After being hired first as a consultant, followed by serving several months as Interim Executive Director, Peggy Hill officially assumed the position of Executive Director of Wainwright House October 1.
By Maureen Mancini Amaturo
After being hired first as a consultant, followed by serving several months as Interim Executive Director, Peggy Hill officially assumed the position of Executive Director of Wainwright House October 1. Hill was already well known in the community, having served as Executive Director of The Rye Arts Center for over a decade.
Since April, Hill has been assessing the organization’s financial, environmental, and even structural conditions — and sculpting solutions. Focusing on the Wainwright mission to flourish as “a learning center dedicated to inspiring greater understanding through body, mind, spirit, and community,” Hill expanded the classes and programs offered and realigned the existing practices to better suit the spiritual roots. Hill’s twist, though, was to do it with a greater connection to the community while providing a more clear understanding of what, exactly, Wainwright is.
“The potential at Wainwright is enormous,” emphasizes Hill. “I have said before, it must be the most misunderstood organization in all of Westchester. I look forward to introducing the community to Wainwright through our new programs and events in order to show everyone what we are all about. I am very proud to be part of this new era for Wainwright. We have already come so far. Change is good, and so much is happening here.”
With a refurbishing of both the building and the board, Hill firmly took the reigns.
Wainwright House is well known as an idyllic venue for weddings, but part of Hill’s mission is to emphasize the total picture. Not only are there new classes being added to their curriculum, but also an all-new series of events that serve community members of all ages and spirits — from “Celebration of Life, A Masquerade” held last weekend to “Dickens in December,” a family weekend of music, performances, Dickens-era-themed dancing, arts, holiday artisan marketplace, and more.
The new Executive Director has revamped the energy level within the walls of this stately non-profit on Stuyvesant Avenue. From the new volunteer committees forming under her contagious passion to the wealth of new talent she is bringing to the community in the form of lectures, performances, and classes, Hill is working in partnership with other community non-profits and The Rye Free Reading Room to bring quality programs to town.
“We are moving forward. We are reaching out to a larger audience. We are expanding our Affinity Groups. We are so proud of the Board, which is moving full-steam-ahead to bring Wainwright forward,” she said.
Peggy Hill has a history of making things happen. Her high energy, skill for bringing the right people together, and keen sense of vision and mission promises to bring Wainwright to the community in a powerful new way.
To learn more about Wainwright House, their upcoming events, or register for classes and programs, call 967-6080, email registrar@wainwright.org, or visit www.wainwright.org.
