Mahaiwe Announces Leadership Updates
Great Barrington — The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s Board of Directors has made several updates to the organization’s leadership ove the course of 2020, including the addition of four new board members: Katie Cliff Burns, Jane F. Greenman, Lawrence Rutkowski, and Allison Wintner.
Katie Cliff Burns is an academic by training, with a doctorate in English literature focused on English Renaissance poetry. She is treasurer of the Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation.
Jane F. Greenman is a retired attorney and human resources (HR) executive. She was a partner and chair of the Employee Benefits practice at Hughes Hubbard and Reed, after which she served as vice president/deputy general counsel, HR of Honeywell International; vice president Compensation, Benefits and Labor Relations of Tyco International; Executive Vice President Global HR of Barr Pharmaceuticals and vice president Global HR of Commvault Systems. She was also a faculty member at NYU School of Law, Brooklyn Law School, and Hofstra Law School. Greenman has extensive nonprofit management experience, including her current role as vice-chair of the Board of Directors of NYC Outward Bound Schools. From 2014-2018, she served as president of the National Executive Service Corps (NESC), remains a member of NESC’s advisory council, and is on the advisory council of Citizens Committee for Children. Greenman holds a BS from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and a Juris Doctor and Master of Laws in labor law from the NYU School of Law.
Lawrence Rutkowski is a partner in the New York City and Washington, D.C. law firm Seward & Kissel LLP. He has been serving in that role since 1992, and before that was a partner in the firm of Hill Betts & Nash, and an associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. He has specialized in corporate finance with a focus on the international shipping industry, which has included negotiating with Somali pirates. Rutkowski is an adjunct professor at the Charleston School of Law in Charleston, S.C. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., and of the Law School of Columbia University. He has served on the boards and committees of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Seafarer’s & International House, Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce, and others.
Allison Wintner, a retired corporate tax attorney, has volunteered extensively in the public school system in Chappaqua, N.Y., including as president of the Chappaqua School Foundation (CSF), president of the six-school Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Executive Council, president of the elementary school PTA, and member of the school district’s finance advisory committee.
In other updates, Board of Directors member Alan Lafer was appointed treasurer. Elected to the Mahaiwe board in December 2019, Lafer recently retired from Neuberger Berman LLC after 39 years as an investment portfolio manager. Previously, he was executive vice-president and co-founder of Lafer Management Corporation. Board Chair Margaret Deutsch, Vice-Chair Mandy Victor-Pieczarka, and Clerk Ron Ashendorf were re-elected to their roles.
Janis Martinson was officially appointed the Mahaiwe’s executive director. Martinson has served the organization as director of advancement since 2017 and was appointed acting executive director at the start of 2020. Before joining the Mahaiwe, she served as vice president of Institutional Advancement at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., where she sat on the President’s Cabinet. She also served an extended tenure as chief advancement officer at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, Mass. She has a BA in English (Certificate in Theater and Dance) from Princeton University and a MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass-Amherst. Her past board service includes Berkshire South Regional Community Center, Town of Egremont Planning Board, and National Coalition of Girls’ Schools. She currently serves as clerk of the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.
—A.K.
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Race Brook Lodge Launches Community-Powered Fundraising Campaign
Sheffield — Race Brook Lodge (RBL) has launched Preserve Race Brook, a fundraising and social media campaign on Gofundme.com. The community-sourced funds will allow Race Brook to sustain the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic and make vital improvements, ensuring that it can continue to provide unique experiences and a rejuvenating sanctuary to thousands of diverse visitors annually.
In its first few weeks, the campaign has raised more than $38,000, with a goal of $125,000. Husband-and-wife team Casey Rothstein-Fitzpatrick and Saadia Khan, along with the Lodge’s founder Dave Rothstein, have partnered with community supporters and RBL enthusiasts to strengthen the campaign and grow the holistic vision of Race Brook. “The financial and logistical challenges of navigating the pandemic have been daunting,” said Rothstein-Fitzpatrick. “Yet, we’ve seen how powerfully the land can help visitors relax and recuperate in a stressful time, and we’re inspired more than ever to continue and evolve our vision for Race Brook.”
“Race Brook Lodge is an essential part of the landscape of the Berkshires. This is one of the few places in the area where it feels truly inclusive of all,” said Khan. “We welcome all and embrace true diversity. Race Brook is a safe haven to BIPOC and a place where people from all different backgrounds come together to heal, which is more essential now than ever before.”
“Race Brook Lodge is such a special place that beautifully and calmly brings together nature and community. It holds a special place in my heart; it’s where I held my wedding,” said State Senator Adam G. Hinds. “We need to join together to make sure the pillars of our community get through the other side of COVID and come out stronger.”
—A.K.
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Hevreh’s Annual Christmas Dinner Bags Help the Community
Great Barrington — Volunteers from Hevreh of Southern Berkshire joined together to deliver Christmas Dinner bags to individuals and families in need across the Berkshires. It has become an annual tradition for members of the congregation to volunteer, filling bags with food to make a Christmas meal. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions, Susan Weinstein (organizer) and Jodie Friedman (communication and engagement manager at Hevreh) packed all 18 bags while volunteers delivered them. Even with the pandemic, Hevreh was not short on volunteers and members went out with festive hats, antlers, and smiles to deliver the dinners, which included turkeys, ingredients for side dishes, and dessert.
This year, 18 pies were graciously donated by Great Barrington Bagel Co. and much of the food was given by The People’s Pantry, located in Great Barrington. The contributions to the pantry and the donation of all 18 turkeys allowed Hevreh to also give each recipient $20.
This tradition has allowed Hevreh members to give back to the community, which is an important Jewish value known as Tikkun Olam. The Christmas Dinner bags were especially important this year since many people are struggling due the pandemic.
—A.K.
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Lenox Garden Club Donates $5,000 to Berkshire Bounty
MaryEllen O’Brien, president of the Lenox Garden Club, announced the Club has donated $5,000 to Berkshire Bounty, a Great Barrington-based organization providing free, nutritious food for those in need in Berkshire County. Through their network of partnerships with supermarkets and food stores, farms and orchards, as well as local mobile food drives, Berkshire Bounty orchestrates the distribution of produce, meat, baked goods, and packaged items to food pantries and other food distribution sites using a team of volunteers. With food insecurity growing as a consequence of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Lenox Garden Club decided to support this local non-profit, whose mission is to provide free food for those in need. In a more usual year, the Club would solicit grant applications in the fall for projects related to gardens, civic beautification, environmental restoration, or conservation. This year, however, due to the challenges brought on by COVID, members chose to support the urgent food needs of the community.
—A.K.
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Price Chopper/Market 32 Announces ‘Check Out Hunger’ Fundraiser Results
Albany – Check Out Hunger, an annual month-long fundraiser coordinated and promoted by Price Chopper/Market 32 in support of all the food banks in its marketing areas, raised $108,190, inclusive of the chain’s $20,000 corporate match. All proceeds from Check Out Hunger benefit the 15 food banks located in Price Chopper/Market 32’s six-state footprint — Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont — with the monies raised in each municipality going directly to the food bank that serves that municipality.
“This year’s Check Out Hunger initiative is especially important as we see so many individuals and families struggling with food insecurity,” said Mona Golub, Price Chopper/Market 32’s vice president of public relations and consumer services. “Food Banks play a crucial role in ensuring those in our community don’t go hungry and we are proud to work with and support these organizations every day of the year.”
—A.K.
