Shining a light on good work of City Year during ‘Starry Starry Night’ gala

Sign Up For Our FREE Daily eNews!

City Year NH “Bridge Builder” Award winners, donning their gifts of City Year “Red Jackets,” left to right: Lesa Scott, Alderman Daniel O’Neil, Stefany Shaheen (accepting for Senator Jeanne Shaheen), Dr. Debra Livingston, Senator Kelly Ayotte (accepting for Senator Judd and Kathy Gregg, Larry Klane, Stephen Gianotti, Pawn Nitichan – City Year NH Executive Director, Patrick Duffy, Mayor Ted Gatsas, Lewis Feldstein, Major General (Ret.) Kenneth Clark, Alexandra Allen – City Year Regional VP, and Kerri St. Jean.
City Year NH “Bridge Builder” Award winners, donning their gifts of City Year “Red Jackets,” left to right: Lesa Scott, Alderman Daniel O’Neil, Stefany Shaheen (accepting for Senator Jeanne Shaheen), Dr. Debra Livingston, Senator Kelly Ayotte (accepting for Senator Judd and Kathy Gregg, Larry Klane, Stephen Gianotti, Pawn Nitichan – City Year NH Executive Director, Patrick Duffy, Mayor Ted Gatsas, Lewis Feldstein, Major General (Ret.) Kenneth Clark, Alexandra Allen – City Year Regional VP, and Kerri St. Jean.

MANCHESTER, NH – On March 28 City Year New Hampshire honored 15 community leaders with City Year’s Bridge Builder Award at City Year’s 15th annual Starry Starry Night Benefit Gala, co-chaired by New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte and Paul Montrone, Chairman of Perspecta Trust.

This year’s gala took place at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in New Castle.

City Year is a ncity yearational education-focused non-profit that helps students stay in school and on track to graduate from high school through support in attendance, behavior, and English Language Arts and Math course work.

Speakers included the event’s co-chair’s Ayotte and Montrone, as well as Gov. Maggie Hassan, and City Year NH Executive Director Pawn Nitichan. The Bridge Builder Award recipients were:

Geraldine and John Cerullo: Champions of City Year’s work.

Major General (Ret.) Kenneth Clark

Patrick Duffy: Community Leader

Lewis Feldstein: Former president of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

Mayor Ted Gatsas 

Stephen Gianotti: Founder of the Woodland Group

Senator Judd Gregg and Kathy Gregg

Larry Klane: VP of the Timberland Company

Dr. Debra Livingston: Superintendent of Manchester Public Schools

Alderman Daniel O’Neil: Alderman At-Large for the City of Manchester

Kerri St. Jean: Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Comcast Cable’s Northeast Division

Lesa Scott: President of the Education Group for Highlights for Children, and former President of Heinemann Publishing Company

Senator Jeanne Shaheen

The late Kimon Zachos: (in recognition of his lifetime of leadership and service) Previous Senior Shareholder of Sheehan, Phinney, Bass, & Green P.A. with a specialization in corporate, banking and estate planning law.

“This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year, but it is also intended to celebrate our corps members for their passion and idealism, to appreciate the corporate sponsors and individuals who make our work possible, and to recognize the Bridge Builder Award recipients, who have demonstrated the leadership and commitment to City Year’s work in the Granite State,” Pawn Nitichan, City Year New Hampshire Executive Director, said.

This year’s event was made possible by the generous support of presenting sponsors; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Heinemann, Perspecta Trust, and National Gala Sponsor Bain Capital, platinum sponsors; Bank of New Hampshire and Eastern Bank, as well as many other event sponsors.

Throughout the evening guests learned of City Year’s work and impact as well as the organizations rich culture and leadership training. Students from the Manchester School District delivered an inspiring testimonial and corps members shared their talents and their service experience with all of the guests.

For more information on Starry Starry Night please contact Liz Kulig at 603-218-5112 or ekulig@cityyear.org. To learn more about City Year, visit www.cityyear.org.


City Year is an education-focused organization founded in 1988 dedicated to helping students and schools succeed. City Year partners with public schools in 26 urban, high-poverty communities across the U.S. and through international affiliates in the U.K. and Johannesburg, South Africa. Diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide high-impact student, classroom and school-wide support, to help students stay in school and on track to graduate from high school, ready for college and career success. A proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is made possible by support from the Corporation for National and Community Service, school district partnerships, and private philanthropy from corporations, foundations and individuals. Learn more at www.cityyear.org.


About Bain Capital, LLC: Founded in 1984, Bain Capital has grown into one of the world’s foremost privately-held alternative investment firms.  Bain Capital’s affiliated businesses – Bain Capital Private Equity, Sankaty Advisors, Bain Capital Ventures, Brookside Capital and Absolute Return Capital – manage approximately $80 billion in assets for endowments, pensions, foundations and other institutions and individuals.  The firm’s more than 900 employees in 13 locations around the world focus on delivering great returns for investors while contributing back to the communities where they live and work.  Through Bain Capital Community Partnership, the firm and its employees serve as trusted partners to more than 500 civic organizations around the world whose missions inspire them, helping to build great communities and improve the quality of life where they live and work.


email boxYou’re one click away! Sign up for our free eNewsletter and never miss another thing

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!