Elisabeth is a writer and consultant with extensive experience in executive marketing and communications, both in the corporate world and in private higher education. She specializes in strategic and crisis communications, speeches, newsletters, and feature stories. The wife and granddaughter of immigrants, Elisabeth is fluent in Spanish and has spent significant time working and traveling abroad. She has a daughter in the Rhinebeck school system and is committed to promoting cultural competence and supporting a diverse community that is welcoming to all.

Deirdre is retired from many years of service as a trustee of the Rhinebeck Central School District Board of Education, having been elected for five consecutive terms and serving as Board president for two terms. She is a trained mediator with the Mediation Center of Dutchess County, mediating family, workplace and small claims cases. She is also a trained facilitator and volunteers with a Poughkeepsie based project helping to facilitate community meetings. Deirdre raised two children who went through the Rhinebeck public schools and, previously, has been a community organizer in public housing, a public health educator and a bookseller.

Norm runs Woodstock Organic Concepts, a branding and creative services company that helps local, regional and national companies with all facets of their image management needs; he spearheaded last year’s re-branding and logo development for CultureConnect. He also works as a fine artist who has exhibited his art in museums and galleries all over the world and has been honored with NYSCA, NYFA, and Pollock-Krasner Foundation grants, amongst others. He runs our ArtsConnect program, consisting of our annual Veteran’s Day ArtsCrawl and  “Night at the Museum”, a sleep-over at a local museum.

Yesenia was born in Puebla, Mexico but raised in Los Angeles, California. She spent many years working with Latino youth and undocumented families in New York City and Passaic, New Jersey. Yesenia has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Graduate Center, CUNY and is currently working with the Bard Prison Initiative. Yesenia has two children in the Rhinebeck school district. She is proud to raise her family in a bilingual household.

Ron is a Principal in Financial Training Partners, where he teaches finance and banking. He is committed to ensure that all children have the tools and resources they need to reach their full potential, and believes we all benefit from living in a community that values social justice and global engagement.

Rosie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  She became a social worker because of her passion for social justice, and spent many years working in nonprofits before opening a private practice. She believes that focusing locally is the best way to effect change, and is dedicated to serving the communities of Red Hook and Rhinebeck via CultureConnect’s mission to support the growth of compassion and cultural competence in our young citizens.

Alice is a former kids media executive from Nickelodeon and National Geographic Kids, a certified Fearless Living coach, and a single mother of two children who attended the Rhinebeck schools. Her role on the CultureConnect board is to share her wisdom of kid empowerment, technology support, project management, and marketing strategy.

Yanet Cruz-Lopez is a compassionate and caring woman who has resided in the town of Rhinebeck, New York, for the past two decades, and is currently living in Red Hook. She is a proud mother of four children, and three of them are currently pursuing higher education. Yanet is known for her passion for helping others, especially the Hispanic community, and has always been actively involved in volunteer work. She loves learning about new cultures and always welcomes anyone who wants to share their experiences with her. Yanet's dedication to helping others has earned her a reputation as a kind-hearted and empathetic person in her community.

Henry is a 7th grade Social Studies teacher at Bulkeley Middle School in Rhinebeck, NY.  Henry has created a dynamic program at the middle school about Madagascar and created and leads the Madagascar Connect program for CultureConnect.  MadagascarConnect is a two year education and travel program for high school students to learn about and experience the culture of Madagascar.

Scott started visiting the Hudson Valley the summer of 1995 as a camp counselor. After finishing his Bachelor Degree in elementary education, he moved to Rhinebeck permanently in 1998 and took a position as Program Director at Ramapo for Children. While at Ramapo Scott completed a master’s degree in Camp Administration and Leadership from Touro University.

Scott has held leadership positions at Ramapo for Children, currently serving as the Senior Director of Operations. Scott resides in Rhinebeck with his two children. When not at work he enjoys hiking, skiing and biking riding. Having worked in a diverse community of children and adults from all over the world for many years, Scott is looking forward to sharing his experience and expertise working with CultureConnect; supporting the organizations many programs.

Lillian spent two decades living in almost every neighborhood in New York City, during which she had a 14-year finance career. After leaving that world behind, she took volunteer trips to orphanages in Kenya, Guatemala, and Vietnam, and has traveled to over thirty countries – her favorites being Cambodia, Botswana, and France. As a pediatric cancer survivor, she is also an ambassador for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, an organization that has funded many childhood cancer research grants at several of the nation’s leading pediatric cancer centers.

Lillian’s moved to Rhinebeck in 2016 with her son Julian, who is happily enrolled in Rhinebeck’s public school system. Lillian is an established real estate agent with Four Seasons Sotheby’s, and loves telling potential newcomers about the tight-knit community, proximity to nature, and exceptional quality of life the Hudson Valley offers. She is excited about joining the board of Culture Connect, and looks forward to expanding the organization’s profile and fundraising efforts.