Profiles in Creativity: 5 Questions with Board Chair Mary Nash
Photo of Mary Nash by Eric Korenman
Can you tell us a little about your background? I’ve lived in the Berkshires for almost 30 years and work as a consultant to nonprofits, with a focus on needs assessments, program evaluation, and grant writing. My clients include schools, higher education institutions, and educational programs as well as programs in health/mental health and foundations. Prior to becoming a consultant, I served as Executive Director of two nonprofit organizations. I have served on several other nonprofit boards during my time in the Berkshires. Currently, I’m on the Board of Trustees for the MCLA Foundation and chair their Corporate Relations Committee. I grew up in Philadelphia, home of the best soft pretzels, water ice, and cheese steaks.
What makes Flying Cloud’s mission powerful for you? I like the idea of inspiring young people and igniting their creativity by engaging them in fun educational experiences. The combination of science and art together is very powerful to me.
What interests you most about Flying Cloud? Having worked on educational projects for a lot of my career, I’m interested in Flying Cloud’s model for offering engaging out-of-school programming. I know that mentoring really helps to inspire young people, so I enjoy seeing older students working together with younger students to explore science and arts. I’m also motivated by the great people that Flying Cloud attracts in terms of staff, board members, students, and volunteers. Flying Cloud’s Founder Jane Burke and current Executive Director Maria Rundle have brought vision and inspiration to the organization.
Where do you see Flying Cloud in 5 years? I see Flying Cloud as remaining a leader in after school and summer programming in STEM and the arts, bringing in scientists and artists from different disciplines to inspire our youth. I’d like us to explore positive partnerships in the community and increase our visibility. In addition to working with the public schools, we are testing out new markets such as home schoolers.
Do you want to share any personal information about your family or hobbies? I live in Lenox with my husband Seth and have two adult sons, Dylan and Jake. My hobbies are getting outdoors in the Berkshires, cooking healthy dinners and sweet desserts, and attending cultural events when they were happening. During the pandemic, my new hobby is riding my Peloton bike in the basement.♥