People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos, the Lawrenceville-based nonprofit dedicated to bringing literature to new audiences, has announced the appointment of Rebecca FrancoMartin as its new executive director.
She replaces Cheyenne Wolf, who had served as executive director since 2018.
FrancoMartin is the former director of the Trenton Free Public Library, where she managed a $2 million budget and oversaw all facets of facilities, operations, and services. She had previously held various leadership positions within the New York Public Library system. She earned a bachelor of arts in history and political science from Rutgers and master of library and information science from Drexel University.
In a statement, People & Stories board co-chair Andrea Honore said that she “knew Rebecca was the one the minute we saw her application. We are all very happy and feel confident in her leadership abilities to move our wonderful organization forward.”
“It is with excitement I begin this new chapter in my life where my passion for literature may be used to further the mission of People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos, to ‘open doors to literature for new audiences’ and ‘invite participants to find fresh understandings of themselves, of others, and of the world,’” FrancoMartin said. “Literature is the bridge that connects us to the vast tapestry of human experience, perspectives unexplored, and the key that unlocks the doors of the mind.”
People & Stories / Gente y Cuentos, 295 Eggert Crossing Road, Lawrence 08648. 609-882-4926. Rebecca FrancoMartin, executive director. www.peopleandstories.org.
Westrick Music Academy has appointed Lorraine Goodman as its new executive director. A seasoned arts administrator and accomplished soprano, Goodman brings a wealth of experience and an unwavering passion for the arts. She will lead the West Windsor-based home of the Princeton Boychoir and Princeton Girlchoir in tandem with artistic director Lynnel Joy Jenkins.
Goodman earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and forged a career in theater, including performances at Carnegie Hall and leading roles in opera and Broadway productions. She later earned a master’s in performing arts administration at NYU Steinhardt and led the Trenton-based nonprofit Latin American Legal Defense Fund.
Goodman enthusiastically shares, “I am honored to join Westrick Music Academy and return to my roots in music, where the harmonious voices resonate with unmatched beauty.”
“I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to Lorraine Goodman, our new executive director,” said Archana Pradhan Lackey, co-president of the board of directors and chair of the search committee, in a statement. “Her extraordinary background in arts administration aligns seamlessly with our mission. Lorraine will spearhead the implementation of our strategic plan, strengthen development efforts, broaden our outreach, and champion our core commitments to equity and inclusion. Under her stewardship, we are poised for an exhilarating journey ahead.”
Westrick Music Academy, 231 Clarksville Road, Princeton Junction 08550. 609-688-1888. Lorraine Goodman, executive director. westrickmusic.org.
Princeton-based Share My Meals has appointed Hélène Lanctuit as its first chief executive officer. The newly created role highlights the growth of the nonprofit established in 2020 with the double objective of reducing the environmental impact of food waste and serving the food insecure.
Since its inception, Share My Meals has recovered more than 70,000 healthy, prepared meals from corporations, educational establishments, hotels, and hospitals in New Jersey, and served them directly to individuals in their homes or through its network of community partners.
“We are delighted to welcome Hélène,” president and co-founder Isabelle Lambotte said in a statement. “Share My Meals has grown quickly over the last three years. We are now working with over 40 food donor organizations, serving food insecure constituencies in Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset Counties and have saved over 400,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from food waste. Hélène has the perfect mix of knowledge, skills, and experience to take Share My Meals forward, to build greater capacity to deliver healthy meals to vulnerable people and further reduce the environmental impact of food waste.”
As CEO, Lanctuit will be focusing on building more partnerships to accelerate Share My Meals’ growth and increase its impact. She brings 10 years of experience in corporate environmental sustainability, including three years working for Nestlé to measure and minimize food waste across the value chain. She has served on the Share My Meals Board since October 2021.
“I am excited to be joining at this stage of Share My Meals’ development,” Lanctuit says. “There is so much potential to further increase our impact through innovative approaches. It is especially important now, when the rising cost of living is driving an ever greater need for regular access to healthy food. We find that corporations, restaurants and other establishments want to play a positive part in their neighborhoods, reduce their food waste and decrease their environmental impact. Share My Meals provides the link so that everyone benefits.”
Share My Meals, Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton 08542. 609-283-2450. Hélène Lanctuit, CEO. www.sharemymeals.org.
