Learn more about the people behind The Granite. We’re dedicated to creating a beautiful, historic space that benefits the community and fosters the arts.
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.
Scott Smith is an associate professor of legal studies at Post University in Waterbury, and the leader of the regionally touring Country/Americana North County Band. He has over 15 years of experience in non-profit leadership, fundraising, and program development. He has served as board President of the Boys & Girls Club of Redding-Easton and is an active advocate and supporter of the Bridgeport Rescue Mission and its partner Sage Healthcare.
Scott began his professional career as a social worker, served as a law clerk to Judge Robert Miller Jr. of the federal district court in South Bend, Indiana, and was a founding partner in the Chicago law firm Smith Ortiz. He served 3 terms as an elected member of the Redding Zoning Board of Appeals.
He was raised and educated in the Chicago area and moved to Redding in 2008 with his wife and three children. Scott is a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and staunch supporter of the performing arts. He has a passion for music, fishing, fatherhood, and all things Redding, CT.
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.
Lou Chen is the CEO of INTEMPO, a Stamford-based nonprofit that provides multicultural music education to children predominantly from immigrant backgrounds.
He previously founded and led Trenton Arts at Princeton (TAP) at Princeton University. Lou serves on the Princeton University Concerts Committee, the Board of Trustees for Young Audiences NJ & Eastern PA, the Board of Advisors for Princeton Arts Alumni, and the Stamford Arts and Culture Commission.
A conductor, pianist, violinist, and violist, he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton with a degree in music, where he received multiple awards for leadership and artistic achievement.
Millie Hepburn is a nurse, educator, researcher, and community advocate who has spent her career helping people and organizations. As an Associate Professor of Nursing at Sacred Heart University, she is dedicated to educating future healthcare professionals and advancing research that improves lives.
She has clinical and administrative experience in major academic medical centers such as NYU Langone and New York-Presbyterian hospitals as well as rural hospitals in upstate NY and Maine. Her current research, the Music After Stroke to Enhance Rehabilitation (MASTER) study, examines how personalized music may support stroke recovery and improve quality of life, reflecting her belief that innovation and compassion go hand in hand.
In addition to her academic and research roles, Millie has a longstanding commitment to service and nonprofit leadership. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses and the Board of Trustees of the National Aphasia Association, and currently chairs the Redding Prevention Council.
Millie believes in listening first, working collaboratively, and giving back to the communities that have given so much to her. She is honored to bring her experience, energy, and commitment to service to the Board of The Granite.
A landscape designer by day, house manager and bartender by night – Hannah brings her diverse experiences and enthusiasm for music, dancing, and community to The Granite.
Hannah moved to Redding in 2024 from the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, where she gained a love for bluegrass music, riding horses, and a life rooted in nature.
That blend of artistry and authenticity continues to shape her work and the spaces she helps to create.
She loves Redding and Georgetown because she can combine her passions and purpose with a lot of fun all in the same place.
Stop by and say hi!
Reed Collyer is the founder, owner, and lead event planner at Collyer Catering and Events, and a longtime Redding resident.
A lifelong student of music, her roots run deep—classical training inspired by her musician parents, alongside her own explorations of indie, jam band, bluegrass, and more. She strongly believes in the power of community and in creating spaces where arts and music can thrive.
Reed is excited to bring these passions together through The Granite—planning memorable events and curating meaningful content that helps bring local residents together in the historic space.
Outside of events, she loves cooking, hiking, traveling, entertaining, and bringing people together. Ask her how far she has traveled for live music sometime!
Andrew Levine, our Resident Artist for classical music, has enjoyed a multifaceted career in the performing arts, working as a musician, arts administrator, educator, and producer.
Andrew served as managing director of The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, and as the executive director of The York Theatre Company. Currently, he is an adjunct faculty member at Western Connecticut State University, where he teaches theater management, and The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where he is an on-staff coach in the musical theater division.
At The Granite, Andrew curates, produces, and performs concerts and activities within the classical music, cabaret, and musical theater worlds.
As the Program Director of Bluegrass and Old Time Music at The Granite, Austin Scelzo is the driving force behind our new Bluegrass at The Granite series, offering jams, workshops, and professional performances. Our goal is to preserve and promote bluegrass in CT and southeast NY.
Austin Scelzo, founder of the Connecticut Bluegrass Association, performs with the Rock Hearts and the Americana quartet On the Trail, teaches jam camps, and has created groundbreaking online instruction materials.
He has been named Connecticut Arts Hero and received the Momentum Industry Involvement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association.
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