Letter from the President
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As I approach the end of my first full year at the Carey Institute for Global Good, I can’t help but marvel at the diverse array of inspirational groups, residents and events that have made 2015 so wonderful.
We hosted nearly 100 groups dedicated to helping us achieve our vision of a strong, educated and just society. These have included over 1,000 educators, 600 school children, 350 entrepreneurs and business leaders, 200 musicians, and hundreds more working in the public sector and for civil society. These groups have addressed issues ranging from public education to pollution prevention, neural science to sustainability and forest management, protecting the environment to mental health empowerment, ovarian cancer and reproductive health to developing the next generation of business leaders.
Our programs in Art and Music, Sustainable Development and Nonfiction are all off to a great start. August saw us host 50 of the finest emerging, young classical musicians from countries as far afield as China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico, France and the United States for the Catskill High Peaks Music Festival. Under the inspirational leadership of Yehuda Hanani, along with a faculty of 10 world class master musicians, we were delighted by some unforgettable public performances. Rebecca Platel is leading an innovative project to map the supply chain for the craft beverage market in New York State. We welcomed our first class of nonfiction residents to Rensselaerville. Writing on subjects including the Syrian conflict, legendary CIA director James Angleton, the broken U.S. education system and the five poorest towns in America, all the residents have been thrilled with their experience of Rensselaerville and the warm welcome the community has given them. It has been a pleasure to host such a fine array of talent.
There have been too many highlights this year to mention them all, but special mentions must go to the enthralling fusion of traditional Appalachian and Himalayan music performed by the Mountain Music Project; the standing ovation from a packed auditorium for the thrilling faculty performance at the Catskill High Peaks Music Festival; and the inspiring Buddy Day concert where children from local, underserved schools had the opportunity to perform alongside the global talent of the High Peaks residents.
The maintenance team, led by Jason MacCormack, has done an excellent job repairing, updating and upgrading much of the facilities and infrastructure throughout the Institute. I am particularly pleased that Huyck House and the Straus building now have much needed new roofs, which will help preserve them for years to come. John Murray and the restaurant staff have produced thousands upon thousands of meals, the quality of which is always excellent, while Tammy Cook and the housekeeping staff make sure that all our guests’ needs are met.
It’s a privilege to come to work at the Carey Institute every day and I am proud to work alongside the incredibly dedicated and committed staff team, all of whom pride themselves on the quality of our services and customer satisfaction. Equally, I am gratified for the support, appreciation and welcome from the Rensselaerville community. We are all working hard to put on even more programs and events in 2016 when we will have our next group of residents arriving in January, another year of the High Peaks Music Festival and the launch of the Helderberg Brewery’s Growler Club!
In the meantime, happy holidays and see you in 2016.
Best,
Gareth Crawford