The Crandell Theatre’s Board of Directors elected a new president and other officers at their annual meeting on January 27. Lydia Kukoff, elected as President, will take over for Fred Ulrich, who steps down from that role after five years but remains on the board. Other officers elected by the board include Sara McWilliams as Vice President for Theater Operations; Peter Biskind as Vice President for Programming; Lael Locke as Secretary; and Viki Sand as Treasurer.
A member of the Crandell Theatre board since January 2016, Lydia Kukoff is past president and a founder of The Chatham Synagogue-Netivot Torah. Author of Choosing Judaism, she created the Reform Movement’s Outreach program, the first national program for intermarried couples and Jews-by-Choice. She has served on various boards including the Spencertown Academy Arts Center, where she cochaired the Hidden Gardens tour for three years. She moved to Columbia County in 1998 with her husband Bernie Kukoff, former Hollywood TV producer/writer.
“I am very excited to have been elected President of the Crandell Theatre Board of Directors,” said Kukoff. “The Crandell has always played an important role in the life of Columbia County and beyond, and the board and staff are focused on preserving it as a movie house that can serve all members of our community.”
A number of special events are planned for the upcoming year, including Farm Film Fest 11 on March 24, The After School Filmmaking Project on May 18, and the 20th annual FilmColumbia festival, starting on October 18. In 2019, the board will focus on finalizing a Master Plan for renovations of the Crandell Theatre and preparing for a capital campaign to support those improvements.
The Crandell Theatre is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, member-supported organization that operates and maintains the historic movie house at 48 Main Street in Chatham, NY.