Kovner joins MCP board

MILLBROOK — The Millbrook Community Partnership (MCP) announced that Suzie Kovner, long-time patron of the arts and education advocate, has joined its board.

Kovner is a trustee of Carnegie Hall and founding member of the Drama Council at The Juilliard School with expertise in program development and non-profit management.

The MCP board aims to transform the old Thorne Building and former Bennett College campus into cultural, educational, and recreational hubs for the greater Millbrook community.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Suzie joining our leadership team during this pivotal moment,” commented Oakleigh Thorne, President of MCP.

“Joining the board of the Millbrook Community Partnership was a natural decision for me, as the project combines my passion for the arts with my desire to revitalize Millbrook and create spaces for community members to gather,” Kovner said in a statement.

The Millbrook Community Partnership’s goal is to convert the dilapidated Bennett College campus into a park at the entrance to the Village, and the preservation and renovation of the abandoned Thorne Memorial School Building as a community center focused on the arts and learning.

Asbestos abatement recently was completed at the Thorne Building.  On the Bennett site, the old college has been torn down and landscaping has begun. The site is on a track to open for the community in 2023.

The new Thorne Building Community Center will serve the Village of Millbrook, the Town of Washington, and central Dutchess County by offering programs for all ages.