David Buchwald, a Westchester County native and a 25-year resident of White Plains, served for 11 years as an elected official. He was a city councilmember in White Plains and then was elected to four terms in the New York State Assembly, where he represented 132,000 residents across 9 towns in Westchester County. David authored and passed over 70 bills into law. He was a member of the Assembly's committees overseeing consumer affairs and protection, governmental operations, local governments, and utility operations through the Public Service Commission. He also served as Chairman of the New York State Legislature’s Commission on Government Administration.

David’s success in legislating built on his experience as a tax attorney at the New York City law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and his local volunteer work, including serving on the boards of two non-profits. Those experiences, his time working as an antitrust economics researcher, and his degrees in law (from Harvard Law School), public policy (from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government), and physics (from Yale University), all facilitate his interdisciplinary approach to the problem-solving that Civic Helpers is all about. When he is not helping individuals and organizations in his role as our Executive Director, David can often be found engaged in community service such as coordinating the lunchtime chess program at his daughters’ elementary school.

Thomas Caruso is a public interest lawyer who started his career in the Legal Aid Society where he represented children in Family Court. He has also been an attorney representing the Social Security Administration and was a veterans attorney while at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. As a veteran, this was particularly meaningful to him. Currently he is the litigation training supervisor at the Center for Family Representation. Tom is a voting rights advocate and has been a poll watcher in four states. He is a graduate of Pace University School of Law.

Kerry Donovan brings to Civic Helpers extensive experience in government affairs, public policy and legislative initiatives at the state and federal levels. His past experience includes broadcast journalism with the Bergen Record's television division and Cablevision's Meet the Leaders Program, both which required frequent reporting on public policy issues at state capitals in the region as well as at the U.S. Capitol. Kerry brought that experience to staff positions for members of the New York Assembly that included service as a Communications Director and Director of Legislation for the Assembly Committee on Mental Health. He led a legislative effort that successfully passed Chapter 386 of the Laws of 2022, the Diaper Act. This legislation eliminated county and local sales taxes on diapers, saving not-for-profit organizations and caregivers across the state millions of dollars annually. Kerry handled many constituent issues including unemployment insurance, health insurance, highway concerns, the STAR property tax rebate program benefits, among others. Additionally, Kerry is a longtime volunteer for organizations that seek to end diaper need in the Hudson Valley region and currently serves as Diaper Drive Coordinator for the recently founded Diaper Bank of Orange, Ulster and Sullivan, Inc.

Walter Reid is a product leader and business architect with 15+ years of experience building trustworthy, user-centered digital systems across finance, e-commerce, and consumer technology. He has led product work at Mastercard, iHeartMedia, Sears, and Viacom, including serving as lead product manager for Mastercard Biz 360, a small-business platform set to open broadly in 2025. A former software developer, Walter blends technical depth with pragmatic operations and policy awareness to turn complex problems into durable, human-scaled solutions.

Walter’s current focus is on AI transparency, digital trust, and practical small business technology. He authors the LinkedIn newsletter Designed to Be Understood, where he explores how AI systems shape public decision-making and brand accountability, and he regularly advises small businesses and nonprofits on data-informed marketing and growth strategy.

Matthew Ravick, a Masters graduate of Fordham University, has dedicated his career to helping at risk youth as a New York City high school counselor. He lives in White Plains, New York with his wife and two daughters, and has served on the Board of the nonprofit Battle Hill Association in White Plains and as member of the City of White Plains' Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities. In his spare time, he works to solve mysteries involving family genealogy.