EC-CHAP Board Application

Thank you for your interest in serving as a member of the Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance, Inc. Board of Directors. Serving on the Board is a rewarding experience and an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Our application seeks to ask questions so we may learn more about you and how we can mutually support each other. We are interested to know about your specific skills and experience; contributions you can make to help EC-CHAP grow and flourish; and how we may support your interests and objectives. We also believe it is our responsibility to tell you about EC-CHAP and introduce our current Board of Directors (please see below).

EC-CHAP is currently engaged in a $1,000,000 historic preservation project funded by the DECD, State Historic Preservation Office. EC-CHAP is interested in expanding its Board of Directors to ensure we have the capacity and necessary skills to oversee the next stage of our work. This project includes a number of components and phases, and is anticipated to take nearly three years to complete. Several major elements include the rehabilitation and development of a free standing “Artist in Residence Studio”; onsite “Artisan Café”; and resolving moisture mitigation and structural stability needs of our largest building.

Serving as Director on the EC-CHAP Board is a volunteer unpaid position. The minimum time commitment for a Director is approximately 10 hours per month which involves attending meetings and supporting the organization in a number of ways. Additional time may be required depending on specific committee, program, and project activity.

Your application will be kept strictly confidential, and only reviewed by the EC-CHAP Board of Directors to identify and evaluate potential board candidates. We will respond to each application received; and applicants may be invited to join us for on site interview. All new directors are elected by a majority vote of Board.

We look forward to hearing from you!

To Board Application

WHO ARE WE:

The Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance, Inc. (EC-CHAP) represents an important cultural resource serving communities and visitors to Eastern Connecticut and beyond. The Center’s purpose is to bring a heightened awareness to the significance of local history and preservation; provide an appreciation for the visual arts through education, creation and display; and offer performance events and opportunities for creative expression in music, film, dance, literature, and theater.

EC-CHAP is a member-based 501.c.3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Connecticut in September 2016, having transitioned from a previous nonprofit group operating as the Friends of The Mill Works from October 2013 to August 2016.. Our Board of Directors currently consists of seven (7) members having a diverse collective background in business, education, and the arts. We are currently managed and operated exclusively by a small group of passionate volunteers. All revenue is generated from memberships, sponsorships, grants, ticket sales, program and rental fees, and tax-deductible donations from individuals, families, and organizations.

EC-CHAP is located within “The Mill Works”, an historic mill located in Willington, CT (www.themillworks.us). The Mill Works facility served as the original home to the Gardiner Hall Jr. Company, first spooled thread manufacturing concern in the United States, operating from 1860 to 1954. The facility was listed on the Connecticut Register of Historic Places in 2014. The Mill Works has subsequently been included on the National Register of Historic Places in November 2017 as a part of the South Willington Historic District - an outcome of a “Vibrant Communities Initiative” application developed and submitted to the CT Trust for Historic Preservation by the Friends of The Mill Works on behalf of the Town of Willington.

EC-CHAP currently operates the Gardiner Hall Jr. History Museum, the Dye & Bleach House Community Gallery, an Artist In Residence (AIR) Program, and offers a variety of programming in The Packing House, an historic venue for performance and events.

OUR VISION: To be one of Southern New England's premiere cultural destinations.

OUR MISSION: To engage the senses, ignite the creative spirit, and preserve local history.