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351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105 Annual Report FYE 2015

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351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105 Annual Report FYE 2015 The Mark Twain House & Museum 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105! ! Annual Report FYE 2015 - February 1, 2014 through January 31, 2015! Report from Joel Freedman, President of the Board of Trustees To: Members, Friends, and Supporters of The Mark Twain House & Museum! January 31 marked the end of our fiscal year, as well as my first year as President of the Board of Trustees. It was a pivotal year with significant developments. ! We again raised over $2.5 million from our many individual, corporate, foundation, and government supporters. Due to our aggressive programming, which continues to expand our brand, we spent a bit more than raised, leaving us with a small deficit for the fiscal year. Our programming ranged from free community events, such as our annual Ice Cream Social, Tom Sawyer Day, and our popular “Trouble Begins” lectures, to celebrities such as Garrison Keillor and Ralph Nader. We also hosted Noam Chomsky and Ann Rice in larger area venues when demand outstripped our auditorium capacity. Lastly, we continued our marquee events at The Bushnell with best-selling author Dan Brown and our 4th annual “Mark My Words” event with Wicked author Gregory Maguire and Steven Schwartz, who created the Broadway musical. We increased revenue from admissions by 15% and are on track to meet our goal of 50% in three years. Our talented staff also added a popular Servants Tour to the other theme tours enabling guests to turn every visit into a new experience. The year also included many financial milestones. We made progress with our excellent corporate partner, Webster Bank, in renegotiating our debt from the construction of the Museum Center many years ago. We actually celebrated the closing in May 2015 by naming the building the Webster Bank Museum Center. We also secured $2.2 million from the Connecticut Bond Commission for vital infrastructure repairs to all our buildings. Cindy Lovell and our Building & Grounds Committee, chaired by John De Laney, chose a contractor who initiated planning and began to secure the necessary permits. We hope to be able to begin work this summer and complete it by Spring 2016. Also, we sold the property at 66 Forest Street, which was acquired many years ago and has been on the market for several years. Although we had rented a portion of the building, its annual costs were a drain on our operating budget. Lastly, our Board of Trustees has expanded to 45 members, and we continue to diversify experientially and geographically. Over 1/3 of the trustees now come from beyond the Greater Hartford area, expanding the museum’s outreach to New Haven, Fairfield County, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, and California. My continued thanks to our trustees, as well as to Cindy and her energetic and dedicated staff, for a successful 2014 and for the same during our current year. Joel Freedman Report from Cindy Lovell,! Executive Director Dear Friends and Supporters of The Mark Twain House & Museum,! I am happy to share with you this Annual Report for the Fiscal Year ended January 31, 2015, which was another very busy and successful year for the organization.! I am also pleased to update you on some exciting projects currently underway. With support from a $2.2 million grant from the Connecticut Bond Commission, we are in the process of planning and designing several important capital projects. Among these is the completion of the restoration of the Mahogany Suite in The Mark Twain House, which has been closed to the public for about ten years. Opening additional areas of the House to the public is critical to achieving our goal of increasing tourism, and is imperative to fulfilling our mission.! Our literary endeavors are also expanding in exciting new ways. In May, we announced the creation of the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. Trustee and best-selling author David Baldacci is funding the $25,000 prize, which will be awarded in 2016 to an author whose book embodies an “American voice,” as did Twain’s work. Trustee Roger Michel hosted the announcement event at The Grolier Club in New York City, where we also introduced Noah Altshuler, our first Playwright-in-Residence. Noah is working on a play about Tom Sawyer, and we are facilitating his research, which will take him to all the major Mark Twain-related sites across the country.! Our writing classes and workshops, Annual Writers’ Weekend, and national Royal Nonesuch Humor Writing Contest continue to serve and nurture writers from both near and far. In addition, the author appearances we present continue to attract a wide variety of writers, including the #1 best-selling author James Patterson.! Other highlights of recent months have included TIME dubbing The Mark Twain House “Downton Abbey’s American cousin;” and new staff appointments. We have welcomed Tracy Brindle as Beatrice Fox Auerbach Chief Curator and Dr. James Golden as Director of Education. Both have hit the ground running with exhibitions, research and outreach to various constituencies.! Our staff and Trustees continue to work diligently to ensure another stellar year and a bright future for the museum. Thank you for your continued support of our efforts, and please visit soon.! With gratitude,! Cindy Lovell ! Board of Trustees David Baldacci! Ann Glover! Mark Nielsen! Timothy F. Bannon! Michael Grunberg! Jeffrey M. Oller! Bethany Berger! J. David Haddox, Mark Ostrowski! John Bermel! D.D.S., M.D.! Debra Palermino Douglas Boains ! Hugh Howard Allan Polak! Annette Bolt! David Jimenez! George Scurlock! Stephen Carter! Dan Kain! Pedro Segarra! Lesa Cavallero-Laraia! Alan J. Kreczko! Gregory Servodidio! Ranjana Chawla! Maribel La Luz! (Vice President & Garry Michael Cooper! Andrew Lattimer! Treasurer) John E. Curran! Frank Lord! Jeanmarie Shea! John De Laney! Matthew D. Maclean! (Secretary)! Anne Elvgren! James Mallozzi! Kathryn Sherer! Joel Freedman! Duby McDowell! Jennifer Tombaugh! (President)! R. Paul Mehlman! Edward Whittemore! John N. Giamalis! John Moran! Brett Williams! Trustees as of Jan. 31, 2015 Volunteers & Interns VOLUNTEERS: Neil Coogan Hank Herman Libby Merrow Caitlin Thayer Jennifer Alger Steve Courtney Tom Hines Sarah Moon Peter Tingus Nancy Antle Lorraine Canty John Holder Rick Moreland Marilee Turner Lois Anderson Gloria De Pamela Howard Mike Morin Caroline Vallieres Pat Barnes Alison Devers June Hyjek Laura Osborn Safari Wallace ! Joyce Barnes Matthew Dicks Gloria Intravia Dan O'Shea Carol Wolcott Kristan Bertschmann Kelly Donovan Leslie Johnson Timothy Parish Josh Young Roy Blount, Jr. Scott Dorris Katherine Johnston Chuck Paydos Mark Zampano Erin Bolduc Debi Ellsworth Brian Jud Dee Peters Barbara Zyla! Annette Bolt Wayne English Karen Kelleher Caroline Picerne ! Deb Bradshay Yanvi Faing Susan Kennedy Terri Pollack ! Meredith Briggs Melanie Faranello Candice Kramer Dan Pope INTERNS:! Pierre Calmels Tim Federle Debbie Lahelipe Ashley Ravesloot Madeline Cicitto Susan Campbell Lucy Ferriss Kelley Landry Bessy Reyna Christine Clement Bob Carbone Vanessa Flenke Jessica Lappen Hugh Ryan Chelsey DiNoia Mary Cardin John Freeman Kelly Lappen Susan Schoenberger Cyrus Duff Sally Carrier Fannie Gabriel Jessica Lawson Mary Sharnick Tavvia Jefferson John Casey Amity Gage Karen Licht Pegi Deitz Shea Connor Sheriden Patricia Chaffie Sandy Gineo Margah Lips David Sherman Jen Shook Amy Coates Amy Girard Dayna Lorents Vivian Shipley Erin Sniffen Jackie Colon Jane Glasgow Lynne Lumsden Gladstone Signs Devon Sponheimer Dottie Conklin Sue Gleason Rachel Marks Mary-Ann Tirone Smith Bailey Zimmitti Leslie Connor Carole Goldberg Donna Martin Nancy Stair Diane Coogan Emily Gutermann George Merrow John Stanizzi Volunteers and Interns as of Jan. 31, 2015 With sincere gratitude we thank our volunteers and interns who donate thousands of hours to The Mark Twain House & Museum. Friends of the Mark Twain House Ms. Jessie Adams Mr. and Mrs. Aaron L. Mr. and Mrs. George W. Ms. Carolyn D. Vallieres Lois Anderson Gersten Merrow Meara Weaver The Friends of The Mark Twain House & Janet Arnheiter Mary Ann Gilbert Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mrs. Carol W. Wolcott Museum is an organization that was launched on Ms. Louise M. Bailey Mr. Edward D. Gladstone Metcalf Mrs. Joan Wood September 25, 1967. Founder Fran Gordon sent a Beverly B. Baker Mrs. Susan Gleason Rebecca Mikus Josh & Stacy Young Mr. and Mrs. Craig Bolt Mrs. Regina C. Graham Mr. and Mrs. Clifford G. Ms. Barbara J. Zyla & letter to several women friends inviting them to Ms. Ernestine Bouchard Mrs. Anne M. Healey Moon, Jr. Michael Dednarz join her in activities to preserve the museum’s Harriet Boyko Diana Heymann Karen Ollestad Ms. Julie Zyla! collections and house. Thirty-two dedicated Dr. Sybille Brewer Mr. and Mrs. Edward Ms. Jill M. Packard women comprised the first year’s membership, Jean Bronson Higgison Ms. and Mrs. William Paley and they soon added fundraising activities to their Jay Brown Mrs. Pam Howard Mr. and Mrs. Charles Executive! Committee: Mrs. Cynthia Brown Mrs. Joan Hurwit Paydos efforts. To date, more than $1,000,000 has been President Ms. Lorraine Canty Ann Hutton Jean Pearson raised for The Mark Twain House & Museum Mr. and Mrs. Edward Ms. Gloria Intravia Ms. Elizabeth A. Perrin Annette Bolt thanks to the generosity of time and hard work by Carrier Mrs. Dianne J. Jones Ms. Dolores Peters Vice President Dr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Mrs. Mildred C. Kay Mrs. Lorraine Petricone the Friends. We owe them a tremendous debt of Karen Licht Brenda Pfeiffer gratitude for their vision and their commitment to Chagnon Ms. Karen A. Kelleher Mrs. Dorothy M. Conklin Ms. Barbara Kiefer Ms. Terri Pollack Corresponding Secretary preserving Mark Twain’s legacy.! Kristen Cool Claire & Francis King Virginia and John Regan Barbara Zyla Donna Couzens Laurel Kirschen Ann Reilly Mrs. Ann T. Darling Jo Dee Krejmas Mr. and Mrs. James Treasurer “When we think of friends, and call their faces out of Robert DeMello Mrs.
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