Robin Hicks

President

Dr. Robin Hicks (she/her) practices medicine at Framingham Pediatrics. As a college student at Duke University she studied biology and art. She attended art school for one year during this time. While mostly working for the past 20+ years, she returned to painting and drawing a few years ago. She has been a dedicated student at the New Art Center for over 3 years, taking a variety of classes. In her spare time Robin paints, draws, and studies Portuguese. She is also an avid reader.

Kristen Franks Perullo

Kristen Franks Perullo

Vice President

Since 2017, Kristen has co-produced the Boston Calling Music Festival at the Harvard  University Athletic Complex, acting as their Director of Public Affairs. Through her leadership,  Boston Calling has partnered with many community non-profits, businesses and local schools.  Kristen spent the first 15 years of her career working in various roles in municipal, state and Federal government.

A seasoned fundraiser, she currently acts as the pro-bono Executive Director for the Corrib Charity Fund, spearheading an Annual Golf Tournament and Holiday Drive efforts.  Growing up with a sister with Down syndrome, she long supported and volunteered for Best Buddies of Massachusetts & the MA Down Syndrome Congress.

Kristen currently resides in Newtonville, with her two children, Olivia (13) and Jack (10). A  native Bostonian, she graduated from Boston College and Boston Latin School.

Maria Bunker

Treasurer

Maria Bunker is a CPA at Livingston & Haynes in Wellesley MA.  She has been a partner at the firm for many years and started her career there after graduating from Emmanuel College in Boston.  Maria also has a Masters in Accounting from Bentley College.  

“After my husband and I adopted our sons, Xander and Geovonni, we became very interested in making sure that they are immersed in cultural activities and the arts. Therefore, we want to do our part to support organizations like New Art that involve children in the arts. I’m excited about New Art’s future and am happy to help the Center achieve its goals as a member of the Board.”

Dewey Nichols

Development Committee Chair

Dewey Nichols (he/him) is an accomplished architect with over 30 years of experience working on Commercial, Residential and Retail Architecture and Interior Design Projects. A graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University and a licensed architect since 1990, Dewey began his private architectural practice in 2002, opening Nichols Design Group in Boston.

Dewey’s passion for exploring his client’s needs, aspirations, and values creates unique architectural brands for each corporation or individual. Expertise in understanding the impact of architectural psychology, zoning and code, site design, form, functio,n and materials, all contribute to proven success in his projects. Dewey’s responsive and sensible approach to the design and construction process develops creative solutions that assure excellent design results, fitting his client’s values and needs as well as critical budgets and schedules.

C. Izhar

Caryn Izhar

Caryn Izhar is the Vice President, Marketing & Creative Services for the Boston Convention Marketing Center. Since 2003, she has worked to promote Boston as a world-class convention destination and bring events of all sizes and scope to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the Hynes Convention Center, and the Lawn on D.

She has played an instrumental role in building a diverse portfolio of creative and effective marketing programs that have helped to facilitate the sales process and promote Boston’s convention capabilities. Prior to moving to Boston in 2001, Caryn worked in Atlanta, GA as a commercial artist with experience in illustration, graphic design, advertising, and product design.

A native of Tampa, FL, Caryn has a BFA in Graphic Communications from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA in Public and Nonprofit Management from Boston University. She has volunteered since 2019 with Newton Public School’s Creative Arts & Sciences program, serving as the chairperson at both Underwood School and Bigelow Middle School. Caryn lives in Newton with her husband and two sons.

Christina An

Christina An

Christina An is Assistant Director for Education and Engagement at the Cantor Art Gallery, College of the Holy Cross. She received her BA in English from Stanford University and her MA and PhD in the History of Art & Architecture from Boston University, where she also taught art history.

Her dissertation on Johannes Vermeer and cross-cultural exchange is the subject of recent publications by the Rijksmuseum, most recently Closer to Vermeer (2025). Christina has more than 20 years of experience in education and the arts, including roles at the BU Art Galleries, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Newton Public Schools’ Creative Arts and Sciences, and Teach For America. A longtime Newton resident, she lives in Waban with her husband and two daughters. She is delighted to serve on the Board of Governors to help advance the New Art Center as a dynamic and relevant presence in Newton’s cultural life.

Esther C.S. Dezube

Esther C.S. Dezube

Esther C.S. Dezube is a seasoned personal injury trial attorney with over 45 years of experience. As the managing partner of her Boston-based law firm, she has built her practice on the belief that every client deserves dedicated, personalized attention.

To uphold this commitment, her firm intentionally limits the number of cases it takes on, allowing Esther to form close, meaningful relationships with her clients and treat them like family.

Throughout her career, Esther has been a fierce advocate for injured individuals. She is especially proud of her work in helping to reform Massachusetts’ workers’ compensation law, resulting in injured workers being able to access permanent and total disability compensation earlier in the judicial process.

In addition to her legal work, Esther has a long-standing passion for the arts. She has been a dedicated ceramics student at the New Art Center for over two years and finds creative expression through fused glass, sculpture, and photography. Esther has volunteered her time teaching ceramics to preschool-aged children and is proud to contribute to arts education at an early age. Her appreciation for design and aesthetics also extends into real estate development. A strong supporter of community-focused art initiatives, Esther is honored to serve on the board of the New Art Center and help advance its mission to foster creativity, connection, and lifelong learning through the arts.

Geeti Gangal

Geeti Gangal

Dr. Geeti Gangal got her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Delhi University, India. She worked for 15 years at various organizations, including the University of Alberta, MIT, Harvard, biotech, and pharmaceutical companies. She also completed Goldman Sachs 10K small business program to strengthen her business background. 

Dr. Geeti Gangal got her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Delhi University, India. She worked for 15 years at various organizations including University of Alberta, MIT, Harvard, biotech and pharmaceutical companies. She also completed Goldman Sachs 10K small business program, to strengthen her business background. 

Geeti started her entrepreneurial journey when she founded Little Chefs Lab, with a vision of bringing her scientific training and passion for food together. She then co-owned Create a Cook, neighborhood’s favorite culinary studio in Newton with her business partner. She also co-founded an online event management system, Scadlr, with her husband, as a solution to streamline online bookings, manage finances, creating reports and much more, all to provide a better experience to both administration and customers.

Geeti believes in empowering younger generation and started a non-profit, Newton Children’s Business Fair in 2020, which allows children from all over MA to showcase their creativity and sell their products at a one-day marketplace along with other young entrepreneurs. Geeti enjoys traveling, photography and learning new skills. Her two kids and their activities keep her busy too.

Happy Farrow

Happy Farrow

Happy Farrow is a freelance textile designer and artist. She designed natural fiber rugs for Merida Studio for three years and has developed trend-driven textiles for a variety of women’s apparel and home textiles companies, including Vineyard Vines, Target, DKNY Kids, and Hanna Andersson.

Happy is currently the fabric designer for Grey Heron Home, an organic cotton muslin blanket company. Prior to her design career, Happy spent seven years in the business world in advertising account management at Grey Group in NYC and in business strategy consulting at Mainspring/IBM in Cambridge.

Happy lives in Waban with her husband, two children and springer spaniel. She enjoys relaxing at the beach, discovering new restaurants, cooking, skiing, playing tennis, spending time with family and friends, and attempting to capture the never-ending beauty of nature through photography and art. A native Rhode Islander, Happy graduated from Lincoln School, Yale (BA) and RISD (MFA). Happy believes in the power of art to spark curiosity and create connection.

Kate Ploussios

Kate loves to combine her passion for art and design with her organizational skills.    While raising her two (now teenage) sons, she returned to her abstract painting and photography.  As Creative Consultant for Hipstich, she develops new art, sewing and design programs, has taught students of all ages, and co-designed two new studios for Hipstitch.  

She recently launched her own interior decorator business, KP Design, which specializes in creating spaces for better living.

Kate taught classes at the Dayton Institute of Art after graduating with a BA in Photography and a minor in Art History from University of Dayton. After moving back to the Boston area, she worked in Human Resources for 15 years before tackling raising her children.  Kate resides in Newton with her husband, two sons, dog, and two rabbits.  

Mira Genser Woods

With almost 30 years of marketing experience, Mira (she/her) runs operations at MG Communications, which is a full-service boutique agency focused on strategic marketing communications, corporate positioning, public relations, event management, and content development. 

As the founder of MG Communications, Mira has done award-winning work for Fortune 50 to early stage venture capital-backed companies. 

Away from the office Mira enjoys skiing, golfing, adventure travel, and collecting modern contemporary art. She serves as an active member on various non-profit boards, and is a founding member of SheGives, a Boston-based philanthropic foundation. Mira has also served on many other boards and regional organizations such as Hebrew SeniorLife, Best Buddies, and her alma mater University of Vermont. 

Mira is married with 2 children and she remains active in both of her daughters’ school activities and fundraising efforts. Both her parents were involved in the art world and she grew up going to modern contemporary art auctions in New York for Christie’s and Sotheby’s. She now enjoys discovering new artists and visiting galleries wherever she travels.

Michael Kaufman

Michael Kaufman

Michael Kaufman is a Senior Project Manager with over thirty years of professional practice in design, project management, owner representation and real estate development. His experience includes housing, institutional and commercial projects in new construction, renovation and re-use.

Clients rely on Mr. Kaufman for his team leadership and management skills, cross-disciplinary knowledge and ability to bring out the best in his professional colleagues. As an architect and owner’s representative, his responsibilities have included institutional, commercial, educational, medical, and residential projects.

Prior to joining DHK, Mr. Kaufman founded and ran a project management practice for over twenty years, and worked for several real estate development companies and architecture firms in the Boston area.

Roberta Martone

Roberta has 25-plus years of experience in corporate/agency marketing communications, advertising, and public relations. In 1999, she formed i.communicate and has been a freelance writer/ editor/ consultant to clients in the higher education, beauty, healthcare, high tech, consumer, nonprofit, and the home/build sector since then.

As a freelance writer, she has been published in Forbes, The Boston Globe, Boston Spirit, Shattered magazine, Parents & Kids magazine, Boston Parents Paper, COMMUNITY (Newton, Brookline, and MetroWest) magazines, Wicked Local, and the TAB newspapers.

Roberta fosters her passion for art and art history by attending painting, drawing, and mixed media classes at the New Art Center as well as memberships at the MFA and Isabelle Stewart Gardner museums. She has been a member of the Newton Free Library Spring Fling committee since 2010, where she helps plan its annual event. Roberta is a member of various marketing organizations, has a B.A. degree in journalism/English, and an M.Ed. degree in guidance and psychological services. She recently received her home staging certification and is pursuing additional studies in design. Roberta moved to Newton in 1983, where she lives with her husband and daughter.