Our Team

Richard Wenning, Board Member & Executive Director

Richard Wenning serves as executive director of BeFoundation, Inc. a family foundation based in Redding, CT, where he resides. BeFoundation invests in collective efforts to strengthen the education of young people in Connecticut and the vitality of their communities.

To invigorate music education and youth development opportunities, Richard co-founded SpreadMusicNow in 2014, which has since made more than $1.8 million in grants. In 2022, following BeFoundation’s purchase of the former Gilbert Memorial Church, he began the historic rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the former church into The Granite, a nonprofit performing and visual arts space in the heart of the historic Village of Georgetown. During an extensive career in public service, Richard has worked in leadership roles at the federal, state, and local levels of government and with national, state, and local nonprofits.

Richard grew up in Bridgeport and Monroe and has lived in Redding for 13 years after returning to Connecticut from Colorado, where he served as Associate Commissioner of Education. He views The Granite as a vital community space for Georgetown, at the crossroads of Redding, Weston, Wilton, and Ridgefield – and as an important catalyst for the redevelopment of the Gilbert and Bennett Wire Mill next door.

Neil Marcus, Board President

Neil Marcus is a lawyer at Cohen and Wolf and a member of the Real Estate, Land Use & Zoning, Municipal and Family Law Groups. He practices in the areas of commercial and residential real estate, planning & zoning, and family law. Neil earned his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from New York University.

His experience has included memberships on the Land Use Committee of the Danbury Bar Association and the Judicial Selection Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association. He also served on the Danbury Regional Advisory Board of the former Bank of New England and its successor First Fidelity Bank. Neil is a former member of the Danbury Hospital and Danbury Health Systems Board of Directors where he served as Chairman, and the Western Connecticut Health Network Foundation. Currently, he is a senior member of the State of Connecticut Milk Regulation Board; the Wooster School Board of Trustees; and the Board of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (prior Chair).

Neil has been active in many community-based social service organizations, including Interlude, Inc., Association of Religious Communities (ARC), the United Way of Northern Fairfield County, and Dorothy Day Hospitality House.

Neil is excited to join The Granite board and be involved with a growing community organization in the town he and his wife Lisi reside in and love.

Caroline Curatolo, Board Member & Treasurer

Caroline Curatolo is a nonprofit manager, musician, and arts advocate. She began playing the viola at her public elementary school in East Lyme, CT, and she has focused her pursuits in music and the arts ever since.

Caroline currently serves as General Manager of the Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Previous work included positions at Opus 3 Artists, Lincoln Center Festival, and The Cleveland Orchestra. In addition to The Granite, she serves on the nonprofit boards of the all-female brass quintet Calliope Brass and experimental violin-viola duo andPlay.

Caroline graduated from the double degree program at Oberlin Conservatory and College, majoring in viola performance and environmental studies. During her ten years living in greater New York City, she performed regularly across the tri-state area. Now a resident of Georgetown, CT, she is committed to strengthening connections in the community through access to the arts.

Robert Mars, Board Member & Creative Director

A graduate of Parsons School of Design in 1993, Robert Mars has had a successful career in graphic design and creative direction specifically within the action sports and apparel industry from 1994 until 2011. In 1998 Robert began painting in his spare time and creating a body of work for exhibition in art galleries. Over several years, he secured global representation by multiple art galleries enabling him to focus solely on creating art.

From his studio in Connecticut, Robert Mars creates artwork that celebrates the objects and icons of an America long past in a thoroughly modern manner. His ability to manipulate both the color and wordplay of vintage printed material has earned him reference with the likes of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Richard Diebenkorn, among other masters from the School of Pop.

Robert began to delve deeper into American culture by focusing on Folk Art and Contemporary American Quiltmakers. He is credited as being the first to incorporate quilt patterns and a folk art sensibility into a pop art aesthetic creating his own genre of folk-laced pop. More recently, Robert has expanded on his body of work with abstract compositions.

Part of Robert’s mission as a working artist was to give back to the community through partnerships with nonprofits that inspired an emotional connection. Seeking local involvement, he joined The Granite to further his mission in an environment that he feels exemplifies his goals to foster community through visual arts, music, dance, and theater.

Melissa Stern, Board Member & Secretary

Melissa Stern began her professional career as a Radio City Rockette, performing for eight years in New York, Detroit, St. Louis, and Columbus. As a Rockette, she graced the stage at the 75th Anniversary of Radio City Music Hall, which was broadcast nationally, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Melissa has also performed in musical productions across New England’s renowned summer stock theaters and toured nationally with the Will Rogers Follies. As a dance educator, she has also dedicated herself to nurturing the next generation of dancers for the past 20 years.

Melissa has over a decade of experience supporting nonprofits in New York City and Connecticut through fundraising and grant writing. She manages grants for the United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut, serving 27 towns in Fairfield and Southern Litchfield County. Melissa has a BA in creative writing from CUNY Hunter College.

As a Granite board member, Melissa brings her passion for dance, dedication to the arts, and care for the community to her role. She believes access to and support for the arts are essential to a flourishing community. “The arts draw us nearer to our humanity and each other. I firmly believe that every person has an artist within them and that every child deserves the opportunity to explore and experience the arts.”

Greg Young, Board Member

Greg Young is a devoted father, husband, and philanthropist. A lifelong resident of Connecticut and Maine, Greg dedicates his life to his family and making Connecticut and Maine a better place for all children. Greg’s philanthropic focus is on strengthening education, the arts, and community vitality through BeFoundation, the family foundation he founded in 2013.

With an abiding passion for music and an awareness of the importance and far-reaching impact of music education, Greg felt the need to address gaps in access to high-quality music education. In 2014, Greg co-founded SpreadMusicNow. Today, he continues his work supporting the arts and community alongside his fellow Granite board members, with whom he is enormously grateful for joining this journey in creating a new community arts space.

Creative Advisory Committee Members