ArtsWestchester Appoints Chief Operating Officer, New Board Members & New Board President

ArtsWestchester Appoints Kathleen Reckling as Chief Operating Officer,
New Board Members & New Board President

August 16, 2023 (ArtsWestchester) White Plains, NY – – CEO Janet Langsam announced this month the promotion of Kathleen Reckling of Ardsley to Chief Operating Officer for ArtsWestchester. Reckling has been with the organization more than 12 years and most recently served as Deputy Director of Public Programs. Going forward, Kathleen will continue to lead the development of the arts council’s public programs and she will also oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization.

ArtsWestchester also announced the appointment of longtime Board member, Marie Smith of White Plains, as its new Board President to serve for the term of 2023-24.  Smith, who has been a Board member since 2017, was most recently Executive Vice President, co-chair of the Grants Committee, and a member of the Social Justice Committee.  Smith had a 10-year career at Citicorp and is currently a manager at William Sonoma. 

Additionally, ArtsWestchester has announced the appointment of three new members of its Board of Directors for the 2023-26 term:

Brian Van Riper (Hopewell Junction, NY), Director of Construction and Project Management for Robert Martin Company, has over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate.  Van Riper has received his LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and is already contributing his professional expertise as a key member of the ArtsWestchester Building Committee.

Louis P. Gallo (Eastchester, NY) is a Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking market executive at Wells Fargo, based in White Plains, NY.  Gallo began his career at Chase Manhattan Bank and joined Wells Fargo in 2013.  Today, his territory includes Connecticut/Capital New York and Hudson Valley markets where he leads a team of professional bankers providing a vast array of financial services. 

Tyre Robinson  Regional President for New York’s Tarrytown region at M&T Bank, Robinson is responsible for building and managing small business banking relationships throughout the region in Westchester and Rockland as business banking regional manager. Robinson holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Lastly, ArtsWestchester welcomed two new Affiliate Board members: Michelle Maplethorpe, Executive Director of the Katonah Museum of Art, and Wilfredo Morel, a well-known sculptor from Peekskill, NY, who will each serve two-year terms as affiliate representatives. 

About ArtsWestchester

For over 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest private not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision and support to ensure the availability, accessibility and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts, including public art; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, NY. Artsw.org