Outstanding Service Awards were presented to board members of the Mahoosuc Arts Council at the 2014 Annual Meeting. For many years of dedicated volunteerism, honors were given to Kathy Hodsdon, Melanie Ellsworth, and BOD Secretary Linda Stowell. Presenting in the living room of the Mill Hill Inn were BOD Chair Tera Ingraham and Executive Director Aranka Matolcsy.

In addition, Hodsdon was nominated and unanimously voted in as the new BOD Vice Chair, in addition to the appointment of two new board members, Edison Quinatoa of Bethel and Dennis Camire of West Paris.

A former professional musician from Quito, Ecuador, Quinatoa was a member the Philharmonic Orchestra in Quito. After six years of touring internationally Quinatoa began his teaching career as a music teacher and band director at Colegio Menor, a private international school in Quito.

While teaching, Quinatoa earned his Master’s Degree in Education. He takes every chance he gets to play his flute, saxophone, and as many other instruments as he can get his hands on. When not in the classroom or band room Quinatoa can be found on the soccer field. He also enjoys being outside on his bike or hiking in the woods.

Recently relocated to western Maine, Camire lives in West Paris, teaches at Central Maine Community College, and runs the non-profit, “Maine Poetry Central,” which curates The Portland Poet Laureate Project and The Minute with the Muse Video-Poem series. A graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington and Wichita State University, his poems have appeared in The Mid-American Review, Poetry East Magazine, The Spoon River Poetry Review and other small journals and online magazines. As a board member for Mahoosuc Arts, he hopes to nurture the pre-existing vibrant arts’ scene in western Maine and to organize and host poetry readings and workshops throughout the area.

If you are interesting in learning more about the board of directors and future volunteer opportunities, go to www.mahoosucarts.org or call 207-824-3575.

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