The Avon Theatre Film Center announced the election of two new officers: Co-Chairs, Susan Cullman and Arthur Selkowitz, both from Stamford.
They also announced the addition of two Board members: Renée Ketcham Amory of Greenwich, and Stacy Louizos of Stamford.
Outgoing board Chair, Deborah Royce said, “We are delighted and grateful to have Arthur Selkowitz and Susan Cullman step into the role of co-chairs at the Avon Theatre. Their strong backgrounds as volunteer leaders in the non-profit world will ensure the Avon meets the challenges and opportunities of bringing the best of independent cinema and programming to the Fairfield County community.”
Deborah and Chuck Royce, co-founders of the non-profit Avon who purchased and reopened the historic 1939 theater in 2004, will become Directors Emeriti. They will remain active partners of the Avon and generous supporters.
The Avon Board will be led by two very experienced non-profit leaders. Susan Cullman, who grew up in both New York and Stamford, has an extensive background in politics, fiscal oversight, and philanthropy. She is a Managing Member of B. Bros. Realty, LLC, and since 2001 has served on the Joseph F. Cullman, Jr. Institute for Patient Care at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. She also serves on the Boards of the Citizen’s Committee for New York.
Susan co-founded the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and directed the Human Resources Committee of President Reagan’s Task Force on Private Sector Initiatives. She also was President of “Call for Action”, a national radio & television hotline staffed by volunteers. Susan is a graduate of Wells College.
Arthur (Arty) Selkowitz, a Stamford native, is well-known as the Chairman for the past 20 years of the Mill River Park Collaborative, a multi-million public-private project in downtown Stamford that received Federal, State, local and private funding. His tenacity and vision have been instrumental in bringing this vital green space into existence and becoming a bustling center for the greater Stamford community. He will retire as Chairman on March 20, 2023.
Arthur has been an active community volunteer, having served as past President of the Jewish Community Center, a board member of the Stamford Museum, and on the Leadership Council of Childrens Learning Centers, and the Lupus Research Institute. Arty also had many years of experience in the advertising world as the former Chairman & CEO of D’Arcy, Masius, Benton & Bowles, one of the largest global advertising agencies, now part of Publicis.
Susan Cullman said: “We are so grateful to Deborah and Chuck Royce for preserving this gem of a theater, and we take our responsibilities seriously to build on their legacy so that the Avon continues to be a magnet for entertainment, enlightenment, and magic for the community.”
Arthur Selkowitz added: “We know that movie theaters face challenges in the post Covid, current streaming environment, so we are excited by the prospect of building on the legacy the Royces have established by bringing the Avon into the 21 st century in terms of infrastructure and programming. More on that shortly.”
New Board members Renée Amory Ketcham and Stacy Louizos bring extensive backgrounds working with non-profits dedicated to the arts. Renée Ketcham is the President of the Alliance Française of Greenwich and Managing Director of Focus on French Cinema( FFC), the annual festival of Francophone films presented by the Alliance Française of Greenwich. FFC will celebrate the 18th edition in 2023 with its opening night premiere at the Avon Theatre. Renée also serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Alliances Française in the USA ( AFUSA) Previously, she was an Editor at Vogue magazine.
Stacy Louizos brings a wealth of corporate law experience and philanthropy to the Avon. She is a Partner in the Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Practice Group of Blank Rome LLP and serves as Co-Chair of Blank Rome’s Investment Management Group. She is also Co-Leader of the firm’s Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Team. She is known and has been recognized nationally for her counseling of boards. Locally, Stacy is currently Chair of the King School Parents Association Supports the Performing Arts Committee. She received her J.D. from Washington & Lee University and her B.A. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The mission of the Avon Theatre Film Center is to be the premiere community-sustained regional hub for independent, documentary, foreign and cult classic films presented in the 1939 neo-Colonial building on Bedford Street in downtown Stamford that also offers stimulating educational programs and inspiring in-person dialogues with film and artistic luminaries.
The Avon Theatre is a community-supported non-profit located at 272 Bedford Street in Stamford, CT. The cinema is open 7 days/week, 365 days/year.
To learn more about the theater’s current screenings, exciting special programs, and collaborations with local non-profits, please visit: www.avontheatre.org.