New Executive Director Appointed
The Elizabethtown Social Center Board of Directors is delighted to announce the appointment of Laurie House to the position of Executive Director.
Laurie has been the Arts and Outreach Director at the Center since April. Based on her outstanding performance here, the board is confident that she is the right choice to lead the organization in an exciting phase of growth and community impact.
Since starting nine months ago, Laurie has created an explosion of new arts programming and built greater community awareness of the Social Center’s program offerings. Notable achievements include introducing arts activities to our Teen Rec program and expanding arts opportunities for children and families, such as the blockbuster event SLOTHS, LIZARDS and POEMS that brought a record 250 visitors to the Social Center! She has also worked with the Town of Elizabethtown to launch a community website slated for completion this spring.
“The Center has worked hard to build capacity and bring operations and governance into the 21st Century. Laurie brings a level of excitement, intellect and creativity that will ensure continued growth and ability to meet our mission in Elizabethtown and surrounding communities. The board and trustees are thrilled to have Laurie join our team,” said Board President Hildegard Moore.
Before working at the Social Center, Laurie spent much of her career as a filmmaker and Ted Talks Producer. Beginning with film school in the 1990s, Laurie worked her way through the film industry from Production Assistant to Film Director and Producer, focusing primarily on documentaries. She was the Video Producer and Creative Lead at Ted Talks’ in-house theater in Manhattan, where she directed hundreds of Ted Talks. She has also produced numerous videos for nonprofits. She recently led the transformation of Whitcomb’s (part of the Whallonsburg Grange) into a multi-use community center with a wide range of well-attended arts and social issue events.
“Laurie brings a wide range of experiences and a strong vision that will expand our organization’s recent growth,” said Board Vice President Ryan Hathaway.
Laurie has lived in the North Country for eleven years. She says “I feel honored to be part of such a special place that has been at the heart of Elizabethtown for so many decades. I look forward to building on our current momentum and working closely with the community and staff to grow programming that speaks to residents. I encourage everyone to come out for our many cultural events and classes or just to say hello.”
The entire Social Center team looks forward to Laurie taking the helm. She can be reached at laurie@elizabethtownsocialcenter.org.
