Volume 74 – September 2015 – Year in Review
Transcription
Volume 74 – September 2015 – Year in Review
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 [email protected] 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 [email protected]. POSTINGS • Fall 2015 1 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 2 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 3 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. 4 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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! POSTINGS • Fall 2015 5 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 6 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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. POSTINGS • Fall 2015 7 MEET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015 / 2016 President Melissa Mulrooney Deighton 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 [email protected] 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 [email protected]. 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected]. POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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! 10 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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! POSTINGS • Fall 2015 13 COMMUNITY OUTREACH Boys and Girls Club Backpack Program: Food Rescue CSA Soup Kitchen 14 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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. POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 17 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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. POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 [email protected] POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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. POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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” POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 • Vision Development update: 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 • Vision Development update: 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected]. POSTINGS • Fall 2015 29 BUSINESS & UPDATES Junior League of Pelham, Inc. Table of Organization 2015-2016 President Melissa Mulrooney Deighton 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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! POSTINGS • Fall 2015 35 36 POSTINGS • Fall 2015 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!