Susan Mark has served as Executive Director of the Skaneateles Festival since 1999, guiding it through a period of strong artistic, financial, and organizational growth. Susan previously held positions with the Landmark Theater, Syracuse Opera, and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. She is an active member of Chamber Music America, the Arts and Culture Leadership Alliance of Central New York, and previously sat on the Board of Directors of the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce.

With Susan’s stewardship, the Skaneateles Festival has been 20+ years in the black, a remarkable streak for any non-profit arts organization. She led two successful capital campaigns for our Legacy Funds and the Robinson Pavilion at Anyela’s. In leading this transition from Brook Farm to our new venue, Susan had managed the accompanying need for more paid staff, volunteers, and increase in concert attendance.

Susan says, “This is, by far, the most remarkable job I’ve had, due in no small part to the “Festival Family” I’ve come to know and love.”

“I believe the four decades-long success of the Skaneateles Festival is rooted in the generosity of founders David and Louise Robinson. By opening their home, Brook Farm, to musicians and audiences for nearly 40 years, they made the Skaneateles Festival a true “community” event. The years I spent working with and learning from David and Louise were enriching on every level. It is my honor and privilege to help move their vision for the Festival forward.”

“My most rewarding memory is the harrowing success of our very first concert at the Robinson Pavilion in 2016. Our original opening concert at the venue the previous week was rained out, so we got to “test the waters” with a high-pressure SOLD-OUT concert with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. An army of volunteers, many working from sunup to sundown, along with a picture-perfect evening, and incredible music made it a night many of us will never forget.”

Since her concerto debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at age 17, Julia Bruskin has established herself as one of the premiere cellists of her generation. She performed Samuel Barber’s Cello Concerto with conductor Jahja Ling at Avery Fisher Hall, and has soloed with the Nashville, Utah, Virginia, and Pacific symphony orchestras, among others. She won first prize in the Schadt String Competition and was a prizewinner in the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria. As a founding member of the critically acclaimed Claremont Trio, Bruskin won first prize in the 2001 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and was awarded the first ever Kalichestein-Laredo-Robinson International Trio Award. Bruskin also gives frequent solo recitals with her husband, Aaron Wunsch, including tours in China, and is a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York City.

Ellen began working with the Skaneateles Festival in May 2021 as the Manager of Marketing and Digital Communications. She is a graduate of Le Moyne College and received her degree in Communications with concentrations in Film and Advertising. Despite beginning her position in the midst of a pandemic, Ellen quickly learned how supportive and enthusiastic the Skaneateles Festival community is.

“Being a part of bringing back live music after a year of silence has been such a blessing. What I’ve seen so far is how easy it is for people to get hooked by the community of the Festival. One-time audience members quickly become family and long-time supporters who plan their summer around us. It has warmed my heart just how much people appreciate and love the Skaneateles Festival.”

Ellen is thrilled to be able to combine her skills in Communications with her love for music. She has played the piano for nine years, been an active member in her community theater, and performed with Le Moyne a Capella group, Fermata Nowhere, throughout her college career. Ellen is so excited for the opportunity to learn and grow in her career and feels honored to be a vital part of such a premier music festival in Central New York.

Reese began her journey with the Skaneateles Festival in 2021 as a summer intern. She quickly fell in love with the festival and returned for the 2022 season as an Assistant Project Manager. Reese has now joined the festival full time in 2023 as the Project and Outreach Manager. She graduated from Syracuse University Whitman School of Management where she double majored in Management and Marketing Management.

In her role as Project and Outreach Manager, Reese will expand and coordinate the Festival’s outreach agenda. “My goal is to make the magic of the Skaneateles Festival accessible to everyone in Central New York and beyond.”

“When I first joined the festival I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Seeing months of hard work cumulate into a successful concert and seeing the smiles and reactions from our audience is priceless. I am blown away every season by the love and support the Skaneateles community shows for the festival. Working at the Skaneateles Festival has become more than a job, I truly feel as though I am a part of the festival “family”.”

Ainslee joined the Skaneateles Festival as an intern in the summer of 2025 and continued to stay on as the full-time event coordinator and music librarian. She graduated with a degree in Music Industry and a minor in Public Communications from Syracuse University.

During her first season, she quickly noticed the strong community of people that make the Festival possible and is incredibly grateful to continue working and learning in such a wonderful environment. A classical vocalist herself, Ainslee continues to sing around the Syracuse area in choirs and churches. She is thrilled to be able to share her love of live classical music with others through her work.

Ally joined the Skaneateles Festival as a Marketing Intern for the 2025 season and came on board full-time in January 2026 as the Digital Marketing and Social Media Coordinator. She graduated from Le Moyne College with a degree in Communications and minors in Arts Administration and Visual Design.

As a lover of music and the arts, Ally has aspired to work in live music and is excited to combine her passions with her professional work. She has been involved in dance for over 15 years, including choreographing for the Le Moyne Student Dance Company, and understands the powerful impact music can have as a form of expression. Working with the Festival has further opened her eyes to the power and beauty of live music and community, deepening her appreciation for both. She is extremely grateful for the opportunity to help bring the Festival together and to be part of the special community that surrounds it.

Steven Scheinman is a retired physician and medical educator.  He earned prominence for his research into the genetics of kidney disease and stones.  He served for 8 years as dean of the College of Medicine at Upstate and subsequently for a decade as president and dean of the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Pennsylvania.  He has been attending Festival concerts for 40 years.  He and his wife Kelly live on East Lake Road.  Steve and Kelly enjoy skiing, sailing and bicycling, and are passionate about music and theater and especially their 13 grandchildren.

Carrie joined the Festival Board in 2021. She is a master’s-level Licensed Social Worker with over 40 years of professional experience in care management, medical social work, community mental health programming and patient advocacy.

Since moving to Skaneateles in 1998, her family has enjoyed the magic of the Skaneateles Festival, which helps make this community so special. She remembers fondly the picnic dinners at Brook Farm while exposing their young daughter to exceptional music. “That music of this caliber is so easily accessible in our community is a remarkable treasure.”

Amy is an historian who works on the history and ethics of public health. She is Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota, and an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Previously Amy was on the Faculty of Columbia University for 20 years, served as Dean of The College of Public Health at Ohio State University, and more recently as University Professor in the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

Amy played violin throughout college, including with the Austin Civic Orchestra. Her first exposure to the Festival, The Dover Quartet, was all it took to make her a lifelong fan.

Kitty spent her career at Hiscock & Barclay, and then at McAuliffe & McAuliffe as a paralegal specializing in real estate law, municipal & zoning law, residential & commercial development and financing, and contract law.  She has served on numerous nonprofit boards. 

A love of music and community service was instilled in Kitty through her parents’ example. 

Her earliest memory of the Skaneateles Festival is an early 1980s picnic on the lawn of Brook Farm on a sunny August day – “It was mesmerizingly magical.”

Don is a physician specializing in Infectious Diseases. Now retired, he joined the faculty of Upstate Medical University fifty years ago in the Infectious Diseases Division of the Department of Medicine. He is proud of having established the Designated AIDS Center at Upstate, and of leading it for twenty-five years. Music has always been a part of Don’s life, though youth piano lessons did not lead to a musical career!

In retirement he and his wife Nancy have been at virtually every concert. It is the variety of the art and artists that grips them, intrigues them—an incredible variety of superb music. “The most stunning experience to date was being seated on the stage behind the East Coast Chamber Orchestra as they performed Mozart. Unbelievable!”

Brendan Ferretti is the chief financial officer of Reworld, a private energy-from-waste and industrial waste management service company. He oversees all aspects of the company’s financial function, including treasury, tax, accounting, financial reporting, capital budgeting, and forecasting.

Brendan has over 20 years of global leadership experience across a range of industries. Before joining Reworld he served as chief financial officer and chief operating officer at Fishawack Health, a pharmaceutical commercialization company. Previously, he held global finance and operating leadership roles at publicly listed organizations, including ITT and General Electric. He is a First Movers Fellow at the Aspen Institute.
Brendan and his wife Allison live in Skaneateles and have long been committed to the Festival (Allison has served previously on the SkanFest board.)

Koko recently retired after a 30-year career as a nurse practitioner with the orthopedics team at Crouse Hospital. She has been actively involved with the Festival, including several stints as a board member and board secretary and extensive efforts behind the scenes, providing pre-concert dinners for musicians, sponsors, and guests and assisting with ticket sales.

Koko’s commitment to her community includes serving for many years as a cantor and choir member at St. Mary’s of the Lake Church in Skaneateles.

Jacqueline Jones (Michel) is the broker and owner of the Lake Life Real Estate Agency and the founder of The Skaneateles Experience. She is a third-generation Skaneatelan and has raised her two children in the community that has always been her home.

Since her first introduction to the Christmas Suite it has been her favorite annual event. Honored to join the Board of Directors, Jackie is excited to further support the Skaneateles Festival by helping share its story, expand awareness, and celebrate the incredible cultural gift it brings to the community.

Daniel Kringer holds degrees in music education and classical vocal performance from SUNY Potsdam and the Royal Academy of Music in London, respectively. He taught for several years in Massachusetts and New York State before moving to London to study to pursue a performing career.

He recently moved back to the area and is very pleased to be in a position to give back to the Skaneateles Festival. Daniel also serves as the host of the SkanFest Podcast

Anne Messenger is a career strategist, executive coach and leadership group facilitator. She served for nearly 20 years as president of Messenger Associates, a career management and human resource consulting firm. Active in the Central New York community, she has served on numerous boards and received multiple business awards. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and a resident of Manlius, NY. Music is fundamental to her life.