The Mount Welcomes 8 New Board Members
LENOX, Mass. — The Mount, the former estate of Edith Wharton, has turned a promising corner in its journey to achieving long-term financial stability. On the heels of a successful 2010 summer season, eight new members have joined the board of trustees. The new members are: Gale H. Arnold, Lila Berle, Frank Delaney, Neil E. Ellenoff, Anne G. Fredericks, Inge Heckel, B. Carter White and Gigi Wilmers.The new board members — who represent the Berkshire region as well as major metropolitan areas, including New York City and Washington D.C. — bring to The Mount collective expertise in finance, literature, design, historic preservation, media and art history, along with a strong commitment to ensuring the continued vibrancy of The Mount. These highly accomplished business executives, professionals, and community leaders will be actively involved in laying the groundwork to sustain The Mount for years to come.
“The Mount is one of the most beautiful and historically important properties not only in the Berkshires, but in the entire country,” said Lila Berle, who organized The Mount’s first board of trustees in the 1970s and was the first board chairman. Berle said she decided to rejoin the board to help preserve The Mount for future generations. “Edith Wharton was a groundbreaker and pioneer, and the home she designed is an inspirational place,” she said. “We need to keep it going.”
“It’s a great group of new people who have become involved,” Berle continued. “And we hope to inspire other people.”
“We are thrilled to add to our board these new members who are so eminently qualified and richly experienced,” said Susan Wissler, The Mount’s executive director.
Under the leadership of board chairman Gordon Travers, The Mount has made steady strides towards recovery since the launch of its “Save The Mount” campaign in 2008. “We are deeply grateful to the community, to our donors, and to our lenders, including Berkshire Bank, for their support over the recent years,” said Wissler. “But it is still an upward climb.” Like many of its cultural counterparts, The Mount must continually raise money to cover general operating costs. In addition, it is due to make a $1,000,000 principal repayment to its lenders in May 2011.
This month, The Mount is launching “Our Future Starts Now,” a fundraising campaign with a $300,000 year-end goal. The trustees have collectively committed to giving half, or $150,000. “These funds will allow planning to continue for the 2011 and 2012 seasons,” said Wissler. “We are carefully directing our resources to ensure we have maximum impact on the cultural landscape, and can provide stimulating, satisfying programs for our wide range of visitors.” Recent and planned programming underscores The Mount’s emergence as a nationally recognized literary center. Planning is already underway for the second annual Berkshire WordFest, a literary festival whose inaugural event in 2010 was enthusiastically embraced by participants, the community and the media.
For more information about Edith Wharton and The Mount, visit www.EdithWharton.org.
