Summer 2023 // The Caller: The magazine for alumni, parents, employees, and friends of Catlin Gabel

COMING

IN COMMUNITY

Making connections, supporting one another, and building for the future of Catlin Gabel

How a tradition of excellence and evolution is inspiring the most significant campaign in Catlin Gabel history (pg. 19).

Catlin Gabel is an independent, non-sectarian, progressive coeducational day school serving 785 students from preschool through 12th grade. Its roots go back to the Portland Academy, founded in 1859. The school occupies 67 acres on Barnes Road, five miles west of downtown Portland, and a neighboring eight-acre East Campus currently used for the Community Arts Program for adults.

Embracing a Positive Concept of

Identity

Head of School Tim Bazemore’s graduation address to the Class of 2023

Guiding Students to Take Their Own Path

A conversation with the newly-formed Beginning and Lower School leadership team

Appreciating Adolescents and Supporting Their Success

The new Middle School leadership team shares thoughts on helping students thrive

Learning from Experience

Lower School students explore and make discoveries together on overnight trips

Giving Voice to Artistic Vision

At the Middle School Spring Arts Show, students share art, ideas, and inspiration

Opening Up to the Power of Stories

Upper School English teacher Tony Stocks helps students discover the joy of art

Congratulations Class of 2023! A profile of our graduates and their college choices

Spring 2023 Highlights

Board Profiles

A recognition of outgoing members and an introduction to new trustees

Working Together Towards a Common Purpose and Shared Goals

An interview with Sharon Keiser, our new Chief Finance and Operations Officer

Special Campaign Section: Eagles Soar

How the most significant campaign in school history will transform Catlin Gabel

Alumni Profile: Christa Stout ’01

The Trail Blazers executive on her commitment to helping youth through sports

Alumni Weekend

A celebration of our alumni community gathering

Embracing a Positive Concept of Identity

Congratulations Class of 2023 and congratulations to the parents, guardians, family members, and all the friends and classmates who have supported you in reaching this milestone.

A number of years ago, I returned to my high school in Connecticut for my 25th reunion. At dinner that night, we shared memories and stories with close friends and classmates we knew less well. One of the latter leaned over and said, “Tim, I remember you were a big football jock.” I was puzzled by that. I played football, but I was a second string cornerback who rarely saw time on the field except on special teams. Another classmate chimed in and said, “I remember you were always in the dean’s office.” I do recall a couple of bad decisions that led to conversations with Mr. White, but “always”?

Being a football jock or a disciplinary problem is not how I view my high school self. Yet 25 years later, somehow this was my identity in at least a few classmates’ minds.

It is part of the human condition to be reductive and to generalize. People are too complex to have a nuanced and accurate sense of everyone’s identity. In addition, how each of us identifies or wants to be identified is more dynamic than static.

The concept of identity is a contentious topic these days, as politicians and parents around the country argue about whether children and adolescents should be able to define their own identity. Identity-based perspectives are shaping civic dialogue in ways that both liberate and limit us. Identity is serving as a refuge, and as a call to action. And identity is also a personal topic for all of you.

Your identity is a complex blend of who you believe you are and who you believe others want or expect you to be. Young children and early adolescents struggle to integrate internal and external perceptions of self. A significant feature of adolescence, however, is becoming aware of how these perceptions interact to define your identity—and that you actually can control that process.

In your time at Catlin Gabel, you may have felt compelled to adopt or announce your identity in different ways, out of a sense of pride, affiliation, or necessity. You may have done that by means of gender, race, class, musical taste, activities, or friends, or likely by a combination of those. You may have chosen to highlight or hide aspects of your identity based on setting, situation, and sense of safety.

The process of aligning or synthesizing who you are, who you want to be, and how you are

perceived is an essential part of childhood and a lifelong process, as every adult can tell you. You probably can already reflect on how much your identity has shifted or evolved in your years at Catlin Gabel.

Each of you is a wonderful and dynamic work in progress. Your teachers, classmates, and families have supported your journey to self-understanding and self-definition. I also hope we have taught you to embrace a positive concept of identity, defining yourself by who you are, rather than who you are not.

Class of 2023, you have written your high school chapter, and are known here for who you have been. Who will you be in your next chapter? Who do you want to be? How much will you let others, or invite others, to define who you are? Your identity will develop in unpredictable ways in the years ahead, but always remember that it is yours, and only yours, to create. When you come back for your 25th reunion, it may be surprising to hear who your classmates think you were; I know it will be rewarding to tell them who you have become.

Head of School Tim Bazemore’s Graduation Address to the Class of 2023

Guiding Students to Take Their Own Path

As we begin the 2023-24 school year, Catlin Gabel welcomes Nick Zosel-Johnson as the new Head of Beginning and Lower School and Tracy Gray as Assistant Head for Student and Family Support. Genevieve Bouwes, now in her twelfth year at Catlin Gabel, continues in her role as Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning.

Appreciating the Stages of Development

NICK: I am really drawn to this age group because so much development happens so quickly. It’s inspiring to watch a child go from age four all the way through fifth grade. When they join us in preschool, they might be working on things as basic as making it to the bathroom, and they might leave us advocating for social justice and environmental justice in profound ways. Watching that development happen each step of the way is pretty amazing.

TRACY: To echo Nick, it’s the development that you get to see, from a four-year-old’s curiosity about the world around them—they’re constantly questioning because it’s all so new to them—all the way up to a fifth grader who is much more declarative of their place in the world. It’s

A conversation with the newly-formed Beginning and Lower School leadership team

beautiful because you get to see it in such incremental ways across beginning and lower school ages.

GENEVIEVE: It’s a gift to be able to witness that and to be around it every day. And there’s this increasing self-awareness: they start to become more aware of who they are, how others perceive them, and how they perceive others. It’s interesting to see that interplay and how that impacts how they are in the world.

Supporting Student Success

GENEVIEVE: I think kids need to be inspired and engaged. There needs to be a lot for them to wonder about and to have different ways they can show their thinking and play with ideas together. They need the space to be curious and see that learning can be an adventure.

TRACY: Feeling comfortable in a space makes you able to learn in a space, take in new information. So creating community, like Friday Sings, is great in terms of fostering that sense of place and connection. And then in classroom communities, educators look closely at what’s happening with social dynamics and create opportunities for learners to connect. It’s that opening and closing of the smaller community in the classroom and the bigger community at the Beginning School and Lower School—the activities where kids get to know each other well, so they understand shared interests and learn to navigate conflicts peaceably. Because that’s what really connects people to each other.

NICK: This is an age where things are changing and very dynamic for children, and it can be a time when we discover learning differences, especially at those early years. And it’s our job as a school and educators to work with families to understand those differences, and to make sure we have the right tools and supports in place to help kids achieve their best.

Helping Children Develop as Citizens

TRACY: With young kids, we teach them to hold space for people, especially the most vulnerable, and to be upstanders. And I think that’s creating great citizens, people who look out for others and say, “You know what? I’m going to get all my friends and we are going to support you. We’re going to make sure you feel included.” It can be simple things, too, like holding the door for someone. As we get older, those things become back and forth

conversations that can become disagreements. But we can instill in them now what it means to hold the door or to be a good listener.

NICK: One of the things I hope most for all of our students is that they learn to be good thinkers and to engage in civil discourse. That they learn to have complex, nuanced, thoughtful discussions with people they don’t agree with. And to understand the differences in opinion respectfully and in a way that builds deeper understanding. I think Beginning and Lower Schoolers can do that. I agree with Tracy that it’s the little things—that squabble over the ball at recess—where the child learns, “I can use my words to express a feeling.” That translates to when you’re older, understanding that you can use your words to express your feelings as they get bigger and more complex. That is the foundation for being a citizen, I think.

GENEVIEVE: I think those foundational pieces are super important. Kids need to explore complex issues and wrestle with many views and perspectives, and understand that there are many layers, many ways to see things, and that part of it is learning to listen to each other and being willing to change their minds. They learn how to build off of each other’s ideas, and that can be a way to be a citizen in the world.

Choosing Catlin Gabel

GENEVIEVE: I keep choosing it. For me, it really comes down to progressive education. I love that idea of taking action in the world and the idea that we’re helping citizens to form, and not with certain perspectives or viewpoints.

TRACY: It’s a space where you can really be calm, and so be focused on the learning and the work at hand. And it’s very clear that Catlin is “come as you are” and wants to be a space that’s inclusive and feels good for as many people as possible. Whenever I’ve joined an organization, I’ve always wanted it to be a space where it’s very clear that they are committed to the work of helping folks engage across differences. Catlin leads with that.

NICK: One thing I’ve been thinking about on each visit here is the Fir Grove. As I watch the students playing and coming in from recess, they each get to take their own path to get into the building. That’s why I want to be here. It’s a place that believes that kids can take their own path. And yet, will still arrive somewhere together. That’s really beautiful, and you can’t find that everywhere.

Appreciating Adolescents and Supporting Their Success

The new Middle School leadership team shares thoughts on meeting students where they are and helping them thrive

Tico oms Head of Middle School

From the outside looking in, a high school or elementary school teacher might think we’re crazy to want to work with middle school kids. With the energy they bring, you just don't know what’s going to be happening. I like it because it’s unpredictable, a little bit chaotic, super fun, and super funny. And it’s rewarding work because we’re helping to guide them through what can be a pretty tough time.

To help them thrive, we have to start by understanding that a middle school student

is an adolescent—not a little adult or a young adult—and understand the challenges that are going on in the adolescent brain. We know that they miscalculate risk and reward, and have issues with impulsivity. Part of their learning is trying on new identities and new ideas; sometimes they get it wrong. They’re going through a lot of important changes, and we need to set them up for success for the rest of their lives.

Middle school students tend to have certain needs. We have to help them develop their belief in themselves and a feeling of confidence. We have to give them a sense of independence, some agency over the

world around them, some choice in their life. And we need to give them a sense of community and belonging by making sure they feel known, understood, cared for, and advocated for.

If we give students all of these things, we can create the atmosphere where their needs and feelings are met so they can focus on the learning. And there are layers to what we want to teach middle school kids. We want students to be academically successful—and we define academics differently in a progressive school. Content knowledge is important, but also skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and

communication. We also want dispositions, such as empathy, determination, and integrity. And we want students to discover and develop new passions, so we need a lot of clubs, activities, sports, and arts.

First and foremost, we’re trying to create good human beings. We want to graduate caring global citizens who in the future have both the skills and the desire to make the world a better place.

I chose Catlin Gabel because I wanted to go to a school that shared my beliefs about the progressive ideals of experiential learning, the whole child, social-emotional learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. I wanted to go to a great school that wants to be even better. That’s rare, and that’s Catlin Gabel.

beTh Vallarino Assistant Head of Middle School

For many students, middle school can be a time of learning and growing. Developing an awareness around identity, building relationships, and gaining independence can be key pieces as they move through adolescence. For students, there’s fresh excitement about growing up and curiosity about the world around them. A large piece of this time is not only about experimenting and trying out new things, but also being willing to take risks in academic and emotional capacities. It’s inspiring to see students’ willingness to take those risks, and to watch them as they reflect on their actions and impacts.

Middle school is also a time for opportunity and exploring. One challenge with this can be to provide structure, strategies, and toolkits to meet kids where they are, as well as to help them grow and get to the next level in their learning and in their life.

Learning and growing can be difficult, and they both require a certain sense of vulnerability. That can be challenging if students feel like they don’t fit or belong. When students have a sense of belonging, as well as a deep sense of psychological safety in

whatever community they’re in, it can help to get students to lean into growth and into the unknown. As an educator, I try to lessen those obstacles by making time and space for students to feel seen, heard, and valued first, as people. Getting to know folks, building relationships, and showing compassion and understanding are key foundational pieces to build before adding in academics or other perceived high-stakes pieces.

One way to build in a sense of safety and belonging is to provide a space where students feel heard and valued. Being in a space where we can be open and listen to others, have compassion and empathy for different experiences, and reflect on experiences in our own lives can be incredibly powerful when thinking about spaces and belonging.

A large part of this work is around de-centering ourselves and our own needs—shifting the focus from me or I, and being curious around other people’s experiences and perspectives. It’s about becoming open and willing to learn and hear about someone’s experiences that might be very different from our own, and willing to put our own thoughts and feelings aside and center on someone else’s needs. That’s been really important for my own learning journey: understanding what it means to de-center myself and my own needs, lift up others, show compassion and empathy, and put my own thoughts and feelings aside to support and uplift those around me.

There are so many things that inspired me about joining Catlin Gabel. The school’s approach to lifelong learning, centering student curiosity, and providing a supportive environment really stood out. Instilling confidence in young people, engaging with differentiated and responsive approaches to students, while centering value and belonging were really important pieces. And the opportunity for all stakeholders to develop meaningful relationships—that’s a big one.

-TICO -BETH

“We want to graduate caring global citizens who in the future have both the skills and the desire to make the world a better place.”

“Being in a space where we can be open and listen to others, have compassion and empathy for different experiences, and reflect on experiences in our own lives can be incredibly powerful when thinking about spaces and belonging.”

Learning from Experience

Across high desert terrain, rocky tide pools, and an urban landscape, Lower School students explored and made discoveries together on overnight trips

As the world opened up this year, so did experiential learning opportunities for Catlin Gabel students, including the return of Lower School overnight trips for grades 3-5, an experience remembered fondly by generations of our students. Teachers organized a host of activities to build connections and confidence—for some students, it was their first time away from family—while also providing them with the freedom to explore, make discoveries, and enjoy time with their classmates.

Following Their Curiosity

third grade overnight: central oregon coast may 10-12, 2023

At Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, students prepared for three days of inquiry-driven field research with a class on marine adaptions and close-up examinations of sea urchins, sea stars, and crabs. At low tide, they ventured into the tide pools at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, where they made discoveries and formulated questions; the inquiry continued while fossilsearching at Beverly Beach. At their overnight facility, the B’nai B’rith Camp near Devils Lake, teachers Herb Jahncke and Marcelle Valladares prompted students to share their newfound curiosities about life in the intertidal zone—many wondered about barnacles, sea anemones, nudibranchs, and seals—and helped students plan for further research and inquiry projects to share what they learned.

The Story of a Place

fourth grade overnight: columbia gorge

april 26-28, 2023

In high desert country overlooking the Columbia River, students spent three days learning about the natural world, the Indigenous peoples who once inhabited the area, and the role they can play now as stewards of the land and legacy. The 1,200-acre Ekone Ranch near Goldendale, Washington, operated as a place-based education space by the non-profit Sacred Earth Foundation, provided students with the opportunity to care for horses, hike, garden, tend the land, and engage in service projects on the property. As the 4th graders learned about the ancient inhabitants, and how the land was shaped by volcanoes, floods, and ice, homeroom teachers Olivia Poirier and Bryan Riha prompted them to consider: What begins the story of a place?

Exploring a City

fifth grade overnight: seattle may 24-26, 2023

For three days, teachers Zach Bloom and Jordan Heintz led their students through an urban exploration focused on city-specific art, culture, and history, and the many ways public spaces bring people together and anchor communities. With Bush School as their home base (they camped in the gym), the group ventured out to experience a variety of outdoor landmarks, including the International Fountain, Gasworks Park, SAM Olympic Sculpture Park, and Artists at Play Playground, as well as visiting the Northwest African American Museum. Along the way, they explored and learned about six distinct neighborhoods. Outdoor education was the educators’ primary goal, but the trip was also designed to give their hard-working students a break—a chance to play, celebrate, and relax together.

Opposite page: Fourth grade students work with horses at the Ekone Ranch near Goldendale, Washington.

This page, top left to right: Third graders visited the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport and tide pools on the Oregon coast.

Bottom left: Fourth graders prepare soil for planting at the Ekone Ranch. Bottom center and right: Fifth grade students explore public spaces on a three-day trip to Seattle.

Giving Voice to Artistic Vision

thing made? Why did you choose to do this? Where did you get the idea to make it? They have to be able to verbalize that rather than just having it in their head or having a conversation with me. And it gives them a chance to be proud of what they’ve made and show it off a little bit.”

On a warm June evening, live music, excited voices, and a spring breeze filled the Creative Art Center gallery and courtyard as crowds circulated through the Middle School Arts Show, taking in the art as well as the artists’ intentions. Students stood by their creations answering questions and explaining the pieces they chose to display, which included woodwork, painting, photography, video, and sculpture. Performances included a fresh air instrumental ensemble concert and a condensed, student-directed version of Macbeth in the Black Box theater; other performing arts students used iPads to share and discuss digital music covers and character studies they had recorded for the show.

Woodshop teacher Kit Camp says, “It gives them a chance to explain themselves and communicate when people ask them questions. How is the

“By being able to explain it or teach it to somebody else, they’re mastering some of the concepts we’re discussing in class,” says Music teacher Alex Juarez. “You have to have a vision before you create a cover, and be able to explain to whoever’s listening to it, ‘Hey, here’s what I had in mind. Here’s the process that I went through.’”

Visual Arts teacher Phil Robinson, Jr. conceived of the art show as a way to help students see themselves as part of a larger art world beyond the classroom and engage with an audience beyond their peer group. He explains, “It’s super important for the kids to be able to say, ‘I’ve worked really hard on this. I want you to see it.’ It allows students to feel what it’s like to have their work up on a wall and have people come to them and say, ‘I love this. How did you do this?’” Phil launched the first iteration in February— the Middle School Winter Arts Show—and now plans to make the shows a regular part of the school calendar, twice a year.

“It’s that rare part of the artistic process, when you see how your piece

affects the world,” says Media Arts teacher Tea Bear, whose students received direct response from visitors as they stood next to displays of their photography and videos, engaging and answering questions. “And it’s showing the kids that they have a seat at the table to make art and to have a voice in the world.”

An hour into the opening reception, the crowd and energy shift to the art center’s lower level for the 8th grade production of Macbeth, during which the actors spoke directly to the audience about the themes and issues that inspired them to choose the play. This aspect was conceived by the students and Drama teacher Deirdre Atkinson as a way to reinforce the art show’s overarching concept that art is a way of engaging and interacting with your community.

“Our Middle School artists are using the creative tools they’ve explored in their arts classes to make their own statements, create new stories, and share those with the world,” Deirdre explains. “That’s what an art show does—it gives us an opportunity to focus on and celebrate the creative expression of student voice.”

ken dubois, editor

At the Middle School Spring Arts Show, students shared their art, ideas, and inspiration

Opposite page: Students with Visual Arts teacher Phil Robinson, Jr., who launched the Middle School Arts Show

This page, top: Student artwork on display in the Creative Arts Center gallery

Middle: Music teacher Alex Juarez leads students in an instrumental ensemble performance

Bottom: In the Black Box Theater, students perform a condensed version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth

“It’s super important for the kids to be able to say, ‘I’ve worked really hard on this. I want you to see it.’ It allows students to feel what it’s like to have their work up on a wall and have people come to them and say, ‘I love this. How did you do this?’”

-PHIL ROBINSON, JR.

Opening Up to the Power of Stories

BY TONY STOCKS Upper School English Teacher

This fall, Tony Stocks enters his 25th year as a teacher of literature, film, and writing at Catlin Gabel. His impact has been enormous, both as an arts enthusiast who inspires students and as a masterful educator who has shaped the curriculum with a variety of foundational and creative course designs. To mark this milestone, The Caller asked Tony to reflect on what drew him to the education profession, and what he hopes his students will gain from their classroom experience with him.

From an early age I was deeply, viscerally affected by the power of stories, the power of words, the power of a series of images flickering across a theater screen. And I felt a persistent desire to understand where that power came from, to understand why works of verbal and film art affected me so strongly, and to take them apart and comprehend the sources of their power and the full range of messages they were conveying. My hope is to share that power with my students and to help them find a similar pleasure and understanding as readers, interpreters, and critics.

I want my students to be open to engaging with works that are complex, challenging, and, in many cases, far removed from their own assumptions and experiences. We learn from analyzing the power of Jonathan Edwards’ rhetoric even if we find his theology problematic, and from witnessing the fears and triumphs of James Baldwin’s characters even though their situations may be far removed from ours. I want students to be willing to ask questions as well as make statements, and to admit when they are puzzled and confused. Often defining that confusion is the first step toward understanding. And I want my students to learn how to learn from one another and to sharpen their understanding through dialogue with those whose perspectives and priorities are different from theirs.

It’s hard for me to think of skills that are more valuable and transferable, in both academia and life, than being able to formulate, organize, and communicate, both verbally and in writing, a set of complex ideas. Those are the skills we’re asking students to develop when we give them the tools to read more deeply, express their interpretations in writing, and share their insights with their peers in seminar discussions or in class sessions that they plan and teach themselves. When I first came to the Upper School 24 years ago, I noted that Catlin Gabel students had an edge on their peers in their ability to address just about any

audience with clarity and confidence, and I feel the many opportunities they have to present their ideas in English class and other school contexts has a great deal to do with that.

It’s important for students to get comfortable with seeing their written work as a process, and often a rather conflicted and messy process. They need to accept that it’s a good thing for their theses to change over the course of an assignment (even for them to end up arguing the opposite of the position they started with), and that they learn through the process of writing, not by magically transferring a pre-existing set of ideas to the computer screen. It’s also important for them to hear what their work sounds like to another human being, which is why I insist that students read their work aloud during the editing process. Overall, it’s about patience and self-reflection, two qualities that can be challenging for our busy students to find time for.

I hope my students will always find a place for the joy and stimulation of literary and film art in their lives. That they will acquire the tools to continuously develop their sense of how these arts teach us and enrich our lives. And that they will leave Catlin Gabel with the skills and confidence to share their stories and insights with others, in both spoken and written language.

Helping students find a place in their lives for the joy of art

by the numbers

There are 72 students in the class of 2023. Class members will attend 51 different colleges. Seventeen states are represented and two countries: the United States and Germany. Two students will take a gap year or semester.

college choice

Bates College (2)

Boston College

Boston University (2)

Bowdoin College (2)

Carleton College

Carnegie Mellon University

Colorado College (2)

Connecticut College

Constructor University - Germany (2)

Dartmouth College

Emerson College

Emory University

Fordham University

Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Harvard University

Haverford College

Lafayette College

Loyola University Chicago (2)

Macalester College

New York University (2)

college choice by size

Small (up to 3k)

25%

44%

Large (10k+)

college choice by region

Northeastern University (3)

Northwestern University

Oberlin College

Occidental College

Oregon State University

Pomona College

Rice University

Savannah College of Art and Design

Scripps College (2)

Seattle University

Skidmore College

Smith College

Stanford University

The New School

Tufts University

University of California-Irvine

University of California-Los Angeles

University of Chicago

University of Colorado Boulder (2)

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (5)

University of New England

University of Oregon (2)

University of Pennsylvania (2)

University of San Francisco

University of Southern California (4)

University of Washington-Seattle (2)

Villanova University

Whitman College

William & Mary Williams College

16% 6% 6% 3%

21% 26%

West

Rocky Mountain South International

college choice by public / private

Coast Public Colleges

SPRING ARTS HIGHLIGHTS

BEGINNING & LOWER SCHOOL

(1) Preschoolers created a story and mural on the theme of “Helping Friendship,” and developed a play featuring student-created characters.

(4) In two Lunar New celebrations, students demonstrated their language and cultural knowledge, performed the lion dance, and shared the stage with special guest artists.

Music Informances were presented by all Lower Grade students in Cabell Theater, with students performing songs that reinforced the event theme: “Shapes.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL

(3) With the 48-Hour Play Project, drama students collaborated to write, produce, and perform five original plays in the course of 48 hours.

(2) Students held a Spring Arts Show, which included artwork from studio, Digital Media, and Woodshop classes, a musical performance, and an interpretation of Macbeth (see page 8).

UPPER SCHOOL

As part of the Black History Month celebration, students participated in a panel discussion at the Cascade Festival of African Films.

The 20-person Upper School Choir joined voices with the Pacific University Concert Choir and Chamber Singers to perform madrigals, motets, and a new spiritual by Judy A. Rose.

(5) The CG Players presented “Singin’ in the Rain” as the spring musical in Cabell Theater.

CROSS-DIVISIONAL

(6) In the Beehive, the sixth-grade drama class performed a clown show for our youngest learners.

Middle and Upper School students performed solos at the Oregon Music Educators Association Solo & Ensemble Contest: Maisy Sturman ’28, Viola; Teresa Walsh ’25, Alto; Isabelle Doogan ’26, Alto; Soren Cowell-Shah ’23, Tenor; Lily Mae Arenz ’24, Soprano; Riddhi Mahajan ’25, Soprano; Violet Daly ’26, Soprano; and Ariana Bajaj ’26, Violin.

SPRING TEAM ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS

MIDDLE & UPPER SCHOOL SPORTS

For the 21st time, Catlin Gabel won the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association 3A All-Sports Award.

The 45th annual Middle School Invitational Track Meet took place on campus after a three-year hiatus.

(1) Skiing: Kyle Olson ’24 and Eliotte Walsh ’26 earned the chance to compete in the State Finals at Hoodoo.

(3) Tennis: Both Girls and Boys Varsity teams took third in State. Lily Wand ’23 and Amanda Perez ’26 were the State Champions in doubles; Ben Rosenfeld ’23 and Lucas Holliday ’23 took second in doubles; and Nathan Chen ’24 and Riley Nordoff ’25 were the Consolation Champions in doubles.

(4) Golf: At the State Championship Ava Austria ’24 won first place and Vishaka Priyan ’26 finished third in individual girls’ competition. Harrison Bell ’23 took fifth place and the boys team finished sixth.

Baseball: The Catlin Gabel team kicked off their season by participating in the Volcanoes Tournament at Keizer, and continued on to league play.

(2) Track and Field: The Boys finished third in State and the Girls finished twelfth. Malcolm Grant ’23 had three first place finishes in sprinting events; Joshua Widdows ’24 won a first and second in hurdles events; and Caroline Mauro ’25 won first place in high jump.

(5) Swimming: Boys and Girls swimming teams both took First Place at the State Championship, and Hodge Dauler ’24 and Adrienne Tam ‘24 were both named Athlete of the Meet.

Basketball: The Varsity Girls team finished with an overall record of 6-17, and Varsity Boys finished 11-13 and earned a birth in league playoffs.

Board Profiles

2023-24

BOARD LEADERSHIP

MARK HOLLIDAY, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

A Board member since 2015, Mark graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in economics. He is the President of the investment fund Goshawk Capital, and has Director, Audit, and Finance committee experience from his current and past involvement with ten corporate boards. For Catlin Gabel, he has served on the Creative Arts Center, Finance, and Advancement committees, and currently serves as the Catlin Gabel Eagles Soar Co-Campaign Chair with his wife Ingeborg Holliday. He is the parent of two Catlin Gabel graduates.

D’ARTAGNAN CALIMAN ’91, VICE CHAIR

D’Artagnan has served on the Catlin Gabel Board since 2021. He earned a Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University and has been a leader in community-based and philanthropic organizations across the juvenile justice, child welfare, and homelessness sectors for 25 years. D’Artagnan is currently the Vice President, Community Partnerships, for the 1803 Fund. He previously served as the Director for the Justice Oregon for Black Lives initiative at Meyer Memorial Trust.

NITESH SHARAN, TREASURER

A Board member since 2021, Nitesh holds a bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University and an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University. He is currently Chief Financial Officer at SoundHound AI, a leading conversational artificial intelligence company. He was previously VP and Chief Financial Officer for Nike’s Global Operations & Technology function. Prior to that he served as Nike’s Global Treasurer

and Head of Investor Relations, as well as in leadership roles at Hewlett-Packard and Accenture. Nitesh is a Board Member of the Alzheimer’s Association Oregon and SW Washington chapter. He is a parent of two students at Catlin Gabel.

KATE WARREN HALL ’93, SECRETARY

Kate is a graduate of Catlin Gabel who has served on the Board since 2018. She received a bachelor’s degree in economics and an Executive MBA at the Babson College F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business, and her degrees were earned while she was also working for Cascade Corporation. She joined ESCO in 2014 to work in Mergers and Acquisitions, and joined their board in 2016. Kate is a parent of two children attending Catlin Gabel.

2023-24 INCOMING TRUSTEES

We welcome our incoming 2023-24 Trustees, who selflessly offer their time and expertise to support the Catlin Gabel community and excellence in education.

SUSIE GREENEBAUM ’05

Susie is Vice President of Client Services at Sprinklr, a B2B SaaS company based in New York City. She spent six years at Nike where she led the Consumer Digital Technology Communications and Engagement team. Susie is a Catlin Gabel lifer who earned a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of Oregon. She has served as Catlin Gabel Alumni Board President and a board member of Friends of the Columbia Gorge. Susie is a parent of two Beginning School students at Catlin Gabel.

JULIET HILLMAN ’09

Juliet is a Catlin Gabel lifer who serves on the boards of Oregon Ballet Theatre and Converge 45, and is the Board Chair of the Hillman Family Foundations, which includes the Juliet Ashby Hillman Foundation. The Foundation is committed to partnering with organizations that help mitigate the many risk factors that may impact a young person's ability to reach their full potential, and works to cultivate a healthier, more culturally vibrant, environmentally sustainable, and economically stable future for the Portland region.

From Top, Left to Right: Susie Greenebaum ’05, Juliet Hillman ’09, Robert D. Kelly, Ph.D., June Kim, Kia Selley, Eric Mandel ’99, John DiLorenzo ’24

ROBERT

D. KELLY, PH.D.

Rob is the 21st President of the University of Portland, and the first layperson and first person of color to lead that institution. He has held senior administrative and teaching positions at Loyola University Maryland, Loyola University Chicago, Seattle University, and Union College, among other institutions. Rob holds a Ph.D. in philosophy, education policy, planning and administration from the University of Maryland; a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from the University of Vermont; and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Loyola University Maryland. Rob is a parent of two children, one of whom is a Catlin Gabel student.

JUNE KIM

June earned a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and a master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University. She has worked as a journalist at Businessweek and SmartMoney, and has had work published at various news outlets including the Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and the Newark Star-Ledger. She has three children, one of whom is currently enrolled at Catlin Gabel.

KIA

SELLEY

Kia has a degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of California at Davis. She has held executive leadership roles as Portland Parks Director, Gresham Planning Director, and Executive Director of the Gresham Redevelopment Commission. Kia currently serves as Board Chair of the Portland Parks Foundation and as a governor-appointed board member of the Oregon State Landscape Architect Board. She has also served on the Lan Su Classical Chinese Garden Board and on the Oversight Committee for the Portland Japanese Garden. She is the parent of a Catlin Gabel Upper School student.

ERIC MANDEL ’99, ALUMNI COUNCIL PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO)

Eric holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in international relations and a master’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University. He worked for The Community Preservation Corporation in New York City, a nonprofit affordable housing and community revitalization finance and development company. He

returned to Portland in 2019 and currently works at the real estate development company Killian Pacific. Eric is a parent of a Lower School student.

JOHN DILORENZO ’24, 2023-24 CATLIN GABEL STUDENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO)

John is a Catlin Gabel lifer who has a passion for representation, politics, and student government, having previously served as sophomore co-class president. He is involved in several clubs at Catlin Gabel including the Global Events Club, the Feminism Club, the Interfaith Club, and the Chess Club. In his spare time he is on a rowing team and participates in Model UN and Speech and Debate.

2023-24 OUTGOING TRUSTEES

For their service to the school, generosity of spirit, and commitment to the mission of Catlin Gabel, we thank our outgoing trustees.

WHITNEY E. BLACK, M.D.

Whitney served on the Board since 2020. She received her bachelor’s and M.D. degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and completed her graduate medical training in Psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She is currently an Assistant Professor and the Quality Medical Director for the OHSU Department of Psychiatry and a Life & Wellness Advisor for the OHSU School of Medicine. She is a parent of two children at Catlin Gabel.

RYAN LURIA

Ryan has been a Board member since 2020. He earned a BA in English from Pomona College and a Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University, and worked as a case manager and mental health therapist. He serves as a trustee for The Collins Foundation, part of his family's third generation of involvement. Ryan has volunteered in several PFA roles and helped lead the Rainbow Families Parent/Guardian Affinity Group. He is the son of an alum, Cherida Collins Smith ’68, and a parent of two children who attend Catlin Gabel.

JULIE MCMURCHIE, J.D.

Julie has served on the Board since 2020. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Oberlin College and a JD from the Northwest School of Law at Lewis & Clark. Julie has served on and chaired boards for the Westwind organization, where she focused on providing outdoor and camp experiences to all Oregonians; Compassion in Dying/Compassion and Choices of Oregon; and Engeye, Inc., where she supported a rural health care and education program in Uganda. Julie is the mother of three Catlin Gabel graduates.

TAYLOR KAPLAN ’05, CATLIN GABEL ALUMNI COUNCIL PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO)

Taylor is a Catlin Gabel lifer who has worked in city planning, architecture, and real estate development, and currently is a Principal at Gibbins Kaplan Development, developing multifamily apartments in the Portland metro area. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College in Urban and Environmental Policy and a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.

BEN

ROSENFELD ’23,

2022-23 CATLIN GABEL STUDENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO)

Ben attended Catlin Gabel from preschool through his senior year. He was a member of the soccer, basketball, and tennis teams, and was active in the Jewish Student Union, Chess Club, Outdoor Education Program, and CommuniCare Philanthropy Club. Ben led the Community Engineering division of the school’s Robotics and Engineering Program in developing award-winning technology solutions to improve the lives of people with disabilities. He is attending Stanford University this fall.

See the full roster of Catlin Gabel 2023-24 Trustees at catlin.edu/trustees

Much of your career has been focused on capacity building for mission-driven nonprofits. Are you drawn to opportunities to make positive and lasting change?

Oh, absolutely. That has been a through line in my career: getting to really think through, how might we design the systems and structures to best support the mission of the organization? And how do we reflect our values in our policies, our everyday work, and our working norms? Because if we are able to do that, we can create really satisfying, inclusive, and impactful work, especially in the nonprofit and education sectors.

It’s critically important that people feel like they have the tools and resources that they need in order to do their best work. The role of finance and operations in my mind is to proactively and responsively line up resources so that people can really thrive in their roles. I am always asking, how can we prepare the environment as finance, operations, HR, tech, to really allow people to shine?

How did you start on this professional path?

I was driven from a young age towards volunteerism which opened up exciting opportunities to contribute. I was also lucky to go to an excellent high school in northern Virginia that offered a workstudy program in accounting—and I got hooked! Even back in high school, I was drawn to the power of how, if you can create stability in your financials, you can have a big, positive impact in the world. With that in mind, I went into AmeriCorps

Working Together Towards a Common Purpose and Shared Goals

Sharon Keiser assumed her new role at Catlin Gabel in spring 2023 and relocated with her family from the Midwest this summer. She brings vast experience in the nonprofit sector, helping to build and support organizations that benefit people and their surrounding communities. Most recently, Sharon held leadership positions with the Wildflower Foundation schools network and Embracing Equity.

National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a domestic service program, to gain some on-the-ground experience with lots of different nonprofits primarily doing disaster relief. It was during AmeriCorps that I met my amazing husband, Andy! Following our service, we set out together for Denver to start our next adventure.

I became deeply invested in the culture of nonprofits and learning how to leverage operations and finance as a way to lift up organizations that are doing meaningful work. I’ve always been attracted to work with purpose and innovation, and so designed my career and education around that. I completed an individualized degree program in nonprofit finance and economics supplemented with an unpaid nonprofit helpdesk internship that kick-started my career in the nonprofit sector.

I got to do some pretty fun projects like starting a pro bono legal group in partnership with the Colorado Lawyers Committee, where we matched transactional attorneys with nonprofits in need of free legal services. I was always looking for opportunities to learn more about how I could better support organizations and so I took an opportunity to go into consulting and finished my MPAcc degree while working full-time. My very first client offered me a dream role as Director of Finance & Operations at Denver’s Early Childhood Council, a startup, quasilegislative nonprofit that quintupled in size during my six-year tenure. I then

had the opportunity to support teacher leaders to open and sustain microMontessori schools under the Wildflower Foundation and supported the startup of the first Wildflower charter school while incubating an innovative program, Embracing Equity, that spun out to become an independent nonprofit in 2020 and has since grown into a thriving national organization. Along the way, Andy and I have raised our two wonderful daughters, Leola and Ellie, who will be joining Catlin this year as seventh and fourth graders.

You have committed yourself to helping individuals through your work at a high level. Is personal contact and interaction also part of your work ethic?

Oh, yes. Without relationships and without people driving change or contributing to the effort, we’re not going to get very far. And I believe there’s an opportunity to find a lot of joy and satisfaction and motivation in working together towards a common purpose and shared goals. A huge part of that for me, especially in leadership and governance, is asking good questions and approaching people and systems with curiosity and respect. Are we communicating effectively around defining and amplifying our shared purpose? What are our expectations of each other? How do we show up for each other? Because if we are there for each other, that’s going to unleash a world of new opportunities and possibilities.

catlin gabel welcomes sharon keiser as the new chief finance and operations officer

This vision for the future of Catlin Gabel will allow generations of students to take flight in new ways; to soar higher than expected; and to land on solid ground, ready to tackle whatever lies ahead.

campaign progress to date

938 donors

$20 m raised

With a $37 million goal, the Eagles Soar campaign will fund critical priorities that sustain our educational experience and invest in our future. The campaign ensures our tradition of progressive education continues for generations to come—an education where inclusion and kindness matter, where there is a commitment to character-building, integrity, and courage, where teachers have access to the resources they need to provide a personalized approach to learning, and where students discover their unlimited potential.

build

$20M: A GATHERING PLACE FOR ALL

The Community Center for Athletics and Wellness will serve as a schoolwide gathering place and inspire current and future generations of students of all athletic abilities to expand their skills and foster their well-being.

The Community Center for Athletics and Wellness is a big win for athletics and a haven for wellness. It is where physical activity sets the pace, competition is valued, and personal growth is embraced. But more importantly, it is only within this space that the school can meet as one, bringing together 1,700 people including students across the divisions, teachers and staff, parents and guardians, as well as alumni and extended family and friends. The Community Center will become the heart of Catlin Gabel.

grow

$1 0 M: AN INVESTMENT IN OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

By growing the endowment, we can help ensure that Catlin Gabel is accessible for every qualified student, and that our school reflects and supports the growing diversity of our community, both in our student body and in our faculty.

Our endowment is vital to the school’s longer-term fiscal health, as these funds support all aspects of a Catlin Gabel education. To be prepared for life after Catlin Gabel, we emphasize an environment in which students learn from each other and from exceptional teachers to acquire the critical skills necessary to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Our aim is to give students the freedom to explore their ideas within a supportive, diverse, and inclusive community.

strengthen

$7M: A POWERFUL RESOURCE FOR TODAY’S NEEDS

By strengthening the Catlin Gabel Fund, we expand the possibilities available to every student, whether in the classroom, on stage, in the Fir Grove, or beyond campus.

The Catlin Gabel Fund is our highest philanthropic priority year-over-year. It provides critical resources each year to bolster key aspects of our school, including academic programs, classroom materials, community events, resources for teachers, and campus improvements. Tuition alone doesn’t cover the full cost of a Catlin Gabel education. Gifts to the Catlin Gabel Fund are critical to filling the gap and provide eight percent of the annual operating budget. A strengthened annual fund creates the financial stability to make future-driven strategic decisions.

Jordan D. Schnitzer ’69 Shapes Design of Community Center

Working alongside Opsis Architecture, Jordan Schnitzer ’69, a current parent and graduate, has spent countless hours sharing his vision and expertise—Jordan has built Schnitzer Properties into one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the Pacific Northwest. His aim is to help ensure the Community Center not only meets the needs of our community but does so in a way that aesthetically connects this building to the rest of campus and the surrounding environment.

He is deeply invested in ensuring this Community Center for Athletics and Wellness benefits students, employees, parents, alumni, and the greater Portland community for generations to come. Scan the QR code to learn more about the Community Center and the individuals who are steering this project forward at the Eagles Soar website.

Julie (Sutherland) McMurchie ’81 is a Catlin Gabel alum, who along with her husband Brad, are the parents of three Catlin Gabel graduates, Kate ’11, Grace ’12, and Simon ’15. Reflecting on her time as a student, Julie shared, “I arrived at Catlin Gabel in 11th grade after attending large public schools. At a time when I needed it, I was astounded by the individual attention given by the teachers, and how they genuinely seemed to want to know me as a student and a person. That individual attention allowed me to engage in the academic and intellectual work at school in a way that I didn't know was possible.”

Julie and Brad chose Catlin Gabel for their children so that they, too, could benefit from this personalized approach and discover their unique interests. Since graduating, all three children have chosen a career path of helping others. Kate is a public defender, Grace is a kindergarten teacher in a high-needs school, and Simon is just starting law

Julie ’81 & Brad McMurchie

school and imagines a career in public interest law. Their time at Catlin Gabel helped them develop an appreciation for helping others and an intellectual curiosity that led them to their chosen field. The personalized attention they received, combined with the space to explore, make mistakes, and collaborate with others, gave them the tools to know themselves, and know what interests them emotionally and intellectually. They have carried that forward in the years since, and it has led them to where they are today.

Julie and Brad support the Eagles Soar campaign priority of growing the endowment, which was originally founded through the generosity of others, and are establishing a new financial assistance fund to honor their family's legacy and increase access to a Catlin Gabel education in perpetuity. Brad said, “We wish every child could have the teaching, time, and space that Catlin offers. We give so that Catlin

can have kids from many different backgrounds, communities, and cultures within its classrooms. Bringing different families and cultures into that learning environment will send those students forth with more ideas and dynamic solutions to make the world a better place. The Eagles Soar campaign will grow the school’s endowment by $10 million, which will increase financial assistance, ensuring that more students can benefit from a Catlin Gabel education.”

The McMurchie family directs their philanthropy toward education, allowing others the same opportunity that their family had. Brad shared that his uncle, who received a full ride at Whitman College, used to say, “This family has been standing on the shoulders of others for a long time, it’s time for someone else to stand on ours.”

Mark & Ingeborg Holliday

Mark and Ingeborg Holliday are the parents of two Catlin Gabel graduates, Annika ’20 and Lucas ’23, Co-Chairs of the Eagles Soar campaign, and Mark is the current Board Chair. Reflecting back on their Catlin Gabel journey, they are grateful for the community of teachers, parents, and alumni. Ingeborg shares, “On the day in March of 2006 when admission letters for preschool were mailed, we were so excited and hopeful that we intercepted the mail truck en route. Thankfully, we received positive news!”

The caring and nurturing teachers and the school’s commitment to experiential learning are what first attracted Mark and Ingeborg to Catlin Gabel. To them, the Beehive felt like such a magical place to launch their children’s education, and since those early days, they have continued to watch their children flourish, both as students and

athletes. Both children are currently attending Northwestern University.

“Giving a leadership gift to the Eagles Soar campaign was a way that we could thank the school. We recognized that the supportive learning environment our children thrived in was the result of generations of parent and alumni visionaries who came before us. Today, it is hard to imagine the campus without the Miller Library, the Dant House, or the Creative Arts Center— learning spaces that were solely funded through donations.”

Mark and Ingeborg are also thrilled about the myriad ways the Community Center for Athletics and Wellness will positively impact the school, from providing a welcoming gateway for visitors and alumni to providing a space where all students can finally gather for assemblies, cheer on the Eagle

basketball and volleyball teams, and invite many family and friends to the graduation ceremony.

“Although our youngest child recently graduated, we feel a responsibility to the next generation of students to leave the campus even better than when we were first embraced by the community years ago. The Community Center for Athletics and Wellness is a critical pillar to Catlin Gabel’s growth plan. We believe the world will be a better place with more empathetic, creative, and curious Catlin Gabel graduates who will make positive contributions in big and small ways.”

“We believe the world will be a better place with more empathetic, creative, and curious Catlin Gabel graduates who will make positive contributions in big and small ways.”

“Education at its best opens minds and touches hearts. That’s the power of Catlin Gabel. That’s the conviction that is driving this campaign. Together, we can transform the life of every student who attends our school.”

Tim Bazemore, Head of School campaign . catlin . edu

Christa Stout ’01

The sports executive and former professional athlete reflects on her commitment to helping youth through sports, and life lessons learned on Catlin Gabel’s soccer pitch

By Rebecca Allen Alumni Director

Since graduating from Catlin Gabel, you’ve been a professional soccer player, a volunteer with sports-based non-profits around the world, and now a sports franchise executive. How has your path helped you reach this point?

Part of how it started was my love of playing soccer at Catlin. I played in college and really wanted to keep playing. So that desire, along with studying abroad in college, started my international journey. When I look back on it, it’s easy to see it as a somewhat linear journey in sports. But at the time it was more, “What will someone pay me to do that I’m excited to do?” Then when I look at my story retrospectively, it seems obvious that sports and the impact of sports are the throughlines.

How does your experience as an athlete—at Catlin Gabel, in college, and post-college—inform and drive the work you’re doing now?

I played a lot of sports at Catlin. I played baseball—because we didn’t have a softball team—tennis, basketball, soccer, and ran track. It was super fun. It really did impact the work I’m doing now. I realized in college that I gained a lot of confidence through sports, which was part of what drove me to want to continue working in sports with youth. There’s such an opportunity to help develop strength and confidence, especially in girls.

It might be trite, but there are a lot of life lessons in sports. For example, [soccer and track coach] Brian Gant was a big influence on me in high school, and I still put him really high on the list of mentors of mine in life. He had such a big, meaningful

impact on my work ethic, having a growth mindset, and my ability to believe in the value of focus and dedication actually paying off.

And while I had never played baseball or run track before, at Catlin it was clear that everyone is welcome to try. I think that gave me the confidence to just try things throughout my life. For example, in graduate school, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to work in Columbia with Mercy Corps to launch a new program. My role was to work with Mercy Corps staff to teach trainers in rural Columbia a soccer and yoga program (Vivo Jugando) focused on decreasing gender-based violence. It’s hard to imagine that I would have had the confidence to do that without the lessons and experiences I had in sports.

Was that the ethos that pushed you to start your nonprofit Kids to Kids and take it international?

Yes, starting Kids to Kids came from a combination of the impact I felt sport has and could have, and the injustice of kids not having access to play sports. Early on we set up a partnership with the Peace Corps so that we could scale the program to be more impactful. Peace Corps volunteers helped identify local leaders in communities around the world where there was an interest from kids to play sports, and then we matched them with the resources from Kids to Kids.

I have always felt incredibly grateful that I got to go to Catlin and for all of the opportunities that came from that experience. It is important to me to pay that forward however I can.

BIODATA

Senior Vice President for Innovation and Technology, Portland Trail Blazers (since 2020)

Director of Community Relations, Portland Timbers and Thorns FC (2011-14)

Graduate Intern, Mercy Corps (in Colombia) (2010)

Founder and Executive Director, World Connect, Inc. (formerly Kids to Kids) (2006-09)

Professional Soccer Player, MTK Budapest (Hungary) (2005-06)

BA in Sociology and American Studies from Connecticut College (2005) and MBA from Middlebury Institute of International Studies (2011)

Welcome Back to Campus, Alumni!

We were delighted to see over 120 of our alumni community for Alumni Weekend 2023! We welcomed the class of 1973 to the Pine Cone Guild, and Head of School Tim Bazemore took a group on a tour of the future site of the Community Center for Athletics and Wellness. From the alumni soccer game in the morning to the art show and wine tasting in the afternoon it was a fun-filled day for all.

Alumni Resources & Opportunities

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CLASS NOTES

SEND US YOUR NEWS

We are pleased to publish all Class Notes submitted by alumni or their class representative. Notes and photos may be submitted at any time through the online submission form at catlin.edu/classnotes.

Class Year: Class Member

69: Erik Bergman and Masai guides on a birding safari in Kenya

73: Class members gather to celebrate their 50-year reunion

73: Stephen Swire and family celebrate his wife Jacqueline’s 60th

76: Matt, Helen, and Elizabeth Jolley, and Jane Rondthaler, enjoy baby Theo

76: Geoff Fitch

77: Lisa Naylor ’s 5th grade class photo from 1970

83: Classmates pose in front of the memorial to Helen Wilson ’83 in the Vollum courtyard with Helen’s sister Jennifer Prendergast ’87 (front row, second from left)

87: Jim Shulevitz, Irfan Tahir, Tom Shipley, and John Chun saw Ian Bell star on stage in “Every Brilliant Thing” at ACT Theatre in Seattle

87: Taiger Murphy at home in a chair he designed and built

92: Jenn Frazier and partner

93: Damin Spritzer performed at the Fulda Dom in Germany in summer 2023

94: Abigail McCarthy is a research scientist at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center

09: Christopher Skinner and family outside the Wiener Staatsoper in Vienna

18: Stuart Myers working with his director of photography Mars Tomasetti

Chita Becker writes, “Sixty-eight years ago 18 girls graduated from Catlin on the Culpepper site. We had 13 attend our 50th reunion. The recent event welcomed six former classmates. Those in attendance were: Chita Berni Becker, whose two granddaughters, Greta Miller ’00 and her sister Emma Miller ’23, recently graduated from here; Judy Jones Blumenthal, who recently returned from Palm Desert where she and her husband spend half the year; Laura Butchart Haney, who entertained us by reciting the French Poem that Madame Beatty taught her; Nancy Baker Langler, who recently moved back here from Washington to be near her son and grandchildren; Carolyn Sewell Muir, who has been a longtime resident in Lake Oswego and her children and grandchildren live nearby; Jane McDonald Malarkey, who lives in a small English village in Hampshire but was visiting her many relatives celebrating the life of her sister Laurie Meigs ’52, who just recently passed away. Jane enjoys her new cottage and beautiful landscaped garden.

55

1973 CLASS REPS: Debbie Kaye, djek53@aol.com; Ted Kaye, kandsons@aol.com; and Steve Swire, sswire@gmail.com

1963 CLASS REP: Jennie Tucker, jtucker@oregonwireless.net

1966 CLASS REP: Tom Tucker, tuckert6671@gmail.com

1969 CLASS REP: Steve Bachelder, steve.bachelder@gmail.com

69

Erik Bergman writes, “Since retiring in 2017 from the world of high-tech public relations as a writer-editor, I’ve devoted my time to my two passions: birding and Toastmasters International. I lead field trips for Portland Audubon and the Oregon Birding Association and recently returned from seeing nesting Great Gray Owls in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. My wife, Susan, and I just completed an epic wildlife safari in Kenya where we were awed by the magnificent mammals of the Masai Mara National Reserve as well as the warm welcome of the Masai people who shared their culture with us. In Toastmasters, I serve as president of WE Toasted Toastmasters in Lake Oswego. I invite you to visit and learn how we build public speaking and leadership skills in a friendly, encouraging environment. (Those who remember me as a quiet, shy Catlin student might be surprised at how I’ve embraced public speaking.) We meet online at https://wetoasted.toastmastersclubs.org.”

Our 50-year reunion in June brought 34 classmates (plus guests) together for a wonderful dinner, capping a weekend of alumni events and providing many updates. After 34 years working IT for the City of Portland, Craig Armstrong has retired so he can enjoy spending time with his wife Brenda and their seven kids, eighteen grandkids, and eight great-grandkids. Bob Bonaparte works as a private lawyer keeping insurance companies honest after catastrophic wildfires. His favorite volunteer jobs have been coaching JV soccer and teaching mock trial at Catlin Gabel during the past 20 years. He and Nell celebrated their 40th anniversary with all four kids: Bobby ’06, Ian ’08, Margaret ’10, and James ’13 Tori Hall Byerly lives in Camp Sherman, having moved from Portland a few years ago. Her four grandchildren are 4 to 7 years old. She says, “Grandmothering is the joy of my life. Currently, I volunteer, pursue outdoor activities, and paint, often from the nature around me and of people I love or find interesting.” Tom Carr reports from Olympia, Washington, “Wren and I love to boat on our C-Dory power boat in Puget Sound. I still climb, hike, ski, and bike, and I’m looking forward to creating some metal art with my new multi-function welding setup.” Kate Chavigny is back in the U.S. after a “wildly interesting nine months” as a Fulbright Scholar in the Republic of Georgia, lecturing on the social and cultural history of American democracy. She kept her apartment in Tbilisi and will return this September for a few months to continue studying Georgian, attend concerts, and travel. She invites visitors.

73

Page Knudsen Cowles writes, “I’m managing partner for Knudsen Vineyards, my family’s 52-year-old vineyard and winery in Dundee, Oregon. We recently celebrated our third year operating our first public tasting room. My husband, Jay, and I bought a house in Newberg, Oregon, as we split our time between the vineyard and our home in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.” Scott Director reports, “Carol and I are approaching our 42nd anniversary and our retail furniture store has completed 26 years in business, surviving the many challenges presented by the pandemic. Our travel/time away consists mostly of going to Cannon Beach, where Carol’s family has had a home for 40 years. Our granddaughter, Olivia, has graduated

from 2nd grade; we see her 3 to 5 days per week.” Jack Gray writes, “I retired from our Noti, Oregon, farm several years ago, though we still own the land and live there. I keep busy enjoying the family, our farm, backpacking, watching wildlife, working on criminal legal reform issues, river rafting, and geology. I majored in geology and I have recently been rekindling that interest, studying the fascinating geology of Oregon.” Pamela Hartzell, retired after 22 years of managing The Whole 9 Yards interior fabric store in Portland, looks forward to travel and exploring new ways of expressing her creativity. Leslie Hillman, retired fully from Catlin Gabel in 2022, writes, “I’m now happy to tend my community garden plot and help with the ‘Produce for People’ program there. I’m also involved with Forward Edge International through which I sponsor three boys in Oaxaca, Mexico. Other endeavors include working out, card-making with friends, and activities at my church, i.e., Care Team ministry, VBS, Bible Study, etc.” Robert Irwin earned his MD and MPH degrees at OHSU, taught at Indiana University School of Medicine, studying neurodegenerative diseases, and returned to Oregon in 1997, where he practiced medicine while researching the neurobiology of circadian rhythms at OHSU. Now retired, he and his wife, Christina, live in a 90-year-old chalet in Lake Oswego with fruit orchards and a variety of berries. Roger Kaza reports, “I am doing well, still working in St. Louis, if you can call playing French horn for a living ‘work.’ In addition to playing, I do some conducting as well and recently took on a new gig, leading the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis.” Paul Lammers retired last year and he and his wife, Gayle, moved from Three Forks, Montana, to La Paz, BCS, Mexico. They moved into their newly constructed home in April, and report, “We love it here! It is beautiful. The people— locals and foreigners—are warm and welcoming.” Debbie Ehrman Kaye reports, “I served as president of the League of Women Voters of Portland for the last 4 years, ‘Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy’ at the local level. Mason ’04 and Julianna and Rose (7), Jack (4), and Clarke (1) live in Sherborn, Mass., near her parents. Rob ’07 married Divneet Kaur last September—they live in Portland. I still serve on the CG Alumni Council.” Ted Kaye adds, “I have leadership roles in several non-profits in the history, civics,

social service, and alumni areas. I’m involved in the flag world—I wrote a book on flag design that’s frequently quoted and I consult on the flag-design process to cities, states, and even a country. I still play the banjo and lead a couple of music circles. We’re trying to travel more; we spent two weeks in Morocco in April.”

Mark Kelley has retired from his Bay Area law practice, and writes, “40 years is enough, and Sheila and I now live full time on our place near Sisters; I’ve traded in suits and premier status on Southwest Airlines for Muck boots, tractor time, and irrigation blowouts. And we get regular visits from our oldest, now an investment director for a multinational, and our daughter the wildland firefighter.”

Jennifer Feucht Marcus reports, “Now, retired with my kids out in the world, I’ve started a new chapter—embarrassing my art degree from Mills College and weaving lessons from Susan Sowles, I’ve opened Fiber Paintings Studio and begun weaving large tapestries. So far, my work hangs in Scotland, New York, and many places in between.”

Becky Bishop Martin writes, “I'm still riding and competing in dressage while living in Walla Walla. I am mostly consumed with my horses daily, and I volunteer at Blue Mountain Therapeutic Riding—it is rewarding to work with handicapped children and adults and seeing how they respond to the love of horses. My three children live nearby so I enjoy seeing and keeping up with my five grandchildren.”

Michael Mills has stepped down as president of the Pittock Mansion Society and marched in the Grand Floral Parade as a Royal Rosarian. He serves on the Columbia River Gorge Commission as the Hood River County appointee. He has recently remarried, to Amanda Rondon. Elizabeth Powell Pastor and her husband Paul live in the Rock Creek area of Hillsboro. They enjoy collecting typewriters and having them restored. She still loves to draw, do block printing and mosaics, and read biographies and an occasional murder mystery. Jim Phillips reports, “I walk to the UW or Seattle Children’s each weekday, where I am still a professor. I see dizzy patients, teach mostly residents and grad students now, and do research. On the weekends, I am often up in Friday Harbor writing or working on our old sailboat.” Warren Rosenfeld runs his family’s 115-year-old third-generation metal recycling business in Northwest Portland, which now

includes facilities in Washington, Ohio, North Carolina, and Alabama. He writes, “Along the way Sheryl and I have raised two Catlin Gabel alums ( Will ’14 and Allie ’17) who reside and work in New York City.” Brian Saucy retired from his 38 years as pastry chef at the Benson Hotel—“the sweetest gig in town,” and “I have a 35-year-old daughter named Madeleine, single, as am I. Now I help feeding the homeless in my neighborhood. I’m still backpacking around Mt. Hood, the Wallowa Mountains, and more to come.” Steve Swire and his wife Jacqueline live in Marin County next to the outdoors—and spend portions of the summer and winter in Colorado—enjoying hiking, biking, and other activities to the fullest. Their son Sam is a rising junior at Northwestern and their daughter Aislinn lives and works remotely in Aspen. Steve continues in entrepreneurial pursuits, mostly but not all in real estate. Bruce Tobias has lived the past 30 years in Sedona, Arizona. His daughters live in San Diego (Malaika) and Bend (twins Hallie and Reya). His granddaughter, Maya, is five. He writes: “I’m now spending much of my time being the wanderlust that I’ve always been, doing adventure and eco-travel with my wife, Natalie.” Paul Trautman has retired from his business of 35 years (Trautman Art Glass and Northstar Glassworks). He and his partner Mia like traveling, most recently to South Africa. His two sons are successfully launched into interesting careers (Columbia Sportswear and NASA). He still enjoys aviating and now hikes and volunteers for Clackamas County Search and Rescue. Eberhard von Hodenberg has retired from his career as a cardiologist in Lahr, Germany. He has picked up piano lessons again, is still a member in the local parliament, and volunteers. He writes, “I love to play tennis, go skiing in the winter, and play golf. Last spring, I worked as an on-board physician in the Africa Explorer, a luxury train going from Windhoek/ Namibia to Cape Town.” David Weiss runs Northeast Historic Film, a non-profit moving image archive in Maine. He reports, “My daughter, Catherine, also lives in Maine and is a poet and artist. My son, Martin, lives in Montreal and is finishing up a Ph.D. in AI. I love to travel but consider myself a failure because I have fallen behind my lifelong goal of visiting as many countries as I am years old—but looking forward to catching up!”

David Winter reports, “Thirty years ago, I

stopped making art and became a photography dealer. A few months ago, I started up again, making images with Artificial Intelligence. It is a crazy machine, quite thrilling! I’m doing the kind where you put in only verbal prompts and get out only images. Check them out on my Instagram account: winterworksonpaper.”

1975 CLASS REP: Len Carr, carrl@catlin.edu

75 Len Carr writes, “Retired these days yet still a toe or two in the door as a sub teacher, coach, bus driver, ski program participant, and trip leader. Grown daughters thriving, each making their way professionally and personally, and that’s rewarding! Four grandchildren occupy a lot of our time, as does travel, moving around the NW, friends, and community, and just being home, which we savor too. Travel to New Zealand and Europe big highlights of 2023. Trying to stay fit and healthy: walking, working out, swimming, biking, and more yard work than I care to do... Still keeping tabs on classmates from 1975 as our big reunion approaches in 2025.”

1976 CLASS REP: Hester Buell Carr, hbc58@aol.com

76 Elizabeth Jolley writes,“Life is picking up again after ‘The Covid Years.’ My husband and I are still caring for my mother, 4th/5th grade CG teacher from 1968-1977. Jane is still as bright and fun as ever, but cannot hold anything in what we lovingly call her ‘unworking memory!’ When Mom's bum knee started making walks too painful, I instituted daily drives out. We enjoy driving around neighborhoods we have come to know, checking out the fall colors or the spring blooms, waving every time we pass by walkers. We chatter about memories of her childhood, and I hear the stories over and over. I am learning to move at Mom's pace and enjoy all she can share with me right now. A good lesson. We turned into grandparents last May, when grandson Theo Juniper Dorfman was born to daughter Helen and her husband Mike! We are, of course, delighted, and we are certain that youngster is the best grandson ever. We Zoom with them almost weekly, and he often leans in as if to hug us. Life is pretty sweet!”

Geoff Fitch writes, “Hi, everyone. I know our class notes have been quiet but I am thinking of

you all fondly and hope you all are doing well!”

1977 CLASS REP: Kelley Brand, kelleybrand503@gmail.com

77 Lisa Burns Naylor writes, “My 5th grade class had a zoom reunion with our favorite teacher, TR Factor (Diane Weigler) during 2020. It was wonderful. We all reminisced about our fun and informative year, friendships made, and relationships explored! On the call were so many former classmates: Lisa Lameroux, Julie Peters, Laura Bachman, Will (Chaz) Weigler, Carl Haessler, Burt Jarvis, Valerie Day, Steve Saltzman, and so many other dear friends from that fabulous, memorable year. In 2022, I had a chance to visit TR Factor, now in her late 80’s, at her cute bungalow in Cannon Beach, OR. Thanks to her son, Will Weigler, I easily found her home and we shared the joy of her teaching us and free spirit she maintains to this day. Recently I met with Susan Bishop Lee who was visiting Dayton, WA, for a family wedding. She encouraged me to reach out to Catlin Gabel alumni, friends, staff, and parents for the specific following request: I have been diagnosed with end stage renal failure and need a living kidney to continue a full life. I am nearing the time to begin dialysis but have been contacting family friends and community members to consider a living kidney donation. The kidney transplant center at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane is facilitating my donation information. Questions can be directed to kidneydonor@providence.org. Everything is confidential. The prospective donor has the option to tell the patient.”

1978 CLASS REPS: Ken Naito, kennaito@comcast.net, and Peggy Schauffler, schaufflerp@catlin.edu

79 Peggy Schauffler writes, “I recently retired from Catlin after 31 years of teaching art to many wonderful children! I am grateful to the children, their parents, and my amazing colleagues. I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life!”

80 Jarrett Walker's book Human Transit, a guide to designing and advocating good public transit

systems, has a new edition coming out in February 2024. His firm Jarrett Walker & Associates, based in Portland, designs city bus networks for cities around the world.

82 Tobias (Toby) Hecht is living in Spain with his wife and son and working with a cleantech startup. The idea is to repurpose used electric vehicle batteries as stationary energy storage for renewables. He also writes fiction. His most recent book is a collection of short stories, each of which appears in two versions, in Spanish (a language he started learning at Catlin) and English. It’s entitled Cangrejo con yogur (Crab and Yogurt).”

1983 CLASS REPS: Traci Rossi, traci.j.rossi@gmail.com, and Adrienne Wannamaker, adrienne@wannamaker.com

83 Cla ssmates gathered on campus during Alumni Weekend to take a photo in front of the memorial to Helen Wilson ’83 in the Vollum courtyard. In attendance was Helen’s sister, Jennifer Prendergast ’87

86 Bruce Eaton writes, “I have relocated to Bend, OR, with my father Sid Eaton (faculty). Stuart Eaton ’85 has been here since the 90s so this gets our family all together. So far we are loving Central Oregon and the beauty it has to offer. Our farewell event was attended by a number of faculty and a few 86ers. Please reach out if you find yourself in Bend/Redmond/Sisters.”

87 Jim Shulevitz, Irfan Tahir, Tom Shipley, and John Chun saw their classmate Ian Bell star on stage in “Every Brilliant Thing” at ACT Theatre in Seattle. T. Taiger Murphy writes, “Hi beloved Catlin Community! Here are my updates: Son (Indigo) graduated Sunset HS, attending UO; daughter (Graycen) finished 10th grade Sunset HS. My wife, Summer Andreasen, teaches art at Swallowtail School, Cornelius. Me, for fun: repairing furniture; making kombucha; and catching up on classic literature (e.g. Dickens; Eliot’s Middlemarch ; and many others, via audiobook while dog walking!). Me, professionally: Architectural Infrastructure™ by Taiger Murphy, Architect—consultant to architects, engineers, and construction firms (A/E/C) leading custom training and solutions.

I will start by helping firms and experienced specifiers (frequently near retirement) with effectively teaching younger, tech-savvy staff. This preserves knowledge and continues the firm’s commitment to ongoing quality as they design and construct the built environment of tomorrow. For those still reading (I love you!), I welcome business startup advice at murphy@taigermurphyarchitect.com. – Taiger (formerly known as Tim).”

1990 CLASS REP: Pippa Arend, pippaa@gmail.com

1991 CLASS REP: D'Artagnan Bernard Caliman, dbcaliman@gmail.com

91 Solan Wolf writes, “I haven’t reported anything over the years so here are some updates from the last two years. My wife and I became Grandparents two Thanksgivings ago to a very happy baby boy! I am also proud to say that I was promoted to Captain this last March at Selkirk Fire, Rescue, and EMS. I am excited that I was able to make this rank as a paid member of our department in just over 10 years time.”

1992 CLASS REP: Melanie Novack Piziali, melaniepiziali@yahoo.com

92 Jenn (Stallard) Frazier wri tes, “Living with the love of my life in downtown Santa Barbara, CA, and starting my eighth year as an executive assistant at a local accounting firm. We love being able to walk everywhere!”

Soren, is on the Dean's List and has completed his freshman year of college at OU. Her daughter Rowan is a junior in high school, and her younger son, Morgan, is beginning middle school this year with a focus on aviation. Her husband, James Francey, continues his work with Deloitte & Touche, and they visit the PNW to see her family whenever they are able.

94

Abigail McCarthy wri tes, “I'm still in Seattle working as a research scientist at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center. My work is sometimes theoretical and sometimes very hands on, as my photo demonstrates.”

1996 CLASS REPS: Daniel Karlin, danielkarlin7@gmail.com, and Trace Hancock, tjhancock@gmail.com

1997 CLASS REPS: Katey Flack, katey.flack@gmail.com, and Phoebe Wayne, phoebevwayne@gmail.com

2000 CLASS REP: Alex Youssefian, ayoussefian@gmail.com

2001 CLASS REP: Tyler Francis, tyler.p.francis@gmail.com

2004 CLASS REP: Hannah Aultman, hannah.aultman@gmail.com

09 Christopher Skinner, Cameron, and Finnegan, nearing four, continue to live in London, where Christopher works for L.E.K. Consulting. They have enjoyed a wonderful year, meeting Christopher’s parents in Antigua and in London, visiting Vienna and Salzburg, and enjoying Christmas with Cam’s sister and brother-in-law. He reports that Finn loves exploring the world and has boundless energy. Calley (Edwards) Robin and her husband Alex welcomed their first child, Charlotte “Charlie” Jean Robin, on April 15 at Good Samaritan hospital. Their family of three also moved into their first home in NE Portland.

2013 CLASS REP: Alexandra van Alebeek, alexandra@vanalebeek.com

13 After living in Washington, DC, for six years, Rachel (Spiegel) Saltzman moved back to Portland in June with her husband, Barkley. She writes that she is happy to reconnect with her fellow Eagles

2014 CLASS REP: Chris Park, parkcgs@gmail.com

18

04

Damin Spritzer com pleted her sixth world-premiere solo organ CD in England in 2022 to international commercial acclaim and is recording a seventh CD this summer in France on another historic instrument. She remains one of a small group of prominent pioneering female organists and professors at major institutions and continues as Area Chair/Associate Professor of Organ at the University of Oklahoma. Her solo recitals last year took her to Iceland, Germany, England, and Belgium, along with performances in the U.S. and as a featured soloist with national conventions. She also published a monograph on composer R. L. Becker. Her oldest son,

93

Mason Kaye is now the Assistant Director of Summer Programs and Assistant Director of Auxiliary Programs at Meadowbrook School of Weston in Massachusetts. He and his wife recently bought a house in Sherborn, MA, where they live with their three children. Tomoyo Nakamura has just moved to London after spending 15 years in Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Before leaving Japan, she met up with Toby (Sokol) Cipperly and her husband in Japan last summer. If anyone is in London or plans to visit, let her know!

2005 CLASS REP: Donna Canada-Smith, donna.canadasmith@gmail.com

2007 CLASS REP: Rob Kaye, robert.e.kaye@gmail.com

Stuart Myers writes, “I am finishing up my three-year BFA degree in Global Film Art as a part of a new Emerson College program, spending three years in Paris, France, studying film and art while looking to break into the European film industry. This past year I have been working on a capstone project which will be screened in August at a cinema in Boston, alongside the works of my peers. It’s been a wonderful journey and I look forward to graduation this August with two BFA degrees and returning to Paris for another year internship.”

2019 CLASS REPS: Miles Asher Cohen, milesashercohen@gmail.com; Layton Rosenfeld, sparkyrosenfeld@gmail.com; Sydney Nagy, sydneycnagy@gmail.com; and Helene Stockton, hlfstockton@gmail.com

2020 CLASS REPS: Annika Holliday, annika.holliday@icloud.com, and Eamon Walsh, eamonreedwalsh@gmail.com

The Caller is honored to print In Memoriam notices for alumni and family members. Notices may be submitted at any time through the online submission form at catlin.edu/inmemoriam

George Adlhoch

Father of David Adlhoch ’77

Thomas C. Buell, Sr.

Joan Strong Buell

Parents of Thomas Buell, Jr. ’74, Hester (Buell) Carr ’76 (parents-in-law Len Carr ’75), and Dexter Buell ’78; grandparents of Emily (Carr) Bellos ’02, Julia Carr ’05, and Hannah (Carr) Clark ’07; Joan was the founding Head of the Beginning School; Thomas was a trustee

David Cory ’82

Husband of Sharla Settlemier ’82; brother of Michael Cory ’67, Charles Cory ’69, Camilla (Cory) Streeter ’71, and Robert Cory ’75

Lynn Curtis ’74

Sister of Ann Curtis ’69, Val (Curtis) Shute ’71, and Ward Curtis ’72

Thomas Owen Hacker

Father of Sarah (Hacker) Bell ’92 and Alice Hacker ’01

Phil Hawley ’43

Brother of Adele Davie ’35, Willard Hawley ’41, Dinda Mills ’44, and Barb Hosking ’49

William Hunt

Father of Alica Hunt ’04 and Bryan Hunt ’07

Tim Kelley ’80

Husband of Alice Moffatt; brother of Gil Kelley ’71, Mark Kelley ’73, and Sarah Kelley ’75

George Howard Killian

Father of Ausha (Killian) Barton ’91

Steve McCarthy

Father of Abigail McCarthy ’94; son of Kate McCarthy ’35

Betty Frisbee Perkins

Mother of Tom Cramer ’78; grandmother of Will Gruner ’06 and Harry Gruner ’10

Luke Rodgers ’10

Son of Steve Rodgers and Lesley Sepetoski

John L. Shipley

Husband of Joan Shipley; father of David Shipley ’81, Ann Shipley ’83, Tom Shipley ’87 (father-in-law of Megan Sullivan Shipley ’87)

Ron Sobel

Father of Emily Sobel ’93; former Upper School teacher, Head of Middle School, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, and multisport coach

Peg Watson

Mother of Ann Watson ’77, Bill Watson ’79, and Barbara Watson ’81; former Lower School teacher and Rummage Chair

Una Whitcomb

Mother of Stuart Whitcomb, Jr. ’88 and Richard Whitcomb ’90; former Catlin Gabel librarian

friday,

saturday,