OLLI’s new president, Leonard (Lenny) Tabs, and his wife, Ellen, got involved with OLLI after they moved from Manhattan to West Stockbridge in 2008. Lenny has led the Headlines current events discussion group each spring and fall since 2009. His faithful following appreciates his depth of knowledge, wry humor and ability to draw out a broad range of opinions. He has also served on the OLLI board since 2014.

Now, having stepped up to the president’s chair, Lenny will draw on his knowledge of the organization’s membership and programming challenges as well as his professional and administrative experience. Before retiring in 2006, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Fortunoff, the legendary retail company, where he served for 25 years.

“I took the [OLLI] job because I feel I can be the bridge to a newer and better OLLI, one faced with demographic challenges,” Lenny says. Those challenges include, he says, increasing membership by attracting baby-boomers as they retire and move to the Berkshires. He also wants to “improve our technology with a newer and more robust, interactive website.” Working with OLLI’s executive director, Megan Whilden, he also wants to “adopt new pathways of outreach.”

Lenny and his wife have made many friends through OLLI, and he hopes to develop new ways OLLI members can make new friends through a wider scope of OLLI activities including special events, social events and course offerings.

“OLLI members and other Berkshire residents have interesting backgrounds and can further enrich our curriculum and programming,” Lenny says. He greatly appreciates OLLI’s successful academic partnerships, as well as all its cultural partners. He feels “passion for the role OLLI has played” in his own life and wants to ensure that it continues to benefit others.