New London Barn Playhouse Announces New Board Members And Officers

The Board of Directors of the New London Barn Playhouse has announced the nomination of three new members to the board as well as new officers.

New Director Harry Tether and his wife Suzanne moved to Sunapee 16 years ago and have enjoyed coming to Barn performances since the summer of 1982. A graduate of Williams College and Columbia Business School and an Army Veteran, Harry joined Chase Manhattan Bank and spent 30 years in the banking industry, 15 years of which were spent living and working in Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. Following his retirement from JPMorgan Chase in 2001, Harry worked for the US Treasury Office of Technical Assistance advising developing countries on debt management and infrastructure projects. A former Northern Stage board member, Harry currently serves on local non-profit investment committees and is a member of the boards of Adventures in Learning and The John Hay Estate at the Fells. He enjoys tennis, biking, skiing and other activities with his six grandchildren.

"For nearly 40 years the Barn has been a special part of my family's summer tradition," Harry says, "The Barn provided first theater experiences for our children and now their children continue the 'Barn' tradition. The future plans look exciting and I am honored and proud to be able to contribute."

Also joining the Board of Directors is retired Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc., Jim Prevo. Prior to joining GMCR, Jim held various manufacturing project and program management positions at Digital Equipment Corporation. Jim holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Vermont. He has been a seasonal resident on Lake Sunapee since 1953, spending summers on the lake throughout his childhood and adolescence. He and his wife, Dianne bought a home of their own on Lake Sunapee in 2010 and are now full-time Sunapee residents. Jim enjoys boating, biking, downhill skiing, photography, travel and home IT projects.

"The Barn has been a meaningful part of my life since I was a child," Jim says, "I am honored to join this dedicated and talented group of people providing stewardship over this important resource, offering enrichment and opportunity to our local and regional communities."

The third new addition to the Board of Directors is Wilmot resident Jackie Nowicki. Jackie is a Director at the U.S. Government Accountability Office with more than 25 years of experience in policy and budget analysis, grants management, and strategic planning, including past work in private sector counseling. A nationally recognized expert in K-2 education policy, her work at the GAO has resulted in billions of dollars of taxpayer savings. She teaches management leadership courses and is a certified Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Facilitator. Jackie has previously served on the Board of Directors for Tiny Findings, Inc., a Washington, DC early learning center, including several years on its Executive committee and 2 years as President. She has been a key supporter of Arts Education locally for many years at the Barn and in the local school system. She earned a Master's degree in Public Policy from the University of Maryland's School of Public Policy and a Bachelor's degree in finance from Lehigh University.

"In a world where being different is often vilified, the Barn creates a community of bridge-builders who accept and love and celebrate differences," Jackie says, "I'm constantly amazed that our tiny town can draw such amazingly talented staff."

Newly appointed president John Finck says the board is thrilled to welcome these members.

"Each of these new directors brings a wealth of experience and wisdom to the Barn," he says, "We're honored they have joined our very active and dedicated board to steer the Barn to a new chapter in its 89-year history as one of the oldest summer theaters in New Hampshire."

The thirteen-member board also accepted four new changes to its Executive Committee in October: John Finck of New London was named President of the Board, Maggie Ford of New London will serve as Vice-President to the board, Tom Stark of New London was named Treasurer of the board, and Wynne DeMille was named Board Emerita, the first time the Barn Playhouse board has had a member serving this position. Peg Theroux of New London continues serving as Secretary of the board.

The Board now has 13 directors also including David Bashaw, Newbury, Janet Miller Haines, New London, Dusty Hoyt, New London, Kim Packard, New London, and Daniel Snyder, New London. The Board works closely with the Senior Staff Team, which includes Keith Coughlin, Executive Artistic Director, Elliott Cunningham, Managing Director, Jody Copper-Rubin, Director of Development, Abby Peel, Director of Sales and Marketing, Beth Perregaux, Business Manager, and Josh Feder, Director of Education.