Flying Cloud Institute Welcomes New Board Members

Great Barrington, MA — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) is pleased to announce that Catherine Burns, Daniel Medwed, and Dana Vorisek have joined the Board of Directors. (Pictured, left to right, above.)

Catherine (Kate) Burns has worked in the financial services profession for over 10 years and has been elected FCI’s Treasurer. She began her career in higher education, where she developed a passion for helping families plan for the costs of college. In her current role as a financial advisor with Apella Capital, she helps families navigate and plan for their financial futures. 

Kate says, “Flying Cloud Institute’s involvement in our local schools inspires me, as I attribute my career to the extracurricular activities I participated in as a student in the Pittsfield Public School system.” She currently resides in Pittsfield with her husband where they embrace the active outdoor lifestyle of the Berkshires.

Daniel S. Medwed is a University Distinguished Professor of Law and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University, and the Legal Analyst for GBH, Boston's local NPR and PBS affiliate. His latest book, “Wrongful Convictions and the DNA Revolution,” was published by Cambridge University Press in April 2017.

“My wife Sharissa Jones and I, along with our daughters Clementine and Mili, are absolutely devoted to Flying Cloud – and have been ever since Mili started to attend the summer program about a decade ago. We are continually amazed by the creativity, energy, and good cheer of the program, and I am thrilled to be a member of the board,” remarks Daniel.

Dana Vorisek is an economist for the World Bank Group in Washington, DC. She has worked extensively on the institution’s outlook for the global economy, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Caribbean, and has published on a variety of macroeconomic and international development topics. Her professional and academic path to economics was not direct, however, and through her own experience she has a great appreciation for the application of skills across fields. As an FCI board member, she hopes to contribute to the organization’s fostering of varied intellectual and skills development among school-age children. 

These accomplished professionals join an already impressive Board of Directors, which includes Susan Russell as Chair, Cathy Ingram as Vice Chair, Kenzie Fields as Clerk and Directors Lindy Marcel, Mary Nash, Barbara Viniar, and Julie Webster.

“We are excited to have such a supportive Board to help us fulfill our mission to inspire young people and ignite their creativity. How lucky are we to have wonderful members like Kate, Daniel, and Dana join us in this important work?” says Executive Director Maria Rundle.