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Our Team
Maura M. Brush
President & CEO
Maura began her career at Old Westbury Gardens as an intern in 1999. She joined the staff in 2000, shortly after earning her degree in Horticulture from the University of Maine, and was appointed Director of Horticulture in 2007. During her tenure many projects have been completed including a complete tree inventory, the commission of a Cultural Landscape Report, and the restoration of the South Allee. Having begun her career as an intern, Maura is very involved with the Horticultural Internship Program which has grown from one three-month intern to five interns with placements of six to eighteen months each.
Maura has always had a passion for Horticulture but through her work at Old Westbury Gardens, she has developed a particular focus on historic gardens and cultural landscapes. “A garden is never finished” says Maura. “There is always something to be planted, pruned, or weeded and it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks. But, always, there is a larger goal here and that is to make each visitor to our gardens feel as if they are guests of Margarita and Jay Phipps.”
In November 2023, Maura was named President & CEO of Old Westbury Gardens.
Dan Albanese
Chief Financial Officer
Dan joined Old Westbury Gardens in January 2020. He oversees all aspects of the organizations finances, including the development and management of budgets, preparation of financial statements and reporting to the Gardens’ Board, senior management and the public. He is also the Director of Human Resources. He has more than 13 years of public accounting experience serving a variety of clients in the nonprofit industry. His expertise includes recommendation of internal control structures and best practices, strategic planning, budgeting, financial statement preparation, exempt-organization tax filing, and board training.
Daniel Albanese is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and New York State Society of CPAs. Daniel holds a BBA in Accounting from Hofstra University.
Lorraine Gilligan
Director of Preservation
Lorraine has been Director of Preservation since 2008. Prior to her appointment, she was Executive Director of Planting Fields Foundation. She has extensive experience managing a variety of restoration and collections care projects. Most recently she oversaw the recreation of the Service Wing Portico and Courtyard, and is project manager for the restoration of Westbury House roof and terra cotta cornice. She has worked with conservators and contractors and has successfully secured funding for many projects. She is a graduate of the Attingham Summer School and has attended the Victorian Society study programs in London and Newport. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Binghamton University and the University of Chicago, respectively.
Image courtesy of Beata Wroblewski
Paul Hunchak
Director of Visitor Services and Public Programs
Paul Hunchak is a native of the Philadelphia suburbs and graduated from Kettering University in Flint, MI. For most of his professional career Paul has worked with nonprofit organizations with experience in administration, event management, and publishing. He joined Old Westbury Gardens in 2001 as Visitor Services Director and has been responsible for Gardens’ daily operations and public programs.
Paul’s passion for history and background in interpretation provides the enthusiasm which he brings to the Gardens’ formal and informal education programs. He has lectured on the history of the Phipps estate as well as the designer of Westbury House, George Crawley. Paul oversees the planning, design, and installation of temporary exhibitions, most recently the Gardens’ exhibit: “The Great War: Portraits of Privilege, Duty, and Sacrifice.” He is currently overseeing the development of the upcoming “Back of the House” interpretation experience.
Kristen Reinertsen
Kristen returned to Old Westbury Gardens in 2025 as the Development Director after serving as an Events Associate in 2008 and 2009. During her brief pause, Kristen started her family and worked as the Events Director at Tuesday’s Children from 2020–2025. Kristen’s passion for fundraising, her background in art history, and appreciation for all things outdoors led her back home to Old Westbury Gardens. She looks forward to working on OWG’s major fundraising events, like the Gardeners’ Fair, and expanding the Gardens’ reach through corporate sponsorships. In addition to managing her family of three younger children, Kristen loves running and has completed three marathons.
Board of Trustees
Carol E. Large
Chairman
Laureen S. Knutsen
Vice Chairman
Jack Foley
Secretary
John M. Deignan
Treasurer
Frederic M. Bancroft
Jacques Busquet
John S. P. Cochran
Michelle Gokey
Robert M. Johnston
Thammanoune Kannalikham
Robert S. Lemle
Arthur S. Levine
Peter P. MacKinnon
Dita Amory Nickson
Jeffrey S. Phipps
Nathan Urbach
Lieta Urry
Lloyd P. Zuckerberg
Trustees Emeriti
Mary S. Phipps
Chairman Emerita
Susan Phipps Cochran
Ann B. Copeland
J. Oliver Crom
Emily T. Frick
Beatrice H. Guthrie
Eric Krasnoff
Advisors
Chris Bransfield
Jack Bransfield
William T. Comfort. Jr.
Sealy H. Hopkinson
Albert Kalimian
Michael T. Keenan
Lucie Kinsolving
Paul J. Mateyunas
Patricia C. Montgomerie
Dorothy B. Moore
John S. Norbeck
Deirdre O’Connell
Luis E. Rinaldini
Hanna Robinson
Vickie V. Stanco
Richard Weir III
Eric A. Wheeler
George K. Wittlinger, Sr.