Karen Cappotto

Karen Cappotto studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA, Boston College, and Manchester College at Oxford University.

Cappotto is inspired by evidence of the handmade in a world where technology prevails and is known for her distinct palette and way of combining materials.

Cappotto’s work is in PAAM’s Permanent collections and she has received multiple awards and prizes for her mixed media constructions from Europe and USA.

Karen Cappotto is the Lillian Orlowsky William Freed Grant recipient for painting in 2011, and has been included in the Land and Sea Contemporary Artists, by Deborah Forman. Cappotto is a long time resident of Provincetown where she maintains her painting and design studios. In 2011 her company Peg+Dick was launched onto the national stage when Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams asked her to produce their decoupage accessories. Her work has been seen in Elle Decor, The Washington Post, Provincetown Arts, This Old House, and at Rockefeller Center.

AMP Gallery currently represents her work.

Cappotto is a founding member of The Commons.

Pete Hocking
President

Pete Hocking is a teacher, organizational development consultant, visual artist and writer based in Providence, RI & Provincetown, MA. He teaches at Goddard College in the Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts program and in the Division of Liberal Arts at Rhode Island School of Design. Previously he was director of Rhode Island School of Design’s Office of Public Engagement (2007-2011), and Associate Dean of the College and Director of Brown University’s Howard R. Swearer Center for Public Service (1988-2005). At the Swearer Center, he developed university-community partnerships, leadership education, undergraduate research opportunities, social entrepreneurship programs, and integrated community-learning with academic study.

He was the founding board chair of New Urban Arts, a multidisciplinary youth arts center in Providence, and of Community MusicWorks, a youth music program in Providence. He’s also served on numerous other boards, including AIDS Project Rhode Island (chair), Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, The Providence Athenaeum, Southside Community Land Trust (chair), and Project Eye-to-Eye (founding board member). He was a founding co-chair of the Rhode Island Service Alliance, helping to establish the AmeriCorps program in Rhode Island. He was the founding co-chair of Equity Action, a field of interest fund at the Rhode Island Foundation that supports supporting LGBTQ initiatives in the state. He has an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and an MFA in Creative Writing.

Terrence Meck

Terrence Meck is Co-Founder and President of The Palette Fund, a private foundation dedicated to advancing social change in communities that are under-resourced and facing significant challenges. The Palette Fund honors the legacy of his late partner Rand Skolnick who lost his battle to pancreatic cancer in 2008. Since its inception, the foundation has granted more than $12 million to over 150 organizations throughout the United States and abroad.

He is currently Board Chair of God’s Love We Deliver, The Provincetown Commons and the Urban Beekeeping Laboratory. He also sits on the boards of the Movement Advancement Project and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Terrence received his B.A. in Political Science from Princeton University and although he is most often on the road, he spends as much time as possible in Provincetown, MA.

Terrence also serves as President of Intrinsic Capital, a small investment firm dedicated to providing seed-stage funding to socially progressive startups. After graduating from Princeton University with a BA in Political Science, Terrence worked in publicity in the wine, food and fashion industries before owning and operating The Raven Resort Properties in New Hope, PA until 2008. One of his favorite passions has been dedicating his time and talents to the many nonprofit organizations he has worked with over the years including his extensive service on more than a dozen nonprofit boards.

Kelly Monnahan

Kelly Monnahan is an architect and principal of Kelly Monnahan Design in Boston and Truro. The firm’s work has been published in numerous trade publications including Metropolitan Home, Boston Home, and Design New England. Recognition has included “Best Modern Architect” from Boston Home and a Boston Society of Architects Honor Award in 2003.

Prior to founding KMD in 1999, Mr. Monnahan held design positions at Michael Prodanou Design, Graham Gund Associates, Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbot, and Sasaki Associates. His work encompassed architecture and interior design for libraries, university buildings, corporate headquarters and private residences.

Projects designed and executed under his management included Investcorp headquarters in London, Emory University Woodruff library in Atlanta, Headquarters for Philips Color Kinetics in Boston, and renovation of the Harvard Medical School Countway Library in Boston. Mr. Monnahan graduated from the University of Oregon School of Architecture and received his Masters degree in Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

Kate Perrelli

Ms. Perrelli is a partner and the immediate past Chair of Seyfarth’s national Litigation Department. In her tenure as Chair, the Department’s practice groups were awarded numerous honors for superb legal work and innovation, including Law360 Transportation Group of the Year; U.S. News Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms in Construction, Commercial Litigation, and Appellate Law; BTI Litigation Outlook “Honor Roll” recognition in Class Actions, Securities and Finance Litigation, IP Litigation, Complex Commercial Litigation, Everyday Commercial Litigation, and Product Liability Litigation; Top ranking in Trade Secrets by The Legal 500 USA, and numerous national and regional recognitions by Chambers USA.

Ms. Perrelli’s practice is national in scope and includes a wide variety of complex commercial and employment matters, including business and contract disputes, unfair competition, trade secret misappropriation and other intellectual property theft, restrictive covenant litigation, real estate litigation, franchise litigation, wrongful termination, and business torts. Her practice also includes counseling regarding employer compliance with the ADA, ADEA, Title VII, FLSA, and other state and governmental laws affecting employers. She is also frequently retained to conduct internal workplace misconduct and other corporate investigations.

Ms. Perrelli is also a leading authority on the law of trade secrets and noncompetes. In addition to representing clients on such matters across the country in federal and state trial courts, arbitrations and mediations, she is a frequent speaker and writer on these topics.

Ms. Perrelli is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt. Using Lean Six Sigma and project management methodologies, the SeyfarthLean approach delivers increased value to our clients at a time of increased market pressures and competitive demands. Ms. Perrelli applies these principles to her practice and also counsels clients on the use of lean six sigma, process improvements, data analytics, and project management in legal processes. She also has considerable experience in and is a frequent speaker on devising and managing alternative, value-based fee structures.

Ms. Perrelli is a member of the ABA Intellectual Property Law Section and chair of the “Interaction with Employment Law” topical subcommittee of the Trade Secrets Committee.

Ms. Perrelli has been selected regularly as one of the state’s “Super Lawyers” in Business Litigation and “Top Women Lawyers” in a joint survey conducted by the publishers of Law and Politics magazine and Boston magazine, as part of a special publication entitled “The Top Attorneys in the Northeast.” She was also selected by U.S. News as a “Best Lawyer” in commercial litigation.

Dave LaFrance
director of operations

dave@commonsptown.org

Dave LaFrance currently serves as the Director of Operations for the Provincetown Commons. The Provincetown Commons supports creative professionals, artists, and community initiatives through collaborative workspace, shared resources, and programming.  Dave has developed relationships with the local community and effectively partnered with local arts and cultural organizations to expand the mission of The Commons. As a native New Englander living on Cape Cod for over 12 years, Dave has unique insight into the strengths, opportunities, and challenges of operating and maintaining a viable business practice on the Outer Cape. Dave excels at developing programming that meets the needs of the community by collaborating with other non-profit organizations and providing members with informative and educational resources.

Dave knows firsthand of the impact on productivity and morale that exists when affordable and accessible spaces are brought forward within a diverse community. The creative and dynamic community that co-exists is proof that this model and works. Dave’s passion, experience, and skills in the creative arts helps him serve members and nurtures their practice while also fostering their personal and professional growth.