GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.—The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center's Board of Directors approved new roles for several of its officers during a regular meeting on Friday, Feb. 20. 

 

Sheila Parekh-Blum was appointed Board Chair. Parekh-Blum first joined the board in 2023. 

 

Jamie DuMont was appointed Co-vice Chair. DuMont first joined the board in 2023. DuMont will serve in this position alongside incumbent Co-vice Chair Allison Wintner.

 

Jeff Lynch was appointed Clerk. Lynch first joined the board in 2024.  

 

Parekh-Blum, DuMont, and Lynch assume these roles from Margaret Deutsch, Mandy Victor-Pieczarka, and Ron Ashendorf, respectively, all of whom will remain on the board as active members. 

 

Treasurer Lawrence Rutkowski will remain in his position. 

 

"The Mahaiwe team welcomes its newest leaders on the Board of Directors with excitement and enthusiasm," said Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. "We also salute the years of leadership from Margaret, Mandy, and Ron, who steered the Mahaiwe through countless shows, continued growth, the opening of a second performance space, and, for a time, through a pandemic. We are grateful they will all continue to serve on the board."  

 

Sheila Parekh-Blum 

Sheila Parekh-Blum is committed to nurturing creative and entrepreneurial ventures. After an early career in nonprofit management and development, she transitioned to a career in fine art and worked as a Specialist in South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art for Christie's. Today, Sheila devotes her time to early-stage investing, non-profit board leadership, and supports the careers of many local artists. Sheila serves on the boards of Hivers and Strivers, an early-stage investment group that invests exclusively in companies founded by veterans and graduates of the military academies, and on the Board of Trustees of The Mount: Edith Wharton Cultural Center in Lenox, Mass. Sheila, her husband Christopher Blum, and their three Havanese dogs live in the Town of Mount Washington.  

 

Jamie DuMont 

Producer Jamie DuMont has an extensive background in Broadway marketing and high-level event production. Early in his career, he worked on the original Broadway productions of Sunset Blvd., Rent, Jekyll & Hyde, Side Man, and Fosse. His event production clients have included Veuve Clicquot, Krug, the Royal Academy of Arts, and Ballroom Marfa. In 2018, DuMont co-founded The Fabulous Invalid with Rob Russo. The company develops theatrical and media projects that bring untold stories and fascinating personalities to contemporary audiences. Recent projects include Call Fosse at the Minskoff, presented at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in 2022, and the 2025 Off-Broadway premiere of Drew Droege's dark comedy Messy White Gays. 

 

Jeff Lynch 

Jeff Lynch is President and Founder of Idle Smart, a technology company that helps commercial fleets reduce fuel consumption, CO? emissions, and vehicle downtime through proprietary engine start-stop software. He previously held leadership roles at Thomson Financial, Sprint Nextel, and Embarq, where he led initiatives spanning strategy, product development, sales, and operations. 

A native of the Berkshires, Lynch earned a B.A. from Boston University and an M.B.A. from Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management. He has long been active in the community and has served on several nonprofit boards.