women of influence 2011

Women ofInfluence 2011

Saratoga County’s Top 6

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Saratoga County’s Top 6 Women of Influence 20112 Friday, May 20, 2011

Saratoga TODAY proudly recognizes six Saratoga County women for their incredible and unique

contributions to our community. In previous years, the Women of Influence awards contest was limited to five

recipients.

As we proudly honor Cindy Munter, Jaime Williams, Mary Caroline Powers, Michelle Larkin, Rabbi Linda Motzkin

and Sara Mannix– the record-breaking 2011 Women of Influence, it is time to begin thinking about our next set of

nominees.

Thanks to the overwhelming response from you, our readers, in submitting your 2011 nominations, a tie between

two contestants could not be broken. We hope to see an even greater response in 2012.

2012 Nomination Instructions:The Top 5 Women of Influence awards will honor women who have been making headlines. Saratoga TODAY is

looking for candidates who are shaping the future of Saratoga County – women who stand-out in their fields and who

each demonstrate a commitment to business growth, professional excellence and our overall community.

The 2012 nomination deadline is March 19. The top 5 Women of Influence Awards will be presented to honorees on

May 16.

Abbreviated nomination form:Entries must meet initial selection criteria to be considered for an award:

• Must be a female resident of Saratoga County or employed in Saratoga County

• Cannot be a member of the judges’ panel or a member of the judges’ immediate family

Each nomination should include a cover page and biographical profile with the following information presented in

this order:

Cover page:• Nominee: name, current position, company, address, contact information, length of employment,

size of organization

• Nominator: name, relation to nominee, day-time phone number

Biographical profile:Detail the nominee's impact and success within each of the three sections, along with their relevant awards and

accomplishments.

I. Professional Accomplishments

II. Community Involvement

III. Advocacy for Women

To download the extended nomination form with more detailed descriptions of the requirements,

visit www.saratogatodaynewspaper.com.

Please mail completed packages (with cover page and biographical profile) to:

Saratoga TODAY

5 Case Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

or e-mail to [email protected]

Faxed entries will not be accepted

Saratoga County’s Top 6 Women of Influence 2011Friday, May 20, 2011 3

WomenPublisher

Chad Beatty

General Manager

Robin Mitchell

Special Projects Writer

Helen Susan Edelman

Editor

Yael Goldman

Art Director

Tiffany Garland

of Influence 2011Graphic Designer

Katy Holland

Account Executive

Jim Daley

Cindy Durfey

Photographer

Mark Bolles

Printing

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by Yael Goldman

Saratoga TODAY


C indy Munter is the kind

of woman who gra-

ciously, and quietly,

gives back.

The stay-at-home mom is work-

ing to better her community and

instill a love of civic duty in chil-

dren, whom she hopes will grow

into compassionate, service-minded

adults.

“It’s important for my kids to see

that what you do for others

around you really matters. I

have to live by example,”

Cindy said.

As a mother and former

educator with a diverse

background (she

holds a bachelor’s

degree from Skidmore

College, where she

studied Spanish litera-

ture, and a curriculum

development and

instructional technol-

ogy Masters from

SUNY Albany),

Cindy is using

her skills and

experiences to make positive

changes.

She is actively involved in

four local organizations that

strive to improve separate social

areas, although their missions are

permanently linked as aspects of

our community: Saratoga County

Economic Opportunity Council’s

(EOC), Latino Advocacy Program,

The Saratoga Regional YMCA’s

Scholarship Program, Skidmore

College’s “Friends of Skidmore

Athletics” Committee, and St.

Clement’s Catholic School’s

Cultural Arts Program.

For her, being a mom goes hand-

in-hand with volunteer work.

“It’s a great job,” she said. “I can

do this at my own pace, and when

my kids need me most I can be there

for them.”

With her children in mind and her

heart in each of these missions,

Cindy’s efforts affect an entire

cross-section of our community.

Nine years ago, a unique experi-

ence at Saratoga Hospital inspired

Cindy to join EOC’S Latino

Community Advocacy Program.

The first-time mother was holding

her newborn son Gabriel, eager to

share with him the joy and comfort

of his new life in the Munter home,

when her world overlapped with a

harsh reality.

“That same day an immigrant

mother who also just gave birth

found out she wasn’t able to bring

her baby home because she lived in

a barn. It was December,” Cindy

explained.

At the time, there was not an EOC

program to prevent a situation like

this from happening, and Cindy was

in shock.

“Something like that shouldn’t

happen; people in Saratoga Springs

should not be living in barns, in the

middle of winter; they should be

getting the right care,” she said.

“There is this misconception that

Saratoga is a wealthy town, while

there is this group that lives and

works in our community and has

great [unfulfilled] needs.”

Realizing that her own ability to

bring Gabriel home was in fact a

privilege and a fortune, Cindy was

compelled to remedy this remark-

able inconsideration.

She started volunteering and

fundraising for the Latino Advocacy

Program, which offers educational

services for those in need and pro-

motes awareness throughout the

community. Through the EOC,

Latino immigrants can take English

as a Second Language (ESL) cours-

es, find translation services, and

receive help with things like health

insurance that address very basic

needs.

Without this program, which

relies on donations and is on the

verge of being cut, there would be

nowhere for these families and indi-

viduals to turn to for help.

Cindy has been instrumental in

securing money, and has helped

double the program’s fundraising

goals through grant writing and

event planning. She is involved with

the program’s major fundraiser

Vision, a black and white photo

exhibit that portrays the community

from immigrant perspectives. She’s

currently preparing for the 2011

annual exhibit, which will be on dis-

play at Saratoga Race Course

August 9, from 5:30 to 8 pm.

“The project brings attention to a

group of people that are here year-

round, not just during the summer.

They work in our restaurants, on our

farms, and they’re out of the public

eye,” she said. “Vision offers a look

at life behind the scenes.”

As a volunteer and board member

for the Saratoga Regional YMCA,

Cindy is dedicated to making

important programs available to

another community group. She is

active in planning the “We Build

People” annual scholarship cam-

paign and volunteers for the annual

Golf Classic, which will take place

June 29 at Saratoga National Golf

Club. Both events benefit the

scholarship fund, which ensures that

no community member is denied the

opportunity to participate in YMCA

programs due to an inability to pay.

“The YMCA gives out so much

money, and they don’t turn anyone

away,” Cindy said. “Scholarships

provide subsidized memberships for

youth, teens, families, military

members, and so many other com-

munity members in need.”

Though Skidmore College and St.

Clement’s Regional Catholic School

are private institutions, they both

add separate and unique value to our

overall community, and also require

volunteer support.

Cindy is dedicated to Friends of

Skidmore Athletics both as a 1995

graduate and a mother whose chil-

dren utilize the facilities. The com-

mittee raises money for the athletic

department, to fund maintenance

and facility improvement projects

that tuition alone cannot support. As

proof that the campus is not a segre-

gate parcel, Skidmore opens its

fields and doors to host camps, area

leagues and school districts.

“It’s important to me because my

children, and many others, use those

facilities,” she said. “I’m not just an

alumna; I’m a community person

getting involved to help with partic-

ipation and sponsorships.”

Similarly, Cindy works to

improve St. Clement’s cultural arts

offerings, and only partly because

her nine-year-old son Gabriel and

six-year-old daughter Anneliese are

students there. Her most significant

accomplishment as second-year vol-

unteer co-chair for the program was

Cindy Munter: an Unusual Privilege“What we have done

for ourselves alone

dies with us; What

we have done for oth-

ers and the world

remains and is

immortal.”- Albert Pike

Saratoga County’s Top 6 Women of Influence 2011 5

securing an $11,000 grant that went toward

artist and author visits (including award-

winning writer Brian Floca), special educa-

tional events and exciting fieldtrips.

Curriculum-enriching programs like

these “take learning to a whole new level.”

They introduce students to “new cultures

and inspire them to pursue their dreams,”

Cindy said.

With her hands and heart in so many

aspects of our community, Cindy Munter,

who is described by her peers as generous

and passionate, is certainly doing her part to

make a difference.

And while Cindy finds comfort in seeing

exactly how these efforts benefit her neigh-

bors, one of the more important aspects of

conducting community service is the mes-

sage it sends to her children.

“I have to live by example,” she said.

About Saratoga CountyEconomic Opportunity Council’s LatinoCommunity Advocacy Program:

The Latino Community AdvocacyProgram (LCAP), which was created in2005 through a community developmentblock grant from the City of SaratogaSprings and a grant from StanfordUniversity, addresses the special needs ofthe Spanish speaking immigrant popula-tion in Saratoga County. The goal of theprogram is to extend EOC’s mission ofpromoting economic self-sufficiency.

The Latino Community AdvocacyProgram relies on a base of dedicated andenthusiastic volunteers, and is alwayslooking for new contributors and support.

How you can get involved:Anyone interested in

volunteering withfundraising, tutoring orinterpreting should con-tact the EOC at (518)587-3158 or visitwww.saratogaeoc.org.You may also helpLCAP reach itsfundraising goal bymaking a tax-deductible donation,or show your supportby visiting theVision black andwhite photo exhibiton August 9, from5:30 to 8 pm atSaratoga R a c eCourse.

Friday, May 20, 2011


things at home. You can’t take it for

granted that these kids are develop-

ing those kinds of skills and

insights.”

Under Williams’s direction,

Project Lift has been recognized as

a New York State Exemplary

Program and was successfully

nominated by the New York State

Office of Alcoholism and

Substance Abuse Services to

become an evidence-based model

program that can be replicated and

marketed, creating a much-needed

income stream in a tough economy.

To be evidence-based, outcome

data needs to be collected and ana-

lyzed; a Skidmore College intern

will do that statistical work,

Williams said, emphasizing how

important it is for the

by Helen Susan Edelman

Saratoga TODAY

Jaime Williams:

S ome days Jaime

Williams has back-

to-back meetings.

Others, she has to fix a toilet.

“It’s definitely not a desk job,”

says the program director for

Project Lift, a unique, free, after

school prevention program for

at-risk youth in first through

fifth grade that promotes posi-

tive self-esteem and the develop-

ment of decision-making and

communication skills.

Operated by the nonprofit

human service agency, Franklin

Community Center, Project Lift

serves children and their fami-

lies at Greenfield, Lake Avenue

and Geyser Road elementary

schools, providing

st ructured,

goal-oriented, team-building activ-

ities and discussions that cultivate

independence and responsibility.

Staff is also available to act as

liaisons between school staff and

parents.

In addition to the after school

sessions, Project Lift helps children

handle problems as wide-ranging

as not having health insurance,

having their electricity turned off,

or being unable to celebrate a holi-

day with gifts or a special meal.

“We make sure that these kids,

who may be struggling in school or

at home, have someone to walk by

their side,” says Williams, who has

been at Franklin Community

Center for eight years, starting as a

family outreach coordinator and

progressing to her current position.

In addition to her duties with

Project Lift, she is also deputy

director of Franklin Community

Center.

Williams is used to

doing double duty at

home, too. Her hus-

band, Matt, is in

the military and

sometimes gone

for months at a

time, leaving her

to parent their

p r e s c h o o l

daughter, Mia,

alone (with

help from

her mother

and the

good com-

pany of her

beloved dog, Harley).

“I learned how to use a

snow blower this year,”

she explains. “You priori-

tize. If there’s a crumb on

the counter, you may

have to leave it there. We

teach the same kind of

thing to the kids at

Project Lift.”

In the past, the percep-

tion was that Project Lift

was for “problem kids,”

Williams knows. “But it’s

for any kid – all of our

society’s children are in

some way at risk,

given what they’re

exposed to,” says

Williams. “However, the

children who do attend the program

are often from low-income families,

maybe even transient or homeless.

They need so much – from a sense

of stability to social skills.”

She adds, “When Project Lift was

first founded in the ‘80s, there may

have been some stigma attached to

it – but now the kids want to be

there. It’s cool. We have a Facebook

page. All kids are there voluntarily,

referred by their parents, teachers,

staff and principals. We have kids

walking in asking if they can join.

There is absolutely no problem with

recruitment or retention.”

Sixty to 75 children are “Lifters”

at any given time; add to that their

family members, and the program

touches about 150 Saratoga Springs

school district residents throughout

the year.

In addition to overseeing the pro-

gram, Williams goes to several after

school groups each

week and is a hands-

on member of the

team. Besides the pro-

fessionals who run the

sessions, high school-

ers often participate,

serving as role models

for the younger stu-

dents. Williams notes

that these older youths

also absorb some impor-

tant messages: don’t

smoke, don’t do drugs, don’t drink.

“They learn to refuse risky behav-

iors,” Williams says.

“In our groups, kids have a

chance to indentify and talk about

their feelings,” says Williams. “I

mean, they all know ‘happy’ and

‘sad,’ but it’s harder – and just as

important – for them to be able to

describe when they are ‘anxious,’

and what makes them anxious. Most

recently, there was talk about ‘hate’

after Osama bin Laden was caught,

and the differences between ‘dis-

like’ and ‘hate,’ ‘like’ and ‘love,’

and what is ok to say to your moth-

er when you’re mad.”

Conversations about topics such

as “the difference between tattling

and reporting” are part of the pro-

gram’s curriculum, explains

Williams, “for children who don’t

talk about these

One Child at a Time

“Children are the world’s

most valuable resource and its

best hope for the future.”

- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Friday, May 20, 2011 7

community to be involved with social service

programs as volunteers or donors.

“It’s a long road, but knowing that New

York State believes in us is phenomenal,”

Williams says.

Outside of school, Lifters and their families

have access to other Franklin Community

Center services, including referral and advo-

cacy, free clothing and food, summer camp

scholarships and school supplies. Also, fami-

ly events and presentations are scheduled

throughout the year, enabling Lifters to bene-

fit from diverse social interaction and become

productive community members.

Currently, Project Lift receives funding

from the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable

Trust, Saratoga Gaming & Raceway

Foundation, The New York State Office of

Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services,

The Office of Children and Family Services,

the Saratoga Springs City School District

(through Safe and Drug Free Schools), the

Town of Greenfield and the City of Saratoga

Springs. Community donations and fundrais-

ers supplement grant funding. (For more

about fundraisers, check out www.franklin-

communitycenter.org or call (518) 587-9826.)

Williams also works with The Partnership

for Prevention, a local coalition of communi-

ty leaders, organizations and citizens dedicat-

ed to decreasing youths’ substance use, sup-

porting families through the teen years, devel-

oping better relationships between youths and

adults, and reinforcing family and communi-

ty norms against drug use; and with Parent

Saratoga County’s Top 6 Women of Influence 2011

University, a program that works through the

school district to provide parents with infor-

mation on topics such as how to deal with

bullying or prescription drug abuse.

Williams, her husband, Matt, her daugh-

ter, Mia, and her in-laws in Clifton Park inte-

grate helping the people she serves at work

with their personal lives, attending the

fundraisers and making donations, such as

turkeys at the holidays. Preschooler Mia also

has learned to sort through clothes as she

outgrows them and give them to Franklin

Community Center, where they will be dis-

tributed at no charge to those in need.

“It’s a lifestyle,” she admits. “There’s

always a reason to push up my sleeves. I’ve

even had to dig the mailbox out from under

snow. Sometimes people need an affordable

place to rent, sometimes they need a can

opener. You would be surprised, in this econ-

omy, to know that people who used to

donate to us are now using our services.

Luckily, there are lots of people who help –

local businesses, church groups, civic

groups and individuals who bring groceries

and household items for us to give away.”

Williams knew from an early age that she

wanted to be involved in a helping profes-

sion. Her mother was an aide to kids with

disabilities and Williams would join them

when her mother arranged outings in the

community. She enjoyed the experience.

“Really, what refuels me is lending a help-

ing hand,” Williams concluded. “My karma

bank is full.”


by Yael Goldman

Saratoga TODAY

A n educator by

nature, Mary Caroline

Powers has built a 44-

year career on the power of infor-

mation and the significance of the

written word.

Mary Caroline, who began her

career as a traditional educator

teaching high school English in the

Scotia-Glenville Central School

system, is now, years later, making

higher education available to adult

students through online

and independent

study programs.

The 30-year

Saratoga Springs resident is cur-

rently vice president for the Office

of Communications and

Government Relations at SUNY

Empire State College, a unique

department that she envisioned and

built.

From the college’s Saratoga

Springs headquarters, Mary

Caroline and her team are directing

an expansive outreach initiative,

which involves strategic marketing

campaigns and publications for

ESC, connecting students with their

educational dreams and lobbying

for legislative change.

The college creates hun-

dreds of publications,

makes its own

posters, hand-

books and pro-

m o t i o n a l

materials,

and it’s all printed on-site under

Mary Caroline’s wing.

Empire State

College, which has 35

locations across the

state, reaches students,

many of them adults,

across the U.S. and in 50

countries through

its distance learning

and independent study

opportunities.

Since joining the SUNY

Empire State College team

11 years ago, Mary Caroline

has used her talent for com-

munication to promote the

“open university,” subsequent-

ly positioning herself as an

international innovator in edu-

cation, particularly for adult

students.

Adults make up a significant

percentage of the college popula-

tion nationwide, and they have

different needs than the traditional

(18 to 22-year-old) students that

most academic programs are

designed for. They don’t have the

time or the inclination to sit in a

lecture hall; many of them are

working and/or leading families,

and have enough professional

experience behind them to know

precisely what they want to study

and need to learn.

Determined to remedy inequities

in the system for adult learners, like

lacking financial aid opportunities,

Mary Caroline is a “galvanizing

force” behind lobbying efforts with

state and federal legislators.

With the help of her team

– the group of talented

wordsmiths, visual

artists and forward-

thinkers that make up

the Office of

Communicat ions

and Governmental

Relations – Mary

Caroline is mak-

ing an effort to

change the way

our government

treats non-tra-

ditional stu-

dents by pro

m o t i n g

“open edu-

cation.”

“I don’t think that, until very

recently, there has been [wide-

spread] understanding of higher

education for adult learners,” she

said. “There is a lack of awareness

reflected in legislation.”

But that’s quickly changing.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and

SUNY Chancellor Dr. Nancy L.

Zimpher recently unveiled the

NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant

Program, a program that invests in

higher education and improves the

education of those already in the

workforce to drive New York

State’s economic development. It

seems that state officials are joining

Mary Caroline’s campaign.

Her impact is powerful and clear:

Mary Caroline is a known advocate

for accessible, quality public edu-

cation, particularly for underserved

populations. She is guiding big

changes in how higher education is

perceived and delivered.

From her third floor office, with

its exquisite view of Congress

Park, Mary Caroline is directing

the future of learning, and not

entirely from a distance.

Throughout her varied and colorful

professional history, the charismat-

ic leading lady has never strayed

from her calling as a teacher, nor

her natural ability to write.

Mary Caroline’s resume reflects

many unforeseen career shifts, so

much so that one might say she

experienced a little bit of every-

thing, perhaps in an effort to keep

things interesting.

Prior to joining SUNY ESC,

Mary Caroline was a teacher and

then a well-known media figure

with a more than 25-year career in

the public eye. She landed her first

live gig as the weekend weather

reporter for Channel 6, and

advanced to become the first

female news anchor on Channel

10. Still dedicated to inform her

readers about the issues, people and

events impacting their community,

Mary Caroline made the transition

to print media in 1987, writing and

editing for local and then national

publications. She received many

awards for her reporting and col-

umn writing.

She has done it all– from teach-

ing high school English to studying

literary theory, from editing news-

papers to delivering the news as a

television anchor. Through all of

her professional callings, Mary

Caroline has been responsible for

the most valuable agent of social

change: information.

“It’s incredible how I was able to

take all those things, all of that rich-

ness of my education, a couple of

Mary Caroline Powers:Educate to Innovate

Friday, May 20, 2011 9

good skills, the written word and then video,

and apply them here,” she said, explaining

how her many professional soapboxes culmi-

nate in her position with SUNY ESC. “It’s a

pretty exciting thing to be able to say at my

age,” she said.

Mary Caroline loves what she is doing–

everything from promoting legislative

amendments, to planning special events that

draw hundreds of students and faculty to

Saratoga Springs, and writing editorial con-

tent that pushes adult learners back into their

studies.

She has a real presence in our community,

one that has grown and transformed through

her many professional and personal experi-

ences, bringing Mary Caroline to what is,

perhaps, her most influential standpoint yet.

As stated in one of her Women of Influence

nomination forms, “all of this brings Saratoga

Springs sharply into public view in a positive

light, bolstering the economy and drawing an

intellectually sophisticated cohort to the

area.”

When she isn’t promoting SUNY ESC,Mary Caroline Powers is involved withSoroptimist International of SaratogaCounty, a service organization of businessand professional women committed to

enhancing the quality of life forwomen and

Saratoga County’s Top 6 Women of Influence 2011

girls in Saratoga County, the nation and theworld. It is part of the international organi-zation Soroptimist International of theAmericas, Inc. The organization awardsgrants to women to help upgrade theiremployment status and to further their edu-cation, and to youth, recognizing their con-tributions to their homes, schools, and com-munities. Each year the Saratoga CountySoroptimists distribute proceeds from theirfundraising efforts to non-profit organiza-tions serving the needs of women and girlsin Saratoga County.

Support this cause:The 2011 Secret Gardens Tour on Sunday,

June 16 from 11 am to 5 pm features a fab-ulous mix of creative in-town spaces, lovelyEnglish country gardens, and inspiringperennial beds designed around fountains,fish ponds and woodlands. The SecretGardens Tour is a daylong, self-guided tour,featuring a dozen gardeners in the heart ofthe city and a short drive from SaratogaSprings.

The Secret Gardens Tour is one ofSoroptimist of Saratoga County’s majorfund-raisers. Last year $15,000 was raisedfor Domestic Violence Services and otherprograms. For more information, or to sub-mit your garden tour information, [email protected] or visitwww.soroptimistsaratoga.org.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80.

Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing

in life is to keep your mind young.”

- Henry Ford



Saratoga TODAY

M i c h e l l e

L a r k i n ’ s

home on

the edge of Saratoga Springs is

her oasis.

“It embraces and embodies

family. It’s not fancy, but it’s

where I feel good when I wake

up and good at the end of the

day,” she says.

These strong sentiments are a

driver in Larkin’s dedication to

Rebuilding Together Saratoga

County, the organization she

founded and serves today as

executive director. Rebuilding

Together Saratoga County is a

coalition of volunteers and

community members that work

together to improve the homes

and lives of many homeowners

in need, especially the elderly,

the disabled, veterans and the

financially disadvantaged.

Specifically, the volunteers

contribute their energies to

making physical repairs to

homes, ranging from plumbing

to painting.

“The goal is to help them live

in warmth, safety and inde-

pendence,” Larkin says. “Some

of the homes we see have rain

water collected in pots indoors

or have big holes in the floor.

We do what we can to repair

the damage.”

There is never a cost to the

homeowner.

Rebuilding Together

Saratoga County is one of 232

affiliates across the country of

Washington, D.C.-based Rebuilding

Together, the nation’s largest volun-

teer home-rehabilitation organiza-

tion. With the support of private

industry, individuals, communities

and 275,000 volunteers in 46 states,

Rebuilding Together works to pre-

serve and revitalize more than 1,800

U.S. communities by upgrading

approximately 10,000 owner-occu-

pied homes and community centers

each year.

“The thought of how some people

live before we come in makes me

sad,” Larkin admits, “especially

when there are kids involved. I

believe everybody should be able to

come home to a place that is com-

fortable and safe.”

Those who need assistance may

be referred by social services, may

have seen the group in action else-

where, get information via word of

mouth or from the website at

www.rebuildingtogethersaratoga.or

g. There are eligibility guidelines to

participate in the program, and each

applicant is considered on a case-

by-case basis.

The venture started in 2003 when

Larkin and her husband, Dan, a ser-

geant with the New York State

Police, were participating in a

Rebuilding Together project in

another city as part of a church

group.

“On the bus trip home, I thought,

‘We need one of these in our own

area,’” recalls Larkin. “I vocalized it

to someone – and then I knew I real-

ly had to do it. I was accountable.”

Larkin began by sending out a let-

ter to her friends. “I’ve got great

friends, that’s why this has succeed-

ed,” she says. “My friends brought

their friends, and those people

brought their friends.”

The group and its capacities grew

exponentially. In 2004, its first year

of operation, Rebuilding Together

Saratoga County had

100 volunteers

and six proj-

ects. In 2010,

the organiza-

tion had more

than 600 vol-

unteers and

completed 75

projects.

“Some people volun-

teer three times a

week, some vol-

unteer three

times a

y e a r.

We have people at all skill levels

with different things to offer. Some

are professionals, like a plumber, or

retired handymen, some are high

school students participating for

community service credits.

Everyone is welcome,” Larkin

notes.

Liverpool, NY-native Larkin ran

the organization as an unpaid volun-

teer for four years as a “labor of

love,” she says, as she built and

shaped it. Though she has been

known to hoist a hammer, now she

has her hands full steering the com-

plex administration of Rebuilding

Together Saratoga County. She is

involved in every aspect of opera-

tions — from recruiting to fundrais-

ing, from reviewing applications for

help to making site visits, from

learning about handicapped ramps

to public speaking. In some seasons,

the job requires seven days a week

on call, making sure efforts run

smoothly.

One reason Larkin has been such

an able spearhead is the entrepre-

neurial background that pre-

pared her for the market-

place. In the past, she owned

her own yarn store in down-

town Saratoga Springs and

worked in sales for a nation-

al company. She also coordi-

nated the Arts and Education

Program for the Schuylerville

School District, where her

own son and

daughter

attended school. (Her son, Shane, is

now in the Armed Forces; her

daughter, Erica, is a college stu-

dent.)

“These experiences were good

models for learning how to interact

with all kinds of people,” she says.

Also, she points out, the nonprofit

world is not without business

demands. Rebuilding Together

Saratoga County has to compete for

precious donor dollars with other

worthy organizations soliciting

funds; customer service skills are

necessary to work with board mem-

bers, donors, recipients of services

and volunteers; budgets have to be

controlled; and human resources

have to be effectively allocated.

And, like any good business person,

she keeps the profile of the organi-

zation fresh and contemporary with

a website, an informational video

and a Facebook presence.

Whether the efforts are manual or

cerebral, the goal is always the

same: “To help,” she says. “And, I

have to say it’s fascinating. I love

working with the board of directors

– wonderful people who don’t get

the recognition they deserve — and

I love working with the volunteers

and meeting the people we serve.

The work is all meaningful.”

She notes that some generous

corporate sponsors, including

Curtis Lumber, Allerdice, Quad

Graphics and Roohan Realty,

among others, have made it

possible for the organization to

continue its good work despite

the shortage of funds

in today’s economy.

(Rebuilding Together

S a r a t o g a

County

does not

receive gov-

ernment fund-

ing.) Additionally,

volunteer crews bolster the success

of the organization. Private dona-

tions and help from charitable

organizations, like Soroptomists,

also help, and Larkin reports that

“with community support, we are

able to leverage each dollar donated

to us three to four times its value in

services given back to the

community.”

Last year, time was donated by

workers from Gilbane

Building Co., Roohan Realty,

Kodiak Construction, Informz,

Soroptimist’s, SUNY Empire State

Michelle Larkin:Raising the Roof

“A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for humanbeings. You, the people, must give it this soul.”

– Pope John Paul II

Friday, May 20, 2011 11Saratoga County’s Top 6 Women of Influence 2011

College, Clough Harbour &

Associates, Sunrise Rotary, Saratoga Springs

Rotary, GlaxoSmithKline, SEFCU, Bank of

America, Presbyterian New England

Congregational Church, Quaker Springs

Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist

Congregation and Keller Williams.

The organization also mounts fundraisers

– two coming up in the next few weeks are a

plant and yard sale and a golf tournament.

(More information at (518) 695-3315.)

“We are always grateful when someone

offers to help, either with money or with

time,” says Larkin. “One of my jobs in look-

ing at an application is assessing whether we

have the right resources to do the job. It has

been especially challenging recently in this

bad economy. People have let things go

much longer on their houses and there is less

money to go around. When people from out-

side the organization step up to the plate, it

makes a big difference.”

She is optimistic: “I think people naturally

want to help each other, particularly in situa-

tions of devastation,” says Larkin. “It feels

good to do good – especially when it’s neigh-

bor helping neighbor. And we have the need

in Saratoga County.”

Larkin says the work is “spiritual, but not

religious.” A member of the Presbyterian

church, Larkin dis-

cusses faith in terms of “how you

relate to others, how you treat them.”

She admits that as much as she takes pleas-

ure in knowing her efforts are benefiting oth-

ers, she still gets exhausted and needs to

“unplug.” So at night, she reads.

But the real secret to her energy is that, “it

keeps me going that people appreciate what

we do,” she says. “And when I have time, I

think about the bigger vision: how can we

help more people, more ways? How can we

raise more money so we are spending our

time on projects and not worrying about sur-

viving? How can we get more people

involved?”

Larkin says her position has really opened

her eyes to how people live on $15,000 a

year. But I try not to become enmeshed, to

become too emotionally involved, or I won’t

be effective. We have to focus on what we’re

there to do.”

In the end, says Larkin, “Life is about

being able to look in the mirror and say

‘there’s a need and I can fill it,’ and doing it.

All together, we can keep our community

vibrant and strong.”



Saratoga TODAY

Rabbi Linda Motzkin:

T wenty-five years ago, Rabbis Linda

Motzkin and Jonathan Rubenstein, about

to be ordained by the Hebrew Union

College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati and

parents of a baby girl, came to Saratoga Springs with a

bold proposal for Temple Sinai. The wife and husband

offered to fill the synagogue’s rabbi post as a team. When

the visionary Temple board of directors agreed to the

experiment, the couple became the first married rabbis in

the world to job-share the sole rabbinic position in a

synagogue.

“We wanted to be partners in all areas of life,” says

Motzkin, a Poughkeepsie native raised in California. “We

didn’t want to compromise on being either parents or rab-

bis, and we didn’t want to work in separate congrega-

tions. We wanted to live, work and raise our family in

the same community. We didn’t want to divide the

family.”

The original agreement in 1986 was for two

years; the rabbis and the congregation have

been flourishing ever since. The family

expanded to include another daughter

and a son, and the temple roster bur-

geoned with members wanting to be part

of both the religious and social activities

of the Reform congregation. During

the rabbis’ tenure, the congregation

has grown from around 60 to more

than 200 households.

With Temple Sinai as the base for

her work, as well as her core commu-

nity, Motzin has been able to pursue

her passions for teaching Judaism, for

artistic pursuits and for engaging in

tikkun olam.

“Tikkun olam” is a Hebrew phrase

that refers to the idea that human

beings are charged with “fixing the

world and making it a better place in

any way we can,” she says, “from alleviating the suffer-

ing of a single human being to dealing with larger, sys-

temic issues of social injustice, like hunger.”

As a leader of Temple Sinai, Motzkin is proud of the

congregation’s engagement in community activities such

as staffing the E.O.C. soup kitchen once a month; operat-

ing Slice of Heaven Breads, a nonprofit, cooperative bak-

ery directed by her husband, Rabbi Rubenstein; and pre-

senting speakers and programs to the community on

issues ranging from vegetarianism to Israel-Arab rela-

tions. She is similarly pleased with the caring communi-

ty within the Temple that steps up to help each other in

times of need, one-to-one. Motzkin’s personal involve-

ment extends to sitting on the Ethics Committee at

Saratoga Hospital, where she also serves as a volunteer

chaplain on call to patients of any faith; and to her posi-

tion as the Jewish chaplain at Skidmore College, where

she has guided Jewish students and participated in inter-

faith and community-based efforts for a quarter of a cen-

tury. She is also on the steering committee of the

Adirondack Religious Coalition for Choice; a member of

the Capital District Board of Rabbis and the Rabbinic

Cabinet of the United Jewish Communities; and works

with Jewish and secular groups promoting peace, human

rights and interfaith dialogue.

The rabbis’ three children have inherited their parents’

impulse to serve. The oldest, Ruhi, is studying to be a

rabbi; son Ari has accepted a position with an environ-

mental organization; and the youngest, Shira, is going to

work this summer at a rape crisis center.

Additionally, Motzkin has authored several text books

designed to teach Hebrew to adults that are used around

the world by Jews and non-Jews who want to read the

Holy Scriptures in the original language. Four of her six

books, a series published by the URJ Press, acknowledge

people in Saratoga Springs who helped pilot the program.

“I wrote them to help open the doorway to the world of

sacred text to people who don’t want to read translations

which have been filtered and interpreted for them.

Learning to read Hebrew helps people access the fullest

meaning of the texts for themselves,” Motzkin says.

One central project that enables Motzkin both to

explore the deep meanings of her religion and connect to

a broad community of Jews and non-Jews is making a

Torah scroll. A Torah scroll con-

Taking the World in for Repairs

“The world is moved not only by themighty shoves of the heroes, but alsoby the aggregate of the tiny pushes ofeach honest worker.”

- Helen Keller

Saratoga County’s Top 6 Women of Influence 2011Friday, May 20, 2011 13

tains the first five

books of the Jewish Bible (which is known to

Christians as the Old Testament) and is the

most sacred ritual object in the Jewish reli-

gion. Motzkin is a soferet (scribe), one of

fewer than a dozen women in the world who

have worked on the writing of a Torah scroll.

Motzkin began learning the art of Hebrew cal-

ligraphy from master calligrapher David Moss

at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute in southern

California in 1979, but it wasn’t until 2003

that she met her scribal mentor, Rabbi Dr. Eric

Ray.

A ritual scribe is mentored and trained by a

more senior scribe to handwrite in Hebrew

sacred Jewish texts. Many scribes prepare

such documents as marriage or divorce con-

tracts and mezuzot - scriptural verses written

on parchment that are placed inside decorative

cases and mounted on the doorposts of Jewish

homes. Besides being artists, practitioners of

the scribal arts also need to be religiously

observant, of good character and knowledge-

able about the laws of Judaism.

Motzkin’s first major work as a scribe was

the biblical Book of Esther, which she wrote

for Temple Sinai in memory of her mother,

Evelyn Herszkorn Motzkin.

When she works as a scribe, Motzkin wears

a head covering (yarmulke) and a tallit katan,

a ritual garment. She prays before she begins,

and washes her hands from a special two-han-

dled cup (laver).

For a scribe, the act of writing is “sacred,

holy and conscious,” says Motzkin. “It’s like a

meditation.”

The Torah project has been an opportunity

for Motzkin to combine her love of scripture

and Hebrew language, her talent as an artist

and her commitment to community. Motzkin

has undertaken the extraordinary task of creat-

ing her own materials, and may well be the

only scribe in the world doing this. (Scribes

typically obtain parchment, quills, ink and

other materials from scribal suppliers.) This is

where the community gets involved. The

parchment panels are made from donated deer

hides that Motzkin and volunteers stretch and

treat in her home workshop; she makes ink

with the help of a local chemist; and her quills

are turkey feathers from area farms and indi-

vidual donors.

“Many people of different faiths have par-

ticipated in making this Torah,” says

Motzkin. “I have recorded the names of vir-

tually everyone who has made a contribution

to the project. This list includes the hunters

who donate hides, the volunteers who help

process the hides into parchment, the person

who lent me a drill to help build the frames to

stretch them on, the farmers who let me col-

lect quill feathers, the people helping to

proofread the Torah and those who have con-

tributed money to the project.”

More than 700 names have been added to

the list of people who have contributed to the

Torah since 2007, when the project began. (If

she continues at her current pace, Motzkin

says it would take 11 more years to complete

the Torah.) More than 500 volunteers have

participated in proofreading completed pan-

els, sometimes in groups as large as 50.

“Many people never have the opportunity

to be part of the creation of a holy object,”

says Motzkin. “It is deeply satisfying to

involve both people at Temple Sinai and

beyond in this sacred work.”

It couldn’t happen just anywhere, Motzkin

is convinced. “Saratoga Springs is a fulfilling

and nurturing place,” she says. “This city has

a rare and unique spirit that supports commu-

nity and personal involvement, within the

congregation and outside of it.”

“I feel blessed to have been able to live and

work and raise my kids in the Saratoga

Springs area for all these years,” says

Motzkin. “We have easy access to natural

settings that nourish the soul, there’s a real

sense of community, and there’s an apprecia-

tion of the arts and of cultural diversity that

has nurtured my work, as well as my family

life.”

June 3-5 will be a weekend to remember as

Temple Sinai and the Saratoga Springs com-

munity honor Rabbi Linda Motzkin and

Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein with a three-day

celebration to mark the 25th anniversary of

their ordination and 25 years as co-rabbis of

Temple Sinai. The rabbis also will be receiv-

ing their honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees

from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati

for serving as rabbis for 25 years since their

ordination.


by Yael Goldman

Saratoga TODAY

Sara Mannix:S ara Mannix jokingly

refers to herself as a

“dot-com mom,”

even though there’s no more

perfect way to describe her.

The local mother of three is

president and CEO of Mannix

Marketing, a full service, glob-

ally-celebrated internet market-

ing company, which she

launched in 1996 when busi-

nesses were just learning how

to use the “World Wide Web.”

She is an innovator, an industry

pioneer and perhaps the

biggest cheerleader for

our local business

community.

Originally from

Burnt Hills, Sara

began her

career in

E u r o p e

where she

worked for

B e n e t t o n

C l o t h i n g

after gradu-

ating from college with a double

major in Spanish and Italian.

Longing for the comforts of her

home region and all its tourism

appeal, she returned to the area and

got a job as a media buyer for West

Mountain – the position that unex-

pectedly inspired Mannix

Marketing.

It was 1995 and Sara was looking

to hire a web company to build West

Mountain’s Internet presence. At the

time, developers were focused on

the aesthetic rather than strategic

aspects of websites. Sara could find

the talent to “lay out” the site, but no

one knew how to get

them found.

“It’s not just

about having

a pretty

website,”

she said.

“If they couldn’t get us found, I

knew it was up to me.”

So Sara started studying “search-

es,” and it wasn’t long before she’d

figured out an important part of

Google’s algorithm; how to get to

“number one.” With this best kept

secret in her hands, Sara held

what those web companies were

lacking.

“Before I knew it, I had a busi-

ness,” she said.

Mannix Marketing took on its

first client, a hospitality corpo-

ration, and strategically planted

them in first place for “Lake

George” and “lodging”

searches.

Always a big supporter of

tourism in our region, Sara

became passionate about

helping grow the industry

that has such an incredible

impact on the local econo-

my. “We all benefit from

tourism here,” Sara, who

paid for her college educa-

tion by waitressing in Lake

George, said.

She viewed Mannix Marketing,

the company that quickly grew from

her “a-ha moment,” as a way to

attract people to her community

and bring more jobs to the area.

This small startup company,

which immediately caught a reputa-

tion for helping businesses get

found on the Web, was serving local

businesses, both small and large,

and in turn, marketing the region as

a whole.

Sara saw a difference between

marketing for an individual business

and promoting that business as a

vital component of an industry. She

planned for her next ahead-of-the-

game, forward-thinking move:

regional guides.

Mannix Marketing secured

regional addresses, like Sara’s

“crown jewel” www.Saratoga.org,

along with www.Adirondack.net

and www.LakeGeorge.com, to pro-

mote individual areas, their popular

events and attractions, and at the

same time market her clients.

The company currently operates

24 regional portals that add the final,

most unique element to the compa-

ny’s “complete Internet marketing

solution.”

“The internet marketing industry

Using their Adirondack Facebook

page as an example, Sara explained

that they wouldn’t have more than

100,000 fans if someone from

California was writing the content.

“You have to love what you mar-

ket,” she said.

It’s quite obvious how Sara – a

bubbly mother/CEO – feels about

the community her children are

growing up in. She volunteers for

several organizations, including the

Karen & Gary Dake Foundation for

Children; St. Joseph’s House of

Grace; Big Brothers Big Sisters of

the Southern Adirondacks; and

Double H Ranch (her favorite).

She is unequivocally generous,

and uses her business to give back.

“Almost every charity that has

walked through the doors of Mannix

Marketing has received complimen-

tary services,” Manz said.

Sara, who has the love and sup-

port of her husband, Mark, and her

mother, credits her success to the

encouragement she still receives

every step of the way.

“My mom is my woman of inspi-

ration,” Sara said. “She was a nurse

and a mother who was always home

to welcome her kids off the bus. She

The Dot-Com Mom

“ You can’t solve a problem on the same level that it was created. You have to

rise above it to the next level.”

- Albert Einstein

is fast-moving and complex, and

Sara Mannix has stayed on the cut-

ting-edge of the trends and

changes,” said Jennifer Manz, direc-

tor of portal marketing at Mannix

Marketing. “Sara has provided

small business owners with the tools

and strategies that allow them to

compete on a level playing field

with even their largest competitors.”

Sara established Mannix

Marketing two steps ahead of her

competition, and she remains on the

forefront of the ever-changing

industry, recognizing critical emerg-

ing trends before they hit the main-

stream and making them resourceful

for her clients before anyone else.

Most recently, Mannix Marketing

entered the mobile arena with the

Lake George iPhone app, which has

unique features that are new to the

local market.

And although the company serv-

ices thousands of national and inter-

national clients, Sara Mannix is

keeping her regional guides right

here where they belong: in her

community.

“This is where our heart is,” she

said. “You have to be passionate

about an area to make a site work, and

we are very community spirited.”

Saratoga County’s Top 6 Women of Influence 2011Friday, May 20, 2011 15did it all, and showed me that I can

too.”

Like her own mother, Sara always

wants to be there when her children

(Sean, Kristina and Julia) get home

from school. “Half of me is this

business, but the other half? I’m a

mom, and that’s the most important

thing in life,” she said.

The “dot-com mom” finds her

work naturally rewarding, and

claims to be both surprised and hon-

ored by this nomination.

“It’s important to have support

and to encourage the people around

you,” she said. “Those working

mothers who do it all by themselves,

those are the amazing women; the

women of influence.”

As she humbly accepts this

award, you know Sara will be quiet-

ly thanking her team. She’s a moth-

er, a wife, a CEO, and a boss who

knows how to find the right balance

between her family and the real

world because she’s inextricably

immersed in both.

“As women, we need to think

about how we can accommodate

other mothers; as bosses, we need to

allow them to be there for their fam-

ilies,” she said.

Double H RanchThe Double H Ranch, co-found-

ed by Charles R. Wood and Paul

Newman, provides specialized pro-grams and year-round support forchildren and their families dealingwith life-threatening illnesses.Their purpose is to enrich the livesof these children and their familiesby providing camp experiences thatare memorable, exciting, fun,empowering, physically safe andmedically sound. All programs arefree of charge and capture themagic of the Adirondacks. For more information visit www.doublehranch.org.

How you can give back:• Boogie Off Broadway at

Saratoga Polo on Friday, June 3from 7 to 11 pm hosted by thePartners of Double H Ranch. Thedress code is any black and/orwhite attire. The event will featurelive music by Groove Therapy anddelicious food provided by Lily andthe Rose Catering. Register onlineat www.doublehranch.org/part-ners. The cost to attend is $75 forpartners members and $95 for thegeneral public. The Partners groupwas formed as an extension of theDouble H Ranch. Their mission isto raise awareness and increasefunding for Ranch programsthrough memberships and localevents. Partners group membersreceive discounts to Partners-spon-

sored events.• Second Annual Camp

Challenge Ride on Saturday,September 10 at noon.

Challenge yourself - Change thelife of a child! The second annualCamp Challenge Ride will feature

15 mile, 30 mile and 62 mile rides.Cycle through the beautifulAdirondacks and enjoy a pre andpost ride event to be held at theDouble H Ranch through TeamHole in the Wall. All riders will cre-ate their own personal fundraising

webpage, and will receivetraining tips and online toolsto assist with raising fundsand awareness for the DoubleH. Register online at www.dou-blehranch.org/team-hole-in-wall.html

women of influence 2011

Documents

saratoga springs581

women ofinfluence

saratoga today islooking

saratoga today5 case

cover page

nomination instructions

nomination deadline

extended nomination