Having spent most of her life engaged in music, Julie Schnepel, our Managing Director, finds that Light on the Hill offers the same quiet impulse to appreciate beauty and to engage with spirit in deep, meaningful, and creative ways. After receiving her Ph.D. in historical musicology at Indiana University and teaching for several years at Ithaca College, she found an outlet that allows her to use this background for service. For two decades, she has led the U.S. office of RILM, an international music resource. She is responsible for identifying all U.S. publications about music and writing abstracts for them. Music scholars depend on this resource for their research.
Julie was part of the community at St. Paul’s in Ithaca for many years, where she volunteered as chair of the Finance and Stewardship Committees (and, of course, sang in the choirs). When she joined the Board at Light on the Hill in 2016, she found herself again chairing the Finance Committee. Amazingly, she finds beauty, spirit, and creativity in reconciling accounts and creating budgets (which seem to require the same amount of practice as piano performance).
In 2003, Julie joined Hidden Treasure, and she became one of the primary teachers in the program for 14 years. This is how Julie found her spiritual home at Light on the Hill. Although she isn’t living on site as Managing Director, she experiences her drive from Ithaca and up Blake Hill Road as coming home. The other staff members, the Board, and the LOH community are part of her family.
Spiritual Director
The Co-Founders of Light on the Hill are husband and wife, Lawrence Muscat and Alice McDowell. Alice is the Spiritual Director and retreat guide.
Alice McDowell holds a PhD in theology from Fordham University and has taught religious studies at Ithaca College for 18 years. She has trained with energetic healers, humanistic and transpersonal psychologists, Sufi guides, and Christian contemplatives, and has guided people in their personal and spiritual journeys for over 30 years. She draws upon her diverse training and life experience to help others awaken to their true selves.
Alice has written two books: Hidden Treasure: How to Break Free of Five Patterns that Hide Your True Self and Dance of Light: Christian, Sufi and Zen Wisdom for Today’s Spiritual Seeker. You can read more about her here.
Alice’s recent interviews:
Lawrence Muscat, an ordained minister, is a student of the Mysteries, both ancient and modern.
Both Alice and Larry serve as members of the Board of Directors.
Board of Directors
Andrea J. Mooney, Chairperson, recently retired as a clinical professor at Cornell Law School, specializing in legal writing and child advocacy. She continues to practice law as an Attorney for the Child on the trial and appellate levels. She is an original co-author of Cornell’s “Therapeutic Crisis Intervention” curriculum, which is taught internationally and is now in its seventh edition.
Andrea has served on many local Boards of Directors, including Family & Children’s Service, the Youth Policy Institute, the Advocacy Center, and Citizens Concerned for Children. She is a 2016 graduate of the Hidden Treasure Program.
Mark Miller has worked for 23 years at San Diego Supercomputer Center, managing and directing a project that helps biologists study the physical evolution of life using large computers. He has also had a lifelong interest in the beauty that lies outside the realm of science. He is a member of the Hidden Treasure class of 2022. He says, “everything about the environment at Light on the Hill reinforces the mission of spiritual growth. I’m grateful that I can return ‘home’ to a place where I can hear myself think and interact productively with others. I believe deeply in the transformative power of Light on the Hill for all those who seek. I hope to use my experience as a project leader to help guide Light on the Hill towards a healthy and sustainable future as a resource for spiritual growth.”
Paige Morgan, Oboe and English horn, has performed as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician throughout the United States, Europe, Russia and Japan. She earned MM and DMA degrees from the Eastman School of Music, served as Professor of Oboe at Ithaca College for 23 years and performed and taught on the faculty of the Brevard Music Festival in Brevard, NC for 16 summers. She has also performed at Carnegie and Merkin Hall as chamber musician and soloist. She served as principal oboist with the Midland/Odessa Symphony and Charlottesville Symphonies and performed regularly with the Richmond Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Paige is also a trained Reiki Master, animal communicator and certified medium. She is a 2010 graduate of the Hidden Treasure program, and feels strongly this program opened her heart to new adventures and life-changing experiences.
Marlene Sack has a master’s degree in recreation and leisure studies from the University of Minnesota. Her undergraduate degree is in physical education, health and recreation. She spent much of her career with not-for-profit agencies such as the YWCA, Campfire Boys and Girls, and Cayuga Nature Center. Discovering she had a skill in administration, she spent the second part of her career as business manager for McCune, Ainslie and Associates Physical Therapy in Ithaca. She has been the financial secretary for First Baptist Church in DeWitt Park for the last 16 years and serves on the resource and the finance committees. She serves on the Finance Committee of the Board.
Her involvement with Light on the Hill has mainly been as a participant on retreat with the women of First Baptist Church at the lodge over the past 20 years. She enjoys the setting and the atmosphere created by the mission of LOH. The individual rooms and group spaces are a good mix for large group retreats.
Vince DeTuri is an Associate Dean at SUNY Cortland and previously taught Chemistry at Ithaca College for 19 years. He has served in many administrative roles in higher education and has enjoyed working with a diverse range of colleagues and students. He graduated from the Hidden Treasure program in 2020 and has been active in the Sangha for several years. Vince appreciates the mission of Light on the Hill and the opportunity it has given him to do inner work and live a more authentic life. Serving on the board brings a welcome opportunity to listen to challenges and find creative solutions to complex problems. Vince is a teacher at heart. Recently, he has found a passion for teaching Tai Chi. He is a 14th generation direct lineage holder of Chen style Tai Chi and 3rd Duan belt rank.
Linda K. Nicholson is a professor of biochemistry and biophysics at Cornell University, in the department of Molecular Biology & Genetics where she currently serves as the department’s Leader of Diversity & Inclusion. Her research focuses on understanding how specific proteins act as molecular switches to regulate the timing of biological events.
Her current work includes projects on Alzheimer’s disease and lateral root development in rice. Linda is a 2017 graduate of the Hidden Treasure Program.
Michael J. Sullivan has held executive leadership positions in both local government and not-for-profit organizations, inclusive of long term care, health care and higher education for more than four decades. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and an MBA, both from Syracuse University.
Michael was on the initial Board of Directors at Light on the Hill when it was established as a not-for-profit organization more than thirty years ago and is a member of the Hidden Treasure 2022 class.
