Dan Fingas

Dan Fingas has a nearly 2 decade career in social justice work in Vermont, New York, and Michigan.  Dan has been focused in creating community and making positive change in the communities he has served and currently serves as the Vermont Organizing Director for Rights and Democracy.
 

Dan brings a wealth of fundraising, volunteer management, and event planning experience.  Dan is a 2004 graduate of Albion College and has been married to wife Mo Lynch since 2015. They live in Plainfield.

Keith Swann

Keith Swann, a resident of Plainfield since 1994, recently retired from Vermont PBS where he served as producer and director since 2006. He received his BA in Anthropology from the California University system and an MFA from UCLA’s Film/Television program. 
 

His career began at NBC in Los Angeles and then onto television production in Boston. He has designed and taught video production courses, but his first loves were theater and music, therefore his commitment to the mission of the Plainfield Town Hall Opera House.

Karl Bissex

Karl has been a dedicated Plainfield resident since 1980. In his 40+ year marriage to Mary Trerice, they raised two accomplished sons; Daniel, a bass musician, and Owen, a sculptor. Karl was a school board member in the 1990s and a Selectboard member from 2001 to 2007, where he served as chair for three years.

​

Karl was a member of the Town Hall Committee during the 1985 restoration and also served on the Revolving Fund Committee. He also coached youth basketball and soccer from 1989 to 1993.

​

After founding and operating DMS Inc, from 1985 to 1995, Karl then established KAB Enterprises, Inc, successfully managing the business from 1995 to 2020. Simultaneously, Karl served five years on the board of the Summit School of Music in Montpelier.

​

Karl has co-hosted the Occasional Concerts house concert series with Mary since its inception in 2005. His business experience and strong interest in the arts adds to the activities of the Plainfield Arts board.

Mary Trerice

Mary and husband, Karl Bissex, moved into their 1840 farmhouse in 1980. It didn’t take long to become involved in the community and in a few years Mary was serving as a lister and volunteering at TUS where her sons ultimately completed their k-12 education. A favorite activity was working on the Enrichment Committee which brought artists in residence to the entire school for extended periods.
The benefits of the arts to a community became obvious. Theater, music, visual arts—it all matters and Plainfield Arts is in the exciting position of bringing quality arts to our town.

In 1989 the Town Hall Opera House was closed and unavailable to the community for shows and, importantly, Town Meetings. Mary joined the Town Hall Committee which was tasked with either reopening the Town Hall or finding a new location and building for meetings. The latter proved
impossible and grants and town funds were amassed to renovate and reopen the Hall which was complete by July of 1996. By 1999 the Town had accepted the idea that the musty and flood prone basement municipal offices needed to move and Mary joined the Municipal Offices Committee which completed its work in 2005.

Mary retired from Norwich University after 20 years as a math educator and during that time was active
in the Blinking Light Gallery. She now serves on the Cutler Memorial Library board of directors as their
building coordinator and is secretary to the Plainfield Conservation Commission. She believes in creating connections between various organizations and groups, all the more so after her volunteer work resulting from the devastating 2024 flood.

Lori Stratton

Lori’s varied jobs have primarily involved environmental protection, health, education or theater. As an environmental toxicologist, she provides environmental health assessments through her consulting business, “Safer World Environmental”.  She is an avid long distance bicycle rider, loves to hike in the woods, identify plants, and swim in the ocean.

Lori is often seen behind the scenes stage managing, lighting and organizing at different community theater activities in the area. Among her various interests, skills and occupations, her love of theater and good music makes being a board member of the FPTHOH, an attractive pursuit.

As a technical person, she enjoys being on the Plainfield Arts tech committee to help maintain and improve lighting and other practical aspects of the beautiful historic building of Plainfield Town Hall Opera House. 

Lauren Warner

Lauren Warner is a resident of Plainfield and TUS parent. She has been a theater teacher for over 13 years in public schools while also directing and managing youth theater programs both in Colorado and Vermont. She is a graduate student at Colorado State University where she studies Arts Leadership and Nonprofit Administration.

Lauren is dedicated to serving the village of Plainfield and the surrounding areas through her volunteer work with Plainfield Arts in the beautiful and historic Opera House.

Donny Osman

Donny Osman has a long history in theater. He founded and directed The Two Penny Circus which toured New England and beyond for ten years.  Donny toured his own solo shows and taught theater worldwide for more than twenty years.

He played a leadership role in founding Circus Smirkus. Donny was the Director of the Vermont Governor’s Institute on the Arts for over two decades. He served three terms as a State Representative in the Vermont Legislature.

Donny says that for the last few years between riding his bike in the summer, and skiing in the winter and watching Netflix year round there are not enough hours in the day.