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Letter from Geri Eisenman Pell

Chair of The Performing Arts Center Advisory Council

I am passionate about the performing arts and the impact they have on our lives: the conversations they spark, the ideas they inspire, and the joy they bring as artists share their craft. The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College is a welcoming community hub for everyone to experience the performing arts and I am proud to support it.

I am also proud of the work that happens behind-the-scenes: commissioning innovative new work and facilitating the creative process, providing opportunities for the campus and local community to engage with artists, and helping teachers to integrate the arts into their classrooms.

Like most arts organizations, with the temporary closure of its theaters, COVID-19 has had a profound impact on The PAC. However, despite the challenges and uncertainty, The PAC is embracing its unique role by bringing together the community, K-12 schools, and Purchase College students, faculty and staff to safely engage with the performing arts in collaborative and creative new ways. Our new virtual series, The PAC in YOUR Living Room, offers curated content, Coffee Hour Conversations, PAC-TV videos, and resources for teachers and families.

As Chair of The PAC Advisory Council, I am pleased to welcome several new members: Robin Colner, Founder and CEO of DigiStar Media; Dale Robyn Siegel, an author, attorney, mortgage broker, and adjunct professor; Helaine Suval, President of Suval Consultants; and Leslie Wertheim, former EVP and Deputy to the Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank Americas CEO and an adjunct instructor in Mathematics at Purchase College. And on behalf of everyone at The PAC, we are grateful to Christopher T. Clark who stepped down from the Advisory Council after 25+ years of dedicated service.

We also mourn the passing of our longtime friend Walter Shmerler. Over four decades, Walter and his wife Hannah enriched our cultural lives through their unwavering support to The PAC and the School of the Arts, and their deep commitment to helping students access a meaningful arts education.

Thank you to all of our caring patrons who are helping to keep the arts thriving at Purchase. We are grateful for your generosity and look forward to a time when we can welcome everyone back to The PAC. In the meantime, stay connected!