Alan Skerrett retired from the Office of Mental Health after thirty-three years of service in a variety of direct care and administrative positions. Upon retirement, he assumed the role of Executive Director of the Philmont Hearth, a 14-bed community residence rehabilitation program for severe and profound mental illness clients. He is a local photographer who has provided local photographic services to a variety of entities in the area, has exhibited his photos in group-exhibitions in Hunter Mountain, Catskill, Albany, Cohoes, Hudson, and more, and currently does portrait photography. As a trade specialist, Alan participated in a variety of audiovisual projects and productions, conducted by the Office of Mental Health and the Capital District Psychiatric Center. He was a co-founder and Rehearsal Director of the Capital District Psychiatric Center Mental Health Players, a volunteer education project using role play to educate the community addressing, among other issues, mental health stigma. He has lived in Columbia County for twenty-five years.