GMPA Board & Administration
Jenna Companion, Director
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Jenna has been connected to this studio in all of it's forms since she was a young dancer herself. Her passion and commitment to this craft and this community can be seen in her relationships with students and in the size of her ever popular classes. GMPA will be lucky to benefit from her historical knowledge, well established relationships, passion and incredible work ethic. She looks forward to learning and growing as a professional while she continues to pass down her passion of dance to her students.
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Fiona Garufi, Assistant Director
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Fiona has been involved at GMPA since she was a student and has had the privilege of teaching young dancers here for the past decade. Fiona feels very lucky that she gets to do what she loves in a place that means so much to her. She has a deep understanding of the mission at GMPA and hopes to pass along some of her love of dance to her students. Her passion for dancing, teaching, and choreographing has only grown over the years and she is excited to be more involved!
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Katie Decker, Financial Manager
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Katie has almost 20 years of experience as an educator and administrator- most recently as Director of Centerpoint School, where she concluded a 17 year commitment to educating students with emotional and behavioral challenges. She has taught students from ages 3 all the way up to college age students across a variety of skill levels and content areas. In 2018, Katie and her partner Chatch incorporated Ballet Vermont, a ballet company with a social mission. Ballet Vermont produces multiple ballet productions a year (including the Farm to Ballet project), hires amateur and professional dancers and musicians and runs several kids camps- and Katie coordinates and manages the whole thing: soup to nuts. Above all things, she values relationships and community. Getting the students off the bus each day is one of the things she loves best at GMPA. She looks forward to helping GMPA to be a place where kids can feel valued, seen and cared for while they pursue passions and interests.
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Kathy Kort, Board Secretary
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Kathy was a high school special educator, transition specialist, who after a career of 42 years made her own transition from South Burlington High School in 2014 to enjoy Vermont in retirement. She started sewing quilts, artfully matching colors and patterns in symmetrical design. A life long church choir singer, she also has a passion for Celtic music and diverse forms of dance. Kathy has volunteered in her community and served on multiple church committees. Her adult daughter Kelly was a student of Heather’s as a Highland dancer for many years and she continues to perform and compete in the Boston area. While Kelly was actively dancing in Vermont, Kelly’s dad Bob led the St. Andrew’s Highland Dancers and Kathy volunteered in support tasks. Practicing wellness through exercise and yoga is her daily priority while checking in with both daughters and her four young grandchildren in Massachusetts. Green Mountain Performing Arts Board is a good match for Kathy’s love of children, performing arts, organizational skills, and experience.
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Amy SiegEl, Board Member, Community Outreach
ROBERT SIEGEL, BOARD MEMBER,
ADRIANNA BENSON, BOARD MEMBER
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Adrianna is an administrative professional with experience in non-profit mental health, education and the arts. Adrianna values collaboration, creativity, communication and commitment in building all relationships, both professional and personal.
We have been residents of the Waterbury community since 2001 and our daughter started in the Creative Dance class with GMPA back in 2010 when it was still One Studio on Elm Street in downtown Waterbury. She came out dancing, singing and celebrating and quickly found her home with the students, teachers and staff at GMPA. From Creative Dance, our daughter moved into Ballet, Highland, Hip Hop, Modern, Jazz/Tap and Performance Troupe. From her exploration as a pre-schooler to assistant teaching as a high-schooler, our daughter has grown up with GMPA staff modeling and teaching skills not only in dance, but in how to lead, mentor, communicate, work as a team and build community. The relationships our daughter has developed as a GMPA student and dancer have shaped the human she is today and the skills learned in class will serve her for a lifetime. It is an honor to have the opportunity to support the students, teachers and staff at GMPA as a board member serving our very creative Central Vermont community. |
SCOTT BENSON, BOARD MEMBER
AMY CHOREY, BOARD MEMBER
GMPA is looking for new board members!
Interested applicants should get in touch! gmpavt@gmail.com
Board members provide leadership, funding support, connections and skills. They represent the interests of their community and exercise accountability. GMPA Board members are passionate and invested in the mission of Green Mountain Performing Arts. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about GMPA's mission and who has a track record of board leadership or community involvement. Selected Board Members will have achieved leadership stature in business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector.
Interested applicants should get in touch! gmpavt@gmail.com
Board members provide leadership, funding support, connections and skills. They represent the interests of their community and exercise accountability. GMPA Board members are passionate and invested in the mission of Green Mountain Performing Arts. This is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about GMPA's mission and who has a track record of board leadership or community involvement. Selected Board Members will have achieved leadership stature in business, government, philanthropy, or the nonprofit sector.
