Board
The Helen Day Art Center Board of Trustees:
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Board Member Details:
Roselle Abramowitz: Roselle was born in Germany. She moved to Montreal in 1948, and came to Stowe in the 80’s. Roselle has been involved with textiles all her career, originally making quilts out of fabric from her family’s necktie business. Quilting, dress designing, and making items for home décor have culminated in her current career for which she is known nationwide, the design and painting of kimonos. Roselle's son continues the family necktie business in Montreal. She lives in a house designed by her daughter, an architect in Boston. Roselle serves on the Visual Arts Committee and assists the Art Center with her creative skills in multiple ways.
David Carter: David Carter joined Chittenden Bank in early 2005 as Relationship Manger with Wealth Management’s Private Banking division. He is responsible for developing and retaining key relationships with professionals and their businesses, and works both in Chittenden County and Central Vermont. David is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts in English, with a Master's Creative Writing Thesis. He taught part-time as an Adjunct Instructor of English at UC for 13 years, and while pursuing additional graduate studies in American Literature and Critical Theory at Miami University (Ohio), he completed an individualized study in Art Theory. While a banker at US Bank, he became involved in Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center through being an interested member, a liaison for his bank's sponsorship, and participation in fundraising events. Before leaving Cincinnati he began a mentoring program for underprivileged middle school students called Arts-On-Site that combined the support of adult mentors with on-line course work, a visit to a museum, as well as a classroom art class. Happy to have returned to his New England and Vermont roots, David and his wife Cheryl live in South Burlington with their two boys and their bulldog. He is a member of the Burlington Chamber Orchestra Board of Directors.
Kirsten Cardenas: was born and raised in New Jersey. She has a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from the University of Miami. After graduating from Michigan, she moved to Frankfurt, Germany where worked for the Florida Department of Commerce and, later, Enterprise Florida. She was responsible for promoting trade from the State of Florida to Europe and direct foreign investment in Florida. Upon returning to the United States, Kirsten moved to Miami. From 2001-2008 she taught Marketing at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. During her time in Miami, she also met her husband, Esbert, and, together with him founded, Image-Outfitters, a marketing company specializing in promotional items and planning for small and large businesses. After enjoying summers in Stowe, Kirsten and Esbert decided to move their family and business here fulltime in the summer of 2008. They currently live in Moscow with their two boys.
Kate Carpenter: Kate was born and raised in the beautiful Adirondack countryside. Kate graduated Franklin Pierce University with a B.A. in business and recreation management. She competed on the Alpine team, the sailing team and was president of the Social Committee. Kate has had an extensive career in the retail industry. She has managed shops in Carthage New York, Waitsfield and Stowe Vermont, Telluride Colorado and is now the proud owner of Stowe Kitchen Bath and Linens. While in Telluride Kate had the opportunity manage a 10,000 square foot clothing store, to develop retail shops for fly fishing and heli-skiing consumers. In 2001 Kate started a home caretaking business. This gave her the opportunity to work with amazing people and manage the extensive details of 14 extreme homes. She used her design flare to set up private residence photo shoots with Veranda, In-Style, and Architectural magazines. In the fall of 2006 Kate Carpenter, her husband Brian and their two boys decided to move back to Stowe, Vermont. They are thrilled to be back east amongst their family.
Jo Darrow: Jo and her husband came to Stowe in 1978 to embark on a new adventure as owners and innkeepers of Timberholm Inn. In 1984 Jo joined the Helen Day Art Center Board of Trustees and served on the Board as Membership Chair until she was asked to be the Art Center’s first Administrative Assistant, later on she became Executive Director of Helen Day in 1994. 2008 marks the beginning of Jo’s 19th year of planning, organizing, and leading the Art Center’s bus trips.
Elena Foster: Upon moving the Vermont, Elena spent two years as the Associate Director for the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. After moving to Stowe, Elena worked as the Event and Sponsorship Coordinator for the Helen Day Art Center. Prior to moving to Vermont, Elena was an Account Manager for several advertising agencies in Boston, most recently at MMB, where she managed the $30 million advertising & marketing campaign for Jiffy Lube, which included national TV, radio and print advertising. Other clients she worked with while in Boston included The Wall Street Journal and Sprint PCS. Currently Elena volunteers at HDAC, the Lamoille County Food Shelf and Burlington City Arts.
Helen Lewis: Helen was born in Washington, DC, grew up in Wilmington, Delaware Although her Bachelor’s Degree was in Nursing, Helen started attending law school part-time. Five years later, she graduated from Washington College of Law at American University. Helen then taught law part-time for ten years. Helen decided to try something different in retirement and she moved to Stowe. She and her husband volunteer at the Helen Day on a regular basis Bill previously served on the Helen Day Board of Directors, and Helen is past-Chair of the HDAC Home Tour, a former Volunteer Coordinator of For Art’s Sake/Taste of Stowe, and active on many fundraising events.
Ted Lockwood: Ted, who retired to Stowe with his wife in 1998, was an educator his entire career. He served as President of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and was the Founding President of the United World College in New Mexico – one of 10 United World Colleges worldwide. Ted previously served on the Helen Day Board for 2 terms, during which he served on the Executive Committee, on the 25Th Anniversary Committee, and as Chair of the Development Committee. Ted was invited back by the Trustees to serve for an additional year as a non-voting Ex Officio Trustee, and is now eligible to serve another Board term. “I have been interested in art and dabble in painting myself. Clearly, the Helen Day Art Center is a worthy effort in Stowe.”
Kriti Lovell: Kristi is a sixth generation Vermonter and graduate of the University of Vermont where she studied Business and competed on the UVM Alpine Ski Team. Kristi has a long career focused on international marketing and product design for the snowsports industry. She was the International Sports Marketing Manager for Salomon Sports which included managing the professional free-ride athelete team. As a founding team member she conducted athlete driven product design and performance testing that was an integral creative component of the launch of Salomon’s clothing division worldwide. Kristi founded a woman’s promotional ski team for Volkl, Tecnica and Bogner and introduced the Norwegian clothing line Sondre to the US through Swix Sports. Kristi is a former professional skier where she has been featured in numerous films and print publications and was a long time ski tester and writer for Snow Country Magazine and Ski Magazine. Kristi and her husband Evan live in Waterbury Center with their 3 young girls.
Dee Macy: Born among the breathtaking landscapes of Quebec helped Dee learn to appreciate nature's beauty. She turned this appreciation to art at the early age of 10 when her Saturday mornings were spent carving wood and painting in the studio at her school, now Notre Dame College. Her art practice ended with high school as an education in nursing consumed her time.
Dee earned her degree at the Royal Victorian hospital, Montreal Neurological Institute, and McGill University. She moved to New York to start as a neurosurgical assistant, only to find herself drawn into the halls of the Ridgewood Art Institute in Ridgewood, New Jersey. There she studied for upwards of 13 years and taught for three. It was there that she worked under realist master, Arthur Maynard. She went on to study still life with painter Betty Kaytes and later master landscape artist, John P. Osborne. Dee also studied under the classical realist painter, Frank Mason (1921-2009), at the New York Art Students League in New York City, New York.
Dee insists that spending time with other artists and learning from their styles is essential to the growth of a painter.
Antonio Pyle: Tony Pyle was born in California in 1954. He attended Deerfield Academy (1971), University of Pittsburgh (1974) with a double major in Fine Arts and Political Science), and University of Pittsburgh School of Law (1977). Tony practiced public interest law for several years then entered private practice and has been engaged in litigation work ever since. His area of concentration has been to assist victims of occupational and environmental hazardous exposures. He also has a concentration in First Amendment issues as well as civil liberties in general.
Tony lived his entire adult life in Pittsburgh until he and his wife, Teri, moved to Stowe in April 2007 to be closer to my Teri's family in Duxbury. His interest in the arts dates back to his childhood and has been fulfilled in recent years through service to the arts. He has served on the boards of two professional theatre companies as well as on a nationally recognized arts organization based in Pittsburgh, the Society for Contemporary Craft. In addition he has served on the board of the Pittsburgh Botanical Society. This last position arose as a result of Tony’s interest in planning, planting and developing gardens, particularly herb gardens. The Vermont climate and its challenging growing season have presented new obstacles to his skills! Teri and Tony became Life Members of Helen Day after seeing the challenging shows of last year and knew that this was an organization that they wanted to get to know more closely and for a long time to come.
Kevin Racek: Kevin describes himself as….
I am an architect stuck in the mind of a artist. Or I am a furniture maker stuck in the mind of an architect. Or something like that.
I am technically a registered architect and have worked for firms in Denver, Boston, and Vermont. Currently I am an architect in Burlington, at a firm called Freeman French Freeman Inc. As Architecture is my first love, or the love that I am currently courting, my second love is for the Chair. I am a co- principal in the furniture design and manufacturing company of Stew Design Workshop (www.stewdesignworkshop.com) . I love the structural requirements of chairs while also seeing the complete freedom chairs have to offer. Chairs are like little pieces of architecture. (Kevin’s work was part of “The Shape of Things: The Best of Vermont Design 2009” at HDAC) Lastly I am an artist. For a year, I attended the Museum School at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and studied sculpture. The experience opened my eyes to the rigors making art, which has helped me with the rigors of making architecture and furniture. I still practice art but it is within the confines of my furniture and architecture. Burlington has been my home for the last six years. Its vibrancy and little city / big town atmosphere has been a great place for my two daughters and my wife to live to their full potential.
Valerie Rochon: Valerie Rochon is currently the Managing Director of the Motion Marketing Group, an affiliation of marketing, web and PR professionals providing customized marketing services. Ms. Rochon’s prior experience includes seven years as the Executive Director of the Stowe Area Association, a membership organization whose primary mission is to market and sell Stowe, and seven years as International Marketing Director for the Association, working in eleven countries towards increasing inbound visitor traffic. Ms. Rochon’s experience in the hospitality industry includes management positions in marketing, sales and property management for two major resorts in Stowe. She has been active in developing partnerships in local, regional and state tourism and economic development areas, working towards responsible and sustainable tourism.
Mary Rohr – Secretary: Mary has been developing her knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts since her undergraduate days at the University of Rochester, in upstate New York. Before graduating with a minor in fine arts, to complement her honors degree in English Literature, Mary spent holidays visiting art galleries and institutions. May and her husband, Bob, began summering in Stowe in 1967 and soon started spending winter vacations here as well. They now reside in Hanover, New Hampshire and in Stowe. The Rohrs began collecting the works of Vermont artists beginning in the early 1980’s including Rett Sturman, Walton Blodgett, and Alleyn Howell. Subsequent journeys in the Southwestern US and northern Canada expanded their collection to include weaving and sculpture by native artists in both cultures. After a 12-year career in fashion retailing, Mary regenerated her interest in the fine arts by organizing a volunteer program for the Cornish Colony Gallery and Museum in Cornish, NH, among other volunteer roles. Since joining the HDAC Board, Mary has served as Coordinator of Gallery Greeters, worked on the Silent Auction for Spring Benefit, served on the Hospitality Committee, hosted a special dinner honoring Rett Sturman as part Helen Day’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, served as Secretary of the Board, and served on the Executive Committee.
Hilary Roper - Treasurer: Hilary Roper grew up in upstate New York and graduated from Cornell University. She is an equity analyst with over fifteen years of financial analysis and management experience. Hilary serves as a volunteer member of Stowe Rescue Squad. She has also served on the Governor’s Public Oversight Commission on healthcare, and has been involved in several community organizations. Hilary and her husband Robert moved to Vermont in 1998 and to Stowe shortly thereafter. They enjoy the many recreational opportunities available in Stowe with their two children.
Simone Rueschemeyer – Vice-Chair: Simone grew up in Providence, Rhode Island where she was extremely involved in theatre, dance, music and painting. Simone has a BA in Anthropology and Art from the University of Vermont, and an MS in Evaluative Clinical Sciences from Dartmouth Medical School. Simone is a public policy and program development consultant. She has worked for numerous governments and non-profit organizations, including the governments of Argentina, Aruba, and Uzbekistan, the United Nations, Save the Children, the State of Vermont, and many community health centers throughout Vermont. Simone spent two and one-half years working in the Clinton White House in both the Office of Policy Development and the Office of Communications. Over the years, Simone has enjoyed painting, sculpture, and film, and has a great interest in art and the politics of art. She took over coordination of Learning to Look at the Stowe Elementary School in 2006. Simone lives in Moscow with her husband and their two young children. Simone serves on the Helen Day’s Executive Committee, Education Committee, and Board Development Committee.
Robert Russell: Bob Russell recently moved to Stowe from Canada. He is currently president and creative director of Russell Branding, a brand strategy and design company in Toronto, Boston and now Stowe. Bob’s clients have included Fortune 500 companies including Nestlé, Fidelity, Staples, Bell Mobility, Interbrew and Kellogg’s, as well as technology companies such as RSA Securities, Groove Network, Adobe and Charles River Ventures. Bob’s work has been published in Communication Arts, Graphis, Print, Applied Arts Quarterly and the Globe and Mail. His work has been recognized by the New York Art Directors Club, the London Art Directors Club, Financial Post Design Effectiveness Awards, Marketing Magazine, the Toronto Art Directors Club and the AIGA. Bob has also taught identity design at the Ontario College of Art and Design and is a frequent lecturer at York University, Sheridan College and George Brown College in Toronto. Bob currently acts as an advisor to the Board of Directors of the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation, which supports children and their families living with and beyond cancer. Bob lives in Stowe with his wife.
Shap Smith – Chair: Shapleigh is a partner in the construction firm of Patterson and Smith, a general contracting company building new homes or remodeling existing ones in the Stowe area. He moved to Vermont after working as a commercial banker for eight years in Connecticut. Upon arriving in Vermont in 1970 he built his own home in the town of Wolcott and developed a working sheep, maple syrup and Christmas tree farm. Along with farming Shap continued with his interest in building and spent many years as a carpenter and builder in the Lamoille County area. Since 1990 he has lived in Stowe with his wife. They have traveled together all over the world photographing and collecting works of art.
Annie Strobel – Trustee Emerita: Annie discovered the Helen Day Art Center in 1986 when she first moved to Stowe and became involved with the Visual Arts Committee. She has also given her time to the building committee and the film society and she has worked on the installation of most of the exhibitions in the last 16 years. Annie now serves as a Trustee Emerita, a distinguished role in recognition of her exceptional commitment, involvement, and generosity to the Helen Day over many years.
