Emily Rubin, Author, Writing Instructor, Breast Cancer Survivor

Emily Rubin is an author, writing instructor and breast cancer survivor. She founded and runs the Write Treatment Workshops in NYC and upstate NY cancer centers. Her debut novel, Stalina (2011 HMH/Mariner Books), was a selection in the Amazon Debut Novel Award Contest. She is a recipient of a NYSCA 2022 Literary Arts grant, the Sarah Verdone Writer’s Award, a finalist in the International Literary Awards, and a Pushcart Prize nominee.  Her short stories and essays have appeared in journals including Good Works Review, Litbreak, Confrontation, Poets & Writers, The Smart Set and All the Restaurants in New York by John Donohue.   She has taught fiction for Bard College’s LifeTime Learning Institute and Columbia University’s Narrative Medicine Program. Rubin lives in Columbia County with her husband, Leslie Baum and doggie, Sebastian.  http://emilyrubin.net

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
Emily Rubin’s Write Treatment Workshops (founded 2011) are writing workshops that engage cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers in the craft of writing as a creative and therapeutic practice. The workshops are a place where people affected by cancer can gather to process illness, as well as take a break from the rigors of treatment by exploring personal history through guided writing prompts. For this event Rubin will tell her story of cancer and writing, the history of the workshops, present writings of former participants from the Write Treatment Anthology Vol. 1 and the soon to be published Vol. 2. She will also engage the group to write together from a prompt, and then share what they have written. 

M.H.A Thibeault, Professional Chef

Chef M.H. A Thibeault has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in NYC, she studied under eminent chefs Alain Sailhac and Jacques Pepin. She was Executive Chef for Mood Food, which under her leadership garnered a spot on New York Magazine’s Top Ten list. After spending a few years in the kitchen, she was recruited to be the Director of Special Events for RDC & The Destination Group. Chef Michelle produced hundreds of events for NYC’s elite clientele. She eventually went out on her own and started Innovative Events, a boutique luxury event planning and catering companies in NYC and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. She was a Trustee Member of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and was recognized for her charitable work for the Jacksonville Chapter of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Returning to upstate New York as the Director of Banquet & Convention Services at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany, New York . She became the Director of the hotel’s wine program and then transitioned to Food & Beverage Director. 

In 2009 M.H.A. Thibeault was a Founding Director and served for several years as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the “Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival: Wine & Dine for the Arts”, who’s mission is to promote and enhance Albany by highlighting and marketing its’ chefs and innovative cuisine and to provide sustainable funding to the downtown arts community. The Festival raised over $1.1M for the Arts in Albany during her tenure. Chef M.H.A.T has made a commitment to help build a better community.  Her numerous charitable endeavors include serving as Exec. Director for Dance Crazy, serving on the board of directors for the Stakeholders Foundation, supporting yearly campaigns for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society including being a 2013 Woman of the Year Candidate, LunaFest to benefit Sjogren’s Syndrome Foundation, founding the Meil Fleur Societé, annual fundraisers for Yono’s Scholarship Foundation and for the Albany Barn. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Albany & Electric City Barns.

MHA Innovations was founded in 2010 to provide public relations, marketing, brand management and hospitality management resources to the hospitality industry. She was a 2013 finalist for the Mark of Excellence Award, 2014 Jefferson Award recipient for extraordinary public service, and was named the 2014 Albany Arts Ambassador.

In 2017 Chef M.H.A. Thibeault decided to return to the kitchen to provide distinctive events and private chef services to the Saratoga & Greater Capital Region merging those services with MHA Innovations to create Chef MHAT LLC. To better serve our clients, Chef MHAT has added a full line of rental equipment to be used exclusively for our clients.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: 
Join us over lunch for a cooking demonstration and nutrition talk. You will learn how to put together a balanced meal that is not only delicious, but also nutritious!