RW honors Whitney Aldrich with O’Dell Award, adds new board members
April 8, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout 
Revitalizing Waterbury board member Krister Adams with Whitney Aldrich, recipient of the 2023 Kathy O'Dell Community Service Award at the RW annual meeting at Zenbarn. Photo courtesy Revitalizing Waterbury
Revitalizing Waterbury held its annual meeting at Zenbarn on April 4 where it named Whitney Aldrich as the recipient of its annual Kathy O’Dell Community Service Award for 2023 and added new members to its board of directors.
Aldrich is owner of Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery and a former member of the RW board.
“Whitney is a fearless cheerleader for Waterbury, its local businesses and art,” said RW Board President Julie Frailey. “As the owner of Axel’s Frame Shop & Gallery, Whitney features local and regional artists as well as hosts school art shows providing opportunities for area students to view and learn from artists’ work.”
Alrich has been contributing to the local arts scene for years. For example, the popular summertime Music in the Alley events on Stowe Street are one of her projects.
Aldrich also was a “driving force” behind the creation of the local nonprofit MakerSphere community arts organization as a founding board member, Frailey noted. Through MakerSphere, she helped organize the community to make masks and face shields at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She has worked on multiple public art projects including the effort that resulted in the addition of the Waterbury Special Train sculpture to the Main Street railroad bridge and most recently the Phoenix Rising mural on Stowe Street installed in 2021. To continue such efforts, Aldrich helped found the nonprofit Waterbury Arts group, which focuses on public art in the community.
“Her support of Revitalizing Waterbury is extensive,” Frailey said, “including serving on the Waterbury Arts Fest planning committee, the Waterbury Rail Art Project committee, and recently as a board member for a three-year term."
The Kathy O’Dell Community Service Award is given by Revitalizing Waterbury in recognition of a business or individual who gives back to the community. It’s named in memory of RW founding member Kathy O’Dell, who served as the organization’s first president in 1991 and passed away in 2005.
Revitalizing Waterbury Executive Director Karen Nevin said the organization was pleased to bestow the award on Aldrich. “She is joining a special list of community members who put Waterbury first in their work and life. Waterbury is grateful to have her as a friend and neighbor,” Nevin said.
In addition to the award presentation, the organization added two new members to its board of directors at its annual meeting. Nevin said the board recently decided to expand the board to 11 members.
Added to the board were Colin Pomer and Lindsay Sullivan. Pomer is a financial planner and co-owner of Waterbury Functional Fitness gym. Sullivan is a designer and small business consultant.
New Revitalizing Waterbury Board of Directors member Colin Pomer. Courtesy photo
New Revitalizing Waterbury Board of Directors member Lindsay Sullivan. Courtesy photo
Revitalizing Waterbury is a nonprofit community development organization that works to preserve and promote the economic, historic and social vitality of Waterbury.
More information is online at revitalizingwaterbury.org.