Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Staff

Jennifer Dowley
Jennifer Dowley has been President of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation since 1999. She oversees the distribution of over $7 million annually through its 500+ funds and the stewardship of nearly $100 million in assets. Berkshire Taconic has played a leadership role in developing funds for the region’s public schools, supporting diverse housing options for seniors and working families in addition to building community endowments throughout the region. The Foundation has also developed a Center for Nonprofit Excellence to provide professional development training opportunities for nonprofits. Prior to moving to the Berkshires, Dowley was Director of Museums and Visual Arts at the National Endowment for the Arts where she oversaw grantmaking to museums, visual artists organizations and visual artists around the country. Dowley was the first director of Headlands Center for the Arts in the Bay Area and prior to that, directed public art commissioning programs in Sacramento, CA and Cambridge, MA. Dowley is an advisor to the Andy Warhol Foundation and Civitella Ranieri Foundation. She lives with her two children in Millerton, NY.

Jill Gellert
Jill Gellert is Vice President of Finance and Administration at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and has been with the Foundation since 1995. She provides leadership in overseeing and implementing the finances, investments and operations of the Foundation. Jill began her career in finance at Manufacturers Hanover Trust in New York City where she worked in the corporate lending division. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston University School of Management with a B.S. in Finance. Jill lives with her husband and three children in Hillsdale, NY.

Emily Bronson
Emily Bronson is the Program Coordinator at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Her responsibilities include managing the Education Enrichment and Scholarship Fund grant cycles. Emily processes grants, meets with grantmaking committees and evaluates grant reports. Prior to Berkshire Taconic, Emily lived in Boston and worked at the Merck Family Fund, a private foundation with a grantmaking focus on protecting the natural environment and strengthening urban communities. Emily holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Anthropology from the University of Vermont. While in Vermont, she interned for EatingWell Magazine and Media Group. Emily is currently taking classes in Nonprofit Management through the MPA program at UConn. She resides in a cottage in the woods in Norfolk, CT.

Krista Krupa
Krista Krupa is the Assistant to the President at Berkshire Taconic. She started working at the Foundation at the end of August 2011. She is responsible for assisting the President with administrative tasks and support. Krista comes from an investment and banking background and is happy to move into the nonprofit world of business. She graduated Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in English. Krista resides in Westfield, MA with her husband.

Lisa Mlynarczyk
Lisa Mlynarczyk is the Finance Associate at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Her responsibilities include gift processing (checks, cash, credit cards and public securities), accounts payable, grants processing and asset rebalancing, as well as bank reconciliations. Lisa also acts as the back office for our supporting organization, The Foundation for Community Health in Sharon, CT. Prior to Berkshire Taconic, Lisa worked at various Berkshire County landmarks such as Canyon Ranch and Tanglewood, both located in the heart of Lenox, MA. Lisa attended Canterbury Prep School in New Milford, CT where she attained a Post Grad degree and attended the University of Southern Maine. She lives in Pittsfield, MA with her husband and son.

Maeve O'Dea
Maeve O’Dea is Program Director at Berkshire Taconic. She started working at the Foundation in 1992 as Assistant to the President. Maeve oversees grantmaking for the Foundation, working with donors, advisory committees and applicants to ensure that grants are awarded in a fair and transparent process. Maeve lives in Lakeville, CT, having come to the United States from Ireland in 1991. Her prior work in Ireland and England included a start-up software company, a publishing recruiting agency and a school administrators’ association.

Heidi Reineke-Kelsey
Heidi Reineke-Kelsey is the Office Manager for Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Since joining in early 2011, Heidi has brought her contagious, pleasant and upbeat personality to the office. Whether it is an office visit, phone or email inquiry, Heidi is the first point of contact for Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Her main responsibilities include gift processing, database management and file maintenance. Heidi is always apprised of the current calendar of events and staff whereabouts to keep the office running efficiently. Along with her wife and children, she resides in nearby Connecticut and has lived in the Berkshires for most of her life. Her previous work with nonprofit organizations has instilled in her a passion for making the most out of every opportunity and believing anything is possible in keeping with her motto: “My glass is always half-full and never half-empty!”

Kimberly Rock
Kimberly Rock is the Marketing Director at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation where she develops and implements the Foundation’s overall multi-channel marketing, advertising and PR strategy and oversees content and creative development. Over her 20+ years in communications, Kimberly has developed and managed strategic marketing campaigns in broadcast and cable television, film, photography, e-commerce and non-profits. She headed the $20MM ABC Television Movies & Mini-Series account at Grey Entertainment, a division of Grey Advertising. Kimberly was a partner at MK Advertising, a boutique agency specializing in entertainment and lifestyle brands where she managed the agency’s largest accounts included ABC Daytime, Showtime, Lifetime, Bravo and WE. Early in her career, Kimberly worked at the documentary film company Maysles Films and managed a commercial photography studio in CA. Prior to joining Berkshire Taconic, Kimberly consulted on a freelance basis on the theatrical launch of director Joe Berlinger’s documentary film Crude, launched two design related retail websites with her husband and also acts as a consultant to several area businesses. Kimberly holds a B.S. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Vermont. She lives in Falls Village, CT with her husband Eric and their two daughters.

Brian Thayer
Brian Thayer is Stewardship Coordinator at Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. He oversees Berkshire Taconic’s 11 Area Funds, assisting these funds in their grantmaking, development and other community initiatives. Prior to joining Berkshire Taconic, Brian worked in London in Marketing and Public Relations. He has a BS in Biology and an MA in International Relations.