Larchmont Mamaroneck Center for Continuing Education Names New Board Members

The following announcement is from The Larchmont Mamaroneck Center for Continuing Education:

The Center for Continuing Education in Mamaroneck is pleased to announce that Kim Christiansen, Amy Giddon, Simon Marlow, Leslie Newman and Linnet Tse have joined its Board of Directors. “The Center is a very important educational asset to the community,” said Blythe Hamer, The Center’s Executive Director. “I am delighted to have these long-time community members and leaders in their fields bring their wealth of experience to the Board.”

Kim Christiansen is a finance professional who spent eight years as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. Senate working on business and economic related issues. While at the Senate, he began preparing “for a different course” by completing his MBA in International Business and Finance. In the mid-eighties, he began a career at JP Morgan. According to Christiansen, “Highlights of my JP Morgan experience were the different courses my career path took and the fun of learning new things to prepare for an ever-shifting banking and finance environment. My professional experience underscores that careers are not static, change is constant and continued learning is essential and fun. I believe The Center can help facilitate the ongoing learning process whether for career or purely personal enjoyment reasons.”

Amy Giddon is the Director of Leadership Development at the Athena Center for Leadership at Barnard College. She partners with corporations and non-profits to support and develop their women leaders. Amy is excited to bring her many years of experience in strategic planning and marketing to the board. She has taken classes at The Center and appreciates the role it can play in people’s lives. “My first class was a film class when my children were young. It was a built-in time for me to connect with friends and take a break from the demands of juggling work and family. Later, I took art and cooking classes with my teenage daughter and it was a special time for the two of us. The Center is a gem in our community. It is a great way for people to connect with fellow learners, friends and family.”

Simon Marlow is an international marketing communications expert with over 40 years experience in launching well-known brands around the world. As Managing Director of BBDO Worldwide he helped create “The Best a Man Can Get” campaign for Gillette and campaigns for Pepsi, Bayer, Venus and Duracell. In 2008, he founded Alpha Accelerators LLC, a company engaged with transformative not-for-profit and commercial enterprises focused on making the world and our community a better place. He is a founding member of At Home on the Sound. According to Simon, “The Center aspires to provide this community with a truly transformative educational experience. We have a very exciting ambition to fully satisfy the intellectually and culturally rich population in Larchmont, Mamaroneck and the surrounding areas. “

Leslie Newman is a Canadian-educated lawyer who has spent much of her career in the telecom industry at Motorola. Leslie took a different course about 10 years ago when she requested to work from home on a full-time basis so that she could be more actively involved in her children’s lives and the community. She was one of the first corporate counsels in a Fortune 500 company to do so. “I have seen first hand how technology has changed our lives and how open-mindedness and flexibility can bring new opportunities. I believe the mission of The Center supports this spirit of change, innovation and development.”

Linnet Tse has been a leader both in the corporate world and the Mamaroneck community. She was a Senior Director, Business Planning at Pepsi Cola. When she left the paid workforce she became an active volunteer, including serving nine years on the Mamaroneck School Board as a trustee and President. She is currently involved in starting The Charter High School for Law and Social Justice in the Bronx, slated to open in September 2015. “Education for all ages is one of my passions,” says Ms. Tse. “I consider myself a lifelong learner, curious about a wide variety of topics. I took a different course by starting to learn Spanish at The Center a number of years ago. Now when I make my annual service trip to Nicaragua, I see how much more I can speak and understand each year. I look forward to my work with The Center encouraging others to become lifelong learners.”

The Center’s spring classes start March 2nd. According to Ms. Hamer, “We have something for everyone. For high school students, we offer College Essay Writing and preparation for the SAT in Biology and Advanced Placement US History tests. Our music appreciation classes, ‘The History of Jazz’ and ‘Sonatas Fugues, and Romance,’ combine live performances with lectures and discussion. Our ever-popular food and drink classes include ‘Beer Brewing 101,’ ‘The History of Gin’ and an opportunity for a cooking demonstration at Palomino restaurant. For those with diet and exercise resolutions we have ‘Fast, Fresh and Healthy Cooking’ along with Barreless Barre, Zumba and Yoga classes. Our classes offer community members the opportunity to learn from ‘best in class’ instructors from institutions including the New York Botanical Garden, the Jacob Burns Film Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York University without having to travel.”

For further information on classes or to register, please visit LMCCE.org or call 914-698-9126.

Photo 1: Linnet Tse; Photo 2: Amy Giddon; Photo 3: Leslie Newman; Photo 4: Kim Christiansen; Photo 5: Simon Marlow. Photo credit: Contributed

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