{"id":61136,"date":"2015-04-03T18:30:14","date_gmt":"2015-04-03T22:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=61136"},"modified":"2015-04-03T18:25:04","modified_gmt":"2015-04-03T22:25:04","slug":"new-leadership-at-the-kallet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=61136","title":{"rendered":"New Leadership at the Kallet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"005\"<\/a>Pictured front row:\u00a0 Patti Meakin, Kerryanne Kennedy and Lori Cimpi.\u00a0 Back row, Michael Yeoman, Morgan Harrington, Tom Downes and Gregg Myers.\u00a0 Absent:\u00a0 Barb Chamberlain.<\/em><\/p>\n

(Oneida, NY- April 3, 2015) The Greater Oneida Kallet Civic Center recently elected new members to serve on the Board of Directors. \u00a0According to Board President Tom Downes, these appointments, coupled with the excitement of a new, and highly experienced Executive Director, and a strategic alliance with Madison Bistro as the exclusive caterer, help to position the Kallet to remain a sound business financially while advancing the social, cultural and economic goals that will better connect the Kallet with the community.<\/p>\n

Downes has been a part of the Oneida community for the past 12 years.\u00a0 He and his wife Maureen have found Oneida one of the best places to raise a family.\u00a0 They have supported the arts in Oneida for many years and believe the Kallet will be a hub for the arts if the deserved effort is given to this local landmark.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new Board of Directors encompasses a pool of experience from fields such as finance, event planning, technology, public relations, media, facility management, public service and safety to name just a few. More importantly, these Board Members are active in this community.\u00a0 They are all pulling the \u201ccollective Kallet\u201d together to achieve tangible results,\u201d Downes said.<\/p>\n

The Board Treasurer is Patti Meakin.\u00a0 Patti has been an active community leader.\u00a0 As Account Clerk for the City of Oneida Recreation Department, Patti brings valuable accounting, organizational and procedural experience to the board.<\/p>\n

According to Meakin, not-for-profits currently make up 80 percent of the Greater Oneida Kallet Civic Center\u2019s annual rentals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Board of Directors recently adopted new rates that offer not-for profits and residents discounts,\u201d Meakin said. \u201cWe understand the concerns associated with tightened budgets and hopes that this helps organizations put more funds into their event.\u201d<\/p>\n

She is currently working towards complete automation of the booking procedure to ensure that the needs of the customers are met and that the best possible event product is delivered.<\/p>\n

“No rental is the same and good customer service is what keeps people coming back,\u201d Meakin said.\u00a0 She added that while rentals pay the bills, the Kallet is a perfect entertainment venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cA seamless balance with rental and entertainment events it is key to the continued success of this historic facility,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The newly appointed Board Secretary is Morgan Harrington.\u00a0 In addition to the duties as Board<\/p>\n

Secretary, she will be a vital part of the Board\u2019s event planning functions.<\/p>\n

Harrington is a lifelong resident of Oneida and graduate of Oneida High Schoo.\u00a0 She is active in the community through volunteer work at the Madison County Historical Society, and work at the Oneida Recreation Department.\u00a0 She is a supporter of many community events.<\/p>\n

According to Morgan, she returned to Oneida after completing her degree in education at Le Moyne College and brought with her a deep love for the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope to use my experience with event planning, the arts, and youth involvement to the GOCC board to help bring a wide range of entertainment to this historic venue,\u201d Harrington said<\/p>\n

Michael Yeoman was recently elected to the Board of Directors to assist with publicity, marketing and promotional activities aimed at advancing the goals of the organization.\u00a0 He and his wife Michelle have lived in Oneida for almost 30 years.<\/p>\n

A graduate of Utica College with degrees in Public Relations and Marketing, he has extensive marketing, advertising and customer service management experience that he brings to the board.\u00a0 He is also a local freelance writer for several newspapers.\u00a0 \u00a0Yeoman and his wife have been active in local youth sports and scouting programs and are dedicated supporters of local music and arts programs.\u00a0 They are also very active in the First Presbyterian Church.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Kallet has so much to offer this community in terms of social, cultural and economic opportunities and I am honored to be a part of its growth and success,\u201d Yeoman said<\/p>\n

Lori Cimpi is also a newly elected Board member.\u00a0 Lori and her husband David have been residents of the community for 29 years.\u00a0 She is employed with the Oneida City School District and serves as the chair of the Alumni Committee for the Oneida City School District Foundation Board.\u00a0 Cimpi is also an active member of the Wall of Distinction Committee.<\/p>\n

Cimpi will aid the Board in event planning and volunteer recruitment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am excited about the potential to bring new events to the Kallet that will enrich the community and keep the Kallet financially strong and self sustaining,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Gregg Myers will bring valuable expertise to the Board through his experience with building systems.\u00a0 Gregg and his wife Leslie are both long time residents of the city.<\/p>\n

Myers recently retired after 38 years of service to the Oneida Fire Department.\u00a0 With a degree in Business Management, he has owned and operated Myers & Co., LLC fire protection services and Myers & Co., LLC storage facility.<\/p>\n

As President and Educational Coordinator for the Mohawk Chapter of NYSBOC (New York State Building Officials), he will play a major role in helping to guide the board on important matters concerning facility needs in the long-term planning for this historic structure.<\/p>\n

Myers is also a member of the City of Oneida Zoning Board of Appeals<\/p>\n

Veteran board member Barb Chamberlain has agreed to continue with the board and will also serve on the Events and Volunteer Recruitment Committees.<\/p>\n

Barb and her late husband, Harold, have been part of the Kallet since the 1980\u2019s and were instrumental in bringing many of the building projects for the Kallet to fruition. From the new stage curtains, to the new hardwood flooring, the renovation of the existing kitchen and many other much needed improvements, Barb led a grassroots effort to raise the funds to do these projects and keep the facility open.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started, country music was popular and we were successful in bringing in country music groups that the community supported and that helped get us through financially,\u201d Chamberlain said.<\/p>\n

She was pleased to be a part of this new board, and stated that this board has many fine people actively working for the benefit of the Kallet.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not easy to find volunteer board members who are as committed as these folks are,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Most exciting is the addition of a new Executive Director \u2013 Kerryanne Kennedy.\u00a0 Kennedy started her new role in February and is already making positive connections with promoters, community leaders, businesses and major grant sponsors to advance the goals of the Board of Directors and their visions for the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe board is very passionate about keeping the Kallet alive with programs that appeal to all,\u201d she said. \u201cI am hoping to incorporate my unique experiences in programming for the performing arts as well as my experience in identifying, writing and securing grants to accomplish these goals. There is an inordinate amount of potential here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennedy earned a bachelor\u2019s of the arts degree in music education from Nazareth College and a master\u2019s in instructional technology from Towson University. She taught public school vocal music for 19 years in New York and Maryland and later served as administrative manager of Pegasus Early Music in Rochester and New York State Baroque in Ithaca, director of operations for the Syracuse Children\u2018s Chorus, and patron services manager for Syracuse Opera.<\/p>\n

Board President Downes said that the relationship with Kennedy and Madison is a win-win for the Kallet and the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese new partnerships will allow the Kallet to be a valuable asset to the community,\u201d Downes.\u00a0 \u201cWith Kerryanne\u2019s expertise in the arts and civic program she can focus on the facility, events and our brand while The Bistro will allow us to be identified with quality food and catering excellence while extending the \u201cbuy local\u201d campaign that is so important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Downes said that there is a nice balanced triangle between the Board, Executive Director and local caterer where they are all committed to seeing the other succeed.<\/p>\n

The catering team of Lisa Campanie and Victor Ramirez from Madison Bistro in Wampsville will add continuous quality to the catering operations of the Greater Oneida Kallet Civic Center.\u00a0 According to Ramirez, Madison Bistro has created a modest but promising new business working together with local farmers to bring guests the finest in local cuisine freshness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to partner with the GOCC as the official caterer and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur guests will be very pleased with our succulent dishes featuring locally farmed beef, pork, and turkey dishes garnished with seasonal and locally grown vegetables and paired with New York Craft Beers, wines and hard ciders. Our culinary team is prepared to handle all the catering needs for any event held at the Kallet Civic Center,\u201d Ramirez said.<\/p>\n

Depending on the event, Madison Bistro will assist with concession snacks to beer and wine to fresh baked pastries and wedding cakes. They have also created new menus for not for profit local organizations, and specialize in weddings and other celebrations that may be booked at the Kallet.<\/p>\n

Meakin said that with the diversity of this current Board of Directors, the guidance of our Executive Director and a caterer with love for fresh local food the Greater Oneida Kallet Civic Center now has a well developed recipe for success.<\/p>\n

Volunteers are needed to assist in planning and helping out at events.\u00a0 For a listing of upcoming events visit the website:\u00a0 www.kalletciviccenter.org<\/a> or call the Kallet Offices at 315-363-8525.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pictured front row:\u00a0 Patti Meakin, Kerryanne Kennedy and Lori Cimpi.\u00a0 Back row, Michael Yeoman, Morgan Harrington, Tom Downes and Gregg Myers.\u00a0 Absent:\u00a0 Barb Chamberlain. (Oneida, NY- April 3, 2015) The Greater Oneida Kallet Civic Center recently elected new members to serve on the Board of Directors. \u00a0According to Board President Tom Downes, these appointments, coupled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=61136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/61137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=61136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=61136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=61136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}