The Telling Room Welcomes New Board Members and Officers
The Telling Room is delighted to welcome two new members to the Board of Directors this summer, and to announce new officers to the Board’s leadership team. Sean Findlen and Libby Lauze joined the Board of Directors as The Telling Room entered into its new fiscal year on July 1st, 2023.
The Telling Room also welcomes three current Board members into roles as officers: Tanuja Desai Hidier as the incoming Board President, Donna Simonetti as Interim Vice President, and Catherine Richards as Secretary. Bob Zager remains as Board Treasurer. Outgoing members include former Board President Anya Endsley, Board Secretary Ninette Irabaruta, and Laura Shen.
Board President Tanuja Desai Hidier is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning novels Born Confused and Bombay Blues. Her writing has also appeared in PEN America’s India At 75 anthology, Parents Magazine, Maine Women Magazine, and Amjambo Africa. Tanuja believes stories help both reader and writer thrive. By showing us we’re not alone, stories change, honor, create—and save lives.
Board Interim Vice President Donna Simonetti joined The Telling Room’s Finance Committee in 2016, was elected to the Telling Room Board in 2019, and served as Treasurer from 2019 - 2022. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) since 2017 (term expires September 30th, 2023) and currently serves on the MSRB Nominating Committee. Donna is a former Executive Director at JP Morgan where she was a director of fixed income compliance.
Sean Findlen, leads enterprise communications as the Assistant Vice President for the Unum Group (NYSE: UNM) — an international provider of workplace benefits and services. Throughout his career, Sean has served as a political appointee, C-suite leader, and more than a decade as a global public relations agency executive. Before joining Unum Group, Sean was vice president for communications & public affairs at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.
Libby Lauze is an education management professional with over eighteen years of experience in the field of international education. As Director of Partner Services at CEA CAPA Education Abroad, she is responsible for preparing young people to pursue academic and cultural exploration in countries around the world. Previously, Libby managed an organization supporting young international professionals coming to the United States for internships and career training.
Telling Room Executive Director Kristina Powell shares:
“We are thankful for the service of outgoing board members Anya, Ninette, and Laura. Their deep work with The Telling Room has strengthened the organization; through their individual gifts of inquisitiveness and their perspectives to their abilities to come together and work hard as a Board.
We are thrilled to have the new members, Sean, and Libby, joining this year as we embark on putting our new strategic plan into place. In their prior work on our Communications and Human Resources committees respectively, we know their great care for youth voices, for the community and staff at The Telling Room, and their excitement to help continue to strengthen our organization.
I would be remiss without sharing a deep debt of gratitude to our entire Board and community as we have felt the loss of beloved board member and recent Vice President, Rob Gould. Collectively and individually grieving, we all share the unwavering, true and unabashed deep care Rob had for The Telling Room and I have leaned on the community of support, strength, and dedication of our board over these last few months.
Led by Tanuja, and with Donna, Catherine, and Bob on the Executive leadership team, The Telling Room will be guided by these dedicated community members who bring the range of experiences and talents needed for the ambitious and inspiring years ahead. We are grateful to our entire board for all that they do for The Telling Room and youth writers.”
For the full list of Telling Room Board members and their biographies, click here.