Simeon Manber, executive pastry chef at Connie’s Bakery in Mount Kisco, NY, recently spoke about his admiration for the bakery’s owner, Connie Milstein, and the sense of fulfillment gained by helping others in the local community. Connie’s Bakery is a socially-responsible bakery and gift shop located about an hour north of Manhattan in Mount Kisco. The bakery’s second location, which opened in 2006, is located in the main lobby of the Northern Westchester Hospital. Both stores, which specialize in hand-made cookies, cakes, pies, and tarts, aim to make as much money as possible – just to give it all away. One-hundred percent of the bakeries’ net profits are distributed to six different partner charities each year.

Chef Manber has worked at Connie’s Bakery since the store opened seven years ago. The job was perfect for the Culinary Institute of America graduate, allowing him to combine his love of baking with his passion for social work. Each year, Manber selects an individual to work in the shop as part of a one-year, full-time baking apprenticeship. Over the course of the year, the apprentice will not only learn the finer points of baking and pastry preparation, but will also learn skills like time management, business management and self confidence. Manber works with these employees at the end of their apprenticeships to find jobs at a higher level in the food service industry.

This commitment to philanthropy and service on behalf of Connie’s Bakery comes in part from the bakeries’ owner. Connie Milstein works in New York City’s real estate and property development industry as an attorney and senior business executive. In addition to Connie’s Bakery, Milstein is a well-known philanthropist and patron of education, arts and sciences. She is active on a number of boards including Blue Star Families, the Humpty Dumpty Institute and Medical Missions for Children.

For more information, visit the Connie’s Bakery website or view the bakeries’ menu.

Connie Milstein and the other members of the Blue Star Families Board of Directors recently added several new members and appointed Blue Star Families founder and chairman, Kathy Roth-Douquet, as Chief Executive Officer.

Kathy has written several books on the subject of advocacy on behalf of military families, including AWOL, The Unexcused Absence of America’s Upper Classes from Military Service and How It Hurts the Country and How Free People Move Mountains. She also dedicates her time as a spokesperson and advocate for Blue Star Families and has served as a former Clinton White House and Pentagon appointee.

Laura Dempsey, former Blue Star Families Vice Chairman and Secretary, replaced Kathy as the foundation’s Chairman of the Board. A civil rights attorney, Laura has been writing about military family issues since 2005 and has served as a consultant on military family issues.

The board also voted Kate Howard and Les Brownlee as new board directors. Kate will also serve Blue Star Farms as secretary following Laura’s promotion. Most recently, Kate has served as Senior Adviser to the Afghan Ministry of Finance in Kabul and brings experience in institutional capacity development, donor coordination, strategic planning and needs assessments and evaluations to her new role at to Blue Star Families. Les Brownlee served as the 27^th Under Secretary of the Army and Acting Secretary of the Army between 2003 and 2004. His 18-month reign made him the longest-serving Acting Secretary in the Army’s history.