Fall Gala 2018
Honoree Elizabeth Peale Allen
Elizabeth Peale Allen was born in Olean, NY, the youngest of three children born to Dr. and Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale. She was raised in New York City, where she attended Friends Seminary, and later graduated from Mt. Holyoke College. The Peales had a home on Quaker Hill since 1944 so Pawling, New York has been central to Liz’s entire life.
In 1965, Liz and her late husband John Milton Allen, a former vice president of Reader’s Digest, moved to Pawling. Together, the Allens raised six children – John M. Allen, Cindy Allen, Jenny Allen, Rebecca Ehrhardt, Katie Berlandi, and Andrew Allen. Liz currently has 13 grandchildren.
Liz currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Guideposts, the publishing and inspirational ministry reaching millions of lives every day through products and services that inspire, encourage, and uplift. Liz is current chair of the Blanton-Peale Institute and Counseling Center in NYC and serves on the board of Americares, the global health, humanitarian, and disaster relief organization based in Stamford, Connecticut. She also serves on the Hudson Valley Advisory Council of M&T Bank. For more than 30 years, Liz served as a trustee, later as vice president, and currently is president of the Board of Trustees of Trinity-Pawling School. She has had a long association with the Akin Hall Association and serves as its chair. Liz’s service to her beloved Pawling and surrounding area has included serving on the Pawling Planning Board, Christ Church on Quaker Hill Council, and Quaker Hill Country Club Board. She is a founding board member of the Christ Church on Quaker Hill Nursery School. Liz currently serves on the board of the Pawling Resource Center.
“Service is in the DNA of the Peale family. My first opportunity came in 1967 when I was invited to serve on Pawling’s Planning Board. I knew nothing about planning but I learned quickly and eventually became chair. That experience started me on a lifetime of service. I have felt deeply gratified to make a difference, and I’ve met the most interesting people along the way.”
To balance a full-time career dedicated to service, Liz enjoys gardening, reading, travel, and nurturing deep friendships. Liz is appreciative for every opportunity she has had to support the remarkable Town of Pawling. “I love hearing from people who exclaim about our town. Yes, our scenery and the environment are lovely, but it’s the people who make Pawling so special.”
November 18, 2018