Media Release: Kurn Hattin Appoints New Executive Director

Dateline: October 29, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Mark G. Auerbach

(413) 733-7095 or (413)427-7352

mgauerbach@gmail.com

Jaimie Scanlon

(802)-579-8545

jaimie.scanlon@gmail.com

KURN HATTIN HOMES FOR CHILDREN APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Westminster, Vermont—Following an extensive nationwide search, the Board of Directors of Kurn Hattin Homes for Children has named veteran educational administrator and nonprofit leader Stephen Harrison as the organization's new Executive Director, following the retirement of Connie Sanderson.

Harrison will lead efforts to preserve and build upon the foundation of excellence established over the 120 years since the organization's founding; as well as develop partnerships and opportunities for program enhancement and institutional advancement for Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, a Vermont-based home and school serving children in grades K-8 who are at risk or in need as a result of adverse family circumstances. Programming is aimed at providing children with the care, stability, and confidence they need to go on to lead productive, fulfilling lives.

Harrison brings to the job a depth of expertise in fundraising, fiscal management, and long-range institutional planning, as well as three decades of leadership experience in residential and independent school environments around the country. He has served as Head of School of two independent Episcopal schools--St. John’s Parish Day School, Ellicott City, MD and St. Richard’s Episcopal School, Indianapolis, IN--and as Assistant Head of School and Middle School Director at Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington. NC. Prior to coming to Kurn Hattin Homes, he was Executive Director of Central Maryland Regional Transit; which provides training and transportation assistance for senior citizens, citizens with disabilities, low-income job seekers, veterans, and other underserved individuals.

In addition to skills and experience, Board President Charles P. Kelsey cited strength of character, long-term vision, and a collaborative approach to leadership as some of the criteria leading to the selection of Harrison to head Kurn Hattin. "We did a nationwide search with the goal of finding someone who is both a perfect fit for our close-knit community, and has the vision and compassion to take our children successfully into the 21st Century, and we’re confident Stephen is that person,” Kelsey said.

Harrison says he was particularly drawn to Kurn Hattin’s mission to transform the lives of children and their families, adding, “I have never experienced the atmosphere of kindness and care in an educational community to the degree that I have found it here.” 

Among his priorities for the organization, Harrison lists forging new, mutually-beneficial relationships in the community and surrounding region, advancing financial stability and seeking out opportunities for growth that will further the Kurn Hattin mission for the next several decades and beyond, and implementing programs designed to prepare students for the future. “I also place a high priority on preserving the exceptional atmosphere of care and compassion that is so prevalent here,” he added.

About Kurn Hattin Homes for Children

For over 120 years, Kurn Hattin Homes for Children has provided a safe home and quality education for boys and girls, ages 5-15, whose families are experiencing a time of personal or financial need. Kurn Hattin Homes transforms the lives of children and their families forever. For more information, visit www.kurnhattin.org.

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***Notes to the media:Mr. Harrison is available for interviews upon request. Contact jaimie.scanlon@gmail.com for scheduling.

Westfield News Arts Beat 10/29/15

My Westfield News Arts Beat 10/29/15. Michael Riedel brings "Razzle Dazzle" to the Mark Twain House. Thomas Bergeron performs with the Springfield Symphony and more. http://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-101

Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative on WGBY's Connecting Point

Diane Pearlman and Terry Holland talk about the 2nd WMass Film and Media Exchange on WGBY-TV's The Connecting Point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es4xfHQDmdA&feature=youtu.be

Westfield News Arts Beat 10/19/15

My Westfield News Arts Beat column for 10/19/15. WAM's Holy Laughter, Goodspeed's new season, and more. http://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-100

Westfield News: Review: "A Wonderful Life" at Goodspeed

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Westfield News Arts Beat 10/15/15

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Westfield News Review: "Newsies" at The Bushnell

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Media Release: Panels and Workshops and WMass Film and Media Exchange

PANELS AND WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED FOR

2ND WESTERN MASS FILM AND MEDIA EXCHANGE TO BE HELD OCTOBER 23 IN HOLYOKE, MA

(Pittsfield, MA) The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) is pleased to announce that the 2nd Annual Western Massachusetts Film and Media Exchange will feature a diverse series of panels and workshops of interest to the film and video community and the business community who want to utilize film and video in their marketing and social media efforts. The Exchange will take place on Friday, October 23rd from 9:30am – 5:30pm at the Baystate Health’s Whitney Avenue Conference Center in Holyoke, MA. 

Cynthia Wade, the Academy Award-winning Berkshires-based filmmaker will be the Keynote Speaker. Wade won the Oscar for her short documentary “Freeheld,” the story of a New Jersey police officer who was diagnosed with cancer and wanted to give her benefits to her same-sex partner. The acclaimed documentary has been turned into a motion picture of the same name, starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, and Steve Carrell, which opens nationally on October 16th. Wade is a producer of that venture. She also won an Oscar nomination for her documentary “Mondays at Racine”, the stories of women undergoing chemotherapy. For information on Cynthia Wade: http://www.cynthiawade.com/

According to BFMC Executive Director, Diane Pearlman, “In today’s marketplace, it’s important for businesses to tell their story visually – whether in a commercial, an in-house presentation, a promotional video or on the web. We want to demystify the process of making a video by discussing what it costs to make a good, effective product and the impact that video can have. A panel specifically for businesses, “How Your Business Can Use Video Effectively” will feature the President of MassLive, Allison Werder and the Vice President of Marketing for Baystate Health, Suzanne Hendery, and John Hesslein, Station Manager of Western Mass News.

Other panels during The Exchange will be geared to filmmakers and their interests. Entertainment lawyer, Fred Fierst, who led a standing room only seminar last year, will bring a panel of lawyers and filmmakers to discuss every legal aspect of getting a project done – from concept to script, to raising the funding, to attaching cast and crew and dealing with the unions, to negotiating and closing the distribution deal, tax credits, and gap financing. Another panel, “Funding Your Film” will include with leaders in crowdfunding and how to source local production grants. 

Several panels will be geared to all of the attendees. “How to Market Yourself and Your Business” will be led by Rachael Frank of Gravity Switch of Northampton, MA. Rachael will discuss how companies of any size need to find their voice and how to effectively use the digital marketplace to promote themselves and their business. 

The “Local Success Stories” panel will feature industry professionals living and working in the region. Participants include Diego Ungaro, Director of “Bob and the Trees” which was featured at Sundance this year as well as won the Grand Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Craig Crawford of Cadence Visual Effects whose work can be seen on “Game of Thrones” and Steve Porter of Porterhouse Media, whose mash-ups have promoted everything from breakfast cereal to Good Morning America. 

Pearlman adds, “We also want our businesses to look to our local talent for their projects instead of going to New York City or Los Angeles.” Businesses will be able to connect with local filmmakers by watching their reels on the Exhibit Floor, meeting one another during lunch or at the cocktail networking event. There will be a large “connecting” Board for businesses and filmmakers to exchange business cards as well. 

The Exchange will feature a full Exhibit Hall with many of the latest technologies (cameras, lights, and drones!), as well as local production and media companies.

 “This is going to be an exciting and informative event for an industry that is growing in our region,” says Pearlman, “The Exchange is a place where filmmakers and businesses can meet and make connections. We have incredible talent in our region and we are able to produce high-level content for much less than if you went to New York or Los Angeles. We are all about keeping production dollars staying here in our State. For those in the business and those who want to know more about it - you can’t afford to miss The Exchange.”

Panelists, workshops and participants will be listed at www.berkshirefilm.org. All programs are subject to change.

Tickets for the Exchange are $55 in advance and $65 at the door.  Admission includes full access to all Exhibits, workshops/panels and demos, along with breakfast, lunch and a networking cocktail party to conclude the conference.  For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, go to BFMC’s website:www.berkshirefilm.org or call their office 413.528.4223. 

Sponsors to date include: AJA Video Systems, Anzovin Studios, Baystate Health, Boris F/X, Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, Gogel and Gogel, Hunt’s Photo, IMAGINE Magazine, Jx2 Productions, LEF Foundation, Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations, Massachusetts Cultural Council, MassLive, Maureen Sullivan Media Group, New England Public Radio, Take Magazine, Vitec Videocom, The Westfield News Group, and WGBY Public Television for Western New England.

The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) creates educational, workforce and production opportunities in the film and media industry as an economic initiative for the western Massachusetts region. BFMC develops educational and workforce enrichment courses, offers networking events for industry professionals, acts as a resource for visiting productions, creates jobs within our communities in the film industry and provides an on- line production guide and locations database as a resource for film

Westfield News Article: WMass Film and Media Exchange

My Westfield News article on the upcoming WMass Film and Media Exchange. http://thewestfieldnews.com/western-massachusetts-film-and-media-exchange-offers-workshops-for-film-and-video-professions-and-businesses-interested-in-using-film-and-video-for-marketing

Westfield News Review: The LAramie Project at CRT

My Westfield News review of “The Laramie Project” at Connecticut Repertory Theatre. A riveting production with a solid ensemble performance. http://thewestfieldnews.com/review-the-laramie-project-at-connecticut-repertory-theatre

Press Release: Kurn Hattin Development Conference on October 23

Dateline: October 13, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact::

Susan Kessler

Director of Admissions

Kurn Hattin Homes

802-721-6932

skessler@kurnhattin.org

Mark G. Auerbach

Public Relations

413-733-7095

413-427-7352

mgauerbach@gmail.com

KURN HATTIN’S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE, “SO SEXY SO SOON? SO TOUGH SO SOON?” WITH DR. DIANE LEVIN TO BE HELD IN WESTMINSTER, VT ON OCTOBER 23.

Westminster, Vermont--Kurn Hattin Homes For Children presents its 24th Professional Development Conference, So Sexy So Soon ? So  Tough So Soon ? How Contemporary Society Impacts Attachment Relationships And What We Can Do About It with professor and author Diane E. Levin PhD on the Kurn Hattin campus in Westminster, VT on Friday, October 23, 2015. The daylong conference, from 8:45AM-3:30PM, includes Dr. Levin's [resentations and lunch.

Diane E. Levin, Ph.D. is Professor of Education at Wheelock College in Boston, MA, where she has been training early childhood professionals for over 25 years. An internationally recognized expert, Levin helps parents and professionals understand and counteract the harmful effects of such societal forces as violence, war, media and commercial culture on children.

Dr. Levin  has written eight books including her most recent Beyond Remote-Controlled Childhood:Teaching Young Children in the Media Age and the 2008 best seller So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and How Parents Can Protect Their Kids (with Jean Kilbourne). Levin is a founding member of CCFC (Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood) which works to educate the public about and end the commercial exploitation of children and TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment), which prepares materials to help parents deal with the media and the commercial culture in the children’s lives. Her workhas been covered widely in the media including: The Boston Globe, BBC, CNBC, CNN, Good Morning America, NPR, Time Magazine, The Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post. For further information on Dr. Levin:http://dianeelevin.com/

Dr. Levin’s presentation addresses tofay’s children growing up in an environment saturated with images of violent and sexualized behavior in media and popular culture that they cannot fully understand. These messages about sex and violence teach children to treat themselves and others like objects which can affect their ability to form caring and connected relationships when they are young and as they grow up; Levin has coined this “Compassionate Deficit Disorder”.This presentation will explore the current situation, why it is the way it is and the wide range of ways it is affecting boys and girls. It will also discuss strategies professionals can use for promoting children’s healthy development and relationships in their work with children, families and schools.

The Conference will be held on the Kurn Hattin Homesfor Children campus, 708 Kurn Hattin Road, Westminster, VT. The price is $125.00 per person, which includes all conference materials and lunch. Groups of three or more who register together are $110 per person. CE credits may be available. Advance reservations are required, as space is limited.

For further information and to register: Terry Andrews, 802-721-6913 ortandrews@kurnhattin.org or download the Conference brochure: https://kurnhattin.org/2015-conference

For over 120 years, Kurn Hattin Homes for Children has provided a safe home and quality education for boys and girls, ages 5-15, whose families are experiencing a time of personal or financial need. Kurn Hattin Homes transforms the lives of children and their families forever. For more information, visit www.kurnhattin.org.

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My Succeeding in Small Business Article for October 2015. More on Video

My October 2015 Succeeding in Small Business article focuses on video and some important considerations before you shoot. http://www.succeedinginsmallbusiness.com/small-business-marketing-a-videos-still-worth-10000-words-and-more/#.VhalibRVikp

Westfield News Arts Beat 10/08/15

My 10/08/`5 Westfield News Arts Beat. Newsies at The Bushnell. WMass Film and Media Exchange. Pops at both Hartford and Springfield Symphony orchestras. http://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-98

Westfield News Feature:2015 Berkshire Film and Media Exchange

"Freeheld''s Cynthia Wade to keynore 2nd Berkshire Film and Media Exchange in Holyoke on October 23. http://thewestfieldnews.com/wmass-film-and-media-exchange-brings-area-filmmakers-together

Westfield News Review: Berkshire Theatre Group: The Homecoming

My Westfield News review of Berkshire Theatre Group's "The Homecoming". A director merges the talent of a playwright, design team, and acting ensemble flawlessly. http://thewestfieldnews.com/review-the-homecoming-at-berkshire-theatre-group

Media Release: WMass Film and Media Exchange October 23

DATELINE: October 1, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

Laura Gratz

Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative 

413-528-4223

laura@berkshirefilm.org

Mark G. Auerbach

Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations

413-744-7094 or 413-427-7352 mgauerbach@gmail.com

BERKSHIRE FILM AND MEDIA COLLABORATIVE’S 2ND ANNUAL WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS FILM AND MEDIA EXCHANGE TO BE HELD OCTOBER 23 IN HOLYOKE, MA.

(Pittsfield, MA) The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) is pleased to announce that the 2nd Annual Western Massachusetts Film and Media Exchange will take place on Friday, October 23rd from 9:30am – 5:30pm at the Baystate Health’s Whitney Avenue Conference Center in Holyoke, MA. This daylong conference includes workshops, seminars, demonstrations and networking opportunities for film and video professionals as well as businesses who are looking to use film and video in their marketing, branding and social media efforts. 

As the only business-to-business film and media event of its kind in the region, The Exchange expects to draw attendees – including filmmakers, actors, production and post-production professionals, marketing and PR executives and local business owners – from Western Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, Connecticut, as well as the Albany and Boston areas.   

BFMC Executive Director, Diane Pearlman, is particularly excited about producing the Exchange again. “The Exchange is an incredible opportunity for filmmakers to learn how to run their businesses and projects more effectively. One panel will look at all of the legal aspects involved in a getting a film done. For businesses, workshops will demystify the basics of making a video including production costs and how to use video effectively in branding and marketing.” As Pearlman explains, “In today’s marketplace, it is important to tell your story visually - whether in a commercial, an in-house presentation, a promotional video or on the web.”

Cynthia Wade, the Academy Award-winning Berkshires-based filmmaker will be keynote speaker. Wade won the Oscar for her short documentary “Freeheld”, the story of a New Jersey police officer who was diagnosed with cancer and wanted to give her benefits to her same-sex partner. The documentary has been turned into a motion picture of the same name, starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page, which opens nationally on October 16th. Wade is producer of that venture. She also won an Oscar nomination for her documentary “Mondays at Racine”, the stories of women undergoing chemotherapy. For information on Cynthia Wade: http://www.cynthiawade.com/

The Exchange will feature a full Exhibit Hall with many of the latest technologies (cameras, lights, and drones!), as well as local production and media companies.

 “This is going to be an exciting and informative event for an industry that is growing in our region,” says Pearlman. “The Exchange is place where filmmakers and businesses can meet and make connections. We have incredible talent in our region and we are able to produce high-level content for much less than if you went to New York or Los Angeles. We are all about keeping production dollars staying here in our State. For those in the business and those who want to know more about it - you can’t afford to miss The Exchange.”

Tickets for the Exchange are $55 in advance and $65 at the door.  Admission includes full access to all Exhibits, workshops/panels and demos, along with breakfast, lunch and a networking cocktail party to conclude the conference.  For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, go to BFMC’s website: www.berkshirefilm.com or call their office 413.528.4223. 

Sponsors to date include Baystate Health, The Massachusetts Cultural Council, WGBY Public Television for Western New England, New England Public Radio, The Westfield News Group, Mark G Auerbach Public Relations, IMAGINE Magazine, AJA Video Systems, Anzovin Studios, Hunt’s Photo, Jx2 Productions, Vitec Videocom, Gogel and Gogel, Maureen Sullivan Media Group, and the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts.

The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) is a creative economic engine that supports production and workforce development in Western Massachusetts. BFMC develops educational and workforce enrichment courses, offers networking events for industry professionals, acts as a resource for visiting productions, creates jobs within our communities in the film industry and provides an on- line production guide and locations database as a resource for filmmakers. BFMC was formed in 2009, and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 

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Westfield News Arts Beat 10/01/15

My Westfield News Arts Beat column for 10/01/15.  Veils at Barrington Stage, Thitd at TheaterWorks and more. http://thewestfieldnews.com/arts-beat-97