No lantern festival at Forest Hills next year?

The Forest Hills Educational Trust has sent e-mail to supporters announcing the departure of its executive director and its two other paid staff members and that:

The Forest Hills Educational Trust will take a break from its busy calendar of public programs to focus on strategic planning in 2011. The Members of our Board invite the Trust's supporters to make a valuable contribution to our efforts; please share your ideas during this time of transition as we develop the Trust's future direction.

In addition to the well known summer release of memorial lanterns on Lake Hibiscus, the trust has long sponsored concerts, poetry and talks at the historic cemetery.

Thanks to Ron Newman for forwarding the e-mail.

The complete message from Chairman Robert Macleod:

The Forest Hills Educational Trust will take a break from its busy calendar of public programs to focus on strategic planning in 2011. The Members of our Board invite the Trust's supporters to make a valuable contribution to our efforts; please share your ideas during this time of transition as we develop the Trust's future direction. Please visit our website for updates; we will have a survey posted there soon which we hope you will fill out. You can also email me with your suggestions and ideas.

The Trust's Executive Director, Cecily Miller, is stepping down at the end of December and we thank her for ten years of outstanding service. With her leadership, the Trust has sponsored an array of innovative programs that have transformed the public use of the Cemetery's historic landscape, connecting thousands of visitors with its beauty, meaning, and many stories. While honoring its importance as a place of burial and remembrance, the Trust has brought a vibrant contemporary spirit to hallowed ground, changing one of Jamaica Plain's hidden treasures into a much-loved cultural resource for Greater Boston. Indeed, thanks to the vision and hard work of Cecily and her staff, the Trust is recognized as a national leader in expanding the role of historic cemeteries as institutions that serve the community.

Along with Cecily, the Trust's two other staff members, Nini Colmore, Director of Development and Jonathan Clark, Program Coordinator, have chosen to pursue other opportunities. The Board thanks them for their dedicated service; their talent and commitment have contributed greatly to the Trust's success. For 8 years, Nini has served as a gracious ambassador, introducing people to Forest Hills through elegant and educational special events; her efforts have developed a community of donors who generously provide much-needed financial support for the Trust's programs. Jon has handled the logistics of complex events with skill, diligence and humor, recruiting volunteers and supporting performers to ensure our audiences always have memorable experiences!

Robert Macleod, Chairman