5 QUESTIONS WITH STAFF TAMMY WATERS

1. WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO CHATHAM HALL?

I grew up in the area but moved away right after getting married. Then my husband, Dan, received an offer to return to Danville to teach at the public high school, and I was excited to return. When I applied to work at Chatham Hall, I remember being struck by the beauty of the campus the first time I drove up. I started working here in August 1990, more than 32 years ago, which is crazy to think about!

2. HOW HAS THE POSITION OF ASSISTANT IN THE RECTOR’S OFFICE EVOLVED?

When I started here, one requirement for the position was being able to take shorthand. At the time, Rector Jerry “Dutch” Van Voorhis dictated letters most mornings and I typed everything on a typewriter. I did not get a computer until the summer of 1997, then it was a couple more years before we had email. My day-today activities have changed a great deal since the early ’90s when most involved preparing correspondence and scheduling meetings. I now attend

Board of Trustees meetings and take the minutes, help with some School’s traditions and events, work with others on planning the annual calendar, and much more. I might have an idea of what I will be working on each day but most days something unexpected comes up. There’s nothing boring about this job.

3. WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB?

I think the most rewarding part of the job is watching wonderful young women develop from the time they arrive at Chatham Hall until they graduate, and then even on into adulthood. I love hearing about their careers and accomplishments years after they graduate, and seeing pictures of their babies. Now I see a second generation as some of our students are daughters of alumnae from the 1990s and early 2000s.

4. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY?

For me, being at Chatham Hall is not just a job. It’s a very close-knit, caring community and I have been very blessed to work with some absolutely wonderful people who are like a second family to me (including six rectors or heads of School). And my husband started teaching technology and math classes at Chatham Hall five years ago. He has also been a sponsor of the TuTu Turtles robotics team since its creation in 2012. Participating in seated meals and Advisory outings with him, not to mention attending robotics competitions, has added an extra dimension for me to get to know the students.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHATHAM HALL TRADITION?

My favorite is the Lantern Ceremony. I look forward to watching it every year, and I love how it represents the passing of leadership. There’s so much meaning in the songs and it’s truly beautiful to watch. I was honored to be named an Honorary Alumna in May 2020, and my daughter (Kathryn ‘14) dripped wax into my ring using a candle Cathy “La” LaDuke gave me from one of the School’s lanterns. It was a very special moment for me.