(RED BANK – July 31, 2025) The Count Basie Center for the Arts is excited to announce the appointment of Carlina Jessen of Middletown, Kathryn Lissy of Leonardo and Cathy Pugliese-Sivo of Freehold to its Board of Trustees.

“Ms. Jessen, Ms. Lissy and Ms. Sivo are true patrons of the arts,” said Adam Philipson, President / CEO, Count Basie Center for the Arts. “Each of these individuals believe in the Count Basie Center’s mission of creating shared educational, artistic and community experiences, and each are exciting additions to our Board’s active body of leaders.”

Carlina Jessen is a 30-year veteran at Merrill, where she currently serves as Market Executive for the Red Bank Wealth Management Market, representing a team of financial advisors and client associates and leading strategy and client experience in the market. Ms. Jessen is also an Executive-level member of the Hispanic-Latino Leadership Council and was recently named as an NJBIZ Leading Woman in Business 2025.

 

 

“I’m very passionate about aligning arts, education, and community,” Jessen says. “It’s a privilege to contribute to the impactful mission of Count Basie Center for the Arts, and I could not be happier to be doing so with a prestigious organization.”

For Kathryn Lissy, joining the Basie Center board follows a love for theatre and dance that began as a child. Lissy, a 2012 graduate of New York University School of Law, is licensed to practice in both New York and New Jersey and has served as a senior staff attorney for Brooklyn Defender Services, where she represented clients in the organization’s Special Litigation Unit and the Law & Appeals Unit of the Family Defense Practice.

““My love for the performing arts began during my childhood in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, with my enrollment in dance classes at my local dance school, a love that deepened through my involvement in the musical theater productions put on by my high school and college,” Lissy said. “I’ve seen firsthand how performing arts programs profoundly benefit their young participants —  I feel that they are invaluable for cultivating essential personal qualities like courage and dependability, while also broadening horizons by exposing young people to diverse history and cultures.”

“With this,” Lissy added, “I couldn’t be more excited to join the Board of Trustees at the Count Basie Center, as I believe the word of the Basie Center is crucial in creating a well-rounded, arts-rich community for our children and families.”

Cathy Pugliese-Sivo joins the Basie Center Board following a dedicated 19-year career as a Research Scientist at the Schering Plough Research Institute, which began after her foundational research experience at NYU Medical Center’s Department of Medicine. Pugliese-Sivo now channels her passions into impactful community service, especially as an ardent advocate for the arts.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to join the Basie Center Board,” says Pugliese-Sivo, who also currently serves as Board Chair at HABcore, along with board positions at Two River Theater and Monmouth Arts. “My career in science has always been driven by a pursuit of understanding and a commitment to progress, and I see a parallel passion in the arts. I believe deeply in the transformative power of the arts to enrich lives and strengthen communities and am particularly drawn to the Basie Center’s dedication to arts education. I am eager to contribute to the Basie Center’s vital mission.”

“Carlina, Cathy and Kathryn are a great reflection of the diverse spirit and aspirations of our Board of Trustees,” said Basie Center Chairperson Jeremy Grunin. “Their devotion to the arts along with their individual lived experiences will complement our ongoing work particularly in arts education and inclusive programming.”