Meet the Staff
Ron Byrne
Ron Byrne, Director, is a co-founder of Umbrella of the Capital District. Mr. Byrne envisions a senior services service system for the elderly that has “Aging in Place” as it primary philosophy.
A 1972 graduate of the University of Miami, for more than 25 years Ron dedicated his professional life to the development of community-based services for persons with disabilities, the closure on New York State institutions for the mentally disabled and the creation of consumer driven human service models.
Born in 1948 and a native of Chicago Illinois, for five years prior to founding Umbrella Mr. Byrne served senior staff member in the Commissioner’s Office of the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. (OMRDD) During this time he worked closely with nonprofit agencies throughout the state, the state legislature, the Governors Office, families and New York State citizens with disabilities to develop and expand community-based services for persons with developmental disabilities and their families.
In 1995, Mr. Byrne along with cofounder Elaine Santore, established Umbrella of the Capital District, a nonprofit agency helping senior citizens and persons with disabilities live comfortably and safely in their own homes. Today, Umbrella serves more than 500 senior citizen and disabled homeowners living in the Capital District of New York State. By providing low cost home maintenance and a wide variety of personal services, Umbrella helps senior citizens keep the two things they cherish most…their homes and their independence.