Ana R. Daniel Secures Place In Bay Street History

When Ana R. Daniel announced her retirement from the Bay Street Board of Trustees at the end of last year, the vote was unanimous. They would create the role of Chair Emeritus in her honor.

Daniel, who served two terms — the first from 1991 to 2004, and again from 2013 to 2015 — led the way for Bay Street to grow and prosper, according to a press release. She began her involvement with the Sag Harbor theater when it was just a glimmer in the eyes of founders Emma Walton-Hamilton, Steve Hamilton and Sybil Christopher, and with her business, non-profit and finance background, she helped form and lead a board comprised of philanthropists, artists and theater lovers, including Julie Andrews, Lionel Pincus, Joanna Rose, Elaine Steinbeck and Marty Richards, to name a few. She was also responsible for hiring and mentoring Bay Street’s current executive director, Tracy Mitchell.

Her own philanthropy was never limited to just Bay Street, and she currently remains on the boards of Pianofest in the Hamptons and The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival. In her free time, Daniel enjoys travel, creative writing, history, foreign language study, and spending time with her family.

“I am so grateful for all that Ana has done for Bay Street over the years,” said Steve Todrys, the current chair of the Bay Street Board of Trustees. “Without her tireless efforts, I doubt that Bay Street would be the leading regional theater and community cultural center that it is today. Personally, I want to thank her for all of the guidance she has given me as I have stepped into the role she so ably performed for so many years. I will continue to reach out to Ana for advice as Bay Street moves forward.”