Board Members
Officers
Sheila Rogers, Chair
In 1991, as a volunteer, Sheila helped to convert the library’s book collection from the card catalog to the first searchable computerized database in the library. Since then, she has worked as a staff member, a consultant for the library’s annual fundraising and capital campaigns, and is now a volunteer again. She has been Co-Chair of the library’s Authors Night event since its inception in 2004, which has raised more than $3.5 million, ensuring that all of the library’s programs are free for the entire community. Prior to 1991, she was the Administrative Manager of the New York City office of an international law firm. Now, as Executive Director of the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation, she has her office at the East Hampton Healthcare Center. Sheila lives year-round at her home in the Northwest Woods.
Brooke Kroeger Goren, President
Brooke Kroeger is a professor emerita at NYU Journalism, where she served on the faculty from 1998 to 2021, six years as chair and founding director of the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute from 2005-2011. As a journalist, she worked for the original UPI in Chicago, Brussels, London, and Tel Aviv, as bureau chief, and ended her time with the agency as its London-based chief editor for Europe, the Middle East and Africa before moving on to Newsday as a reporter and editor. For Newsday, she served as UN correspondent and as a deputy metropolitan editor for New York Newsday when it began. She is the author of six books, the latest of which is Undaunted: How Women Changed American Journalism. Others are Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist; Fannie: The Talent for Success of Writer Fannie Hurst; Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are; Undercover Reporting: The Truth About Deception; and The Suffragents: How Women Used Men to Get the Vote. She is also co-editor of the essay collection, Front Pages, Front Lines: Media and the Suffrage Movement.
Deborah Walter, Executive Vice-President
Deborah Walter taught mathematics in the East Hampton School District for 34 years, and is now retired. She chairs the LVIS Scholarship committee and is Co-President of the East Hampton Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. She graduated from East Hampton High School, got her Bachelors degree in Mathematics from SUNY Oswego, and her Masters degree in Computer Technology from C.W. Post. She has been volunteering for the library’s book sale room for the last two years.
Charles Soriano, First Vice-President
Charles R. Soriano is one of Long Island’s education leaders, currently serving as Principal of the East Hampton Middle School. Charlie earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania (Organizational Leadership and Education), which followed degrees earned at Middlebury College (Masters in English Literature) and Holy Cross College (Bachelor’s in English). He also holds a second Masters degree from Rutgers University in educational leadership. Charlie received a Fulbright Award for study abroad in Japan’s Nagano Prefecture; in addition, he has been the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities teacher grant and was named 1997 Distinguished Teacher of the Year in the Westfield (NJ) Public Schools.
Chip Rae, Second Vice-President
Chip Rae was a Director of Human Resources covering Investment Banking at Cowen and Company from 1998-2014. Over 37 years on Wall Street he held similar positions at Solomon Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch, and JP Morgan. Harvard Business School profiled him in the well known 2002 recruiting case “SG Cowen – New Recruits” which is still widely taught at business school and college campuses. He received his BA/MA from Penn in 1976 in American Civilization, and an MBA from Amos Tuck at Dartmouth in 1982. His passion has always been architectural history. He lives in East Hampton, where he has been a long-serving Trustee of the East Hampton Historical Society, and a newly elected Board member of the East Hampton Library. Since the 1970″s he has been a keen observer of the changing local landscape. His 2000 book Images of America – East Hampton, is a broad look at the architecture and changing face of this village and town.
James Pool, Treasurer
Patti Ferrin, Assistant Treasurer
Patti has been helping the library for years. She serves on the Library Society, Building & Grounds and Book Sale committees of the board. She is a past president of the Ladies Village Improvement Society and lives in the village.
Ellen Collins, Recording Secretary
Ellen Collins, Recording Secretary of the Board of Managers, is a retired teacher from the East Hampton School District. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, her Master’s degree from Georgetown University, and another Master’s from C.W. Post University. She volunteered for the Library Fair for several years and now volunteers in the library’s book sale room.
As Recording Secretary, she produces the monthly board minutes both in English and in Spanish.
Gail Parker, Corresponding Secretary
As a former educator and middle school administrator in the East Hampton District, Gail originally joined the Library Board to galvanize support for children’s services. Currently Gail serves on the Buildings and Grounds Committee, working to secure a new Children’s Courtyard Garden, and Co-Chairs the Book Sale Store with Board member Debbie Walter. Having lived in East Hampton more than fifty years, Gail has volunteered her time for a variety of local organizations, the LVIS, Guild Hall, St. Luke’s Church and Fighting Chance. Gail is presently an active member of the East Hampton Garden Club and sits on the board of the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation.
Members
Susan Akkad
Susan is the Senior Vice President, Local and Cultural Platforms, Global Corporate Innovation for The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. In her position she works with the ELC’s 30+ brands and across geographies to identify, develop and expand innovation and business opportunities that increase relevancy with emerging market and global multi-ethnic consumers.
Susan is a frequent speaker on the subject of Cultural Marketing, Relevancy and Innovation at industry events as well as at universities and business schools including Harvard University,
MIT Sloan School of Management, University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. Susan has been profiled in Vogue, Essence and Jones as well as written about global beauty for Vogue. In 2010, she was named one of Ebony’s “Power 100”. She was the 2012 recipient of the Business Achievement Award from the Black Retail Action Group (BRAG) and named one of Black Enterprise Magazine’s Top Women Executives in Advertising & Marketing in 2013 and 2016. Recently, Susan was recognized by WWD BeautyInc as one of the 50 Most Influential in the Multicultural Beauty Market.
Susan lives in Manhattan and East Hampton with her husband and their two Italian Greyhounds: Baby and Pierre.
Jose Arandia
Elizabeth Doyle Carey
Chris Corwin
Diana Dayton Deichert
Diana’s dedication to the Library began in 1989 as a staff page. After obtaining her Masters of Library Science, Diana is perhaps best known for heading the Long Island Collection from 1998-2003. It was during her tenure that the East Hampton Historical Series was published, funding from East Hampton’s 350th Anniversary was received, and the foundation was set for the digitization project that continues today. A 12th generation East Hampton Dayton, Diana continues to be involved with several local organizations.
Debbie Druker
Kenneth Lipper
Ken Lipper served as investment banking partner of Lehman Brothers and Salomon Brothers, Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and is currently Chairman of Lipper & Co. He authored novels Wall Street and City Hall; Ken was Chief Technical Adviser on the film Wall Street, wrote the original screenplay and produced City Hall; and produced The Winter Guest. He received the Academy Award as producer of The Last Days. Mr. Lipper is the Publisher of the acclaimed biography series “Penguin Lives”. Mr. Lipper was the Deputy Mayor of New York City under Ed Koch. He is a resident of East Hampton Village.
Laura Molinari
Janet Ross
Janet has served on the board since 1997, lending her insight and interest. She has served on the House, Long Island Collection and Budget Committees. Her council and board memberships on the Preservation League of New York State and the Municipal Art Society in New York City reflect her interest in civic matters of all kinds. Her affinity for libraries began in her younger years when she was drawn to and spent many hours in the town library in Huntington, West Virginia. She recalls seeing European refugee families from World War II making full use of the children’s library and thought at the time that they were perhaps beginning to feel at home.
Amy Levin Schaeffer
Denise Shaw
Anne P. Thomas
Anne Thomas, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a full-time resident of East Hampton since 2010, served as President of the Ladies Village Improvement Society from 2015-2018. During her tenure, she initiated and oversaw the renovation of the historic Gardner Brown House, preparing the building to serve our community for generations to come, and planned the 125 Anniversary celebration – a year’s worth of activities, including the publication of LVIS’s 13th Cookbook , co-authored by Florence Fabricant and published by Rizzoli.
After serving as Director of Special Events at Carnegie Hall where she oversaw the Grand Reopening following its restoration in 1986 and the Centennial Celebration in 1991, she established her own special events management company serving clients such as NY Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Habitat for Humanity, Parsons School of Design, NYC Outward Bound Center, Cathedral of St. John the Divine among others.
Linda A. Willett
Linda A. Willett spent almost 30 years in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, most recently as EVP, General Counsel and Secretary of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. She retired from that position, after 12 years, in December 2021. Prior to attending law school, Linda moved through a series of positions within the American Cyanamid family of companies, transitioning from Lederle Laboratories to the Shulton, Inc. subsidiary where she was Product Development Manager for major consumer brands. After completing her law degree at the Rutgers School of Law, Linda joined the firm of McCarter & English as a litigator representing major pharmaceutical and medical device companies. She became a partner of the firm during her third year of practice. In 1996, Linda joined her largest client, Bristol Myers-Squibb as Deputy General Counsel managing the worldwide law department. She has been widely recognized for her efforts to increase the number of women and people of color going into the profession of law, joining corporate law departments and being appointed to corporate boards. Linda is a member of the Women’s Forum of New York and served as that organization’s President in 2018 and 2019. She is also a member of the Economic Club of New York, the Metropolitan Club, and the Devon Yacht Club. Linda is a Director on the board of CareSource Healthcare, the nation’s largest Medicaid administrator and is a Trustee of the East Hampton Library as well as a Trustee of LongHouse Reserve. Gardening has long been a passion of Linda’s and she spends many hours tending to her own gardens at her home in the Village of East Hampton.
Trustees Emeritus
Tom Twomey
Tom joined the board in 1995, became its President in 1998 and Chairman in 2006. Over the course of twenty years, he proved to be an extraordinary leader with an unmatched dedication to making this small library one of the finest in America.
Among his many accomplishments was chairing the Library’s successful capital campaign of 1997 and his tireless advocacy and fundraising efforts which helped make the Library’s 2014 state-of-the-art Children’s Addition and lecture room possible.
As a civic leader, Tom had numerous other roles. He was the founding partner of the law firm of Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelley, Dubin & Quartararo and was active in East End and local community affairs. He helped lead the East Hampton Town 350th Anniversary Committee and was a member of the board of Guild Hall. Gov. Mario Cuomo named him to lead the East End Economic and Environmental Institute, which has been key, through the creation of the New York State Farmland Preservation Program, in preservation efforts in the area.