Board of Directors

AnnChris is the Director of Operations for the Boys & Girls Club of Ulster County. She holds a B.A. in Fine and Performing Arts from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and previously worked for the Missoula Children’s Theatre, a touring company that brings theatre and performance to children throughout the U.S., Canada, and the world where creative resources for youth are few. AnnChris has continued to act, direct and teach locally, including her performance in Too Young for the Blues, which was part of Ancram Center’s 2020 Crystal Radio Sessions Upstate. She has also taught the Theatre Practicum course at Dutchess Community College.

Cathy (board president) is an attorney who specializes in complex criminal defense and serves as the Town Judge of Ancram. She is also a co-founder and trustee of the Redlich Horwitz Foundation, which works to implement transformative change in New York’s child welfare and foster care systems. Cathy currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council and the English Advisory Board at the University of Michigan, and the board of The Center for Community Alternatives, which promotes reintegrative justice and a reduced reliance on incarceration.

Gavin’s career has spanned over 25 years as a top producer, programmer, strategist, innovator, marketer, fundraiser, and executive in the entertainment and cultural worlds. He has been a powerful force in growing world-class venues and companies ranging from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to Berklee NYC, the Kimmel Center, Meadowlands Xanadu, Bowery Presents, Big Apple Circus, Spektrix, and the Walton Arts Center. His diverse experience includes all phases of artistic vision and conceptualization, strategic planning, and construction. He currently serves as a Trustee of the Vermont Center for Emerging Technology (VCET) as well as the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada.

After receiving a BA degree from the University of Michigan and an MA from Western Michigan University, Jane began her professional life as a speech pathologist. She later worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Sterling Drug, earning an award for exceptional performance; this was followed by training management positions in the ethical pharmaceutical, grocery and custom consulting arenas, which included work for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Jane subsequently found a career home at Colgate-Palmolive Company where, over 14 years, she rose from Director of Sales Training to directorial posts that encompassed Organizational Effectiveness, Global Leadership, and finally stints as acting Human Resources Director in the South Pacific and, later, Western Europe. Now retired, Jane is a member of the Town of Ancram’s Ethics Board, President of her Homeowners Association’s Board of Directors, a member of the University of Michigan’s Provost Advisory Committee, and recently concluded two terms as Trustee for the Roeliff Jansen Library. In between all these responsibilities, she indulges her passion for exotic travel, playing tennis and tending to her garden.

Stephen (treasurer) is a retired Partner of Pomona Capital, a New York based private equity company, as well as a CPA. He resides in Copake, NY and is active in several local organizations including the finance committee of the Roeliff Jansen Community Library. Stephen also serves as the Finance Committee Vice Chair for the University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation and sponsors the internship program for its business school students. 

Seung is the owner of Copake General Store, a full-service market featuring locally sourced foods. She worked as a news writer and producer for WABC-TV in New York City for more than two decades before she and her husband moved to Ancram. Seung earned an Emmy for a series documenting the conflict at the US-Mexico border and has interviewed many bold-faced names including Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey.  

Tommy (secretary) is a theatre educator, director, and scholar who brings a wealth of artistic experience to Ancram Center. He is presently an Associate Professor of Theatre and Speech at SUNY Dutchess Community College, where he serves as chair of the Performing Arts program and teaches all facets of theatre-making. He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), as well as a peer-reviewer for the SDC Journal, and is currently the chair of SDC Directing Initiative for the Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. As a director and designer, his work has colored stages in Prague, Dublin, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Vegas, and beyond. These days, his focus is squarely on uplifting the voices and ideas of his students, and empowering them through the art and craft of theatre – and the AOH has been a great accomplice along the way!