ArtsWestchester Welcomes New Board President, Executive Vice President and Members

From Thompson & Bender:

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - ArtsWestchester, the state’s largest private, nonprofit organization working to ensure the availability and accessibility of the arts for all county residents, has announced the appointment of Robert W. Roth as its new board president, Michael Minihan as its new board executive vice president and four new board members.

Roth succeeds Froma Benerofe, who has completed two years as board president after leading ArtsWestchester through its milestone 50th anniversary year, contributing significantly to its vision for the future as the organization embarks on a capital campaign. Despite a busy schedule as a clinical social worker, Benerofe played a major role in ArtsWestchester business, particularly as the chair of the Grants Committee which she guided through several important issues and changes as chair.

Image 1: Robert W. Roth, a retired principal from the firm JMC Consulting, recently assumed the role of Board President of ArtsWestchester at its annual meeting this summer.

Roth is a licensed professional engineer who has been recognized by the International Council of Shopping Centers for his expertise. He has more than 40 years of site planning and engineering experience with a vast array of clients including national retailers, developers, builders, institutions and municipalities. Roth is an expert in site design, civil engineering, traffic and parking, storm water management, and a host of other environmental issues. In addition to serving as an expert witness, he has presented numerous projects for approval to agencies and community groups. He has been an active and dedicated board member at ArtsWestchester since 2006, sharing his professional skills on the Building Committee, as well as the Development and Executive Committees. Roth brings a passion for the arts and his belief in the mission of ArtsWestchester to his new role as President.

"I am certainly honored to follow Froma Benerofe as ArtsWestchester Board President,” Roth said. “ArtsWestchester has worked for more than 50 years to build arts audiences and to strengthen Westchester County's cultural sector, insuring the arts stay accessible to every segment of society including our schools. The arts inspire our children, nourish our souls and enhance our communities. I look forward to the opportunity to continue the important work of this dynamic organization."

Image 2: Stepping into the role of executive vice president is Michael Minihan, an international tax advisor and Founder of WTP Advisors (now Ryan) who served as Treasurer and member of the Finance Committee for the past two years. With experience that includes public accounting and private industry, he served some of the world’s largest companies at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York, where he assisted with complex quantitative international tax matters. Since joining the board in 2013, he has served on the audit, finance, and investment committees of ArtsWestchester.

The new 2016-17 members of ArtsWestchester’s Board of Trustees are:

• Nick Moore, creative director at Roar Groupe, a marketing and branding organization, whose work includes campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, as well as previous pro-bono work for ArtsWestchester. Moore was part of the team that created and developed the “grey crayon box’ campaign for ArtsWestchester using the tagline: “Imagine Westchester Without the Arts.” Some of Moore’s most notable clients include: Coca Cola, Levi’s, Dell, Reebok, Range Rover, Citibank, Abbott Laboratories, Nationwide Insurance, Nokia, Microsoft, Chevron, Calvin Klein and HP.
• Nataly Ritter, an arts patron and world traveler, who formerly held positions at Young & Rubicam, BBD&O and McCann Ericson, and was a writer on the MGM film The Man from U.N.C.L.E. She has been active with the Museum of Modern Art, is a former board member and docent at the Neuberger Museum of Art. Nataly lives in Mamaroneck with her husband Toby – both are world travelers and avid sailors with Nataly serving as “first mate” on all expeditions.
• George Troyano, president and publisher of The Journal News, is a sales and marketing executive who is leading the news organization into the digital age. His strategic vision has been transformational for The Journal News as a digital first media operation. Trojan formerly worked for Review Publishing in the Philadelphia market, and spent eight years in New York doing business and marketing for The Village Voice.
• Francis Corcoran, a representative of the Westchester Board of Legislators, is a Republican Conservative representing District 2 which covers Bedford, Mount Kisco, Pound Ridge, Lewisboro, North Salem and part of Somers. He is a first-time legislator having had an impressive career in the financial sector. Formerly President of the National Stock Exchange, Corcoran has been working in the financial markets for 30 years. His career spans such firms as Institutional Shareholders Services; NYSE firm Reynders, Gray & Co.; Instinet; the American Stock Exchange; the Securities Industry Association; the Congressional Financial Oversight Committee; the Securities Trader Association, and the National Corporate Directors Association.

About ArtsWestchester

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.

For more information about ArtsWestchester, visit here.

Images via Thompson & Bender