Board of Directors
President
Teresita Alicea, Esq.
Springfield, MA
Criminal Lawyer (retired)
Clerk
John Hellweg
Holyoke, MA
Theatre Professor Smith College, Emeritus
Board Members
Mirjana Blokar
Riverdale, NY
Psychotherapist
Dr. Alfred Hutt
South Hadley, MA
Ophthalmologist, Founder Hutt Eye Associates
Donald T. Sanders, MIFA Executive Artistic Director
Belchertown, MA
Producer and Director
Sybil Shainwald
New York, NY
Attorney
James Sutter
Holyoke, MA
Jeweler & Owner Sutters Jewelry
Honorary
Vanessa Redgrave
London, UK
Actress
Chair
William F. Weld
New York, NY.
Law Partner and Investment Advisor
Co-Chair
Stephen J. Adams
Boston, MA
Former President of AIER
Thomas Krens
New York, NY
Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Emeritus
Patrick Landers
Investment Development Officer
David Scott
Knoxville, TN
Former Chancellor UMass Amherst 1993-2001
Rosalba Rolón
New York, NY
Co-founder & Artistic Director of Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
Emeritus
Elizabeth Dobrska
Boston, MA
Production, Music Programming Advisor
Grace Glueck
New York, NY
Art Critic, New York Times
Barbara Gillian Lazarus
Pelham, MA
Director-East Street Dance Studios, Hadley, MA
Lynn Pasquerella
South Hadley, MA
President, Mount Holyoke College
Gregory Prince
Norwich, VT
Former President, Hampshire College
Jason Rivera
Holyoke, MA
First Niagara Bank Branch Manager, Holyoke
Hiltrud Schulz
Amherst, MA
Managing Director, Icestorm International
Edisa Weeks
Brooklyn, NY
Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher
In Memorium
T. Mark Futter
Northampton, MA
Retired Owner & CEO of Kellogg Brush Manufacturing company
Mass. Cultural Council Board of Directors
Arcadia Players, Board of Directors, Northampton, Ma.
Springfield Symphony Board of Directors
Length of service- 1998-2011
Ralph Levy
Northampton, MA
Aid to Massachusetts Speaker of the House of Representatives (retired)
Length of service- 1997-2016
Mary Maples Dunn
Philadelphia, PA
Former President, Smith College
Length of service- 1993-1995
Sarah S. Montgomery
South Hadley, MA
Professor Emeritus & Dean of the College Emeritus, Mount Holyoke College
Length of service- 1996-2007
Mary Richie Smith
New York, NY
Asia Society Board Member
Length of service- 2006-2020
Paul Sorvino
New York, NY
Actor, Producer, Director
Length of service- 2004-2022
Community Advisory Committee
A group of Holyokers (resident or honorary) to think about how the Victory Theatre Project can achieve its goals, be nurtured and sustained. MIFA Victory Theatre should be the major cultural institution that Holyoke has never had before, one that people love, are proud of and take care of for future generations.
Members:
Maurice Ferriter, Senior Partner Ferriter & Ferriter Law Office
Helen Casey, Owner Posters Inc.
Barbara Bernard, Newspaper Columnist
Doris Ransford, Retired – President of Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
Jason Rivera, Division Manager at Heartland Payment Systems
Hector Suarez, Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager KeyBank
Kathy Anderson, Former President of the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce
Ray Feyre, Former City Councilor
Bob Gilbert, Retired – President Dowd Insurance
Jim Lavelle, Manager Holyoke Gas & Electric
Joe McGiverin, City Councilor at Large
Elaine Pluta, Former Mayor of Holyoke
Brendan Ciecko, founder and CEO of Cuseum
Timothy Grader, Real Estate Owner and Manager
The Advisory Committee will provide guidance in the following areas:
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Economic Development opportunities posed by this project
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Platform for renovation project funding and support
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School performances support/ education program support
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Fund to insure inclusion of high-end national and international programming (Business plan calls for $625,000 annual local fundraising)
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Holyoke theme based projects
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Holyoke generated performance events i.e. theater, opera, music, film, media, literature, special guest appearances etc.
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The development of the adjacent Holyoke House, the blocks behind and in front of the theater.
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Establishment of contingent professional rehearsal and workshop rehearsal spaces, an independent film making studio, access to Heritage State Park, a large scale museum etc.
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Endowment fund