Leadership change for Albany neighborhood group
Stoller plans to remain active, but said 20 years is the “term limit”
After 20 years at the head of the Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations, Howie Stoller is stepping down from his leadership post.
Stoller’s last meeting as the group’s chairman was on Dec. 2. He sent his last meeting reminder for January to the group’s email list on Sunday. However, he plans to remain on the board of the city ’s umbrella neighborhood association. He’s OK with that.
Part of CANA’S mission is promoting good governance, which includes term limits, Stoller said. When he was getting on in his tenure, Stoller turned to Harold Rubin for advice on when he should think of stepping down. Rubin cofounded the group in 1976 before stepping down in 1996.
“I talked to him and he said the term limit is 20 years,” Stoller said with a laugh.
The group has at times struggled to find residents to fill board seats. But recently there has been an increased interest in neighborhood groups and the issues they tackle, Stoller said, something he attributes to an influx of younger residents in the city.
“I think it feels like there’s more millennials,” he said.
He was once one of those
young transplants to the city. Stoller was born in Brooklyn in 1953. He received his master’s in public administration from the University at Albany in 1977 and he and his wife, Bettina, decided to stay in Albany.
He got a job with the state, working in various departments including the Office of Court Administration, Division of the Budget, and the Department of Taxation and Finance as well as transportation agencies.
The Stollers bought a house in the Melrose neighborhood and he joined the Melrose Neighborhood Association, which was formed in response to the city moving fire houses around the city.
“It seemed kind of interesting. You get to see what’s going on in your neighborhood,” he said.
Later he joined CANA, serving as vice-chair under Marggie Skinner, who succeeded Harold Rubin. When Skinner stepped down to run for Common Council, Stoller took over in January 2001.
“I was a little reluctant,” he said, concerned about how time-consuming the job would be. “I figure you do what you can do.”
When he first started, a large part of the job was ensuring the group’s agendas were mailed on time to hundreds of members.
“That was a major undertaking,” he recalled.
So, Stoller started the group’s first website and email list, allowing minutes and agendas to be posted and emailed.
Stoller’s successor, Zach Simpson, said that beyond bringing CANA into the 21st century, he emphasized starting meetings on time and making sure voices were heard.
“Howie always stressed the importance of input and consensus because that’s what CANA is built on,” he said.
When the coronavirus pandemic his, Stoller’s leadership kept the association meeting regularly, discussing issues like housing and healthcare.
“We didn’t miss a beat, we didn’t miss a meeting,” Simpson said.
During Stoller’s tenure, CANA dealt with typical neighborhood issues like drugs, crime and violence, as well as code enforcement.
One of the more memorable fights was the push against the influx of oil trains in the city ’s South End, Stoller said.
“No one was really addressing it,” he said.
“We actually got the word out.”
Stoller will still be involved in CANA. Beyond that, his biggest plans include more time spent outdoors, especially kayaking and cross-country skiing, he said. It’s part of what he loves about Albany.
“This is a great area for outdoor activity,” he said.