Scenic Hudson Names New Board Members

(POUGHKEEPSIE) - At its annual meeting, Scenic Hudson named two new board members to further its mission of protecting and restoring the Hudson River and its majestic landscape as an irreplaceable national treasure and a vital public resource.

CAROLYN MARKS BLACKWOOD
Carolyn Marks Blackwood is a film producer and founding principal and co-director of Magnolia May Films, a film and television production company based in New York City. She also is working on a historical novel. She has written articles for The New York Times Magazine and scripts for French television, and was a professional singer and songwriter. She sits on the boards of the Richard B. Fisher Center at Bard College, The Marks Family Foundation and the Dia Advisory Board. She was a member of the Scenic Hudson President's Council of Advisors from 2004-06 and recently completed a term on the board of The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Maine.

Ms. Marks Blackwood lives in Staatsburg and also owns property on the Hudson River in Rhinebeck. She is very involved in local planning issues in both Dutchess County communities.

"Carolyn Marks Blackwood was an active supporter and strategist in Scenic Hudson's campaign to defeat construction of the massive coal-fired St. Lawrence Cement plant proposed for Columbia County. She has spearheaded efforts to protect farmland and to promote smart growth in Dutchess County and helped Scenic Hudson combat sprawling development proposals in Ulster and Columbia counties. She always keeps in mind the importance of solutions that help all sectors of society," said Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson.

STEPHEN HARTY
Stephen Harty is chairman for North America of Bartle Bogle Hegarty, a British advertising firm with offices worldwide. Current clients include Levis, Unilever, Dyson vacuums, Diageo, EDS and British Airways. Previously he was a founder of PLUS Consulting Group and the advertising agency Merkley Newman Harty. He began his advertising career at Ogilvy and Mather, where he rose to general manager of the firms flagship Manhattan office. He took a one-year leave of absence from Ogilvy when selected as a White House Fellow, serving as special assistant to then-FBI Director William Webster.

Mr. Harty is a trustee of Williams College, where he has served as president of the Society of Alumni and chair of the Alumni Fund. He chaired the Yale School of Management Alumni Fund from 1981-87 and has been a director of Childhope USA, Photographers + Friends United Against AIDS, the Metropolitan Rugby Union, the Williamstown Theatre Festival and Eisner Interactive. He is a resident of Irvington, Westchester County.

"Steve Harty's advertising and marketing expertise, his track record on nonprofit boards and his passion for the Hudson will be tremendous assets. I am thrilled he has joined as a board member," said Mr. Sullivan.

Another board member joined Scenic Hudson this summer.

KATHLEEN HAMMER
Kathleen Hammer enjoyed a 20-year career in television and film development, serving as vice president of development for The American Film Institute and as a producer with projects on Home Box Office and American Playhouse. Most recently she was executive producer for the Womenshands television series and the Web site of Oxygen media. She also spent five years producing outreach programs with The Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts at Dartmouth College.

A graduate of Smith College, Ms. Hammer did master's degree study in urban and regional planning at George Washington University. She has an interest in the preservation and restoration of historic buildings, and is currently involved in a meticulous restoration of Astor Courts, designed by Stanford White, in Rhinebeck.

"Kathleen Hammer's extensive backgrounds in fund-raising and media will be invaluable to Scenic Hudson. She has played a leadership role in catalyzing local and regional efforts to fight badly designed waterfront development projects and to promote positive alternatives," said Mr. Sullivan.