What's Happening?
Foundation Welcomes New Board Members
The Schenectady Foundation welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors and Distribution Committee. Both appointees bring many talents, deep ties to Schenectady County and an extensive history of community involvement to their new roles.
Kristine Moore, 42, first encountered The Schenectady Foundation when she participated in a 2018 youth summit hosted by the organization. The event, which invited teens to talk about their needs and hopes for the future, aligned with Moore’s interests. The Schenectady resident and mother of four boys currently serves as the community school site coordinator at Giffen Memorial Elementary School in Albany.
Through her job and various volunteer engagements, Moore honed her collaboration skills and built relationships with community groups and programs. As president of the Goose Hill Neighborhood Association - a position she left last September - she organized clean-up days that became a model for other neighborhoods. She currently serves on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady County and is involved in The Schenectady Foundation’s One Schenectady initiative.
To Moore, the most fulfilling part of becoming more involved in the community has been “the connections and the people. There are so many people who care and want to do good things and be able to support each other. It’s really all about the relationships.”
Rabbi Matthew Cutler, 63, is well-known as the longtime rabbi at Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady, where he has served since 1995.
Known as “Rabbi Matt,” he is one of the Capital Region’s more visible clergy leaders, though the Long Island native never intended to settle here. “I moved to the area expecting it to be a five-to seven-year gig, and I fell in love with this community,” he said. Cutler will bring his characteristic enthusiasm and energy to the Board, as well as his “commitment to see Schenectady get stronger and better.”
Cutler helped found Schenectady Clergy Against Hate, an interfaith group dedicated to crossing religious and political lines to foster healthy dialogue and build a stronger community.
“One of the things that’s exciting about The Schenectady Foundation is that it unites so many different organizations in the Schenectady County area,” Cutler said. “The Schenectady Foundation is a tree with very deep roots, narrow in focus because it’s just Schenectady County, but it goes deep into the county, into the community.”
