Rena Baskin earned a degree in psychology and worked as a research assistant in that field and as a women’s health care counselor. A life-long passion for music and theater led her to audition and enroll as a student at Boston Conservatory, and to pursue various private teachers in the performing arts field. She has an ongoing career as an actor, singer, voiceover artist, and professional spokesperson. Her longest run (and still running) is her work as a narrator at WGBH for Descriptive Video Service, helping make movies and public TV series accessible to blind and visually impaired audiences. The last 15 years have seen her combine her communication and acting skills in medical settings to help train palliative care teams in serious illness conversation skills.
Rena’s father was an independent businessman and a staunch supporter of the local independent business community in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Like her dad she is a political activist, so she initiated and helped found Belmont-Watertown Local First. Although that organization is no longer active, she continues to support local first endeavors. Many years ago Rena had the pleasure of working with Rachel Solem, serving as interim ED for Cambridge Local First for serveral months, and she feels honored to work with CLF again as a member of their Advisory Board.