Michael Cohen and Rudy Pawul have joined the all-volunteer board of directors for Northampton-based International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI).
“We welcome Michael and Rudy to ILI,” said board president Eric Wirth. “Their backgrounds and experiences bring a wealth of skills and knowledge to support ILI’s work, including high-quality language instruction and teacher training, free English classes for immigrants and refugees, and volunteer opportunities throughout the Pioneer Valley.”
With a strong commitment to healthy living, Cohen founded Lightlife Foods, Inc. in 1979. He served as Lightlife’s CEO until 2000, when he and his wife sold the company. In 2003, he retired. In addition to his work on the ILI board, Michael is a former member of the board of directors for the Food Bank of Western MA and finance chair and treasurer of the Northampton Survival Center’s board of directors.
Pawul is the director of IT Infrastructure and Enterprise Support for ISO New England. He manages and provides strategic vision for software applications and data centers that allow ISO New England to carry out its mission. While earning his M.S. at UMASS-Amherst, he participated in hurricane hunter flights and traveled to the Arctic to study the effects of climate change on the Greenland ice sheet.
“Michael brings the spirit of entrepreneurship grounded in hard work, and Rudy adds experienced knowledge of business-oriented digital worlds to our board,” said ILI executive director Caroline Gear. “It is a privilege to have them help carry out ILI’s mission.”
