New London Barn Playhouse Adds Three Board Members

The Board of Directors of the New London Barn Playhouse is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members: Kristen Begor of Sunapee, Andrew McElwee of New London, and Holly Sethness of New London.

Kristen Begor and her husband, Mark, bought their Sunapee home in 1995 and became full-time New Hampshire residents in 2016. Kristen earned a BS in Geology/Environmental Science from Dickinson College and an MS in Geology, specializing in Hydrogeology, from Syracuse University. After a 15-year professional career, she retired in 1998 to focus on her growing family and went on to serve on several nonprofit boards in Connecticut and New Hampshire. She has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of both the Lake Sunapee Protective Association and the Loon Preservation Committee, and as a trustee of the John Hay Estate at The Fells. After a year away, Kristen rejoined the Loon Preservation Committee Board in 2024, where she currently chairs the Development Committee.

Also joining the Board of Directors is Andrew McElwee, President, Chief Operating Officer, and a board member of The Plymouth Rock Company. Before joining Plymouth Rock, he served as Enterprise Chief Underwriting Officer of American Family Insurance and as President and Chief Operating Officer of Homesite Insurance Group, an American Family affiliate. Earlier, he spent 25 years with affiliates of The Chubb Corporation, most recently as Executive Vice President of Chubb & Son and Chief Operating Officer of Chubb Personal Insurance and Chubb Accident & Health. He began his career at Morgan Stanley and at the law firm Dewey, Ballantine, Bushby, Palmer & Wood. Andrew holds a B.A. from Davidson College and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, and he attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He currently serves on the boards of WBUR and Boston Harbor Now and is a former trustee of Davidson College, the American Folk Art Museum, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

The third new addition to the Board of Directors is New London resident Holly Sethness. Holly began her career in banking at Irving Trust Company in New York, where she rose to Assistant Vice President and Commercial Lending Officer in the Securities Industry Department. She later turned to education, earning a Post Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate from Caldwell College and teaching Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten at Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey, from 2007 to 2013. Holly holds a B.A. in Government from St. Lawrence University. A dedicated volunteer, she has served as Team Captain for Early Childhood Education with the John's Island Community Service League; Treasurer and Program Coordinator of the Short Hills Garden Club; Deacon and Sunday School Teacher at Wyoming Presbyterian Church; and President and Treasurer of the Summit YMCA Seals Swim Team Parents' Organization. At Kent Place School, she co-chaired the school's 100th Anniversary Celebration and served as Parents' Association Treasurer and Primary School Representative.

Board President, Kevin O'Leary, says the board is delighted to welcome its newest members.

'Kristen, Andrew, and Holly each bring a remarkable depth of experience, from nonprofit leadership and fundraising to business strategy, finance, and education,' O'Leary said. 'Just as important, they share a genuine love for the Barn Playhouse and for the communities it serves. Their perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to grow our year-round programming and ensure the Barn Playhouse remains a vibrant home for theatre in the Lake Sunapee region for generations to come.'

The Board of Directors now has 16 members with our 3 new members, including Kevin O'Leary, David Bashaw, Jackie Nowicki, Gil Watkins, Asa Fanelli, Kara Gruver, Elliott Hale, Dusty Hoyt, Douglas Kerr, William McLaughlin, Jane Mendillo, Kim Packard, Neil Senior and Wynne DeMille as Director Emerita. The board works closely with the Barn Playhouse's leadership team, which includes Keith Coughlin, Executive Artistic Director and Elliott Cunningham, Managing Director.

ABOUT THE NEW LONDON BARN PLAYHOUSE

Just completing in its 94th summer season, the New London Barn Playhouse is one of the longest-running theaters in the nation, renowned for its commitment to artistic excellence, education, and community impact. Located on historic Main Street in New London, NH, the Barn Playhouse presents a robust season of professional productions, concerts, new work development, and youth programming that enrich the cultural landscape of the region.

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