Volume 74 – September 2015 – Year in Review

Transcription

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF PELHAM
Women Building Better Communities
Volume 74 • September 2015 • Year in Review
IN THIS ISSUE:
President’s Message
Signature Project
Woodland Park
Fund Development
Board of Directors
Community Outreach
JLP in Action
Grants & Awards
Membership
Business & Updates
01
02
05
08
12
16
18
22
26
Pelham
children
enjoying
Woodland
Park stop
and smile for
the cameras.
The Junior League of Pelham • 901 Pelhamdale Avenue Pelham, NY 10803 • www.jlpelham.org
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
We have an exciting year
ahead as we celebrate our 75th
anniversary serving Pelham!
The past year was hugely
successful as a direct result of
the hard work from the Board,
the leadership team and our
entire membership. Thank you
so much for your efforts.
I couldn’t imagine a better way to kick off this year than with the
opening of the Woodland Park. This natural-themed play space
is a welcomed addition to Pelham’s downtown area and will be
enjoyed by families for years to come. We are also very excited
about the launch of our new website and technology overhaul.
With a fresh design and mobile-friendly interface, the new website
is intuitive and easy to navigate.
Our Vision Development Committee is hard at work in the
second year of the AJLI Community Impact roll out to develop
a clear vision for our League. We are listening to the community
and responding to their needs to affect real change. In the
upcoming year, we will continue to nurture our relationships
with our community partners, the Chamber of Commerce,
the Pelham Civics and the Pelham Business Club.
This year we say goodbye to the Teen Improv project but
welcome a new project proposed by first-year active members
called Pass It On, Pelham! Pass It On, Pelham! will connect
donations of children’s clothing and gear from Pelham families
with families in need. We will continue our support of the
Pelham Library Partners, the Backpack Program and
County Harvest Food Rescue and diversify our DIAD/DIAN
opportunities for the membership.
ABOUT POSTINGS
Postings is the JLP newsletter published once
a year, and offered in both printed and digital
format. The JLP keeps its members up-to-date
with the JLP website, weekly e-blasts, and
on the JLP Facebook page. Postings has now
taken the shape of an annual recap of some
of the Junior League's highlights and
accomplishments from the past year.
You can now find Postings online when
you visit www.jlpelham.org!
MISSION
The Junior League of Pelham is an organization
of women committed to promoting voluntarism,
developing the potential of women, and improving
the community through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is
exclusively educational and charitable.
VISION
The JLP, Inc. works together to improve the
lives of families and promote the enrichment
of Pelham and neighboring communities.
OUR COMMITMENT TO
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The Junior League of Pelham, Inc. welcomes
all women who value our Mission. We are
committed to inclusive environments of diverse
individuals, organizations and communities.
Have you visited the
new JLP Website?
We are partnering with our Westchester Leagues for training
this year and will be sending an unprecedented number
of members to AJLI conferences.
We are very excited about the launch of our
new website. Check it out at Jlpelham.org.
With a fresh new design and mobile-friendly
interface, it is intuitive and easy to navigate.
Hope you enjoy using it.
Finally, we look forward to bringing back the Gala this year
and celebrating our accomplishments with our members and
the community! My goal in this 75th anniversary year is to
honor our history and celebrate our future. I look forward
to doing that with you all.
By now, all of the members, active and
sustainer, should have received an email with
instructions from technology@jlpelham.org
on how to set up your username and password
for the member only part of the site. Please take
a moment to set things up so you can
start the new League year in stride.
Melissa Mulrooney Deighton
If you have any questions in the meantime,
please reach out to technology@jlpelham.org.
POSTINGS • Fall 2015
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SIGNATURE PROJECT
is
OPEN!
T
he vision to create a
nature-themed playground in the middle
of downtown Pelham has been
realized. Working closely with
the Village of Pelham, the Junior
League of Pelham navigated
policies, design and fundraisers
to bring its most recent
Signature Project, Woodland
Park, to life. Over five years in
the works, the playground has
benefitted from the involvement
of numerous Village Mayors,
Village Trustees and countless
JLP volunteers. Current JLP
President Melissa Mulrooney
Deighton expressed excitement
and gratitude at achieving this
milestone: “We are very excited
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about the opening of the
Woodland Park and it is a
wonderful way to celebrate our
75th year of serving the Pelham
community. This project has
truly been a community wide
effort and the JLP sincerely
thanks everyone who provided
vital support to the park”.
Beginning in 2011,
spearheaded by Community
Outreach VP, Aisling Bier,
and Research & Development
Chairs, Lisa Koonce and
Patricia O’Bryne, the Village and
the JLP began to conceptualize
a new playground in Wolfs
Lane Park that would serve
the downtown area all day,
bringing people into town
and providing a much-needed
recreational destination to
residents. Together they put
forth several proposals to the
JLP and we voted on the
“Children’s Adventure Park”.
The proposed playground
would serve as a place for
residents to gather and for
children to meet-up and play,
and would be one component
of a larger master plan to
improve Wolfs Lane Park,
which is ongoing. Further, it
was hoped the playground
would increase foot traffic and
ultimately help nearby familyfriendly retailers. A Memorandum of Understanding was
entered into between the Village
and the JLP on June 6, 2012.
Recognizing the significance
of Wolfs Lane Park as a major
component of the green space
in Pelham, the idea of creating
a nature-based play space
began to take shape. Under
the guidance of Zoe Klein
Henriquez and Aisling Bier,
Signature Project co-chairs in
2012-2013 and 2013-2014, the
unique design of the park and
lengthy approval discussions
were completed. The Signature
Project team engaged naturebased play space design expert
Fred Martin of Environment
Design LLC, well known in the
area for his playground designs
at the Greenburgh Nature
Center in Scarsdale and the
Stamford Nature Center, to
design the park. His unique
design encompassed elements
such as a grass maze, a log and
stump climbing structure, a
leaf pile stage, a squirrel’s nest
hideout and climbing structure
and a hill slide. Meanwhile,
the Trustees of the Village
of Pelham held numerous
meetings on the subject to
ensure that the public was
well-informed, that all issues
had been reviewed satisfactorily
and that the design met safety
and insurance requirements.
The project benefitted greatly
from the role of Susan Mutti,
Village Trustee and JLP
Sustainer, and her guidance
through the Village’s processes.
“We are thrilled to have
completed this long awaited
project with the JLP. The
playground is a critical part
of our redesign of Wolfs Lane
Park to better utilize the space
for the benefit of residents
and visitors as well as Pelham
businesses. We appreciate
the generosity and extended
effort of the JLP on this
signature project.”
Once the major hurdles had
been cleared, 2014-2015 JLP
President Jessica DeDomenico
and 2014-2015 Signature
Project co-chairs, Xaira Ferrara
and Liz Perreten, began the
Cover & playground photos by Deborah Karson
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SIGNATURE PROJECT
fundraising campaign. Kicked
off with Light Up Pelham in
December 2014, the campaign
held various events, including
the great, snowy “Pelham Music
Night” featuring incredibly
talented local musicians, and
received tremendous support
both from JLP members and
community residents. The
Woodland Park received critical
support from the following
select group of Founders’ Circle
donors who donated $5,000 or
more to the project: Zoe
Henriquez/The Klein Family,
The DeCicco Family, Michael
and Doreen DeDomenico and
Family, McClellan Sotheby’s
International Realty, Meridian
Risk Management & Joan
Solimine Real Estate, and Pelham
Preservation & Garden Society.
Finally, with the funding,
approvals and design in place,
the Woodland Park groundbreaking was held on May 12,
2015. Construction and planting
were completed, and on July 24,
2015, Woodland Park opened
to the public and the first kids
went down the slide! The
park has instantly become a
destination for families with
young kids to meet up and for
kids to play outside and engage
with their natural surroundings.
Woodland Park is the most
recent addition to the list of JLP’s
Signature Projects completed in
Pelham. Past Signature Projects
include the Martha Emmons
Weihman Memorial Park
Restoration Project (completed
in 2009), the Lanterns of Pelham
Project (completed in 2001) and
Julianne’s Playground on Sixth
Street (completed in 1999).
The JLP looks forward to seeing
children and their families
enjoying the Woodland Park
for many years to come.
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Our most sincere thanks to all the friends, businesses and Junior League
of Pelham Members who so generously supported The Woodland Park.
WOODLAND PARK FOUNDER'S CIRCLE
$5,000+
Zoe Henriquez / The Klein Family
The DeCicco Family
Michael & Doreen DeDomenico & Family
McClellan Sotheby's International Realty
Meridian Risk Management & Joan
Solimine Real Estate
Pelham Preservation & Garden Society
WOODLAND PARK BUILDERS
$500 - $4,999
Andy Horan and Sandy Iyer-Horan
Jessica The DeDomenico Family
The Caccavale Reynolds Family
The Hefner Family
The Griffiths Family
The Lusins Family
The Brewer Family
Elaine and Jeffay Chang
The FitzSimons Family
The Kelling Family
The McLoughlin D'Angelo Family
The To Family
The Hart Family
The Treves Family
The Aronoff Family
The Dolan Family
The Mothner Family
Sean and Michele Egan
The Lee Family
The Marshall & Jennifer
Anderson Family
Jeff and Kristin Austin
The Barsanti Family
Iris and Ed Beckwith
Leslie and Dan Berkery
The Bethea Family
The Bidwell Family
John and Joanna Boyle
Kelly and Josh Brown
The Burke Family
The Butterfield Family
The Centurino Family
The Cipolla Family
Sabrina and Dave Clark
The Tracie & Jason Cohen Family
D. Ragno Landscaping
Sing and Kevin Duffy
The Dunkelberger Foley Family
Matt, Michaela, Avi, and Maddie Evans
Meredith, Jason, Gus,
Nick & Alexandra Fabozzi
The Fauber Family
The Feldman Family
Alessandro and Xaira Ferrara
The Fisher Family
Flaster Family
The Nakayama Family
John, Renee, Chip & Will Gallagher
The Gracie Family
Gun Hill Fence
Dawn and Christopher Bloise
The Hawkins Family
The Pereira Family
The Hill-Ries Family
James and Lisa Clunie
The Jossart Family
The Knickerbocker Family
The Kolmer & Capurro Family
The Koonce Family
The Lehmann Family
The Ellis/Leung Family
The Loughman Family
The Maiberger Family
The Matts Family
The Micciche Family
The Molineaux Family
The Morjikian Family
The Monaghan-Morris Family
James Deighton & Melissa
Mulrooney Deighton
Susan Mutti
Manu, Nandini, and Sanjay Naik
The Ohmes Family
The Perreten Family
The Radonis Family
The Radvany Family
Julie, Lily & Maggie Reid"
Susan and Kirk Reische
Ross Family: Bill, Anna, Nik,
Katya and Dima
The Russillo Family
The Rutigliano Family
The Bitencourt Shaw Family
The Shaw Family
The Stephens Family
Stiefvater Real Estate
The Tahbaz Family
The Tam Family
Jessica Vieira and Matt Roden
The Wallach Family
The White Family
The Winstead Kingsley Family
The Yorio Family
The Fisherman's Net
Village of Pelham Department
of Public Works
FUND DEVELOPMENT AND EVENTS
Pelham
Music Night
To Benefit the Woodland Park
A great time was had by all at the Pelham Music Night To Benefit
the Woodland Park on Friday March 20, 2015 at the Fisherman’s
Net. On what turned out to be a snowy night, over 110 people
came to show their support for the JLP and Woodland Park.
They were entertained with local musical talent which included
Roland Rogers, Jonathan Ellinghaus & Lloyd Fricker from the
band Glenwood, Andrew Cole from the BravoHops and Jeff
Ginsburg. We raised $4,500 for the Woodland Park!
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FUND DEVELOPMENT AND EVENTS
Junior League of Pelham’s
2nd Oktoberfest
– SOLD OUT
O
n a chilly fall day on
Saturday, Oct. 18th,
the sounds of
German music and the smell
of grilled brats filled the air
on Seventh Street outside
B&B’s Fifth Avenue Pub. As
the first stein was filled with
Paulaner beer, Pelham Junior
League’s 2nd Oktoberfest
Celebration had begun.
A sold out event that had
more than 150 Pelhamites and
friends enjoying in traditional
German foods and various
German beers. Attendees
raved all evening about the
fun, casual atmosphere, the
perfect weather, the great beer
selection and a great company
of neighbors and friends.
This celebration supports a
good cause. All proceeds from
the Oktoberfest go to provide
vital support to the Pelham
community via the Junior
League of Pelham’s outreach
programs aimed at improving
the lives of families, and promoting the enrichment of Pelham
and neighboring communities.
The organizers of the event,
the Junior League of Pelham,
would like to thank everyone
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who supported the League and
Oktoberfest. Special thanks go
to local businesses for their
support (B&B’s Fifth Avenue
Pub, OnPoint Image & Design
and Ink and Thread).
Oktoberfest was chaired
again this year by Kelly Brown
and brought in over $3,600 in
profits for the League. Winners
of the raffle walked away with
great prized such as a 3 month
trial membership to Wisdom
Way Martial Arts, 2 month
unlimited classes at CrossFit
Pelham, a Pelham Picture
House Family Membership,
Bartow-Pell Conservancy
Family Friend Pass and gift
certificates from LaFontanella
and Nicholas Day Spa.
Junior League’s 2014
“Light Up Pelham”
Fundraiser a Great Success
O
What better way to kickoff the fall season
than a relaxing afternoon of delicious
food, great music and unlimited beer,
all while being surrounded by
your friends and neighbors?!
The Junior League’s Oktoberfest Celebration
is back for its 3rd straight year
Saturday, October 3rd
from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
outside the Fisherman’s Net, 129 6th Street.
Fill your souvenir stein with unlimited German beers,
while digging into a delicious spread of authentic
German food – including 3 kinds of sausage and the
now infamous jumbo soft pretzels. Plus, new this
year, you can challenge your neighbors to a game
of beer pong or flaunt your lederhosen and dirndls
in the costume contest.
Whether you’ve just moved to town or lived here
more than a decade, join us for what is becoming
a new Pelham tradition.
You must be 21 years or older to attend. Tickets are
$75 per person in advance, or $85 per person at the
door. The price of admission includes unlimited
food, beer and a souvenir Oktoberfest stein.
To purchase tickets, visit
www.jlpelham.org.
n December 6th, the
JLP and local community members
gathered together for the JLP’s
annual fundraising event,
“Light Up Pelham”. This year,
this marquee event raised
more than $20,000. Over 100
community members and
businesses contributed to
the fundraising campaign,
demonstrating their kindness
and generosity, as well as
their shared goal of enhancing
our community.
The Light Up Pelham
event was marked with elegant
and festive luminaries which
lit up the path of 5th Avenue
between the R.J. Daronco
Town House and the Town
Hall. Despite the rainy
weather, the luminaries
shined as bright as ever and
many community members
were in attendance.
This year, Light Up Pelham
supported several vital
community projects that are
sure to bring new vitality and
charm to Pelham. One of these
projects – the Woodland Park
in downtown Pelham – was
completed in July. Funds raised
supported this nature-inspired
play space for families across
our community, and donors
who contributed over $500
are commemorated with a
permanent stone paver
within the park.
Other important JLP
projects that Light Up Pelham
funded include Library
Partners, Teen Improv, Backpack Program and Food Rescue.
The JLP has been
committed to bettering our
community for 75 years. Each
year, the JLP assesses current
needs within Pelham and
endeavors to develop new
projects that target those
needs. Fundraising initiatives
such as Light Up Pelham are
critical to the success of these
impactful projects, as the JLP
continues to promote the
enrichment of Pelham and
neighboring communities.
Light Up Pelham was
chaired this year by Simonette
Cipolla and would not have been
successful without the hard work
and dedication of Fund Development VP, Valerie Micciche.
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MEET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015 / 2016
President
President Elect / Planning VP
Nancy Hawkins
Fund Development VP
Lisa Hill-Ries
Melissa joined the JLP in 2009 and is looking forward to being President in her sixth
active year. This will be her fourth year
on the Board. Melissa has co-chaired the
My Sisters’ Place project, co-chaired the
Membership Committee, served as
Membership VP and served as Treasurer
for two years. Melissa moved to Pelham
with her husband James in 2007 and
currently enjoys staying home with her
two daughters, Sarafina (7) and Amelia
(4). Melissa also serves on the Board for
Friends of the Town of Pelham Public
Library and is active with many other
community organizations, including the
Hutchinson School PTA. Melissa is an
attorney and prior to motherhood worked
for a midtown hedge fund. She grew up in
neighboring Mount Vernon, has a bachelor’s
degree from Boston College and a JD from
Fordham University School of Law.
Nancy joined the JLP in 2011 and is
President Elect for 2015-16. In past years,
Nancy was President Elect, Editor-in-Chief
on the Communications Council and was
part of the Teen Improv project. Nancy
moved to Pelham in 2011 with her
husband and two sons and is currently
the Head of Editorial at Practical Law,
a Thomson Reutuers company.
Lisa joined the JLP in 2014 and is excited
to begin her first active year as Fund
Development VP after leading her outstanding provisional class as co-chair. Lisa
is a writer and manager who has worked
on a variety of communications teams;
most recently, she was the Deputy
Directory of Correspondence for Mayor
Michael Bloomberg. Lisa is also an avid
baker and founded Girl Next Door Baked
Goods. She took time off in 2012 when she
gave birth to twins Jack and Nellie, and is
currently freelancing and hoping to start
her baking business again this year. Lisa
grew up in Boston, earned a BA in English
Literature from the University of Chicago
and moved to Pelham in 2014 after 13
years in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
C O M M U N I C AT I O N S
Where to find JLP
Information & Updates:
For real-time updates on projects visit our Facebook community
page. It is a great way to stay connected with fellow JLP members.
As always, you can find all the relevant JLP information
on our website www.jlpelham.org including:
We provide regular updates through weekly eBlast. If you are not
receiving eBlast and would like to sign up, please email us at
pr@jlpelham.org
JLP calendar
How to Get In Touch and Get Your News Publicized
Member Directory
We have created a single email address for communication council that will remain unchanged from year to year:
Budget
Current Project Slate
Membership Requirements
8
pr@jlpelham.org.
Communications VP
Sing Duffy
Membership VP
Janine Yorio
Community Outreach Co-VP
Liz Perreten
Sing joined the JLP in 2014. During her
Provisional class project, she maintained
a leadership role in PR. Sing holds a BS
in Accounting from Villanova University
and is currently the CFO of a global hedge
fund based in NYC with a focus on energy
and oil services. In the past, Sing has
volunteered with and/or served on benefit
committees for various local charities
including City Harvest (where her
husband heads Development), and her
most challenging fundraiser to date was
when she ran a full marathon in Italy to
raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society. Sing enjoys baking, running,
hiking, food, traveling, being active in her
community and spending time with her
husband and their two year old daughter
in both Pelham and the North Fork
wine region of New York.
Janine joined the JLP in 2011. Janine
previously worked as gala co-chair for the
“Night in Marrakesh” Gala in 2013, and as
social co-chair in 2014. Janine has lived
in Pelham for 4 years with her husband
Jesse, and her two children, Andrew and
Caroline. She also volunteers with the
Pelham Picture House. She is currently
a stay-at-home mother. She graduated
from Yale University, and previously
worked in real estate finance
and investment.
Liz joined the JLP in 2013 after moving
to Pelham three years ago with her two
children. She was drawn to join the JLP
by the Woodland Park project, which she
co-chaired last year as a first-year active.
She is thrilled to see children playing in
the park this summer, a concrete testament
to the role of the JLP in the Pelham
community. Liz brings to the board
her experience serving on a number of
non-profit boards, including three years
on the junior board of Family Services of
Westchester. Professionally, Liz serves as
a Principal and head of investor relations
and business development for Churchill
Asset Management. In their free time,
Liz and her family enjoy spending time
on the water and at the beach.
Got news?
Submit to pr@jlpelham.org after your direct VP has reviewed and
approved the information you wish to publicize. This includes
submissions to weekly eBlast, bi-annual Postings, or anything
you wish to publish in local papers such as Pelham Weekly,
Pelham Post, or News of Pelham.
Project/Event chairs are responsible for developing materials.
Communications team handles all submissions to local papers. All
external communication must be approved by VP Communications.
This includes articles, banners, invitations, ads, presentations —
any communication materials intended for the public eye.
Feel free to post on JLP Facebook page. No approval needed!
Deadlines:
eBlast: submit by Thursday for inclusion in eBlast
next Tuesday. Information will be also updated
on the website at the same time.
Postings: All materials for Postings should be submitted
throughout the JLP year and before May 31st, 2016. Please check
JLP website and weekly eBlasts for any changes to this date.
Pelham Weekly: submit two weeks prior to desired
publication date – to allow time for JLP editorial review and
submission to the paper. When submitting an article, include
pictures and captions with name of people in your pictures.
Any questions? Please contact PR team at pr@jlpelham.org.
9
MEET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015 / 2016
Community Outreach Co-VP
Maggie Shaw
Treasurer
Kristin Austin
Secretary
Sunetra Mitra
Maggie joined the JLP in 2011 and is looking
forward to her first year on the board.
During her provisional year she maintained
a leadership role in PR where she helped
the Pelham Public Library expand their
Tween/Teen Programs. During her first two
active years, she was the Assistant Treasurer,
served on the Fundraising Committee, and
found her time volunteering on Backpack
program particularly rewarding. Maggie
currently serves on the Board for the Friends
of the Town Public Library and is active at
her son's school. She also helps manage her
family's charity, which teaches basic skills
and provides housing to battered women in
Brazil. She enjoys tennis, volleyball, crossfit,
singing and dancing while staying at home
with her three children, Luca, Tiago and
Eva. Before starting her family, Maggie
spent time working as a paramedic
and a realtor in Miami.
Kristin joined the JLP shorty after moving
to Pelham in 2011 and this is her first year
on the Board. In her first three active years,
Kristin was on the Membership Committee
and served as the Assistant Treasurer.
She also co-chaired Library Partners,
participated in the County Harvest
program and was on the Signature Project
committee. Kristin received her degree
in architecture from the University of
Minnesota and, prior to starting her family,
had a residential architecture business.
She currently serves on the Architectural
Review Board for the Village of Pelham.
Most of all, Kristin loves spending time
with her family, her daughter Skyler, and
two sons, Laighton and Devin.
Sunetra joined the JLP in 2014 and is
excited to serve on the Board in her first
active year. She moved to Pelham with
her husband and two children in 2013.
Sunetra is from India and came to the U.S.
ten years ago. She studied psychology and
loves doing yoga and meditation. Sunetra
enjoys dancing and held dance therapy
workshops in India for victims of human
trafficking and children living in the slums.
Sunetra loves working with kids and runs
Yogis, a home based daycare in Pelham.
Pass It On, Pelham! will be added and we
will no longer be participating in Teen Improv. We’re excited to kick off this new endeavor, co-chaired by Tara DeCandido and
Jennifer DeLeonardo, and we are confident
it will bring so much to our community.
will collect, organize and store donations
from the Pelham community and reach out
to schools, churches and other community
organizations to identify local families in
need. JLP volunteers would then distribute
the items accordingly.
Pass It On, Pelham! seeks to aid
underprivileged families in Pelham and
the surrounding area by streamlining the
process of collecting donated clothing and
gear from Junior League members and
other Pelhamites. The Pass It On committee
The first collection event is planned for
September, so please keep us in mind
during your fall cleaning!
Special Announcement!
The votes
are in and
JLP has a
new project
on the slate!
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We look forward to supporting this
important project!
Leadership Training
Association of Junior League
International Inc. Annual
Conference in Los Angeles, CA
Sustainer Representative
Sandra L. Epes
Sustainer Representative
Candice Ripoll
Sandra joined the JLP in 2004. During her
Provisional year, she co-chaired the class
project (“Pelham Loves to Read”). As a first
year active member, she co-chaired the
Activities Committee and hosted the Annual
Holiday Party. Sandra has been the Public
Relations Chair. She has served on the JLP
Board of Directors twice as the Assistant
Outreach Projects VP and co-chair of
Membership. She has also hosted the Annual
Dinner. In our community, she has been involved with the Manor Club, MINT: Mental
Health Initiative (Board of Directors), the Siwanoy PTA, the Susan G. Komen “Race for
the Cure” in NYC and The Pelham Girl
Scouts (Troop Leader). She is currently an
active member of the Parent Association at
her children’s school. After working for
ExxonMobil for 11 years, Sandra chose to
stay home with her two young children (now
ages 12 & 15). She enjoys spending time at
the New England Shores with her family,
tennis and working on her house. Sandra is
looking forward to her next role with the JLP
as the Sustainer Representative co-chair with
her dear friend Candice Ripoll!
Candice joined the JLP in 2004, the same
year she moved to Pelham. She co-chaired
the Activities Committee in her first active
year. Over the years, Candice has taken
advantage of the many rewarding
volunteer opportunities the League offers.
She helped plan My Sisters’ Place Holiday
Party and she co-chaired the Soup Kitchen
Project. She has previously served on the
Board for the Ways and Means Committee
(now Fund Development) as well as for
Membership. After going Sustainer in
2011, Candice served two years as PTA
Co-President for Hutchinson Elementary.
She also spent two years as a Girl Scout
Troop Leader. She will be President of the
Pelham PTA Council for 2015-2016.
Candice and her husband Charles have
three children: Christopher (11), Francesca
(9) and Giada (4). Candice Ripoll is very
happy to be a Sustainer Representative
along with her good friend Sandra Epes.
September
08 Board Meeting
15 GMM
27 Informational Session
October
03 Oktoberfest
06 Board Meeting
21 GMM - Joint Training
with Bronxville
28 Community Round Table
Annual Conference was jam-packed this
year with workshops, celebration of
League accomplishments and thoughtful
conversations leading up to the adoption
of a new Commitment to Diversity and
Inclusion Statement replacing the previous
Reaching Out Statement and associated
amendments to the Association Bylaws
and Operational Polices approved by the
Junior Leagues. In addition, the delegates
adopted an Advisory Resolution on Brand
Marketing of The Junior League. The conference’s keynote speaker was Geena Davis
who spoke on how women and girls are
portrayed (or ignored) in popular media.
Melissa Mulrooney Deighton attended for the
JLP and had a great time meeting the other
representative from the Westchester leagues.
November
03 Board Meeting
17 Pie Baking
January
05 Board Meeting
19 GMM
December
01 Board Meeting
tbd Holiday Party/ GMM
tbd Light Up Pelham
February
02 Board Meeting
09 GMM/Dinner Meetings
March
01 Board Meeting
15 GMM
April
02 Gala
05 Board Meeting
19 GMM
May
03 Board Turnover
17 Annual Dinner
31 Memorial Day Parade
11
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Provisional Class Hosts
“Back In Time
With Bartow-Pell”
O
n Saturday, Jan. 24, the
provisional class welcomed
some 70 children and their
parents to Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum
for a day of family fun. “Back in Time
With Bartow-Pell” was a first-of-its-kind
free event that transported kids from
the Bronx, Pelham, and surrounding
communities back to the 1850s through
an interactive museum tour, scavenger
hunt, and historically-relevant crafts
and activities.
Despite a snowy start, the event
proved to be largely successful. Upon
entry, children had their pictures taken
in a photo booth with period props, and
were later given the opportunity to
decorate frames to display them in. They
also made their own colorful quill pens,
and tried their hands at calligraphy.
12
Members of the provisional class, along
with BPMM tour guides, dressed up as
members of the Bartow family to guide
groups of curious children through the
museum on an educational scavenger hunt.
The experience culminated with hot chocolate, a raffle to win a historical toy, and goody
bags with treats and educational activities.
“The creative activities in the
Orangerie, the adorable photos of kids in
period garb, and the house tour/scavenger
hunt that the Junior League volunteers
produced with the help of Education
Director and Curator Margaret Highland
were terrific,” said Ellen Bruzelius, Executive
Director of BPMM. “The children were
totally engaged and interested and will
hopefully be back! We are so grateful to the
Junior League of Pelham for planning and
putting together this great family event.”
Teen Improv Classes
T
he JLP, in partnership with PACT and The Picture House,
sponsored The Teen Improv Project in March. A series of
free comedy workshops for local youth, the program is
designed to foster self-esteem and confidence for teens.
The project included three free workshops where teens
learned about the art of characters, scenes, and improvisation,
while having a blast with friends on stage.
The workshops were led by Beth Manspeizer, a professional
actor, improv artist, and Director of Education Programs at The
Picture House. A lifetime member of the Actors Studio, Actors
Equity Association, and SAG-AFTRA, Ms. Manspeizer has taught
acting, directing, and improvisation comedy to students and
adults in and around the New York area. She has performed
regularly at Improv Boston as well as other venues.
The workshops culminated in a live performance at The
Picture House in front of a teen-only audience and enabled youth
across our community to have fun, meet new friends, and learn
new entertaining skills.
Hungry Kidz Stockings
Your membership dues at work...thank you! This year we filled & delivered 100
stockings for Hungry Kidzz, a charity that benefits the kids who are in shelters and
whose parents use the soup kitchens in the area. Items included a stuffed toy, a
dozen holiday chocolates, Goldfish, Rice Krispy Treat, Welch's Fruit snack, pencil,
ruler, Crayola Crayons, coloring & activity book, bubble bath, toothbrush, & solar
system magnets. Many thanks for your generosity & support this holiday season!
13
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Boys and Girls Club
Backpack Program:
Food Rescue
CSA Soup Kitchen
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Operation Happy Holidays
County Harvest - OASIS Shelter
NYSPAC
The Junior League of Pelham is a proud member
of The New York State Public Affairs Committee of
the Junior Leagues of New York (NYSPAC), which
is a coalition of 17 Junior Leagues across New
York and represents more than 7,500 women.
Last November, Beth Kougasian and Lidia
McCarthy from JLP’s Community and Public
Affairs Committee attended the NYSPAC Fall
Conference, where Junior League members
discussed and voted on public policy impacting
women and health, as well as children and
families, as potential focuses for 2014-2015.
The participating members also elected to
continue to support the Trafficking Victims
Protection and Justice Act (TVPJA) as its
signature issue. Due in large part to NYSPAC’s
hard work and advocacy, the bill successfully
passed in both the Senate and the NYS Assembly.
Once the TVPJA passed, the NYSPAC delegation
announced its support to the secondary voted
issue, the Paid Family Leave Insurance (PFLA),
which closes gaps in our state’s existing family
leave policies. You can learn about NYSPAC past
and present supported legislations by visiting its
website jl-nyspac.org.
15
JPL IN ACTION
Community Leaders Roundtable
Discusses Revitalization
of Downtown Pelham
followed by discussion around
the need to attract more local
patrons to Pelham businesses.
• Holly Mellstrom, Realtor
from McClellan Sotheby’s,
highlighted the changing
preferences from home buyers
and the increasing desire for a
location which replicates the
qualities of the city life. Having more enticing shops and
restaurants in Pelham would
attract potential home buyers.
• Carolyn Massi, owner of New
Image Hair Salon gave advice
on operating a thriving
business in Pelham.
• Susan Mutti, Village of
Pelham Trustee discussed the
need to encourage local
Pelham residents to explore
their downtown, support local
restaurants and shops, and engage in community programs.
The Junior League of Pelham volunteers with the round table event speakers • 1st row: Ruby Rey, Lidia Mc Carthy, Marissa
Mora, Carol Fleming, Holly Mellstrom, Dawn Bloise • 2nd row: Lynn Honeysett, Carolyn Massi, Amy Moore, Dana Bober, Kathy
Ellis, Jessica DeDomenico, Christine Gesky, Janna Johnsen, Sandy Weibel
O
n November 13, 2014
the Junior League of
Pelham (JLP) facilitated
a Community Leaders Roundtable focused on the important
topic of enhancing and
revitalizing downtown Pelham.
The roundtable was held at the
Pelham Art Center and featured
stakeholders from various sectors
in our local community, including business owners, non-profit
leaders, and a robust audience.
The Community leaders
Roundtable was moderated by
local business owner, Darby
Dunn. Highlights from the
roundtable include discussions
on an array of relevant topics:
• Sandy Weibel, President of the
Pelham Chamber of
Commerce and Christine
Gesky-Farahat, VP of the Pelham Chamber of Commerce
presented results from a survey of 50 Pelham merchants
which revealed that only 4 out
of 10 customers were from
Pelham. Survey findings were
Back to School Clothes for Kids
This summer, the JLP participated in the “Back to School
Clothes for Kids” Campaign,
which supplied ten children
ages 8 and 9 years old,
living in family challenging
situations throughout
Westchester County, with
back-to-school clothes
including underwear, sweatshirts, and coats or sneakers.
16
A robust and fruitful open
forum followed the speaker-led
sessions. Numerous suggestions
were made to improve the
community, demonstrating the
great passion that Pelhamites
have in building a better Pelham.
Suggestions included raising
awareness of Pelham businesses,
better communications of local
happenings, creation of a
community center, and increasing activities for Pelhamites to
engage in on weekends.
Improving our local
community is a topic of great
significance to the JLP. Funds
received through the Light Up
Pelham fundraiser are used for
various projects aimed at enhancing our local community.
These funds also supported the
Pelham’s newest addition – the
Woodland Park – located in the
heart of downtown Pelham.
This park represents the culmination of five years of planning
hand-in-hand with the JLP as
part of an overall effort to
revitalize downtown Pelham.
Easter Bunny Boulevard
Pelham Civic Association’s
75th Annual Dinner Dance
Tyson Newton Stephens, Melissa
Mulrooney Deighton, Jessica
DeDomenico and Anna Ross attended the Pelham Civic Association’s
75th Annual Dinner Dance on
November 8, 2015 on behalf of the
JLP. The Pelham Civic Association
proudly honored all the volunteer
organizations in Pelham, including
the JLP, that make our Town a very
special and welcoming community.
Pie Baking
Pelham Block Party
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GRANTS & AWARDS
Junior League of Pelham announces its
2015 Grant Recipients
On Tuesday, April 21, 2015, the Junior League
of Pelham awarded grants to five worthy
nonprofits through their annual Community
Grants Program. President Jessica DeDomenico,
and Community and Public Affairs Co-Chairs
Lidia Mc Carthy and Marissa Mora were pleased
to award these grants for programs that align
with the JLP’s mission of promoting education,
healthy families and Pelham improvement.
The Wartburg – Jessica, Ann Frey (The Wartburg's Director of Volunteers),
Lidia, and Marissa
The Wartburg Home of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church (www.ishcc.org)
Young Life – Jessica, Stephanie Raubenheimer (Young Life's Area Director),
Lidia, and Marissa
Wartburg provides Senior Day Care, Independent and Nursing
Home services for Seniors of Lower Westchester County. They are
expanding their Music and Memory program for their Alzheimers
and Dementia residents. The Junior League of Pelham is pleased
to grant $1,131 for the purchase of 20 Ipod Shuffles with adaptors
for their Adult day care program and assisted living residents.
Young Life Lower Westchester
(www.lowerwestchester.younglife.org)
Young Life works to improve the lives of children through
friendships with leaders and high quality adventure. Young Life
Trips encourage teenagers to focus on caring for others and
promotes messages of compassion, love and acceptance. The
Junior League of Pelham is pleased to grant $1,250 to partially
fund scholarships for Pelham teens to participate in the Young
Life Summer Trip in 2015.
18
About the Junior League of Pelham The Junior League
of Pelham is an organization of women committed to
promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of
women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its
purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
Please visit www.jlpelham.org for more information.
Picture House – Jessica, Amy Cole (The Picture House's Director of
Communications), Lidia, and Marissa
The Picture House (www.thepicturehouse.org)
The Picture House shows new, independent and classic cinema
and provides students of all ages, with the opportunity to learn
about the art, science and business of film. The Junior League of
Pelham is pleased to grant $1,000 to cover the administrative costs
of running the theater for two screenings of “OMG – I love that
Movie”, The Picture House’s teen movie series, geared for teens.
YMCA Photo – Jessica DeDomenico (JLP President), Julie Gallanty (YMCA New
Rochelle - Executive Director/CEO), Lidia Mc Carthy and Marissa Mora (JLP Community & Public Affairs Committee Co-Chairs)
Young Men’s Christian Association of New
Rochelle, INC. (YMCA) (www.nrymca.org)
The YMCA provides swimming classes and gym activities to the
surrounding community, including some 300 residents of Pelham. The Pelham Recreation Department also rents the facility
once monthly in the winter for Pelham Teen Nights. In November
2014 the pool had to be closed due to the roof collapsing, which
needs to be repaired or the facility will have to close The Junior
League of Pelham is pleased to grant $809.50 to provide partial
funding for the pool facility’s roof repairs.
Also receiving a special $500 donation this year from the JLP
is the Ladies of Charity of the Pelhams. They are an
organization of 45 members in Pelham who are devoted to women’s
and children’s causes. They support the Pelham Day Care Center
by regularly knitting mittens for the children. This donation will
allow the Ladies of Charity to purchase yarn for their Layette
program—a program where beautiful, hand knitted baby blankets
are delivered to underprivileged young women and their newborns.
Mark Rookwood (left) and David Brown (right)
Environmental Coalition of the Pelhams (EcoPel)
(www.ecopel.org)
EcoPel is a grassroots organization that serves as the umbrella body
for all groups within the villages of Pelham and Pelham Manor that
have environmental goals. EcoPel aims to educate and inform the
community, as well as to provide resources to support environmental
initiatives that directly benefit the Pelhams. The Junior League of
Pelham is pleased to grant $809.50 for the partial purchase of
recycling bins to place in locations around Pelham.
Congratulations to all grant and
donation recipients. All of these
organizations do wonderful work in
our community and we are happy to
help support these exciting projects.
19
GRANTS & AWARDS
Junior League of Pelham announces its
2015 Scholarship Recipient
T
he JLP President's Award Scholarship was awarded this
year to Luke Hellum. While there were many impressive
applicants this year, Luke's dedication to volunteerism in
areas such as education and healthy families caught the eye of the
selection committee. Luke is an extraordinary young man with a
long history of offering his time and talents to those in need.
In addition to excelling in academics, Luke has demonstrated
his love of learning by teaching others, most recently when he
spearheaded an after-school geography program at Colonial
Elementary School. Luke shared his knowledge of history, politics,
the climate and current events with 3rd and 4th graders who
participated in the program. He also developed a website for his
students to continue exploring geography outside of the classroom.
Luke discovered his love of geography during his early
childhood in Phoenix, AZ, where he volunteered with the
Welcome to America Project, helping refugees brought to the
United States through the UN Refugee Agency. Luke helped
to deliver donated furnishings to refugees and to transform
their foreign surroundings into a new home.
Luke is headed to Yale in the fall and plans to continue his
volunteer efforts at Dwight Hall, Yale's center for public service.
The JLP could not be more pleased to award Luke the President's
Award Scholarship this year.
P R O J E C T S L AT E
BackPack Program
The Backpack Program
provides backpacks of
food to children over the
weekend to ensure they
do not experience hunger
when they are not in
school. The children
served are enrolled in the
Boys and Girls Club of
New Rochelle after-school
program and are reliant
on subsidized or free
breakfast and lunch
programs at their schools.
The food provided should
be sufficient to meet the
needs of a family of four
over the weekend.
20
County Harvest
Food Rescue Run
County Harvest is a
non-profit organization
that rescues excess food
from hotels, restaurants,
caterers, country clubs,
supermarkets, wholesale
clubs, etc. and delivers it
immediately to soup
kitchens, food pantries
and homeless shelters in
Westchester County. JLP
members participate in a
weekly food rescue run,
which is scheduled on
a set day (Saturdays)
between 9-11am.
Library Partners
The JLP provides
volunteers and
programming for a
twice weekly children’s
story time at the Pelham
Public Library. The
committee works with
the library to develop an
on-going literacy program
for elementary-aged
children (e.g. puppet
workshop) and purchases
books and materials to
support the programming.
Pass It On, Pelham!
Pass It On, Pelham! seeks
to aid underprivileged
families in Pelham and
the surrounding area by
streamlining the process
of collecting donated
clothing and gear from
Junior League members
and other Pelhamites.
The Pass It On committee
will collect, organize, and
store donations from the
Pelham community and
reach out to schools,
churches, and other
community organizations
to identify local families
in need. JLP volunteers
would then distribute the
items accordingly.
Help us to
strengthen
Westchester,
one person
at a time.
Dear Laurie,
We are well underway with the Back to School Clothes for
Kids deliveries, and most of our clients have now received
their shiny new backpacks, school supplies and outfits to
wear on the first day of school.
Since you and the Junior League of Pelham were such
tremendous donors, I wanted to give you a small preview
of the impact your support is having on the WJCS community. One clinician wrote the following just this morning:
I would like to let you know everyone of my clients really
enjoy opening the bag and seeing the many wonderful items.
The parents in particular are so thankful to all the donors.
This is my third year at WJCS and to experience the
emotions when the clients receive their bags and especially
the parents response is overwhelming to watch. Every year
these donors go beyond expectation. I’m sorry they do not
get to witness the experience of the clients receiving the bags.
The 10 backpacks packed with school supplies you donated
are now in the hands of children who really need them.
These kids will walked into school on the first day with their
heads held high, because of your overwhelming generosity.
Thank you and the Junior League of Pelham.
Kind regards,
Amy Scher
Volunteer Services Coordinator
WJCS
845 N. Broadway
White Plains, NY 10603
(914) 761-0600, X222
Ascher@wjcs.com
21
MEMBERS
Meet the 2014-2015 Provisional Class
Kerry Buckley After ten years
in New York City, Kerry and
her husband, Brad, recently
moved to Pelham, and couldn’t
be more excited to be here!
Kerry spends her days working
in the merchandising department at the corporate offices of
Barnes + Noble. Her nights
and weekends are spent with
family traveling, cooking, reading and wrangling her two
young children, Jackson (4)
and Riley (1). Kerry is looking
forward to setting down roots
in Pelham, and becoming involved in the community and
the Junior League of Pelham.
Sabrina Clark Sabrina spent the
first 5 years of her life in the
Netherlands, before moving with
her family to a small suburb
southwest of Philly. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Commerce
and naively moved to NYC to
work for a Mad Men style ad
22
agency. After enduring two years
of long distance with her now
husband, Sabrina tearfully left
NYC to see if their relationship
was for real, and thankfully, it
was. The couple lived in Boston
and Atlanta (with a one-year
stint in Brussels), before moving
back to NYC 5 1/2 years ago.
Ready to try something outside
of advertising, Sabrina landed a
job with SYPartners – a transformation consultancy – where she
still works today. Just this August,
she and her husband along with
their son (4) and daughter (2)
moved to Pelham, right next
door to their good college
friends, Jessica and Craig Dedomenico.
Tara DeCandido Tara moved to
Pelham at the end of last year
with her husband and two young
sons. A former loan manager
with UBS + HSH Nordbank, she
is currently a stay at home mom.
Tara is excited to work with the
Junior League and became involved in her new community.
have a 2 year old daughter, Isla.
Sing enjoys baking, running,
hiking, stand-up paddle boarding, food, traveling, being active in her community and
spending time with her family
in Pelham and the North Fork
wine region of New York.
Jennifer DeLeonardo Jennifer is
a recent arrival to Pelham, moving in August 2014 from Brooklyn. She “retired” from her job at
a corporate law firm three years
ago, after doing capital markets
and project finance work in New
York, Melbourne, Australia and
Washington, DC, and is currently trying to figure out what
she wants to do when she grows
up while staying home with her
4 year old son and 1 year old
daughter. She enjoys skiing, hiking, travel and photography.
Sing Duffy Originally from
Longmeadow, Massachusetts,
Sing is a graduate of Villanova
University with a BS in Accounting. She is the chief financial officer of Geosphere
Capital Management, a hedge
fund based in NYC with a
focus on energy and oil services. She and her husband
Kevin Duffy, a vice president of
development at City Harvest,
Michele L. Egan Michele
moved to Pelham in December
2013 from New York City, and
is the mother of 3 children –
Rowan (6), Ryan (3) and Ava
(1). She is the treasurer and a
board member for Bowery
Babes, a NYC mothers group
with over 1,500 members.
Michele currently works for
a small publishing company
as their controller. She loves
yoga, triathlons, baking
and volunteering.
Arete Friedman Arete grew up
in Riverdale, NY and attended
Fieldston School. After graduating from Binghamton with a
double major in Political Science and Art History, Arete received a JD from Pace Law,
with a concentration in Environmental Law. Arete moved to
NYC where she was an associate at a large firm before going
in house. After living in Delray
Beach, FL for 3 years, Arete and
Josh moved back to NYC and
subsequently Pelham in 2013.
Arete currently is counsel to
Bressler Law PLLC, an intellectual property and general corporate practice. Arete enjoys
spending time with her family,
traveling, visiting museums
and historic homes, reading,
running, horseback riding and
motorcycle riding.
Moira Griffiths Moira is a Pelhamite who attended Prospect
Hill and PMS and PMHS. After
her completing her MBA at
Iona College she spent years
living in NYC and South America, and decided to move back
to Pelham in 2013. Moira is a
world traveler, speaks fluent
Spanish, and currently works
in finance. Although she does
not have any children yet, her
two year old French Bulldog
Lola keeps her very busy.
Lisa Hill-Reiss Lisa moved to
Pelham in March after nearly
13 years in Manhattan and
Brooklyn. She is writer and
manager who has worked on a
variety of communications
teams. Most recently, Lisa was
the Deputy Director of Correspondence for Mayor Michael
Bloomberg. She is also an avid
baker and founded Girl Next
Door Baked Goods, which specializes in brownies and cookies. She took some time off in
2012 when she gave birth to
twins, and is currently freelancing and hoping to start her baking business again next year.
Lisa was born and raised outside of Boston, MA, where her
Italian grandmother taught her
how to cook and her Italian
mother taught her how get 'er
done (her dad tried to teach her
math but, much to his dismay,
she preferred words). She is excited to bring these talents to
the Junior League of Pelham.
Lisa Horten Lisa is an editor for
POPSUGAR (a women's
lifestyle website), where she
writes about family and parenting topics. Lisa moved to
Pelham from Park Slope,
Brooklyn this past Spring with
her husband John, 2-year-old
son Brooks and Bernese
Mountain Dog Jackson. Having been a member of the Junior Leagues in Washington,
DC, Atlanta, and NYC over the
course of the past 10 years,
she's very excited to become
more involved in the Pelham
community through such a
fantastic organization.
Smeeta Khetarpaul Smeeta is a
mom, artist and a dreamer. She
believes life should be purposeful and memorable. She strives
to do her part to make the future worthwhile for her kids
and the next generation, and
have loads of fun in the process!
Anne Kossowan Anne has
been in private practice of orthodontics for almost 30 years.
She is a graduate of the Tufts
University Dental School Orthodontic program. She has
two offices – one located at 880
Fifth Avenue New York City
and the other located at 259
Wolf ’s Lane in Pelham. Anne
has held many leadership positions in dental societies and is a
frequent speaker at the Greater
New York Dental Meeting. She
enjoys working with teens and
treatment has become much
easier with Teen Invisalign
which are clear removable
aligners to straighten the teeth.
Anne is married to an attorney
and has two daughters –Susan
who is in her third year of
medical school and Laura who
works at Morgan Stanley.
As Chair Person of the Pelham Rotary Community Involvement Committee, Anne
hopes to bring attention to the
JLP’s projects and enhance relationships between the two organizations. Anne looks
forward to being a member of
Junior League and will contribute as much time as she can
on all community projects.
Bridget Messina Bridget
moved to Pelham from the
Upper East Side in April with
her husband and three children, 4 ½ year old twins and a
2 year old. Bridget is a pediatric
nurse, and is currently enjoying
teaching clinical to nursing students. Bridget likes to spend
her (rare) free time reading,
running, eating and drinking.
23
MEMBERS
Sunetra Mitra Sunetra was
born in India (Kolkata). She
grew up and went to college at
Calcutta University. After completing her Bachelors in Social
Science, she moved to the USA.
She initially lived in CT and
then moved to Battery Park in
2008. After spending 5 years
there, she moved with her 2 kids
and husband to Pelham in 2013.
Sunetra started a group family
daycare named “yogis” after
moving to Pelham. She enjoys
teaching Bollywood dance and
yoga to kids and loves cooking
Ayurvedic food.
Brittany Mothner Originally
from Southern California, Brittney attended Stanford University and moved to New York
City where her eclectic resume
included work as a director,
choreographer, writer, performer, web developer, arts educator and editor of
www.kidonthetown.com. She
moved to Pelham last summer
with her husband Mark and
kids Max (5 years old) and
Julie (2 years old).
24
Stephanie Raubenheimer
Steph grew up in Scotch Plains,
NJ and graduated from Gettysburg College where she played
soccer and loved the liberal arts
learning experience. After graduating she moved to Greenwich,
CT to join the Young Life staff.
In 2011 she and her husband
moved to Pelham to launch
Young Life in the county. Steph
loves the tight-knit community
feel in Pelham.
Lisa Beth Savitt Lisa is a Centerport, Long Island native who
became a Pelham resident in
2012. She is a graduate of Dickenson College where she majored in biology. Lisa is currently
the associate director of editorial
services for Communication
Partners Group (a medical communications firm specializing in
healthcare professional and patient education). She is the
proud parent of a four-legged
baby (aka a dog) named Luke.
She is a travel enthusiast who
loves to cook in her spare time.
Tracy Shekane Tracy Marie
Shekane moved to Manhattan
eleven years ago from her
hometown of Boston Massachusetts. She has lived in Pelham Manor with her husband
and two beautiful children for
close to one and a half years.
She fell in love with the “small
town America” feel of Pelham
and that is why she felt compelled to live here. Tracy joined
the Junior League of Pelham because she wants to make a difference in her new hometown.
Morgan Treves Morgan was
born in New York City, but grew
up in the small town of Westhampton Beach on eastern long
island. Growing up in a beach
town gave Morgan a life-long
love of sand, blue skies and sunshine, concepts which happen to
be totally alien to her husband
Will, who is English. In fact, it is
a testament to the strength of
their marriage that she actually
survived a four year spell in the
UK where there were no bagels,
no $20 manicure-pedicure spe-
cials on Wednesdays, and
certainly no Pelham Pizza.
After graduating from Tulane University in 1999, Morgan
joined the advertising industry,
working in a number of agencies
on both sides of the Atlantic.
Now she works for a small recruitment firm which specializes
in placing advertising account
managers across the city.
This past July, Morgan and
her husband moved to Pelham
with their two boys Jacob (5
years old) and Luca (2 years
old). She is loving the Pelham
community and looking forward to joining the JLP!
Michelle Wiley Michelle is
from Lubbock, Texas. There she
received her Bachelors from
Texas Tech University and Masters from Wayland Baptist University. On April 28, 2007, she
met Sam Wiley and knew that
she was going to marry him.
On April 26, 2011, they did.
Prior to moving to Pelham in
June, she lived on the island of
Dominica, Miami, Baltimore,
Chicago, and Queens to pursue
Sam’s love of medicine. Fate
brought them to Pelham and
they are thankful to be a part of
such a delightful community.
Sustainer Corner.
Downton
Abbey Tea
On June 24th, past presidents gathered at the home of Jessica DeDomenico for
a wine and cheese to welcome incoming president, Melissa Mulrooney-Deighton.
On Friday April 10th,
twenty-two sustainers
gathered for a Downton
Abbey themed tea at Kara
McLaughlin's lovely home.
As the sustainer reps,
Kara & Paula, wanted
to support local Pelham
businesses, scones &
muffins were provided
by Simply Sweetz and tea
sandwiches were from
DeCicco's. Some chose
to dress accordingly & all
had a most pleasant time.
And to quote Lady Mary,
“I’M A WOMAN. I can be
as CONTRARY as I choose”
25
BUSINESS & UPDATES
BOARD MEETING
MINUTES 2014-2015
September 9, 2014
The Board discussed the goals
for the year, including continuing to build morale through the
AJLI impact model, ensuring
that members feel fulfilled and
enjoy the GMMs, ensuring that
members are updated about
projects at each meeting, diversifying fundraisers and re-engaging the Sustainers through
communications. The Board
also discussed the training
programs for the year including
mindfulness training and Iris
Beckwith’s Internet training.
The VP of Communications
introduced the JLP PR
Guidelines for 2014-15 and
announced that Postings was
being printed in hard copies.
She also announced that the
Communications group would
be updating eBlast bounce
backs and were updating and
monitoring i-Contact.
The VP of Community
Outreach attended the Pelham
HS volunteer fair to introduce
possible DIAD and other
volunteer opportunities for
students. The Vision Committee
planned to meet around the
Community Impact Model of
AJLI to evaluate the JLP’s future
vision and strategy.
The VP of Fund Development
discussed the upcoming
Oktoberfest and the PR around
same. She also discussed
Light up Pelham timing and
fundraising activities as well
as other fundraising ideas.
The VP of Membership
discussed the upcoming information session for Provisionals
and announced that Bartow
26
Pell was the Provisional class
beneficiary this year.
The Treasurer reported that
finances were looking fine and
that some open issues remained
regarding the Signature Project,
including liability insurance.
October 7, 2014
The Board discussed attending
the Pelham Civics Annual
Dinner Dance and the Light
the Night Run fundraiser for
leukemia and lymphoma
(sponsored by Meridian).
The VP of Membership reported that the first Provisional
training took place at Bartow
Pell and the event will be held
at the end of January/beginning
of February. She also reported
that the Holiday Party is Dec.
5th at the Country Club and
that Pie Baking will take place
on November 18.
One of the Sustainer Reps announced an eBlast to Sustainers
regarding Oktoberfest and
opportunities to participate in
other JLP projects. The Reps also
planned on sending an engagement survey to the Sustainers.
The Assistant Treasurer and
VP of Fund Development
announced the Oktoberfest
sales push, finalizing the
Oktoberfest raffle and the
planning of Light up Pelham.
The VP of Community Outreach discussed the upcoming
Village vote about Woodland
Park and that the park designer
determined the amount needed
for liability insurance. She also
discussed DIAD opportunities
for the Pelham Children’s Center’s Pumpkin Festival. She
reported that the Community
Roundtable was set for Nov. 13
and was going to reflect the
AJLI Community Impact Model
that the JLP adopted this year.
The Roundtable Committee
had sent a survey to community
partners regarding their main
concerns and their top issues of
focus. The Vision Committee
is working on the first phase
of the AJLI model. The Pelham
Library requested that we
increase the number of
readings at the Library to
more than twice a week.
The Board discussed whether
we should do an additional
fundraising event this year,
as we are not having a gala.
A speaker from My Sister’s
Place is scheduled to present
at the next GMM.
November 4, 2014
The Board approved the Provisional Project presented by the
Provisional Class’ Co-Chairs.
The JLP was asked to sponsor
a monthly Heart of Pelham
PACT (HOPP) award for $250,
which the Board approved.
The Signature Project Chairs updated the Board on the Woodland Park and the fundraising
efforts, including merging
fundraising for the Woodland
Park with Light up Pelham.
The Vision Development Chair
spoke about the status of AJLI’s
Community Based Impact
Model and announced that our
projects should aim to be
issue-based rather than project-based. She reported that we
plan to discuss the JLP’s members’ perspectives on our projects at the Pie Baking GMM,
starting with discussions
around healthy families and
improving downtown Pelham.
The VP of Community Outreach
spoke about the Roundtable
Committee’s survey results which
showed that most community
partners who answered the survey were focused on downtown
improvement. The Roundtable
was still being organized and
Darby Dunn was announced as
this year’s moderator.
The Treasurer reached out to
project chairs about using their
budgets. Hutchinson Elementary
asked for a donation from JLP
for lunch time and 2-hour delay
enrichment activities. The Board
decided to give $250 now and
will ask that Hutchinson apply
for a regular grant next year.
The Board continued to discuss
whether to have another
fundraiser this year, including
a Battle of the Bands idea.
January 6, 2015
The Board approved a new Historian role which will research
and document history and
archive documents for the JLP.
The President Elect discussed
mindfulness training to be
presented at the January
GMM. The President discussed
the Internet Safety training to
be held at the March GMM.
The President also reported on
the December Vision Development Committee meeting,
during which the Committee
agreed to a two-year timeline.
Membership would continue
to discuss Pelham improvements and healthy families at
February dinner meetings.
One of the Sustainer Reps reported on the Sustainer survey
results, including Sustainers
wanting parties to be held at
members’ homes, many not receiving the eBlasts, wanting to
know where their dues went each
year and wanting to be invited to
GMMs. The Sustainer event was
announced for February.
Placement reminders should
go out to the Board’s advisees.
The Board discussed whether
upcoming project proposals may
conflict with the future vision of
the JLP set by the Community
Based Impact Model. The Board
decided that for 2015, projects
would be proposed as they had
been in the past.
VP of Communications reported
that Digital Cheetah would
integrate all databases into one
place and would require an additional $20,000 in the budget
(needs membership vote).
VP of Membership gave an
update on the Provisional
project and reported good
feedback on the Holiday Party.
The Board decided to eliminate
the Chief of Staff position.
The Treasurer reported that
Light up Pelham/Woodland
Park fundraising raised
about $23,000.
The Board was updated on the
status of the Signature Project,
including a fundraising push, a
communications toolkit, and
the possibility of another
fundraising event.
VP of Communications discussed results of a technology
audit, with main issues including
the use of too many databases
and archaic technology. The
Board discussed migration to a
new system called Digital Cheetah; requires a membership vote.
February 3, 2015
The Board received an update
on the Sustainer event and
annual dinner planning.
The President discussed
circulating information to
Sustainers to explain the breakdown of where their dues go.
VP of Membership reported
that the Provisional project was
a success and that Bartow Pell
was very happy. She also announced that Nominating and
Treasurer gave an update on
the Signature Project, including
the need for three bids and the
aim to raise $25,000 more in
additional funds. She reported
that the revised budget would
be finalized and presented at
the March GMM and asked
the Board to review policies
and procedures.
March 3, 2015
The Board approved technology
overhaul and the proposed board
slate (without current PE).
The President discussed the Signature Project status, including
that bids are not yet complete.
She announced that a Band
Night fundraiser would take
place to benefit Woodland Park.
VP of Communications and
Louise Kelly discussed that
Digital Cheetah and Glowstone
Consulting would be moving
the JLP to a different website
platform and would integrate
the existing multiple systems
into one. The work would cut
down on “back office” administrative work. Seeking Board
approval with final vote to go
to the general membership.
VP of Community Outreach
announced that we received
eight grant applications. We
also received a new project proposal for “Pass It On, Pelham!,”
with the idea to collect items
given away by Pelham residents
and to store them in a Community Church of Pelham and
then source and deliver items to
people/organizations in need.
The project will be presented
at the March GMM.
VP of Membership announced
the 2015-16 Board slate:
President - Nancy Hawkins;
PE - Unknown; Fund Development VP: Lisa Hill-Ries;
Community Affairs VP: Liz
Perreten; Communications:
Erin Ginsburg; Membership
VP - Avanel Jarka; Treasurer Kristin Austin; Ass’t Treasurer
- Xaira Ferrara or Amy Moore;
Secretary Unknown; Sustainers
at Large possibly Candice
Ripoll and Sandra Epps
Treasurer reported that membership dues notices were sent
and that the Board needed to
review policy and procedures.
She also reported that the
2015-16 Proposed Operating
Budget did not change much
from last year: goal to raise
$25,000 in fundraising; some
surplus. Budget to be presented
at the March GMM.
April 7, 2015
The President announced that
we need a location and date for
the JLP annual dinner. Board
discussed Burbio’s Shop-Local /
Give Local concept, where people who shop at local businesses
choose a non-profit, and every
time they shop with a credit
card their non-profit of choice
gets a percentage of the sales.
The Board discussed an update
on the Signature Project including that quotes have been
received for pavers and that the
Band Night fundraiser brought
in around $4,500. Another $2,000
is needed for Woodland Park.
Treasurer announced a goal to
vote on policies and procedures
in May. She also reported that
the operating budget was running well and that she was to
attend the Annual Conference
in LA the following week.
VP of Membership discussed
that a few spots still needed to
be filled next year in Communications. The Board discussed
possible projects for next year’s
Provisional class focusing on
revitalizing downtown Pelham.
The Board discussed the annual dinner location and time.
Projects to be voted on at the
April GMM.
Board slate discussed, including
addition of Melissa Mulrooney
Deighton as President and
Nancy Hawkins staying on as
PE. To be discussed with Nancy
who was absent.
VP of Communications gave
technology overhaul update.
Location and time for May
Board turnover dinner
also discussed.
GENERAL MEETING
MINUTES 2014-2015
September 16, 2014
Items discussed:
• Woodland Park update
• Vision Development update:
Working on vision development plan adopted from AJLI
to target issues/concerns that
are our focus; community
involvement requested via
surveys, polls and interviews
• Project updates by project
chairs at each meeting
• Fundraising update regarding
Oktoberfest, Light up Pelham
and potential third fundraiser
this year in lieu of gala
27
BUSINESS & UPDATES
• Priority this year is to reengage sustainers in the JLP
• Training update: first speaker
will be from My Sister’s Place
regarding human trafficking
• Provisional member update
reported successful informational sessions
October 21, 2014
Items discussed:
• Fundraising update:
Oktoberfest was a success
• Meridian’s Light the Night
Walk is Nov. 1st
• My Sister’s Place speaker,
Eva Dolgin presentation —
October is domestic violence
awareness month
two months into the AJLI
transformation which is
issue-based (not projectbased) community impact;
we’ve evaluated our projects
and will provide a questionnaire at the Pie Baking event.
• Community Roundtable
Update: Roundtable is
Nov. 13th. Survey Monkey
sent out to 68 organizations
asking questions around the
focus/issues in Pelham. Thirteen responses received, most
of which focused on Pelham’s
problem with small businesses.
Roundtable will be entitled,
“Improving Downtown
Pelham — What Can We Do?”
• Fundraising Update:
Oktoberfest was sold out
and 1/3 of participants were
not JL members. We made
$2,000 on raffle tickets and
around $3,000-4,000 profit
on event itself.
• Project updates
28
January 20, 2015
Items discussed:
Roundtable. There are four locations, each with guest speakers to focus on these topics.
• Guest, Beth Thomas - Board
of Pelham Country Club
offering trial membership
Items discussed:
• HOPP Award - JLP sponsored
this month, we will add to our
budget to do annually
• Announcements: reminder
to pay dues; upcoming Band
Night fundraiser
• Woodland Park update: Park
close to completion; deposit
was given for equipment;
insurance negotiations
underway and close to final;
aiming for Park completion
by end of Spring; trying to
raise additional $25,000
• Membership Co-chairs present
Provisionals to Membership
• Mindfulness training
• Provisional Class
project update
• Project updates
February dinner meetings
geared toward Community
Impact Model roll out
• Project proposal update
• Nominating and Placement
update: reminder to fill out
leadership surveys
February 10, 2015
March 17, 2015
• Internet Safety training
• Announcement regarding
change to Board slate; discussion regarding future leadership
• Announcement of the Board
of Directors Slate and appeal
to candidates for open
leadership roles
• Project updates
• Project slate presentation
and discussion, including
new project proposal,
“Pass It On, Pelham!”
• Discussion and vote on
website redesign and costs
with recommendation to
migrate from Closerware
to Digital Cheetah
• Motion to approve cost for
Digital Cheetah approved
Items discussed:
• Announcements: Nominating
& Placement Surveys due
2/13; Susan Mutti and Xaira
Ferrara are running for
Village of Pelham Trustee;
Jennifer Lapey is running for
Pelham Manor Mayor.
• February dinner meetings
used to discuss the Vision
Development Community
Impact Model, focusing on
healthy families and downtown Pelham improvement.
Goal tonight is to discuss the
topics from the successful
April 21, 2015
Items discussed:
• Announcements: reminder to
pay dues; Postings deadline;
Annual dinner location/date
• Guest speakers: Jeanine and
Joe Solimine of Meridian
spoke about partnership
between Meridian and JLP
and asked that we take time
to review insurance policies
and consider Meridian to
help oversee our policies
• Community Grant recipients
awarded: Pelham Picture
House; Wartburg Home;
Young Life of Lower
Westchester; Ecopel; and
YMCA of New Rochelle
• Nominating and Placement
call for award nominations
for Volunteer of the Year
Award, The Elizabeth I. Junod
Award and The Felicia Brewer
Award First Year Active Award
• 2014-15 revised budget
proposal presented by
Treasurer; budget for next
year discussed; to be reviewed
and voted on in two weeks.
• 2015-16 Board slate presented
and approved (34 present; 12
absentee ballots): President,
Melissa Mulrooney Deighton;
President-Elect, Nancy
Hawkins; Secretary, Sunetra
Sen; Communications VP, Erin
Ginsburg; Membership VP,
Avanel Jarka; Community Outreach VP, Liz Perreten; Fund
Development VP, Lisa HillRies; Treasurer, Kristin Austin;
Sustainer Representatives,
Sandra Epps & Candice Ripoll
• Survey distributed asking
members to vote on top four
projects for next year
• Remarks from Incoming
President, Melissa Mulrooney
Deighton
• Motions to adopt new diversity
and inclusion statement and
motion to remove references
to the current Reaching Out
Statement from the JLP bylaws moved by Melissa Mulrooney Deighton, seconded by
Avanel Jarka. Approved.
• Signature Project update
Have you visited the NEW
JLP Website?
We are very excited about the launch of our new website.
Check it out at Jlpelham.org. With a fresh new design and mobile-friendly
interface, it is intuitive and easy to navigate. Hope you enjoy using it.
New Features
• The new site is mobile friendly. With all the
information at your fingertips, everything
you want to check or do on the website
can now be easily done on your phone.
• Website is redesigned and reorganized
making it easy to navigate and get things
done: find updates, view the calendar or
member directory, sign up for volunteer
shifts and buy tickets to events.
• All databases are now integrated, so you
won’t need to update your information
separately in the directory, in the eBlast
database, and five other places.
• Not the least important, the new website
makes things much easier for communications, technology and finance team
to support smooth working of the League.
How to set up your information
By now, all of the members, active and sustainer, should have received an email with
instructions from technology@jlpelham.org
on how to set up your username and password for the member only part of the site.
Please take a moment to set things up
so you can start the new League year in
stride. After you click on the link, you will
be taken to the new member site to set up
your username and password. Usernames
should be a minimum of 6 characters. Your
new password must be at least 8 characters
in length and contain at least 3 of the
following 4 elements: capital letter, lowercase letter, number, or special character.
Once you have accessed the
member site, please review your contact
information on file to make sure it is
up-to-date by going to the Edit Profile
link on your personal member home page.
If you have any questions in the
meantime, please reach out to
technology@jlpelham.org.
29
BUSINESS & UPDATES
Junior League of Pelham, Inc.
Table of Organization 2015-2016
President
President Elect/Planning VP
Nancy Hawkins
Treasurer
Kristin Austin
Secretary
Sunetra Mitra
Sustainers at Large
Sandra Epes
Candice Ripoll
Fund Development VP
Lisa Hill-Ries
Communications VP
Sing Duffy
Membership VP
Janine Yorio
Community Outreach VPs
Liz Perreten
Community Affairs
Maggie Shaw
Project Manager
Fund Development
Council
Communications
Council
Membership
Council
Community Outreach
Council
Business Manager
Diandra D’Amico
Editors-in-Chief
Selina Regan
Lisa Savitt
Nominating & Placement
Christi Klossner
Community & Public Affairs
Lisa McCarthy
Sharon Mau
Event Based Fundraisers (Fall)
Sabrina Clark
Morgan Treves
Event Based Fundraisers
(Spring)
Jenny Heelan
Tyson Newton Stephens
Technology
Brittney Mothner
Membership
Emily Aronoff
Zoe Henriquez
Online Communications
Suzanne Dudek
Marissa Mora
Programs & Education
Anne Kossowan
TBD
Pelham Library Partners
Arete Friedman
County Harvest / Food Rescue
Catherine Griffiths
Assistant Treasurer
Michele Egan
Junior League of Pelham
Account balances as of May 31, 2015
TD Operating Checking
$34,224.25
TD Operating Money Market
$147,085.71
TD Signature Project Checking
$53,800.38
TD Signature Project Money Market
$37,726.24
TOTAL
Project Chairs
Back Packs Program
Courtney Maron
Lisa Horten
Campaign Based Fundraisers
Carol Fleming
Maggie Shaw
30
Vision Development
Moira Griffiths
$272,836.58
Pass It On, Pelham!
Tara DeCandido
Jennifer DeLeonardo
DIAD/DIAN/DIAM
Dawn Hartman Bloise
Laurie Ferrara
JLP 2015/16 Proposed Operating Budget
REVENUE
IN-01
Membership Dues (1)
IN-02
Provisional Dues (2)
IN-03
Fundraising
Oktoberfest
Light Up Pelham
Gala
IN-04
Advertising
IN-05
Interest Income
IN-06
Miscellaneous
IN-07
Holiday Party
IN-08
Annual Dinner
IN-09
Transfer from Surplus (3)
IN-10
Transfer from Surplus (4)
Total Revenue
EXPENSES Continued
$22,852.00
$2,400.00
$25,000.00
$3,500.00
$500.00
$100.00
$$$10,000.00
$7,100.00
$71,452.00
EXPENSES
Administrative
AD-01 Financial Review & Taxes
AD-02 Tax filing fees
AD-03 Rent
AD-04 Insurance
AD-05 Admin Supplies
AD-06 Postage
AD-07 Credit Card fees
AD-08 Banking fees
Total Administrative Expenses
Communications
CM-01 Postings
CM-02 E-Blast
CM-03 Web/Volunteer Matters
CM-04 Membership Directory
CM-05 Technology
CM-06 Public Relations (thank yous)
CM-07 Technology Overhaul/Web
Total Communications Expenses
Membership Services
MS-01 Sustainers
MS-02 President's Fund
MS-03 Membership Recognition
MS-06 New Member Recruitment
$2,000.00
$120.00
$300.00
$3,200.00
$600.00
$750.00
$1,100.00
$100.00
$8,170.00
$1,800.00
$$2,700.00
$500.00
$250.00
$100.00
$7,100.00
Community Affairs Outreach
CA-01 Community Affairs Roundtable
CA-02 Community Relations
CA-03 Community Grants Program
CA-04 Public Affairs (Leg. breakfast)
CA-05 Scholarship
CA-06 NYSPAC dues
CA-07 NYSPAC conference
Total Community
Outreach Expenses
$10,200.00
Outreach Projects
OP-01 Signature Project
OP-02 Backpack Program
OP-03 Pelham Library Partners
OP-04 County Harvest Food Rescue
OP-05 PACT/Picture House Teen Improv
OP-06 Done in a Day
OP-07 Provisional Project
Total Outreach Projects Expenses
Volunteer Training & Development
VT-01 Conferences
Training
VT-02 New Member
VT-03 Sustainers
VT-04 Current Membership
VT-05 Board
VT-06 Programs & Education
VT-07 AJLI Dues (5)
$12,450.00
$400.00
$1,500.00
$5,000.00
350.00
$2,000.00
$200.00
$750.00
$$10,000.00
$1,500.00
$$3,000.00
$3,000.00
$1,200.00
$18,700.00
$5,500.00
$800.00
$500.00
$1,800.00
$400.00
$1,400.00
$10,158.75
Total Training &
Development Expenses
$20,558.75
TOTAL REVENUE
TOTAL EXPENSES
NET POSITION
$71,452.00
$71,728.75
$(276.75)
$750.00
$500.00
$150.00
$250.00
Total Membership Services Expenses $1,650.00
NOTES:
(1) Membership dues assumes 65 actives @ $124 and 160 sustainers @ $94.
(2) Provisional dues assumes 15 provisionals @ $160.
(3) To cover Operating Costs
(4) To cover Technology Overhaul & Website Migration
(5) Assumes 225 members @$43 and 15 provisionals at $32.25.
29% Exp Spent on Programs
65% Program Target
31
JLP ANNUAL DINNER
JLP Annual Dinner was held on Tuesday,
May 19th at the home of Jessica
DeDomenico. All those in attendance,
provisional, active and sustainer JLP
members, had a great time. We celebrated
our achievements of the past year, reconnected, and introduced the next year’s
leadership team over dinner and cocktails.
The highlight of the evening was the annual award ceremony where three most
deserving JLP members were presented the
Volunteer of the Year Award, the Elizabeth
I. Junod Sustainer Award, and the Felicia
Brewer First Year Active Award.
32
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
AWARD – Janna Johnsen
Janna is a true example of what it is to be a
member of the Junior League of Pelham;
her commitment to community service is
one that should be honored. Janna has
headed the Vision Development Committee this year in its inaugural year. The
committee was created to place more focus
on downtown Pelham improvement as
well as Pelham improvement as a whole.
The position has required countless hours
of instruction from AJLI on how to mold
the committee and work with other Pelham organizations for the years to come.
Janna began the process all on her own.
She has been asked to meet myriad AJLI
requirements on forming a new committee
and she has done so effortlessly. She has
compiled all that she has been instructed
to do and has put it together in a comprehensive manner for future committee leaders and members to work from. Janna has
shown dedication from the start of her JLP
career in volunteering to be her Provisional Class Co-Chair and has continued
to put forth a great effort in whatever role
she takes. She can always be counted on,
whether it is in relation to her work on the
Vision Committee or reading at the Library.
She deserves to be recognized for all of her
efforts and infectious enthusiasm.
THE ELIZABETH I. JUNOD
AWARD – Susan Mutti
This year’s recipient of the Elizabeth I.
Junod Sustainer of the Year Award is Susan
Mutti. Susan has been a member of the
Junior League of Pelham for almost twenty
years. She dedicated much of her time to
volunteering while she was an active
member of the JLP and has continued her
dedication to volunteerism for the town of
Pelham for many years. Susan has continued pursuing her passion and talent for
developing and preserving Pelham parks
and green space as a Trustee for the Village
of Pelham. She managed a series of improvements at the Pelham train station by
working with the MTA and state officials;
she negotiated the union contract for the
DPW; and she has served as the liaison for
DPW, parks, Village communications,
MTA and the Shade Tree Committee. An
amazing accomplishment and presumably
one of her proudest is the Highbrook
Highline. She pioneered this grass-roots
effort to convert an abandoned railway line
in a residential neighborhood into a park.
Work has begun, and Pelham will be able
to enjoy this green space for years to come.
Susan has managed the redesign of three
parks in addition to the Highline. She
worked with the Town of Pelham to
complete Trotta Park after it had been in
the planning stages for six years. Her most
recent accomplishment is the approval of
Woodland Park, which was completed in
33
JLP ANNUAL DINNER
July. Susan is tireless, and she gets things
done, she truly exemplifies the definition
of voluntarism.
THE FELICIA BREWER FIRST
YEAR ACTIVE AWARD
– Erin Ginsburg
The Felicia Brewer First Year Active Award
goes to Erin Ginsburg. Without hesitation,
Erin stepped in and chaired the Pelham
Library Partners project when the originally slated chair stepped down. She has
done a fantastic job ensuring that the
34
project runs smoothly. She also has worked
on the online communications team
addressing all incoming and often urgent
requests. In addition to her hard work for
the JLP, Erin has fully immersed herself in
volunteering for Pelham schools. She has
improved communication platforms
across two major organizations: the JLP
and the Colonial community and has consulted with the school district in helping to
better those platforms. She has helped with
daily contact between the Principal and
staff for day-to-day PTA efforts at Colonial. She is an advocate at the district level
for local and state issues affecting Colonial
and its community. She has researched and
brought new programming into the Colonial weekly town meetings and special
events. She was also involved in the reorganization of the PTA executive structure
and programming. These are merely a few
of the many volunteer efforts Erin has
made since moving to Pelham. Erin’s
most redeeming quality is that she is truly
a pleasure to work with, making her an
effective communicator who gets the job
done. Congratulations on winning the
First Year Active Award, Erin!
35
36
The Junior League of Pelham
901 Pelhamdale Avenue
Pelham, NY 10803
Kudos Corner
Special Recognition goes to those JLP MEMBERS who go the extra mile!
To the tremendous
Communications Council
for working tirelessly to make
JLP news seen and heard
around Pelham. Special shout
out to Anna Ross for working
on our technology overhaul!
To the Provisional Class for
organizing an incredible event
at Bartow-Pell Mansion. We
are very happy you joined the
League! Kudos to Tyson Newton
Stephens and Nancy Hawkins
for bringing in and mentoring
such a wonderful group.
To Janna Johnsen for helping
us navigate the Community
Impact Rollout and focusing
our Vision.
To Kelly Brown for organizing
another sold out Oktoberfest
event and for assistance in
planning Annual Dinner. JLP
appreciates your super party
planning skills!
To the Signature Project team
of Xaira Ferrara, Liz Perreton,
Jessica DeDominico, Melissa
Mulrooney Deighton and Zoe
Henriquez for making the
Woodland Park a reality!
To Simon Cipolla & Valerie
Micciche for organizing a very
successful Light Up Pelham
event in the pouring rain.
To Joanna Boyle, Anna Ross
and Melissa Mulrooney
Deighton who stayed in their
Board positions for two years!
To Jessica DeDomenico for
organizing a last minute
Woodland Park Fundraiser in
a blizzard. Pelham Music Night
was fun and raised $4,500!
To Lidia McCarthy, Marissa
Mora and Kathy Ellis for
organizing the Community
Roundtable and focusing the
community on improving
our downtown.
To Nancy Hawkins for
doing mindfulness training
at our GMM.
To all amazing JLPers who are
staying active and engaged
beyond their 5 required years:
Melissa Mulrooney Deighton,
Tyson Newton Stephens,
Suzanne Dudek, Dawn Hartman
Bloise and Zoe Henriquez.
To Lisa Hill-Ries, Sing Duffy
and Sunetra Mitra for stepping
up for Board positions in their
First Active Year!
To Jennifer DeLeonardo and
Tara DeCandido for proposing
our new project, Pass It On,
Pelham! We hope it is
a success!

Volume 74 – September 2015 – Year in Review

Transcription

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