Stephen M. Kinne, MD (Ret.)

Dr. Stephen Kinne is a graduate of the College of Environmental Science/Forestry and Upstate Medical School. He served 23 years in the United States Air Force as a clinician, medical staff chief, medical commander, and medical residency director. Dr. Kinne deployed to multiple areas of the world, including Southwest Asia following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The recipient of five meritorious service medals and a prestigious Legion of Merit medal, he retired from both the Air Force and medicine in 2006.

Following retirement, Dr. Kinne involved himself in community volunteer work with the Chittenango Lions Club, Wanderer’s Rest animal shelter, Madison County Search and Rescue, and in various leadership roles for the Central New York Chapter of the North Country Trail Association. He also founded Dogs2Vets,  a unique program that teaches vets with PTSD how to train their own service dogs. That effort subsequently grew into Clear Path for Veterans, a nonprofit organization serving Central New York veterans and families.

Dr. Kinne was a regular guest speaker at the Syracuse VA Chronic Pain School, and more recently, he trained to become a volunteer Master Naturalist, now teaching courses in birding for the Onondaga Audubon Society. There he leads bird and nature walks, collects environmental data for Cornell University researchers, volunteers at a wetlands conservancy, does invasive pest surveys for the NYS Hemlock Initiative, and is an active member of the New York Forest Owners Association.

Most importantly, Dr. Kinne says, he has been very happily married for 40 years to his very supportive wife, Ann. They have two grown children, Carrie-Ann (a high school teacher) and Jeremy (a USAF Major), and five wonderful grandchildren.