Letter From The President
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Bill Carey, our founder and benefactor, thought of Rensselaerville as the center of the universe. His vision for the Carey Institute for Global Good included bringing thought-leaders from around the world here, stimulating local economic development and providing opportunities for local young people so they can stay in the area. Bill was also deeply interested in New York State institutions and investing early in education for children. This vision remains at the core of all that we do.
This newsletter coincides with my 2nd anniversary at the Carey Institute for Global Good. These last two years have flown by and I am delighted with the progress we have made at the Institute. I think it worth taking a few moments to reflect on how far we have come in realizing Bill’s vision in that short time.
Here are a few highlights:
Increased Economic Impact- As we increase our activities we are increasing our economic contribution to the local community. Income has increased over 200% in two years and the Carey Institute for Global Good has contributed over $4 million dollars to the local economy, supporting 57 local employees and their families. Almost all our staff are local and over 80% of our food and supplies is procured locally.
Increased Visitors- Through our meetings, conferences, events and programs we are bringing more and more people to Rensselaerville. Whilst the core of our guests are from New York State and the Capital Region, including many New York State offices and departments, we are increasing the number of our guests from across the United States and from all corners of the world. The number of guests staying at the Institute has increased 65%. These guests come from as far afield as Brazil, China, Korea, Japan, Australia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Germany, Italy and Ireland.
Improving our facilities – Our campus is charming, characterful and quirky. Maintaining the historic charm of the Institute whilst ensuring our facilities meet all the modern comforts and requirements of our guests is no mean feat. Our maintenance team, led by Jason McCormack and under the direction of Linda Sue Yelich, have replaced roofs, roads, drains, windows, generators, furnaces and more during the past 2 years, investing in the long term future of the Institute whilst maintaining its historic character and providing a comfortable inspiring environment for people to meet, learn, convene and share.
Programs – I am thrilled at the progress we have made in developing world-class programs at the Institute. Our team has developed programs which are innovative, robust and meaningful in order to maintain the Institute’s relevance well into the 21st Century and beyond.
Education – Thousands of teachers and students have benefitted from professional development and extraordinary learning opportunities at the Institute. With Dr. Diana Woolis leading our Center for Learning in Practice we intend to extend the reach and impact of that work to reach thousands of teachers and 100,000 students by 2020. The Center itself will not just be limited to education but will support professional learning across many disciplines increasingly magnifying our impact in sectors that support global good.
Nonfiction – Our unique and exceptional Logan Nonfiction Program goes from strength to strength. Entering its second year, the program has already supported 50 of the finest nonfiction producers from around the world and has received a $1million grant from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. We are currently adding video editing suites to our facilities to further support the work of documentary film producers and in February 2017 will welcome the biggest class of our nonfiction fellows yet.
Sustainable Communities and the Helderberg Brewery – Our Source NY online marketing and supply chain mapping platform will support hundreds of growers and farmers to access the $450 million dollar craft beverage market in New York State. Hundreds of farmers and beverage producers have attended our brewery incubator workshops.
Art and Music –The High Peaks festival each August has brought some of the finest young classical musicians from around the globe to learn from an exemplary faculty of virtuoso teachers and performers. Under the expert guidance of Yehuda Hanani, these young musicians benefit from a series of masterclasses, lectures, public performances and cultural exchange as the baton of learning is passed on from generation to generation–protecting, preserving and enhancing a rich tradition of skilled musicianship.
There are too many people to mention individually, but my thanks goes to the staff team, our board, our funders, our community, our meeting clients and wedding guests and everyone else involved in driving the success of the Carey Institute for Global Good.
Happy holidays and best wishes for 2017,
Gareth