Brian is a Member Attorney of Ebersol, McCormick, Reis & Steck, LLC who generously shares his time and expertise with KidsPlay. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Northwest Community Bank.  He is former President of Plumb Hill Playing Field, Inc, Litchfield Community Center and Chair of the Board for the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation. The Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce recognized Brian’s good works with the 2018 Community Leader Award.

Cheryl is a retired administrator, having served as the founding Principal of the University of Hartford Magnet School and as a Superintendent for Torrington Public Schools. Cheryl is an educator from the heart who brings experience, insight, and a love of hands-on learning to her role on the Board. She also enjoys visiting the Museum with her children and granddaughter.

Holly is the Assistant Controller of O&G Industries, who uses her in-depth understanding and experience in accounting in small business and corporate environments to oversee the Museum’s financial activities.  She focuses on best practices to build a sustainable museum that will help stimulate the minds and deepen the connections between children and their parents, grandparents, and caregivers for generations to come.

Carol is a retired corporate executive with extensive professional project management skills and experience in the private and public sectors.  She brings exceptional organizational skills to the Board’s Executive, Governance, and Organizational Advancement Committees.  Carol and her husband love to travel when she is not planning a special event for KidsPlay.

Ken is the Secretary of O&G Industries and holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, a Master of Science in Accounting, and a Juris Doctor degree. Ken used his vast and varied expertise to lead KidsPlay as President over its first ten years of operation. Ken’s leadership and community service have been instrumental to the success of many other organizations, including the Warner Theatre, Saint Michael’s Church, and the Bantam Cinema. At KidsPlay, he continues to be deeply involved in facilities planning and exhibit design. He has visited over 75 children’s museums on three continents. Ken’s favorite exhibit is always the next one, as he enjoys imagining, designing, and prototyping innovative and engaging experiences.

Cathy has always lived a kid-centric life. Being a mom of three gave her the opportunity to serve the community through PTOs, the Scouts, coaching, children’s aerobics, and art classes. These varied volunteer experiences led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Health Education with an emphasis on Child Welfare. Having taken her own kids to children’s museums, Cathy wanted to make sure that her thirteen grandchildren and all the families in her community also had access to those enriching educational resources. She approached the mayor of Torrington with the idea of a downtown children’s Museum in 2010, and with the enthusiastic collaboration of a few community-minded individuals with vision and talent, the concept that would become KidsPlay soon emerged. Since then, Cathy’s dedication and attention have been instrumental in creating this unique, educational, and fanciful must-see venue.

Marc graduated from Torrington High School in 1999. He attended Suffolk University until 2004, when he received a degree in Business Management. Marc returned to Torrington and began working for Borghesi Building and Engineering in 2005. In 2008, he became a project manager overseeing multiple commercial construction projects. He was recently named President of Borghesi Building and Engineering in September 2017. Marc shares his expertise to support the renovation and expansion of the Museum’s galleries. Marc lives in Canton with his wife and two children.

Stu is a retired New York City Department of Education Administrator and former teacher. He travels, practices nature photography, and spends the winters in Florida in his spare time. Since its inception, he and his wife Jane have been actively involved at KidsPlay. He believes that literacy is an essential aspect of early childhood and loves to see a parent, grandparent, or caregiver sitting in the Tree House and sharing a book with a young child.

Mary is a retired special education teacher and administrator who first became involved with the Museum as a volunteer, helping develop sound human resource systems. As a Torrington resident, she is active in the community as a Master Gardener, Community Garden coordinator, a member of the Society of Decorative Painters, and the owner of MG Program Services. She wants the Museum to be known for its positive impact on children and as an outstanding employer.

John is President of John Martin Associates/Architects and a Registered Architect having 35 years of experience including residential, ecclesiastical, institutional, and industrial projects.  He has overseen renovations, most notably the Music Shed of the Yale School of Music. John lends his expertise and vision to reimagining the commercial properties of Torrington’s Main Street as an enriching space for children and the community.

Carmen is a retired attorney and educator. At KidsPlay, she continues a long history of volunteer service and advocacy.  She is a columnist for Identidad Latina, and is currently writing her first novel.  She has been a freelance Spanish translator for the past 30 years doing mainly legal and educational translations for several organizations, among them, for the Torrington School System. She brings her passion and commitment to serving the Latinx population to her work with KidsPlay.

Brad is Vice President of O&G Industries oversees all aspects of their asphalt and paving divisions. Brad has advanced sustainability efforts within the Asphalt Division and is an active participant within O&G’s safety department. Brad lives in Canton with his wife and their two boys.  As a parent to young children, Brad understands the importance of providing a safe and stimulating atmosphere for the kids, while still allowing them to be kids.

Eileen was born and raised in Northwest Connecticut and graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor in Romance Languages. In her early career, she worked in international trading. She later moved into the non-profit sector with a particular interest in organizations providing support for mothers. In 2014, Eileen returned to Connecticut with her husband and two children and started working with KidsPlay as a Development Consultant. She assumed the role of Museum Director in 2016.

Patty is a passionate educator and an advocate for children and families. She is a graduate of St. Joseph’s College and the University of Oklahoma and holds extensive experience teaching in the public-school arena with a primary focus on early childhood education. She is a community volunteer and a former member of the New Hartford Board of Education. Her specific expertise in early childhood development and understanding of the importance of discovery, playful learning and caregiver connections will infuse developmental theory into the Museum’s exhibits, programs, and outreach.

Tamara is a graduate of the University of Hartford with a BS in Biology. She began her career working as a Medical Technologist in southern CT. She returned to Northwest Connecticut to raise her family. During that time, she volunteered as a Girl Scout Leader, secretary of the PTA, and Vice President of the Harwinton Land Trust. She returned to work at the Burlington Public Library where she worked for 9 years before joining KidsPlay in 2016. In her role at the Museum, she oversees the finances, database, and marketing.

Bethany oversees the day-to-day operation of the exhibit galleries and the guest service team. She also offers support and facilitation for the Museum’s learning programs. Bethany has a total of 10 years’ experience working in museums and additional experience in visitor services, marketing, and office management.

Ella graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Tufts University in 2020. She now lives in Torrington, her hometown, and works as the Development Assistant at KidsPlay. She is responsible for developing relationships with the donors, sponsors, and supporters that make KidsPlay’s work possible.

Karl is an experienced exhibits technician and creative artist.  He has experience building and maintaining children’s museum exhibits and overseeing exhibit fabrication shops.  His understanding of the exhibit development and facilities management helps KidsPlay to continue to improve its thoughtfully designed multi-sensory museum space.

Christina graduated from Villanova University with degrees in Political Science and Global Interdisciplinary Studies. She completed a Fulbright Grant as an English Teaching Assistant in South Korea in 2021. She is responsible for program logistics, communications, and marketing.