Alumni Notes

Jamie Byron has been an exceptional leader for Park's alumni over the past five years, and we are grateful for all her great work. She leaves Park this June to begin a new opportunity at The Rhodes Trust. Best wishes, Jamie!

A Note About Park’s Class Year Designations Since Park's founding in 1888, the number of grades offered and the graduation year or final year have varied. The School had a ninth grade program for nearly 50 years (1967–2016) and, for all classes that graduated prior to 2016, we assigned our alumni a class year based on their Grade 9 year. Therefore, all members of pre-2016 classes are listed by their Grade 9 designation, whether or not there was a ninth grade during their time at Park. The Class of 2016 includes both the Grade 8 and Grade 9 classes who graduated that year. Beginning with the Class of 2017, Park began assigning a class year based on the eighth grade year.

Jerri Godfrey Paul writes, “Not too much to say. Enjoying what is left of my life with husband, Harry Paul, in a ground floor apartment at an independent living facility in Titusville, FL. Growing tomatoes and feeding songbirds adds to our pleasure.”

Class Representative Natalie Park Schutz

In Mattapoisett, Vera Corverse Gibbons continues to work in real estate and enjoys her eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Class Representative Bob Bray

Class Representative Buzz Gagnebin

Buzz Gagnebin shared that he is now retired, and his hobbies include sailing and music. Buzz was playing his father’s tenor banjo since he could hold it, and then added a five string in 1959 when he heard the Kingston Trio. He started playing the piano in 1964 at MIT, has played the fiddle since 2000, and played in a local contradance band!

Judith Chapman keeps dairy goats on the northwest coast of California, and uses their milk for “making lots of delicious cheese.” Bonnie Bonnet Akins tells us that after Park she went on to Milton Academy, followed by Goucher and Katharine Gibbs. After working as the assistant to the Headmaster at Park, she went on to volunteer for many organizations and serve in town government. Bonnie lives in Dover where she continues to be involved in local government. Her hobbies include music, tennis, gardening, cooking, reading, and cheering on Harvard Football!

This fall, Ruth Vose shared, “I am still writing poetry. Our granddaughter is a freshman at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, majoring in classics. I am excited that my long-ago two years of Latin at Park will help me keep up with her Latin studies and classical adventures, including a dig this summer.”

Roger Nott attended Park 1952–1957 (Grade 2 to Grade 6) and shared, “I loved my time at Park and my classmates and teachers. After three years…in the Boston city schools, which were overcrowded and dismal, Park saved me. I had hated public school… [but] I loved school at Park and flourished there.”

Class Representative Amy Lampert

Class Representative Wigs Frank

Class Representative Davis Rowley

Class Representative Anne Singer

Congratulations to Paul Ayoub on several exciting accomplishments: He was appointed to serve as chair of the national Board of Governors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as a co-chair of the 2021 International WELL Building Institution Health Equity Advisors, was honored by the Boston Real Estate Times with its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021, and was named by Boston Magazine as a “Top Lawyer” in the publication’s first annual list of the region’s elite lawyers. Congratulations, Paul! Natalie Ziegler is running as a Democrat for the Maryland House of Delegates. The three candidates for the two seats will face off in the primary on July 19th. Check out her website: www.NatalieforDelegate.com.

Class Representative Needed!

Class Representative Needed!

We were very excited to learn about a recent book by David Michaelis. Eleanor, published by Simon & Schuster in 2020, was a New York Times bestseller and provides a portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt, America’s longest-serving first lady. Congratulations, David! Amy Usen shared, “I went to Park School in 1960. Sadly, we moved to Weston from Hancock Village, Brookline. Betsy Perry Ball was my teacher and she said I got an "A" in the sandbox….I wish I had stayed at Park.”

Class Representative Vicky Hall Kehlenbeck

Class Representative Needed!

Thanks to Lalla Carothers ’79 for sending us this photo of Park friends at a Groton mini-reunion in Chatham last summer. Pictured from left to right are Lalla, Caroline Perera Barry ’79, and Bunny Forbes Hickey ’78.

Class Representative Rick Berenson

After 19 years as a film critic for The Boston Globe, Ty Burr has an exciting new chapter! Check out Ty’s recommendations in his new movie newsletter: tyburrswatchlist.substack.com

Class Representatives Margaret Smith Bell Rodger Cohen

Class Representatives Colin McNay Bill Sullivan

Class Representative Tenney Mead Cover

Class Representative Sam Solomon

Class Representative Needed!

Class Representatives Lalla Carothers Sally Solomon

Caroline Perera Barry is a special education teacher for the New York City Department of Education, but took on a new role as her school’s library teacher this past fall. “I am really enjoying introducing my students (who have severe emotional differences and/or autism) to the resources in the library. I often think back to the amazing library space in the “new” Park School and to the creative and dynamic librarians who worked there. Willa, a golden retriever puppy, joined my family in February. She is a yellow furball of energy and I’m spending my February school vacation trying to teach her to be a good citizen. It is much harder than I remember!” Sally Solomon works at Northeastern University, where she has worn a number of hats. Currently, she is the senior coordinator of student support in academic student affairs for the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. She continues to see Tony Mack and Maggie Remensnyder locally, and is connected with many from the Class of 1979 on Facebook. Sally has spent some time during the COVID pandemic getting good at cryptograms, working on jigsaw puzzles, and running 10Ks. Sally writes that she and her husband are doing well. “His late-octogenarian parents outpace us, which is both embarrassing and delightful. For these gifts, I am thankful. Also thankful for Wordle, Worldle, Nerdle, and Absurdle.”

á Stay in touch with friends! á Gather class news for the Bulletin! á Help to plan your reunion!

Please reach out to the Alumni Office at 617-274-6022 or alumni@parkschool.org

Class Representative Needed!

Congratulations to Joe Kahn, who will take the reins of The New York Times as its next executive editor in June.

Class Representatives Matt Carothers Alex Mehlman

Class Representative Allison Nash Mael

Nicole Dokton Dunn has been living in Australia since 2017. She and her husband, Jason, started a real estate company, realIT properties, located in The Redlands, an area just outside of Brisbane. She writes, “It is going well, though times are tough in this new COVID era. Our son, Ethan….is in year 12 and is an extremely talented guitarist and songwriter. I won’t be able to make Reunion this year as we will be returning stateside…[this summer] to match up with Ethan’s vacation break. Hope you all have a blast and would love to see photos and hear what everyone is up to. If any of you venture down under would love for you to say hello.”

Class Representatives Lisa Livens Freeman Elise Mott

Juliet Siler Eastland shares, “After time away in California and New York, I’m back full circle in Brookline... very close to Park! Raising two wonderful children, ages 13 and 17, with my husband, and working as a freelance writer. After a child-related hiatus, I’m delighted to be getting back to playing jazz piano (I played a lot of classical at Park, but have since found my true love). Have long been involved in ‘issues,’ but got serious in 2018, and now volunteer and do communications for Sister District Project, an incredible, national grassroots group committed to building sane, humane, progressive power in state legislatures. Happy to natter on about this to anyone interested! Jamie Mann and Leigh Kaufman, where are you?”

Thank you to former faculty member Phil Gambone for sharing this great picture of his then-sixth grade students (now, esteemed members of the Class of 1981)! Pictured from left to right are Owen Lamont, Sam Hurlbut, Phil Gambone, Chris Cabot, and Susan Hewitt.

Class Representative Anne Collins Goodyear

Class Representative Katrina Newbury

Class Representative Jay Livens

Class Representatives Mary Sarah Fairweather Geoffrey Glick

This winter, the Alumni Office asked for updates before Reunion in May and we heard from several classmates. Amy Saltonstall says, “Although I’m no longer a Park parent, I continue to work at Park teaching Grade 8 math and coaching field hockey and lacrosse. My girls are both at Milton and enjoying the freedom that comes with being their own transportation!” Christina McGinnes McCormick writes, “My family is doing well and looking forward to getting back to a new normal as things start to open up. Both kids are great and still loving their respective schools: Finlay is in 9th grade at Newton Country Day and Leyton is in 6th at Charles River School. Recently I’ve become reunited with Christina Udelson Knopp through our daughters’ school auction. She and I are both volunteering with behind-the-scenes work and have enjoyed sharing a few Park memories and laughs.” Mary Sarah Baker Fairweather told us, “Sam, Julep (our adopted dog and the center of our lives), and I continue to enjoy living in Columbus, Ohio where I work for the ASPCA at the Cruelty Recovery Center. We frequently connect with Rob Colby ’89 and reminisce about our time at Park.” In February, Jenna Glasser sent a note from a sunny, windy palapa porch in Loreto, Mexico, where she “ran away for two weeks to celebrate [her] 50th (gulp) birthday with some friends.” Jenna shared, “It’s been a great break from the cold snowy mountains where I live in Mammoth Lakes, CA. That said, I’m excited to get back to skiing by the end of next week! I quit my corporate job a year ago and did a

At last year’s Virtual Reunion, Park was honored to present the Alumni Service Award to David Glynn ’91. This award is given by the School to a member of the alumni community in recognition of their dedicated service to Park. Since joining Park’s Alumni Committee in 2011, the School and its alumni have been the appreciative beneficiaries of Dave’s involvement for the past decade. Dave’s thoughtful and engaging leadership style was quickly recognized by his peers, and he served as Alumni Annual Fund Co-Chair from 2016–18, and immediately stepped into the role of Alumni Committee Co-Chair from 2018–20. The School is grateful for the important and energizing perspective that Dave brought to these roles. His collaborative nature, with a constant openness to collecting ideas and soliciting feedback, has helped to elevate the Alumni Committee to a new level. In addition to his work with the Alumni Committee, Park has been fortunate for Dave’s service as a Park parent (Tatum, Grade 7, and Maura, Grade 6). Alongside wife, Betsy, Dave served as a Class Representative in 2015–16. As a long-standing leader on Park’s Alumni Committee, Dave exemplifies thoughtful and innovative collaboration. We are grateful for Dave’s service to The Park School. Thank you, Dave!

contract job for a year. Just got my SHRM certification the week before coming down here so I’m about to start a shift in career/job search when I get home. Hope everyone is well!” Annie Burton Lankford graduates this May with her Master of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology in Denver. After passing her board exams, Annie wrote, “I will be commissioned as a provisional elder in the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church on June 1. I received a new appointment…and will be the senior pastor of Farmington United Methodist Church [in Northwest Arkansas] beginning July 1.” Congratulations, Annie!

Class Representative Liza Cohen Gates

Class Representatives Dahlia Aronson Ehrenfried Ian Glick Rebecca Lewin Scott

Class Representatives Zachary Cherry Alexander Rabinsky

Class Representative Jim O’Keefe

Class Representative Needed!

Class Representatives Jessica Ko Beck Jaime Quiros Alison Ross

Class Representatives Alan Bern Aba Taylor

Congratulations to Elizabeth Mitchell who welcomed daughter Nia-Grace on January 7, 2022.

From L to R: Congratulations to Annie Burton Lankford ’87 who will be commissioned as a provisional elder in the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church on June 1; Mary Sarah Baker Fairweather ’87 is currently living in Columbus, OH and working for the ASPCA at the Cruelty Recovery Center.

Class Representatives Lilla Curran Nelson Matthew Stahl

Class Representatives Kathrene Tiffany Bell Nick Brescia Merrill Hawkins Katayoun Shahrokhi

Class Representatives Sarah Conway Suzy McManmon Sarah Robbat Primavera

Did you tune into the Tokyo Olympics and watch Stuart McNay competing in the men’s two-person dinghy (470) event? Congratulations, Stuart!

Class Representatives Meg Lloyd Sarah Swettberg

In 2022, Astrid Levis-Thorne Burns joined Powell Fine Art Advisory as a senior art advisor. Powell Fine Art Advisory provides art consulting and advisory services for collectors of modern and contemporary art across all media including paintings, drawings, original prints, photography and sculpture—feel free to reach out to Astrid for art advice at astrid@powellfineartadvisory.com or visit www.powellfineartadvisory.com.

Class Representatives Colin Arnold Susanna Whitaker Waters Elizabeth Weyman

Congratulations to Susanna Whitaker Waters, who welcomed Camilla Miles Waters on October 27, 2021!

Class Representative Jessica Whitman Seney

We were excited to learn that “The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming,” a major exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum on view from September 2021–March 2022 featured the work of fashion designer Alexander McQueen and our very own Frances Denny! For the show, Frances displayed photographs from her book Major Arcana: Portraits of Witches in America. Congratulations, Frances!

Class Representative Ben Bullitt

Alumni who wrestled while at Park will be glad to know that the School’s wrestling mats, which needed to be relocated due to renovation, will become an integral part of a program led by José Valenzuela ’00. José is the cofounder and vice-chair of Beat the Streets New England (BSNE), a youth development organization which uses wrestling to help kids in Boston and Providence, as well as Hartford in the near future.

José credits wrestling—the sport as well as his coaches and teammates—with helping him gain confidence and strive for greater goals on and off the mat. José got his start wrestling at Park with Coach Bill Bourne, and went on to coach here himself in 2008. After finishing his wrestling career at Williams College, he returned to Boston to teach history in the Boston Public Schools. Recognizing that his students needed further mentoring and coaching, José founded Boston Youth Wrestling in 2009. BSNE is the result of a merger between Boston Youth Wrestling and Beat the Streets Providence. Currently operating in public and charter schools in Boston, Lynn, and Providence, BSNE serves approximately 1,000 students per year, offering free wrestling training, academic skill development, competition, and college and career exploration. José believes that wrestling can serve as a great tool to supplement what students gain through academics, and that coaches serve as positive mentors. The organization’s Coach-InTraining Program even allows more senior students to serve as coaches themselves.

Thank you to Director of Athletics Bob Little for facilitating this connection, and to José for leading the important work of Beat the Streets New England.

Milly Waters (daughter of Susanna Whitaker Waters ’99) joined the world just in time to celebrate her first Halloween with siblings Ainsley (the zombie!) and Callum (the tiger!)

After an “at-home” Clambake in 2020—in partnership with Andrew Taylor ’96 and his team at Eventide Oyster Co—we were so excited to welcome many alumni, faculty, families, and friends back to campus for this year’s Alumni Clambake! On a perfect Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a wonderful summer lunch by Little Neck Clambake Co. on the Faulkner Field, and loved catching up with alumni spanning several decades at Park. Though the donut-eating contest was on hiatus as a COVID precaution, our youngest guests found lots of other ways to get in on the Clambake fun. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Thank you to Hanna Atwood ’06 for her partnership on this winter’s Well-Being Workshop! As we turned the corner into 2022, Hanna led a special workshop focused on the six pillars of health: nutrition, meditation, movement, sleep, emotional well-being, and self-care. Participants left the workshop with strategies to enhance their wellbeing in these areas in 2022. It was a great way to start the year!

Thank you to the alumni, faculty, and friends who braved the cold for this year’s Alumni Fete! (The event was originally slated for February but was postponed due to the Omicron spike.) This year, we gathered at Trillium-Fenway for an indoor/outdoor event, and enjoyed delicious food from Sam’s Spot Catering. It was great to see alumni spanning six decades in attendance—we are already looking forward to next year!

This spring, a group of high-school aged alumni met virtually with the Class of 2022 and their families about the transition to secondary school. The eighth graders submitted questions beforehand and the older students shared their experiences about academics, athletics, and making friends. A special thanks to this year’s panelists for sharing their experience: Tess Bierly ’18 (Buckingham Browne & Nichols), Audrey Kim ’19 (Noble and Greenough), Joey Potter ’19 (Boston University Academy), Ava Scheibler ’18 (Milton Academy), Rebecca Shaff ’18 (Needham High School), Isaiah Solomon ’19 (Cambridge School of Weston), and Will Tran ’18 (Concord Academy).

It was great to see many of our recent alumni for Cookies & Cocoa this holiday season! Though we couldn’t gather indoors for the traditional Young Alumni Bagel Breakfast event, high school- and college-aged alumni caught up on the Faulkner House patio—on an unseasonably warm December morning!—with holiday treats and games. Then, we joined the entire school community on the Main Field, where we ushered in Winter Break with a sing-a-long including Park favorites like “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” and “Light One Candle.” Thank you to all of the alumni who joined us!