2008 Board of Directors

Sue Arnold - President - New Salem - Montachusett Opportunity Council Case Manager Supervisor - Board member since 2004. Sue joined the cast of Dogs in order to perform in a production with her godson, Dylan Flye. She has participated in each subsequent Meetinghouse play. She also performed in Oliver with The Country Players as Widow Corney, and had a part in Fiddler on the Roof .

William Oldach Esq - Vice President - Athol - Lawyer - Board member since 2003.

Marcia Gagliardi - Secretary - Athol - Owner: Haley's Antiques and Publishing (ISBN/CIP: 80 titles). Board member since 2000.  Marcia is the owner of Haley's Antiques and Publishing in Athol. She was a teacher of English and humanities (AP Art History) and taught music appreciation for twelve years as part of Athol High humanities course. Advisor to school publications and public relations at Athol High (multiple national and regional award-winning student newspapers; national PR award 1984) 1987-1990: special projects coordinator at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (projects include Free-For-All with Laurie Thomas; several programs with teachers throughout New England, including in the classical galleries and Monet in the 90s; outreach coordinator for the BiNational in collaboration with Institute for Contemporary Art, three German museums, and arts organizations in Provincetown, Worcester, and Lowell) As proprietor of Haley’s Antiques with gallery; she sponsors collaborative poetry and visual arts shows.Her mother allowed her to "perform" makeshift dramas for however long and for whomever stopped to call. Fortunately, beginning with Dogs, Dorothy and company introduced Marcia to the ensemble concept. Evidently, the ensemble has not suffered - nor has Marcia, who also sings with Quabbin Valley Pro Musica.

Melodi Foti - Treasurer - Board Member since 2008.

Jo-Ellen Boskind - New Salem - Board Member since 2007.  Has a BA from the University of Mass Amherst and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. A Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in private practice in Athol since 1991 providing mental health/substance abuse outpatient services with specialties in women’s issues, grief/bereavement, couples therapy and work with adolescents . Lectures extensively on work with couples including the 2003 Harvard Medical School National Conference on Couples Therapy. Past Board member and Vice President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers active in the Pioneer Valley Social Workers for Peace and Justice group since 1985.  Board member of the Bodhissara Dharma Community a non-profit organization formed to offer the Buddha's teachings and support in living with awareness kindness and right action.

Patience Bundschuh - Royalston - self employed graphic designer - Board Member since 2000. Patience has a background in publishing & graphic design. She has worked as a designer & Arts Administrator at Little, Brown & Company and Houghton Mifflin Company. She has also taught art & design at the college level and for over twenty years has free-lanced as a designer, art coordinator & event planner. A client sample list includes the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The (Boston) Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, The Cantata Singers (Boston), The International Young President's Organization (YPO). Patience studied drawing & painting at Queen's University, Canada and holds a BFA degree from Boston University. She has served for many years on The Royalston Cultural Council and The Royalston Historic District Commission as member & past Chair of both organizations. She is currently a trustee and Vice President of The Royalston Academy Board of Directors and she sings with The Quabbin Valley Pro Musica.

John Ciesluk - New Salem – Principal, Longmeadow Public Schools. - Board member since 2003. John is married to fellow board member Jane Williams and has lived in New Salem for almost a decade. He has been an elementary school principal for over twenty-five years and is currently principal of the Wolf Swamp Road School in Longmeadow. John chairs the meetinghouse education committee and hopes to see this committee broaden the Meetinghouse’s circle of influence among area schools in unique ways. Relevant Past Positions: Former President: Board of Directors, Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association; current Editor: Board of Directors, Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association; member: Board of Directors, MassPartners; member: Board of Directors, Bay State Reading Institute. Education and Training: BA, English, Colgate University,1968; MAT, English, UMASS,1970; Ed.D., Instructional Leadership, UMASS, 1982. Accomplishments and/or Awards Received: Certificate of International Service, Government of the Cook Islands, July 2002; Massachusetts Elementary Principal of the Year, 2003- 2004; National Distinguished Principal, 2003-2004.

Henry Cramer - New Salem - retired social worker - Board member since 1994. Hank left the field of social work and moved to New Salem more than thirty years ago. He has served on the New Salem Fire Department, Conservation Commission and Planning Board for many years. He was Director of the restoration of the Town Common. His high school summer jobs with contractors had taught him a little about the building trades. Designing and building his own house taught him a lot more. He has been an active member of the 1794 Building Committee for many years with a special interest in theatrical lighting. His other interests include oil painting, gardening, and nature study. Seven years School Adjustment Counselor and consultant to elementary public schools. Ohio Wesleyan University, BA liberal arts. Boston University, MA psychology.

Jean Derderian - New Salem - Mother - Board member since 1994. Jean has been a member of the board for many years and has worked with many of 1794 Meetinghouse’s committees, including: Programming, Fundraising, By-Law, Newsletter, and Development and as Secretary for one year. Jean is also active in other New Salem affairs as chair of the New Salem Historical Commission and has been a member of the Planning Board. She is presently taking time to raise her four young sons, but plans to continue graduate studies in public health, planning, and community nutrition when the boys are a little older. Relevant Past Positions: New Salem Historical Commission, New Salem Planning Board. Accomplishments and/or Awards Received: Summa Cum Laude graduate; historic preservation of locally and nationally recognized historic properties

Sally Howe - Orange - Foreign Language Teacher - Board member since 1999. Sally lived in Paris as a teenager and currently teaches French at Athol High School. She holds degrees from Barnard and from Columbia University. She is active in community theatre productions in roles ranging from musicals to Shakespearean dramas, and has appeared in many 1794 Meetinghouse productions including Yankee Spirits, Dogs, Home Movies, Friends and Neighbors, and Mother Goose Lost.

Janet Knight, PhD. - Orange - Retired Registered Nurse and Research Scientist - Board member since 2001. Past Positions: Board of Trustees, Visiting Nurse Association (6 years); Board of Health, Orange MA (3 years); Administration and managerial positions in hospitals and community. Education: RN, MSN, PhD. Member of choirs (religious and secular), bands (clarinet French horn, piano). Janet lives on Lake Mattawa. Among many career paths she has taken are nursing, school nursing, management, teaching, and criminology. Currently she is consulting to various research projects and enjoying community service activities.

Janet Kraft - New Salem - Innkeeper - Board member since 1994.  Janet, owner of Bullard Farm Bed and Breakfast and Conference Center as well as organist for the Congregational Church of New Salem, has been an active member of the Board for the past several years. She is Director of Music, Central Congregational Church, New Salem (1986-present); and was Director of Music, Cohasset Unitarian Church, Cohasset (1969-1980); Organist, Weston Methodist Church (1965-1969); Organist, Unitarian Church of Natick (1960-1965); various concerts, benefits, fundraising activities at Bullard Farm Conference Center (1991-present). Education: BA University of Massachusetts 1978. Service Playing Certificate, American Guild of Organists 1975. member of American Guild of Organists 1956-present.

Axel Larson - New Salem - Retired Realty Specialist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Board Member since 2002. Relevant past: Member of Town Planning Board, Previously member of Board of Health (Pepperell, MA), Board of Directors of the Community Church of Pepperell (4 or 5 years), Member of Board of Directors of the Pepperell Little League (5 years) also coached two years. Education: Bachelor of Science, Forestry, University of Maine 1965; Master of Science, Agricultural Economics, University of Massachusetts 1974, Two years as Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru, South America (1965 -1967). Axel has appeared in several theatrical productions on the 1794 Meetinghouse stage.

Niles Larson - New Salem - Board member since 2007 and son of Board Member Axel Larson. The youngest of three children, Niles was forced on long car rides to listen to classical music with his father, and golden age of rock and roll (50's, 60's, and 70's) with his mother. In about the 5th grade, he was watching a collection of videos and found his calling to become a Film Director. Niles graduated from Mahar Regional High School in 2006 and attended the New York Film Academy. Until the day a Hollywood Producer beckons him to direct the next "Big Movie" he devotes his time to narrative scripts and documentaries about artists.

Diane Lincoln - Royalston - President of Bruce’s Browser, Inc. in Athol and owner of Linqsongs Publishing in Royalston. Board member since 2003. She was on the board of directors of the North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce for 25 years and held the presidency of that organization for three terms. She is a Corporator of the Athol Savings Bank. After graduating from Northeastern University with a pharmacy degree in 1970, she went into and eventually took over her family’s independent business. She sold the pharmacy in 2004 to pursue her passion for music. Diane is now a guitar-based singer/songwriter (stage name Linq) with an electric folk/rebellion rock sound. She has released multiple CDs and a music video and is currently working on two new albums. www.linqmusic.com

Connie Milusich  -  Board member since 2007.  Graduated eons ago from Connecticut College with a degree in economics and  worked at Merrill-Lynch as a portfolio analyst and then in pension and profit-sharing at Bankers Trust, both in New York City. Currently president and manager of Stan's Liquor Mart in Athol. Serves on the Board of the Athol Savings Bank and the Athol-Royalston Education Foundation (treasurer of the latter). Lives in Athol and has two children, Rebecca and Christopher.