Family of Woodstock, a crisis support provider, has announced the appointment of a deputy director and a chief financial officer to start the new year.
Paul Rakov, native to Woodstock and current Kingston resident, will assume the deputy director position starting January 10. Rakov has been in marketing and public relations for nearly 30 years, handling communications responsibilities for numerous organizations from start-ups to publicly traded companies. In his role at Family of Woodstock, he will lead communications, marketing, public relations, and fundraising efforts.
“Paul’s diverse professional background, commitment to the local community and passion for our mission matched exactly what we needed for a deputy director,” said Michael Berg, Family’s executive director and founder. “Paul and his family have long ties to Woodstock and Ulster County. That history combined with his deep marketing and communications knowledge will be hugely beneficial to Family’s future.”
“I could not be more proud to join the hard-working, dedicated, and caring Family of Woodstock team,” Rakov said. “Growing up in the area, I witnessed my family, friends and neighbors supporting Family in the early days when it operated out of one Woodstock building. I’m thrilled to witness how the organization has grown into one of the most critically important support organizations in the Hudson Valley.”
Also new to the Family executive team is chief financial officer Daniela Nixon, who started November 13. Nixon’s accounting career spans more than 25 years, all of it in the Hudson Valley. She developed her accounting and management experience in multiple industries including manufacturing and wholesale distribution. Nixon received her associate’s degree from Orange County Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business and accounting from Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh.
“As a non-profit organization, our financial practices must be managed with extreme attention to detail,” Berg commented. “Daniela’s breadth of experience combined with her strong community-minded attitude made her an outstanding choice to be our CFO. Her influence has already been felt in the two months she’s been with Family of Woodstock.”
“Family of Woodstock’s mission closely aligns with my core values,’ said Nixon. “What better way to combine my career goals with my passion than working for an organization that helps people in their critical times of need.”
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