Board of Trustees Co-chair Alfa Demmellash
Board of Trustees Co-chair, Matt Stinchcomb
Board of Trustees Treasurer, Kim Bucci
At Hawthorne Valley Association’s Annual Meeting on January 29th, the Board of Trustees elected a new slate of officers to serve for this coming year. Alfa Demmellash and Matthew Stinchcomb will co-chair the Board, and Kim Bucci will move into the Treasurer post.
“Moving to a co-chair arrangement illustrates the collaborative leadership that Hawthorne Valley has been developing throughout its complex ecosystem of enterprises and initiatives over the past fifty years,” states Hawthorne Valley CEO Martin Ping. “Alfa, Matt, and Kim embody qualities and virtues that reflect the mission, vision, and values of Hawthorne Valley. It is hard to imagine a more exciting constellation of stellar individuals to step into leadership at this time. Successful social entrepreneurs, changemakers, and cultural creatives, Alfa, Matt, and Kim each bring an elevated clarity of thinking, warm-hearted empathy, and tireless energy to all that they do in service to humanity.”
Ping continued, “We are all forever grateful to outgoing chair Tom James for the care and compassion that he consistently practiced in his leadership. Tom’s deep listening, poetic eloquence, and genuine kindness leave an indelible impression that will continue to inspire us in our work and lives. As Alfa quipped at the Annual Meeting, ‘it will take two people to fill Tom’s shoes.’”
Named as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2015, Alfa Demmellash co-founded Rising Tide Capital (RTC) in 2004 to empower underserved urban entrepreneurs in northern New Jersey to start and grow successful businesses. RTC’s signature program is the nationally-recognized Community Business Academy – an intensive business training program coupled with year-round consulting and management support, which equips entrepreneurs to better operate their small businesses.
Alfa has received a number of awards and recognition for her work with RTC. In 2009, she was selected and profiled as a CNN Hero; and in 2012, Alfa was recognized as one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women Changing the World with Philanthropy. In 2020, Alfa and her husband, and co-founder of RTC Alex Forrester, received the 25th Heinz Award.
Matt Stinchcomb is a successful entrepreneur across sectors. Prior to working in the nonprofit sector, Matt was the longest serving employee and the Vice President of Values and Impact at Etsy.com. In that role, he oversaw the stewardship of the company’s vision, mission, and values and worked to give all employees the means and desire to maximize the benefit of their work on people and planet.
After leaving Etsy, Matt founded and led the Good Work Institute - a local organization that exists to cultivate, connect, support, and illuminate a network of people and initiatives working towards Just Transition in the Hudson Valley. Additionally, he is a co-founder of Place Corps, an educational program dedicated to cultivating a call to know, love, and serve our places.
In 2021, Matt co-founded the Partners for Climate Action in the Hudson Valley to provide human, social, and financial capital to communities in the Hudson Valley who are leading the work to repair our natural systems and tackle the climate crisis.
Kim Bucci is the owner and operator of Rivertown Lodge in Hudson, NY. Kim is a 20-year NYC hospitality veteran who managed a variety of restaurants, nightclubs, and event venues before moving to the Hudson Valley. The bounty of the area inspires Kim’s creative vision and direction, using local artisans, farmers, brewers and distillers to create a sense of place. In building these multidimensional businesses, Kim works to extend healthy work opportunities and mentorship to the community. As a member of the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Leadership Circle, she has spearheaded fundraising initiatives surrounding accessibility to women’s health resources. Kim has been a full-time Columbia County resident for the past 8 years with her partner Wes and two daughters.
