:: Pine Hill Community Center ::
Building Community, Nurturing Creativity, Encouraging Life-Long Growth
Proudly Serving the Central
Catskills for Eight Years
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Welcome to the Pine Hill Community Center
On-Line!
Meet Our Board of Directors:
Aaron Bennett -
President
Aaron has spent his life in the Catskills, growing up in Oliverea
and attending Onteora High School. Aaron has served on the Board of Directors since 2002,
and been President since 2004. Aaron has a Bachelor of Science degree in Water Resource
Management from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
(ESF), in Syracuse, and is currently employed as the Director of Education at The Catskill
Center for Conservation & Development in Arkville. Aaron also serves on the boards of the
Olive Natural Heritage Society (Treasurer) and the Catskill Mountain Club (Outings Chair).
He is also a NYS-licensed hiking guide and writes the "On The Trail" column in two local
newspapers. Aaron, his wife Jeanenne, their son Hudson, and dog Piper reside in Highmount
and have plans to build a house in Oliverea where he grew up. Aaron can be reached at abennett@catskill.net.
Kathy Jordan - Secretary
Kathy has generously served the youth of the
Town of Shandaken as a member of the youth commission, recreation commission, director of the town recreation
program, founding member of the Onteora Babe Ruth, officer of Onteora Little League, and an actively involved
committee member and chaperone for Superadventure 87 and 89 of Boy Scout Troop 60. She is a recipent of the
Jenkins Award for her extensive volunteer work. She has recently retired from the Onteora Central School
District with thirty-three years of service, having worked thirteen years as a special education teacher aide in the
Phoenicia Elementary School, one year in the first self contained middle school special education classroom,
and two years as building secretary in the Bennett Elementary School. Her remaining years at Onteora were
in the Business Office. A life member and past officer of the Big Indian Oliverea Fire Department
Ladies Auxillary, Kathy has also been actively involved in numerous community functions, activities and fund raisers.
She is currently a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America and has worked 18 years as an instructor at Belleayre
Mountain. In addition to skiing, Kathy enjoys golfing, bowling, hiking, kayaking, traveling, camping, and
spending quality time with her husband and their three chocolate labs. She was recently asked "What can you bring
to the Pine Hill Community Center?" and surprisingly admits that she did not have an immediate answer.
She claims that she was in awe of the incredible talent and commitment displayed in the Community
Center and thought to herself "Well I am not really an artist, musician or photographer." After reflecting
back on exactly why she offered to serve on the board, she realizes that she was looking for outlets to
serve the community and has the good fortune and flexibility to do just that in retirement.
"I bring to this Board boundless energy, community spirit and a true admiration for what the Community Center represents."
We're happy to have such experience and talent on board!
Dorothy Burger -
Treasurer
Dottie has had a second home in Oliverea since 1972, the year she married Al Burger, with whom she raised 2 sons, Ken and Eric.
She has a BS in Biology and an MS in Secondary Science Education. Dottie taught Earth Science,
Biology, Forensic Science and Chemistry for the Northport School District.
In 2003 she retired from teaching and moved to her home in Oliverea full time.
Dottie still works for an internet review company called School Island doing their Living
Environment and Chemistry review programs. She and her husband winter on the eastern shore of Virginia.
Florence Hamling
Florence Hamling graduated from Onteora School District in 1964 and
attended BOCES in New Paltz for cosmetology. She owned and operated a beauty shop in Boiceville for
12 years and in Pine Hill for 15 years. In 1991 she married Bernie Hamling. Florence and Bernie bought a beautiful farm in Fleischmann's in 1999
where she cares for abused and neglected animals, 42 of them at the latest count! Long standing and generous friends
to Pine Hill, Florence and Bernie provided their 287 Main Street building to house the Pine Hill Community Center for $1 a year when it began in 2000.
They have plans of gifting the building and grounds to the organization in 2008. Florence has a deep affection for the people
and places of the Catskill Mountains.
Pauline Vos
Pauline Vos attended the Cooper Union, the Art Students' League and The New School. She graduated from Cooper Union
in 1946. In New York City
she worked as a graphic artist and illustrator, and upon retirement moved to her home in Highmount. She has served on the Community Center Board
for five years, and now resides in Pine Hill.
Michael Boyer
Michael Boyer's family roots in Pine Hill go back to the 1920's. He currently teaches pottery
in the City University system in New York and maintains an organic garden each summer in Pine Hill.
Jim Nevin
New media artist and software entrepreneur, Jim has been
involved in the Pine Hill Community for over 19 years. At age 16 Jim went to Bombay (Mumbai),
India as a foreign exchange student, joining a Hindu family with whom he still keeps close contact.
The experience led him to focus on Asian history at Yale University and later journey overland by
Land Rover from London, England to Katmandu, Nepal and back, visiting the remoter regions of Turkey,
Iran, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Nepal and the former Yugoslavia. Jim continued his journey in
New York City where, as an aspiring writer, he worked in jobs as diverse as waiter, bartender,
book salesman, journalist, teacher, inventor and software engineer. In 1989 Jim came with his wife
Nancy Rosenthal to Pine Hill to resume writing "The Ferris Reels," a work which has evolved into a
new form of live, electronic narrative he calls a "realto." Combining live-video, blue-screen and
computer-generated scenery, Jim's goal is a portable, electronic story-telling theater that travels
"to the people." Jim brings this passion for diversity, creativity and community-involvement to the
Board of the Pine Hill Community Center.
James Krueger - Executive Director
James moved to the Catskills full time
in 1997 from Moab, Utah where he worked at the local hospital. He has a BA in the Humanities and Writing and Literature, and an MA in
Gerontology and Long-Term Care Management. While getting his Master's Degree he concentrated in managing small, community-based non-profit healthcare
organizations. In the summer of 2001 James was offered what he thought would be a temporary position running children's programs at the Center. He resigned as
Administrative Assistant at a nursing home in Liberty to enjoy this summer job. It is thanks to the support and generosity of the community that he is still with us
seven years later. He currently chairs the Shandaken Economic Committee
and is a member of the Ulster Children's Advocacy Network. James loves the outdoors and enjoys writing and performing music.
The Pine Hill Community Center is seeking new Board Members, especially people with stong vision and follow-through. If you are interested in attending a board meeting as a guest please do not hesitate to contact us. Besides being in a position to better serve your community and further develop the mission and programming of the Pine Hill Community Center, being a board member offers educational experience, especially in the field of non-profit organizations, as well as good friends and fun. Because we serve an area much larger than the Hamlet of Pine Hill, you need not live in Pine Hill to participate. Call us today.