school news
Calhoun Welcomes New Trustees At its annual dinner in June, Calhoun’s Board welcomed four new members while honoring the service of three departing trustees. Among those leaving are Brooke Parish, whose daughter Grace graduated this spring, and Dorian Herron. Alum parent Karen Segal, whose children, Xander and Rebecca, graduated in 2009 and 2012 respectively, is leaving after having served six years on the Board—some of which were as vice chair. The Calhoun community owes them each a great deal of gratitude for their deep commitment to our school. New Trustees joining Calhoun’s Board include: Michael Conboy Michael brings financial experience and enthusiasm to his new role on Calhoun’s Board. A 1997 graduate of Georgetown University with a BS in finance, he is currently a partner and the co–portfolio manager at Luxor Capital Group in New York. He came to Luxor in 2002 from ING, where he was a distressed analyst for a proprietary trading desk. Michael and his wife, Liz, have three children: Harper, entering Calhoun’s first grade; Nola, entering the 3’s; and Gus, one year old. “I’m excited to work with a talented and dedicated group of people with diverse opinions for the betterment of my children and future generations of children,” says Michael. “I hope to learn much and contribute some along the way. Plus I get to tell my kids that ‘Daddy works for the school’…which they get a real kick out of.” In addition to his new role at Calhoun, Michael sits on the boards of JDS Silver, Innovate Auto Finance, and Searchlight Minerals, and is the chairman of CML Metals.
Jay Sugarman Jay and his wife, Kelly Behun-Sugarman, parents of Arno (entering ninth grade) and Miles (entering sixth), have been supporters of Calhoun since Arno arrived as a kindergartner in 2005. They were among the first to contribute to the advancement of the school’s technology initiatives, and took an active role in past lobby and library renovations.
Jay is chairman and chief executive officer of iStar Financial, one of the largest finance and investment companies focused on real estate in the United States. Prior to forming iStar and its predecessors in 1993, he managed private investment funds on behalf of several high-networth families. Jay is also the chairman and majority owner of the Philadelphia Union, a Major League Soccer team, as well as chairman and managing partner of Keystone Sports and Entertainment, the franchise’s ownership group. A summa cum laude graduate of Princeton University, Jay received the Paul Volcker Award in economics. He earned his MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School, graduating as a Baker Scholar with academic prizes for both finance and marketing.
Claudia Singleton Claudia Singleton has volunteered at Calhoun as a member of the Annual Fund and Benefit committees since her daughter, Sydney, first came to Calhoun three years ago as a kindergartner. Now Calhoun is thrilled to welcome her to her new role—one she will add to her professional career as a director at the Human Resources Administration (HRA) for the City of New York, where she oversees 100 temporary staff members, 25 Work Experience Program (WEP) interns and four analysts. Claudia was born and raised in the Bronx and still resides there, with her husband of
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nine years, Derek; their daughter, Sydney, and their two-year-old dog, Cooper. A graduate of Cathedral High School, she completed her undergraduate degree in sociology in 1999 and her master’s in early childhood education in 2010—both at City College of New York. Claudia is fluent in Haitian Creole and enjoys line dancing, knitting, crocheting and traveling.
Erica Hong Erica, her husband, Shae, and their two children, Grayer (entering first grade) and Lila (entering the 3’s), returned to New York from Los Angeles three years ago and say they are happy to be back! Erica graduated from NYU with a BS in chemistry, going on to work at the NYU Child Study Center, focusing on autism spectrum disorders. After college, she lived and worked in Los Angeles as owner of an event production company, planning countless weddings in addition to events for the Los Angeles Design Center and Wolfgang Puck. After her family made the big move back to New York, she began working again with the Child Study Center, leading to her current role as a crisis counselor for a pregnancy crisis center and facilitator for single–mother support groups. She took a short break from the center last October to launch a Hurricane Sandy–based holiday toy drive, helping to distribute gifts to more than 500 families. Erica’s event-planning experience and her strong commitment to children and families will be a great asset for Calhoun—especially in her added role as next year’s Benefit chair!
What’s Happening at Calhoun? For the latest news, photos and videos, go to www.calhoun.org/newsmedia
summer 2014