinators to deliver customized training solutions for regional businesses and agencies, and overseeing the development of the College Prison Education Program.

Beyond her departmental leadership, Tyre is a recognized institutional champion and advocate. She recently spearheaded one of the six teams leading CCC’s Middle States accreditation process and was selected for the prestigious SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Dedicated to community impact and mentorship, Tyre is also the primary driving force behind the annual CCC Women’s Empowerment Conference.

A smiling woman with straight light brown hair stands in front of a siding wall, wearing a pinkish shirt that says "kind is the new cool".Amber Cloke

Amber Cloke brings over 15 years of versatile experience in higher education to her role as Program Coordinator. Throughout her career, Amber has cultivated deep expertise in advising, student success, career coaching, teaching, and relationship building. She is passionate about empowering organizations and individuals, specializing in the development and delivery of customized corporate training for businesses across the healthcare, education, finance, and nonprofit sectors.

Beyond her professional work in training and development, Amber is a dedicated community advocate. She is a core member of the CCC Women's Empowerment Conference Planning Team and an active member of the Horseheads Runners Booster Club. Amber also leads our social media presence, sharing valuable industry tips and highlighting upcoming educational opportunities. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to see what’s new and happening within CCC's Workforce Education and Community Engagement Division.

A smiling woman with blonde hair pulled back in a half‑up style poses against a dark studio background, wearing a patterned black top and a black heart‑shaped pendant necklace.Ericka Lehman

Ericka Lehman, Program Coordinator for Corning Community College’s Workforce Education & Community Engagement (WECE) Division, brings over 30 years of experience in local advertising, marketing, and new business development across the Southern Tier of New York and Northern Tier of Pennsylvania. Leveraging her extensive experience in local radio, broadcast television, and social media marketing, Ericka also maintains and oversees the WECE Division Website.

In her role, she specializes in the creation, implementation, and management of customized corporate training programs and apprenticeship-related instruction pathways for regional businesses across the Advanced Manufacturing, Government & Law, Construction, Transportation, Hospitality, Retail, and Communications/Media industries.

In addition to her work as Program Coordinator, Ericka is an integral member of the CCC Women's Empowerment Conference Planning Team, where she helps empower and elevate the local community.

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Nancy Riesbeck

With more than 35 years at SUNY CCC, Nancy brings deep institutional expertise and administrative leadership to her dual role supporting the Workforce Education and Community Engagement (WECE) department. Since joining WECE in June 2007, she has managed operations for both the Elmira Center and the Airport Corporate Park. In addition to assisting the Senior Director, Nancy handles open enrollment, corporate training logistics, adjunct payroll processing, facilities oversight, and venue room rentals.

A smiling man wearing work gloves and a black cap sits on a chair in an industrial workshop, holding a welding helmet, with welding equipment and machinery visible in the background.Mark Bellinger

Mark Bellinger is a third-generation welder, AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), and Program Coordinator & Welding Instructor at WECE with over 15 years of professional welding and fabrication experience. Qualified in SMAW, GMAW, and GTAW under AWS D1.1, D1.2, D1.3, and D1.6 codes, Mark brings CWI-level quality assurance, metallurgy, blueprint reading, and code-compliance training into the classroom. His hands-on, approachable teaching style focuses on transforming students into well-rounded, job-ready welders prepared for demanding industries such as structural steel, aerospace, and manufacturing. Outside the shop, Mark enjoys restoring classic cars, building mega trucks, dirt bike racing, and spending time with his family and German Shepherd.

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Jason Kellogg

Jason Kellogg is our Director of Automotive Technology with over 8 years of experience in higher education, 23 years of automotive experience, and is a current ASE Master and GM World Class Technician. Jason is responsible for our Automotive Certificate Program at our Airport Corporate Park location at focused on hybrid and electric vehicles with the support of area dealerships and service centers. Jason is also an Assistant Professor who will be teaching a majority of the automotive classes.

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Wendy Benjamin

Meet Wendy Benjamin, our Success Coach for SUNY Corning Community College's Workforce Education Programs. Wendy brings over 20 years of dedicated experience in the New York State Public School System.

Wendy's career at SUNY CCC began as an Admissions Recruiter focusing on adult learners, before transitioning into her role as the Success Coach for the Automotive Technology Program. Today, she bridges the gap between education and local industry by collaborating closely with community partners to identify workforce demands across key sectors, including Automotive Technology, Welding, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Apprenticeship Programs.

In her role, Wendy guides students through every stage of their academic and professional journey - from initial recruitment and academic advising to securing hands-on internships and achieving long-term, gainful employment in their certified fields.

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Dan Nightingale

Dan Nightingale is our Assistant Director and Instructor for the Manufacturing Technician Program here at SUNY CCC. Dan is an experienced Control Systems and Software Engineer who spent 17 years at Corning Incorporated’s Sullivan Park Research Facility. Throughout his tenure there, he developed custom applications for automated data acquisition, reduction, analysis, presentation & storage. His technical journey began with a four-year vocational program in high school, followed by 11 years in the U.S. Navy as an Electronics Technician supervising Air Traffic Control Radar Systems and instructing in Micro-Miniature Electronics Repair. Dan’s academic excellence is marked by dual Associate degrees in Electrical Technology and Opto-Electronics from SUNY Corning Community College—graduating Magna Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA—and a B.S. in Electronics Engineering Technology from Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Beyond his industrial contributions to Corning’s Characterization Sciences and flat panel glass programs, Dan has dedicated 15 years to academia as an Adjunct Professor to a Full-Time Professor in Electrical Technology at SUNY Corning Community College. Teaching has become his "red thread," a core passion that allows him to translate complex problem-solving into mentorship. Driven by the philosophy that any obstacle can be overcome through sheer persistence, he finds his greatest reward in showing others how to navigate technical challenges and refuse to quit.   

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Adam Switzer

Adam Switzer is our Program Coordinator for the Manufacturing Technician Program at SUNY CCC, as well as the Men's Soccer Coach. With over 7 years teaching in Further Education, 5 years in Community Education, and over 2 decades of Coaching experience, Adam has a rich history of helping people develop personally and professionally. Adam is focused on recruiting new and potential students for the Manufacturing Technician Program, growing the reputation of the already successful program, and creating new opportunities within the Advanced Manufacturing Industry, whilst opening doors to the program's students' next steps.

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Rusty Hauptman

Russell (Rusty) Hauptman is the Assistant Director of the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Academy. Rusty is a 1984 graduate of Horseheads High School. He first became interested in law enforcement while attending summer classes at SUNY Corning Community College on Goff Road while attending SUNY Fredonia full-time in the late 1980s. He was hired by the Elmira Heights Police Department in January of 1997 and attended session 14 of the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Academy (STLEA) at CCC’s Goff Road Criminal Justice complex. Prior to becoming a police officer, Hauptman worked plainclothes security for local retail and uniformed security at the Arnot Ogden Medical Center, while also working at Schweitzer Aircraft, Chemung County 911, and as a driver for the Elmira Heights Fire Department.

Since retiring from the Elmira Heights Police Department in May of 2018, Hauptman has served as the Assistant Director of the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Academy, teaching many different blocks of instruction and coordinating classes and instructors for the many required classes for the Basic Police Course, Supervisor School, and other in-service courses.

Over the past 32 years, Hauptman has held many titles in both the police and fire services. Hauptman has held the following police titles:

  • Patrolman (1997-2002) - Basic Police School STLEA at CCC Session 14 graduate (July 1998)
  • Police Sergeant (2002-2016) - Supervisor School STLEA at CCC (March 2003)
  • Police Chief (2016-2018)

Certifications & Responsibilities: NYS Bike Officer; General Topics Instructor; Grant Writing Coordinator; Juvenile Law Day Coordinator; IMPACT Records Management Coordinator; Radar/Lidar Operator; Breath Test Operator; Payroll Coordinator; Scheduling Coordinator; Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Presenter; Strong Kids/Safe Kids; Fire Department Open Houses

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Zachary Stewart

Zachary Stewart is a native of Elmira, New York. He received an A.A.S. in Criminal Justice from SUNY Corning Community College and attended Session 13 of the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Academy (STLEA) in 1997.

Stewart began his law enforcement career with the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked in the Corrections and Patrol Divisions. Stewart then worked for the Village of Horseheads Police Department and finally for the City of Elmira Police Department. While employed in these agencies, Stewart held positions in patrol, criminal investigations, the drug enforcement unit, SWAT, and as a supervisor. Stewart retired as an Acting Captain from the Elmira Police Department in July of 2022.

While employed full-time in law enforcement, Stewart returned to college and obtained a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Keuka College and a Master of Justice Administration from Norwich University.

Certifications Include: General Topics Instructor; Master Instructor; Firearms Instructor; RADAR/LIDAR Instructor; Standardized Field Sobriety Testing Instructor; Field Training Officer; Clandestine Laboratory Technician; Clandestine Laboratory Site Safety Officer; Forensic Interviewing; Evidence Technician