The Pawtucket Foundation Staff
Executive Director: Thomas A. Mann, Jr.
Thomas A. Mann, Jr., a native of Tupelo, Mississippi graduated in 1999 from Mississippi State University with a professional Bachelors of Architecture degree and was commissioned an officer in the US Air Force after completing the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) as a Distinguished Graduate. He began his Air Force career as a logistics planner, assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany where he served as the Installation Deployment Officer and Chief, Logistics Plans Operations. In these jobs, he was responsible for the planning and execution of deployment, reception and readiness assessment for the largest Logistics Plans and Programs office in Europe. In 2001, he led his unit to win the US Air Force Logistics Plans Outstanding Unit of the Year. In the same year, Mann changed career fields and became a civil engineer officer, proceeding to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada. At Nellis Air Force Base, he became Chief, Facility Projects Team and then Chief, Maintenance Engineering in the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron. In his positions, he was charged with planning, programming, designing and overseeing military construction and infrastructure maintenance support for over 2,600 facilities and associated infrastructure as well as managing a $4M installation-wide energy savings performance contract. In addition to his stateside experience, throughout his career Mann supported Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM in various humanitarian, tactical and strategic missions spanning the globe from Cameroon, Africa to Baghdad, Iraq. Mann later moved on to become an Air Force ROTC instructor and urban design teaching assistant at Rutgers University while also completing a Masters in City and Regional Planning at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
In 2007, Mann honorably separated from the Air Force as a senior Captain after serving eight years in Europe, the Middle East, and continental United States and winning many top-level individual leadership and organizational excellence awards. Following his distinguished Air Force career, he began working as an urban design associate at A. Nelessen Associates, a nationally-recognized urban planning and visioning firm specializing in New Urbanism planning projects, redevelopment, visioning and public participatory planning processes. Mann is a member of the American Planning Association, Urban Land Institute and Congress for New Urbanism. He is an accomplished musician having performed with the Mississippi All-State Lion’s Band and the Bann Community Orchestra in Germany. He is married to Dr. Ewa M. Dzwierzynski, a Pawtucket, Rhode Island native and graduate of the University of Rhode Island, College of Pharmacy.
Program Director: Aaron Hertzberg
Aaron Hertzberg received his bachelor’s of science degree in Urban Studies from the University of Minnesota in 2004. In addition to his studies he worked as an intern with three Minneapolis neighborhoods and participated in an off campus study program through the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs. In 2003, Hertzberg co-chaired a Jail ‘N Bail event, raising $20,000 for Special Olympics Minnesota.
Upon completion of his degree he returned to his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin to serve as the project manager at Sustainable Racine. Sustainable Racine was a community development organization founded to build a strong economy, healthy environment and social equity in the Greater Racine Area. During his time with the organization, Hertzberg successfully coordinated a community wide vision session, a 50th Anniversary Sister-Cities celebration, community awards programs, fundraisers and annual involvement in Earth Day and Make-A-Difference Day. He graduated from the Leadership Racine program in 2005 and was an active member of the Young Professionals of Racine, serving as the vision chair.
Hertzberg is an avid soccer fan and enjoys traveling and hiking. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Affairs from the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University. He moved to Rhdoe Island in 2008 with his wife, Carie Goral Hertzberg, Executive Director of Rhode Island Campus Compact. In July of 2011, the couple welcomed their own Pawtucket native, Jane Virginia Hertzberg.
Communication & Design Associate: Rachel Brask Hutchinson
Rachel Brask Hutchinson, born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, received her bachelor’s of arts degree in Art from Houghton College in 2006, with concentrations in graphic design and painting. She also minored in Writing, Spanish and Environmental Stewardship. In addition to her studies, she also was involved as the Social Chair and Publicity Coordinator for the Houghton Artists Guild, Design Editor for The Houghton Star newspaper, and volunteered with a youth outreach organization in Allegany County, NY. She participated in an off-campus environmental study program in Star Lake, NY. During several service-learning trips abroad to Honduras and Costa Rica, she assisted as an English-Spanish translator. Rachel continued to work after graduation as Assistant Graphic Designer in the department of Public Relations at Houghton College. Rachel has served with AmeriCorps ABLE (AmeriCorps Builds Lives through Education) as a Youth Director placed with a non-profit youth organization, Southern Tier YFC in Wellsville, NY. During her term of service with AmeriCorps, Rachel organized and marketed educational and fundraising events for the organization, in addition to planning and coordinating youth activities. She also served as a youth mentor.
After her time with AmeriCorps was completed, Rachel returned to her native Southeastern Massachusetts/Rhode Island area. She volunteered as a graphic design intern at the Providence Children’s Museum and as a teaching assistant for Providence CityArts for Youth. She began her own visual arts studio, Rachel Brask Artworks, which is now located in Warren, RI. Her private work has included start-up business designs and painting commissions. Rachel is a member of the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative and the Graphic Artists Guild. When she is not designing, she can be found creating oil paintings rich in tone and texture at her studio and seeking ways to inspire youth to express themselves in artistic mediums. In 2009, Rachel accepted a position incorporating her love of working with children as a teacher for a before- and after-school program called Champions Extended Learning, where she continues to be involved.
Rachel loves good coffee, conversation and helping others. In April 2011, Rachel married her husband, Peter Hutchinson, an Upstate New York native and graduate of Houghton College, Department of Communications.
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The Foundation welcomes inquiries for internships, volunteering, and donated talents!
