Tompkins Corners
Meet our Board

From top left: Jan Hoekstra, Kathleen Hoekstra, William Walden, Christopher Rosen.  From bottom left: Mark Weiss, Judy Allen, Linda Thornton.
​Not shown, Denise Leaden

Mark Weiss
President
Chair of Budget and Building (10 years of service)

Mark joined the TCCC Board in 2015, first volunteering for the parking team and Program Committee, and became Board President in 2017 while serving as Budget and Building Committee Chair and member of the Development, Program and Steering Committees. As the Principal and founder of two highly acclaimed New York City public high schools for twenty years—Bronx Regional High School and School for the Physical City— Mark learned and demonstrated a wide range of leadership skills that serve our cultural center in his role as President. In 2002, Mark became the Executive Director and Education Director of Operation Respect, a 501C3 founded by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, with the mission of promoting safe, compassionate school climates for children and youth offering music and curricula with presentations and workshops for school leaders, educators, students, and parents throughout the world, and served for twenty years.

Dr. Kathleen Hoekstra
Vice-President, Chair of VA, Development and Steering (10 years of service)

(Married to Jan Hoekstra) Dr. Hoekstra (PhD Clinical Social Work, Columbia University) is a founding member of TCCC with over 30 years of involvement in local community affairs, which has made her well-known and regarded in our area and an asset to our local fundraising efforts. Her teaching experience at Columbia University, Fordham University and CUNY Lehman has made her knowledgeable in board legal and fiduciary responsibilities, grant writing, group dynamics and organizational management, skills that contribute to her role as Chair of the Development Committee, which considers among its responsibilities fundraising, community relations and organizational management. Dr. Hoekstra’s clinical skills, including mediator training, contribute to her role as a member of the Steering Committee which considers personnel issues, including staff hiring and interpersonal conflict. As Visual Arts director, Dr. Hoekstra, who is an artist herself, directs our visual arts education program and oversees our Maaike Hoekstra Gallery to attract professional as well as community artists.

Linda Thornton
Secretary and Managing Director (10 years of service)

Linda came to Tompkins Corners in 2015 as a volunteer. She became Hospitality and Volunteer Coordinator in 2017, joined the Program Committee in 2018, became a Board member and part-time administrator in 2019, joined the Development Committee in 2022, became Administrative Director in 2023 , and became Managing Director in 2024. She has been with the organization for ten years. As sole proprietor and Teaching Director of Music On Hudson in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, for thirty years, she brought the internationally renowned early childhood music and movement program, Music Together®, to over 1,000 families. She handled all aspects of teaching, marketing and communications, and web management . Well respected within the Music Together community, she was a founding member of The Director's Leadership Group, represented Music Together at the North American NAEYC Conference in Toronto in 1998, was a workshop presenter, and mentored new teachers. Bringing her marketing, business, communication, and organizational skills with her, Linda now oversees all aspects of programming, promotion, web design, volunteer coordination, hospitality, and communications, including but not limited to producing a weekly newsletter.

Chris Rosen
Treasurer 
Treasurer, Lighting, Technical Assistance (10 years of service)

Chris’ Interest in Tompkins Corners began early on, enjoying events at the church before it became a cultural center, and his desire to help continue the tradition was instrumental in him becoming a founding board member. Professionally involved in film and television production for 40 years in lighting and electrical work, he is a member of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, IATSE, Local 52, and as previous owner and operator of a film lighting equipment company, Movie Lites Ltd., in NY, he has designed lighting for theater, fashion, live music events, and modern dance. Active in a variety of town issues including having served on the town’s environmental commission and in the volunteer fire department, he is interested in preserving our building as both a historical resource and as a showcase of the active, creative community we have, and traditionally have had, for generations at Tompkins Corners. Chris serves at Tompkins Corners as a board member, treasurer, and building committee member, and, with a B.A. in Theater Design from Bennington College, also fulfills the needs of lighting, electrical, and other technical issues.

 Judy Allen
Theater Program Director, Administration, Program,
Development Committee member (10 years of service)

Judy was a co-founder of Tompkins Corners Cultural Center, Inc. in 2014, and serves on the Board of Directors as chair of the Theater Program and Administrative Committee (2014-present). Her not-for-profit experience includes Board membership and grant writing for the River Pool at Beacon, Beacon, NY (2002-2014); as Associate Director of Volunteers/Grants Administrator, Corporate Angel Network (2001-02), grant writer for Putnam AIDS Task Force to establish Putnam Peer Theatre, (1997-98), and grant writer for Putnam Valley Library to present children’s theater performances through NYSCA’s Decentralization Program (1993, 1994), among others. Trained as a professional actor, member of Actors Equity Association, member of La MaMa Plexus resident theater company (1969-1973), and with many years of experience from off-Broadway to regional theater, Her administrative skills helped to create Tompkins Corners and continue to help maintain orderly records of meetings, finances, procedures and events throughout the past ten years.

Jan Hoekstra
Founding Member
(10 years of service)

(Married to Dr. Kathleen Hoekstra) - Jan, a founding member of TCCC, is a mechanical engineer who holds five invention awards for twelve patents , two special technical achievement awards and thirty publications in customized research apparatus from IBM Watson Research. Along with a colleague, he holds the US patent for the first electric motor assist bicycle; and his design for a water purification system to restore lakes and ponds is currently patent pending. Jan has also designed and produced an assembly line for modular homes, and he continues to use his computer assisted design skills to design novel tools for woodworking and for the design and production of string instruments. These many and varied accomplishments make Jan a valuable consultant to our Building, Administrative and Budget committees where he contributes his knowledge of building materials and design as well as efficient computerized programming for record and bookkeeping. And his musicianship contributes to our mission of encouraging community participation in the arts.

Denise Leaden
 Board Member

Denise came to Tompkins Corners early on as a volunteer, with the hospitality and Visual Arts committees, where she has been willing to take on any task over the years. Being drawn to the enthusiasm and mission of this organization she felt compelled to become more involved by joining the board in January 2025, and has been eager to contribute to the board's work. She looks forward to the growth and development of Tompkins Corners Cultural Center. While running a successful home daycare and preschool for 30 years. Denise had been simultaneously employed at The Katonah Museum of Art for the latter of those10 years, as guest services / weekend specialist and event manager. Denise provides administrative skills and knowledge of event planning as well as being involved in many aspects of working in a nonprofit environment, moving on from The Katonah Museum of art, to Stonecrop Gardens in Cold Spring NY, as seasonal guest services coordinator and year round gardener, up until retirement in 2020.

William Waldman
 Sound Engineer, Technical Assistance (7 years of service)

Bill has been at the soundboard at Tompkins Corners since 2018, and records audio and video for most events. He is an event producer, member of the Programming committee and past Secretary. Bill was Director of Technology at the King School, located in Stamford CT., for 21 years, and at the Dalton School in NYC for 10 years. Bill manages I.T. and web services for several not-for-profits in Putnam County. In addition, he has been a recording engineer and producer since the 1980s, with 4 Gold and 2 Platinum records for his work with Rick James, Eddie Murphy, 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant, and others.

Maureen Winzig
Graphics, Webmaster and Art Curator (7 years of service)
(Non Board Member)

As a poet, artist, organizer and lover of the arts, Maureen came to Tompkins Corners to help with administrative tasks and eventually accepted the position of  webmaster and graphic artist.  A fine artist, her WinzigArt studio is located in Peekskill, NY, Maureen studied web design and graphic arts at SUNY Westchester and Pace University.  Past President of the Peekskill Arts Alliance, she is familiar with event promotion and hosting and understands the importance of preserving history and maintaining places for artists to create and perform. With the continued growth of our VA Department and the creation of the  Maaike Hoekstra Gallery, Maureen has also become involved in the curation and hanging of art exhibits and helps plan receptions.