Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is pleased to announce five new members to its board of directors. Carlee Drummer, Ph.D., President of Columbia-Greene Community College; Patricia J. Jenny, former Vice President for Grants at The New York Community Trust; Ethan Klepetar, Partner at Arienti + Klepetar LLP; Tanu Kumar, Nonprofit and Economic Development Consultant; and Gwendolyn VanSant, CEO and Founding Director of BRIDGE. They join a board of 20 members from across the region.
Carlee Drummer, Ph.D.
Carlee Drummer is a distinguished academic leader committed to promoting accessible education for all. She has served as the President of Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson, N.Y., since 2019. Before that, Drummer was the President of Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, Conn., from 2014 to 2019. Her expertise in strategic partnership development has enabled her to make a significant impact on the institutions she has served. Drummer earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in English from The State University of New York at Stony Brook, and prior to this, she earned a B.A. with Magna Cum Laude honors from Wittenberg University. She currently resides in Malden Bridge, N.Y.
Patricia J. Jenny
Patricia J. Jenny is the former Vice President for Grants at The New York Community Trust, where she worked for 35 years. During her esteemed tenure, Patricia oversaw an annual $50 million grant program and the development of strategies for six program areas. Jenny is the President of the Salisbury Forum and is active in several other organizations, including Clean and Healthy New York Workforce Professionals Training Institute (NYC), and 45 East 72nd Street, Inc. Jenny earned an A.B. in History, Phi Beta Kappa, from Brown University and an M.A. in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She resides in both New York, N.Y., and Salisbury, Conn.
Ethan Klepetar
Ethan Klepetar is an accomplished attorney, community leader, and partner at Arienti + Klepetar LLP since 2016. With a focus on real estate, business law, nonprofit law, and commercial financing, Klepetar has worked with a diverse range of clients providing legal counsel and representation for multi-million-dollar transactions as well as organizational, succession, and governance matters for individuals and nonprofits. He serves as a member of the Central Berkshire Fund Committee of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, and in his hometown of Becket, Mass., he holds the position of Town Moderator. Ethan earned a law degree from the University of Minnesota and an undergraduate degree from Brandeis University.
Tanu Kumar
Tanu Kumar has worked extensively with nonprofits, government agencies, and community-based organizations on urban planning, workforce and economic development, and DEI initiatives. She leads a consulting practice that supports clients in building more equitable and inclusive communities, practices, and policies. Previously, she led statewide resiliency planning efforts at the New York State Office of Planning, Development and Community Infrastructure, and economic development initiatives for the Pratt Center for Community Development in Brooklyn, N.Y. She has a B.A. from Williams College and an M.A. in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University. Kumar lives in Chatham, N.Y., with her family.
Gwendolyn Vansant
Gwendolyn VanSant is a trainer and facilitator in diversity leadership, cultural competence, and coalition building for justice and equity. She is the chief executive officer and co-founding director of BRIDGE. She contributes to several teams across the region to promote safety, equity, and trust in communities and workplaces. A frequent speaker and longtime activist rooted in racial justice, gender equity, and positive psychology, she served as the founding director of equity and inclusion at Bard College at Simon's Rock, her alma mater. Her awards and honors include the MCLA Presidential
Medallion, Woman of Year from Berkshire Business and Professional Women, and the Unsung Heroine by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. She lives in Great Barrington, Mass.
