Board of Directors
Cathy Ingram, Chair
Cathy is currently the Director of Development at Miss Hall's School in Pittsfield, MA. Prior to joining the Miss Hall's community, Cathy served as the Membership and Development Manager at the Berkshire Museum. Cathy has also worked as the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship at Berkshire School in Sheffield, and the Director of Alumni and Parent Relations at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington. She is a passionate education administrator and teacher with experience in alumni relations, fundraising, and student development. Cathy has been a tremendous Flying Cloud leader, connecting us to educators and resources to support youth in our community. She also serves as a volunteer for the Berkshire County Development Alliance. Cathy holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Teacher Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent and an M.A. in Student Personnel Administration from Teachers College at Columbia University.
Dana Vorisek, Treasurer
Dana 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.
Barbara Viniar, Clerk
Dr. Barbara Viniar retired to the Berkshires in 2018 after 40 years of leadership in public higher education. She served as President of Berkshire Community College, Executive Director of the Institute for Community College Development (ICCD) at Cornell, and President of Chesapeake College on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Her experience on non-profit boards includes community foundations, organizations serving women and girls, synagogues, museums, and theaters. She has also served on state and national workforce commissions, the board of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges, and the Presidents’ Academy of the American Association of Community Colleges. In addition, Barbara has published numerous journal articles on leadership and writes a weekly blog.
Now, through her leadership consulting firm, RiseUp Leadership Coaching, she is continuing to honor her commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders by working with individuals and organizations to develop the vision and skills they need.
Alison Brigham, Director
Alison is the AVP of Marketing & Community Engagement at Lee Bank and the Treasurer of the Lee Bank Foundation. She has an extensive background in science with degrees in physiology, psychology, and genetics. Alison is a member of the Lenox Business Partners, Lenox Finance Committee, and EforAll Advisory Board, while also acting as a board member and programming committee member with the New England Financial Marketing Association. She also serves on the board of Link to Libraries and is a Volunteer Reader through their program at Conte Community School in Pittsfield. In addition to her professional pursuits, Alison is an avid equestrian and competes throughout the year with her horse, Eloise.
Leigh Doherty, Director
Leigh is an experienced organizational leader with diverse experience working in schools, as well as in the non-profit sector. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Literacy Network and previously worked at Berkshire Country Day School as an Associate Head of School, at the International School of Boston as the Lower School Director, and at Community Day Charter Public School as the Lower School Head. Prior to that, Leigh served as a Curriculum Coordinator at two international schools, one in Belgium and the other in Namibia. She has also been a preschool, elementary and middle school teacher, mainly in multilingual settings.
Sarah Reynolds North, Director
Sarah is the founder and baker at Found Bread. She trained at the San Francisco Baking Institute and has worked in bakeries around New England and across the pond. She spent 18 months in the UK, working with Brick House Bakery in London. In Boston she worked with Brassica, a local restaurant, supplying bread and was a bread consultant for Breadboard Bakery. Sarah moved to New Marlborough in 2022 with her family, where she bakes mainly sourdough and fermented breads, and teaches baking classes at the Hillsdale General Store. She's a firm believer in using locally sourced, grown and milled ingredients.
Before becoming a full-time baker, Sarah worked with the Immigrant Justice Center at the Southern Poverty Law Center. She attended graduate school for Documentary Studies at the Salt Institute and was a freelance reporter and producer for NPR for several years. Sarah was also a Peace Corps Volunteer and instructor in Guatemala.
América López, Director
A Mexican immigrant who has spent half of her life in the Berkshires, she works full-time as a community health worker at Volunteers In Medicine in Great Barrington. América is an active member of Latinas413, a non-profit organization that empowers Latina women, where she leads hikes and camping trips for Spanish-speaking Latinx individuals. She also leads hikes for the BNRC, focusing on Spanish-speaking Latinx participants.
América is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in social work and is excited to combine her professional knowledge with her love for nature to promote mental wellness through outdoor activities. To create a more inclusive and resilient community, she advocates for outdoor recreation access for Latin adults, youth, and children. América is also the proud mother of a girl who has had the opportunity to participate in Flying Cloud programming.