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:

Economic Development opportunities posed by this project
Platform for renovation project funding and support
School performances support/ education program support
Fund to insure inclusion of high-end national and international programming (Business plan calls for $625,000 annual local fundraising)
Holyoke theme based projects
Holyoke generated performance events i.e. theater, opera, music, film, media, literature, special guest appearances etc.
The development of the adjacent Holyoke House, the blocks behind and in front of the theater.
Establishment of contingent professional rehearsal and workshop rehearsal spaces, an independent film making studio, access to Heritage State Park, a large scale museum etc.
Endowment fund