Blue Stone Press, February 21, 2025 – Page 2

Q&A with the folks next door

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Name: Manuela Michailescu

Profession: Retired marketing/advertising executive

Age: 74

Town of Rochester

What brought you to the area originally?

We moved to Kerhonkson in 2001. The huge rent increase for our Fifth Avenue office was the main motivation, but our love for antiques and country auctions played a role too. No wonder we built and opened the Old Brick House antique store in 2007.

Tell us about your family?

I was born in Communist Romania, where I could not wear even once the cross I had since my baptism. Based on an anonymous accusation, my father was arrested in the middle of the night when I was 9 years old. To honor my Dad being a political prisoner I keep my maiden name – Mihailescu – in his memory. Both my parents were doctors and both passed away in their 60s. I got the love for photography from my father, who taught me and my sister how to develop photos in a dark room built in the attic of our Bucharest home.

I emigrated to the United States in 1980 and I was granted political asylum; the same year I and Jon Dogar-Marinesco – Romania’s top cartoonist when leaving the country in 1978 – got married. We met while staging a play at Children’s Theater in Bucharest. We were blessed with an incredible love story while working together as business partners for almost 50 years.

What did or do you do for a living?

My first job in America was as a typesetter and I witnessed in eight years the evolution and disappearance of typesetting machines. In 1987, as a student at Baruch College/CUNY, I won the First Prize Award in the Philip Morris Marketing/Communication competition. In 1988, after getting an MBA in Marketing/Advertising, I joined Point Blank Inc., an advertising agency Jon had previously founded and which specialized in travel advertising. Among our clients were the National Tourist Offices of Malta, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, cruise lines and airlines. After September 11, 2001 international travel took a severe beating, so we had to close Point Blank. Since 2007 we enjoyed selling antiques at the Old Brick House until Covid hit… We aim to re-open the shop this summer.

You have been a Councilwoman, involved in the Town of Rochester in a variety of ways, can you elaborate on that?

During my years as Councilwoman (from January 2008 till December 2011) I loved most being the Town Board Liaison to the Youth Commission and to the Historic Preservation Commission. I believe I’ve made a difference in those roles.

I wanted to give a voice to the Youth Commission, so I participated to all meetings (like no other Councilperson before), joined the kids for celebrations and field trips, recorded everything by taking photos that could be seen on my old blog BeingManuela.com. I enjoyed working extremely well with Carol Dennin, the Director of the Recreation Department at that time, who asked me to promise that after the end of my term as Councilwoman I would become a member of the Youth Commission. I kept my promise and this is why I continue to be involved for 17 years now with the recently re-named Senior and Youth Recreation Commission (as member, Secretary for a number of years, and also as Vice Chair starting this year).

The Historic Preservation Commission was in charge of creating the town’s Veterans Park. My husband Jon Dogar-Marinesco, a member of the HPC, designed the park and supervised its completion; this fact is unknown and I hope it would be brought to light this year, when, on Memorial Day, we mark 15 years from the groundbreaking of the Veterans Park. Getting the Veterans Park done constituted a serious, long struggle and all volunteers working on the project deserve recognition.

My dream as Liaison to these commissions was to have the two of them work together. This collaboration didn’t happen during the years I was a Town Board member but it’s done at the present time, when a great “trio” of wonder women (Ashley Sweeney and Bethany Dennin, as Director and Assistant Director of the Recreation Department plus Kate Gundberg, Town Clerk and Town Historian) joined forces to create amazing town events, like Heritage Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, paint classes, wreath-creating workshops, etc., all offering me great photo opportunities! Readers of Blue Stone Press probably recall seeing my photos published, thank you…

You were just named official town photographer, talk about that?

In January 2024, before the Town Board’s organizational meeting, then Councilwoman, now Town Supervisor Erin Enouen asked me if I agree to be named official town photographer as a sign of appreciation for participating to town events, for recording and documenting them. This made me really happy and of course I agreed. This January I was reappointed to the same position; the announcement is now visible on the town’s new website, launched on January 28th.

Regarding photography — I was always fascinated by capturing the authenticity of different moments. While working at the Children’s Theater in Bucharest I was going to most rehearsals to discover what happens behind the scenes. I love being around people and recording our town’s wonderful events.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Well… I take photos and more photos, wherever I go, at town and also church events; I’m simply a “photo maniac.” I post photos on some websites according to their themes, do some gardening, watch movies – an old passion, as I was a theater/film critic in native Romania – and tennis matches, a newer passion.