Each school year is a fresh start—a new slate of 9th graders to welcome on their first day of classes, a new group of 12th graders walking up the Senior Steps, new teams forming, new actors and musicians rehearsing, new lessons being learned and new memories and friendships being made.
At Burr and Burton, we also have the pleasure and privilege of seeing all of that newness through the lens of 195 years of education, belonging, and community support.
That celebration of the old and the new, the traditions and the march into the future is at the heart of this issue of The VIEW. As always, these pages honor the current life of Burr and Burton, but this year also marks a proud milestone: the 175th year since the young women of this community were first admitted to what was then Burr Seminary.
While inclusion and belonging are obvious values to us today, when 16 female scholars joined us in 1849, we were among the first high schools in the country to benefit from serving, working, and learning with more than a single homogeneous slice of our community. That then-revolutionary step launched our long-standing commitment to offer opportunity to all.
As you will see and—I hope—enjoy in the following pages, Burr and Burton Academy’s commitment to offer opportunity to all is what makes all the difference.
Onward and forward,
Mark H. Tashjian Headmaster
NEWS FROM CAMPUS
BULLDOGS ENGAGE
“The etymology of the word, ‘engage,’ dates back to the Middle Ages—it originally meant ‘to pledge’ or commit to something (or someone). We now think of the word more generally, in terms of getting involved. If the BBA community commits to learning together and being present for one another, and all of us get involved in making this community great, then that's the kind of pledge that makes a big impact.”
– Jen Hyatt, Academic Dean
Bulldog seniors and faculty weighed in on what it means to engage...
“Bulldogs Engage means that physically showing up is only part one of bringing your best to all that you do at BBA. Being physically present paves the way for you to then commit your full engagement to your academics, relationships, and responsibilities. It's how you interact with academic opportunities and those around you that will make a great BBA experience even better!”
– Kimberly Stedman, Director of Student Accessibility Services
“Bulldogs Engage to me means taking part in your role as Bulldog and showing up for yourself and others in classes and extracurriculars. It means asking extra questions for clarity and really showing that you want to be learning. It means being diligent about the work you do and caring for yours and others’ education.”
– Emme ’25
“To me Bulldogs Engage means to be open minded and to step out of your comfort zone to be a part of all that BBA offers. Talk to the person you've never met, attend the sports game, musical or play—or even participate in it yourself. Bulldogs engage means interacting with our community.”
– Giana ’25
“Bulldogs Engage means for our community, both individually and collectively, to be aware of life's joys and challenges, hope and potential, to reflect on their meaning and effects, and to develop the skills to deeply engage life with integrity, freedom, and love.” In short, it means to be fully alive and find peace in a messy, imperfect world.”
– Sean Powers, Visual Arts and Design Teacher
“BBA’s 2024 theme has an overarching connection to all things I do, whether that’s in communities outside of school, with my academics, athletics, or social life...one thing I am proud of is my engagement with the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program through MEMS where I try my hardest to attend every weekly meeting.”
– Charlie ’25
Ben Beers Retires after 64 Years
LAST SPRING, BEN BEERS, A CHERISHED MEMBER OF THE BURR AND BURTON COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN SIX DECADES, ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT.
Last year marked Ben’s 64th anniversary with the facilities team, a remarkable journey that began in 1959 as a part-time, after-school job. Ben transitioned to a full-time role after graduation, famously marrying on a Saturday, graduating on a Sunday, and starting his career at Burr and Burton on Monday.
Ben’s unwavering commitment to Burr and Burton is reflected in his personal connection to the school. His legacy is intertwined with the institution, as his brother, two children, and three grandchildren are all proud graduates. Ben's dedication was evident when he shared a gold mine of Burr and Burton memorabilia during his 2022 Five Things That Matter alumni interview, showcasing his profound affection for the school and its community.
Throughout his tenure, Ben has received many accolades, including the Burr and Burton Hall of Fame Friend of Athletics Award in 2009, the Vermont Custodian of the Year title in 2012. In 2022, the new maintenance facility on campus was named the Benjamin Franklin Beers Maintenance
Shop in his honor, a fitting tribute to his enduring contributions.
Ben’s legacy of improving Burr and Burton each day is truly inspiring. Headmaster Mark Tashjian said, “Ben is a living legend, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, husband, and friend. Ben, thank you for a lifetime of dedication to your community. You are a marvel and a wonder.”
Burr and Burton Welcomes Two New Trustees
BURR AND BURTON IS EXCITED TO WELCOME TWO NEW MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES: DAPHNE MARKCROW AND DR. ANDREW BOYER ’01.
Daphne Markcrow, parent of a current Burr and Burton senior, joined the Board of Trustees in June. She holds a degree in Art History from Duke University and an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Since moving to Vermont with her husband Craig and their two children, Anna ’25 and Henry, Markcrow has been actively involved in the community. She previously served as a trustee at Maple Street School.
Board Chair Charley Stevenson expressed his enthusiasm for Markcrow’s appointment: “Daphne brings fresh and varied business and nonprofit leadership experience to BBA’s board. We are excited to add her perspective to strategic conversations.”
Markcrow shared her excitement about joining the board: “I am so honored
to join the BBA board. I have been absolutely impressed with the school as a parent. In particular, I have found the faculty, staff, and leadership exceptional. I am looking forward to working hard alongside the great group on the board during the exciting next phase of BBA.”
Dr. Andrew Boyer ’01 has been actively involved in the Burr and Burton alumni community for several years and brings a strong sense of engagement as well as a range of governance experience to the board. After graduating from Burr and Burton, Boyer earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from St. Lawrence University and a medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He is currently a Radiologist at Rutland Regional Medical Center and recently served on the board of One World Children’s Fund.
Stevenson highlighted the importance of Boyer’s perspective as an alumnus: “BBA has a long history of alumni engagement. Andy is a great example of a graduate who grew a career elsewhere, then chose to return to our part of Vermont. That combination of vision and roots is a big reason why our board is able to serve our communities so effectively.”
Boyer reflected on his evolving role: “Serving on the BBA Alumni Board over the past several years has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I'm very proud of the work that the alumni board accomplished in strengthening the relationship between BBA and its alumni and reimagining how we engage our alumni community in the digital age. This work was only possible due to the close partnership with the amazing team in BBA's Advancement Office.”
“When asked if I would be willing to serve Burr and Burton further by joining the Board of Trustees, my answer was an immediate yes. What an absolute honor to be able to continue to serve this incredible organization and community that has given me so much over the years.”
ATHLETICS ROUNDUP
For the first time in Burr and Burton history, the Track and Field team participated in the Division I State Championship—and it was extraordinary!
Special congratulations Head Coach Sarah Scranton and Assistant Coaches Brian Sherras and Caleb Wiley and the dedicated athletes who brought home our first Division I awards:
• Abby Kopeck – Girls Pole Vault – STATE CHAMPION
• Emily Harris – Girls 800 Meter – STATE CHAMPION
• Amelia Maier – Girls 300 Hurdles – 2nd Place
• Robin Tashjian – Girls 300 Hurdles – 3rd Place
• Carson Gordon – Boys Triple Jump – 3rd Place
• Emily Harris, Matilda Podgorski, Siena Marshall, & Amelia Maier – Girls 4x400 – 3rd Place
Several Burr and Burton athletes also competed at the New England Track and Field Championship. Special congratulations to Abby Kopeck with a Personal Record of 10-03 in Pole Vault and the Boys 4x400 team (Daniel Desario, Ben Dossett, Xavier Traver Adolphus and Caleb Fitzpatrick) had their fastest time of the season.
CONGRATULATIONS ALL OUR SOUTHERN VERMONT
Girls and Boys Lacrosse both had strong seasons, both making it to the state semifinals. Girls Lacrosse had a 10 and 6 record and Boys Lacrosse was 13 and 5.
GO BULLDOGS!
Baseball also made it to the semifinals,
Unified Basketball had an awesome season, finishing 9 and 1!
losing to South Burlington.
By Stephanie Liy
ARTS ROUNDUP Theater
Spring Musical Mamma Mia!: A Smash Hit for the Ages
Under the direction of Theater Director Jim Raposa, the spring musical took the stage by storm with an unforgettable production of Mamma Mia! Filled with joyful bubblegum pop, Mamma Mia! provided a perfect backdrop for students to express themselves and revel in the sheer fun of performance. The show was one of the most successful in BBA history, captivating audiences and selling out night after night.
One standout feature of this year’s production was the new lighting system, generously donated to Performing Arts. This state-of-the-art equipment was a game changer for Burr and Burton, adding a new level of visual brilliance and depth that enhanced the show. The technical aspects of Mamma Mia! were not only ambitious but pushed the boundaries of what has been seen on the Riley Center stage, with the sound crew and pit band conducted by Nick Exler delivering performances that tested their skills to the limit.
The musical’s high level of digital finesse and technical difficulty was matched by the enthusiasm and dedication of everyone involved. This was not just a performance; it was a collaborative effort that showcased the full range of Performing Arts talent. From sound, lighting and tech support to choreography, every team worked together to create a vibrant, feel-good experience that delighted audiences. A record number of coaches helped engage the students, offering them the chance to shine—and shine they did.
A very special thank you to all the helping hands who made this show a success!
This fall, don’t miss the riveting production of Radium Girls, a powerful and poignant play that brings history to life. Set in the 1920s, this intense drama tells the true story of young women, all under the age of 19, working in radium-dial factories, who faced dire health consequences as they unknowingly painted glowing watch dials with radium. As their struggle for justice unfolds, Radium Girls reveals their courageous fight against corporate greed and systemic injustice.
With its blend of historical impact and compelling human drama, this play promises to be both moving and eye-opening. Join us for an unforgettable performance that sheds light on a pivotal moment in history and honors the resilience of these brave young women.
Visual Arts
The Visual Arts department is thrilled to announce that Hakan Brosnan is joining the team as a new faculty member. His addition will bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to this creative community. Visual Arts are also delighted to welcome back Cori Klein as part of the Design, Integration and Woodworking classes. Cori’s extensive experience will now bolster the visual arts programs’ continued depth and growth.
This past June, Ceramics and Studio Art students embraced their creative spirits by taking their clay faces up to the BBA ropes course. They crafted unique, expressive faces from red clay and displayed them on trees, where they charmed passersby for weeks before gracefully returning to the earth. This wonderful project exemplifies the Visual Arts Department’s commitment to integrating art with nature and community engagement.
Looking ahead, the Artist of the Month program at the Manchester Community Library will feature Studio and Advanced Projects students showcasing their work. Mark your calendars for this new collaboration with MCL—dates to be announced soon. Additionally, don’t miss the Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, December 7, where classes will be selling student-created notecards, ceramics, jewelry, and more.
ARTS ROUNDUP
Music
The Music Department had a vibrant and eventful spring and summer!
On May 30th, 2024, the Vocal Music Ensemble captivated the audience at the Riley Center’s Cinema Montage during the Spring Showcase with a superb opera workshop scene from Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus This special performance was expertly coached by renowned Metropolitan Opera star Anya Matanovic, adding an extra layer of musicality to this special presentation.
Looking ahead, BBA Performing Arts students will have the exclusive opportunity to attend a performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel at Boston’s Colonial Theater on Sunday, April 13, 2025. The performance will star none other than Anya Matanovic as Carrie Pipperidge. Thanks to the coordination efforts of the Boston
Lyric Opera, students will also enjoy a backstage tour and a talk-back session with the cast and crew, providing an invaluable behind-the-scenes experience.
In addition to these exciting events, Music Teacher Julie Freebern has just returned from a transformative thirty day Rowland Summer Sabbatical, which will enhance the new World Music class being offered this semester. The sabbatical included enriching cultural experiences across Hong Kong, Indonesia, and New Zealand. Highlights included exploring Victoria Harbor and the Giant Buddha in Hong Kong, engaging in traditional gamelan music and dance in Bali, and immersing in Maori culture and Haka performances in New Zealand. This journey also involved volunteer work, from beach cleanups to assisting with prosthetics clinics. Freebern is deeply thankful to the Rowland Family and BBA leadership for making this opportunity possible.
YEARS
175
The Women Who Define Burr and Burton
The Forty-Niners
By Meredith Morin
The idea of educating women to prepare them for college was groundbreaking at the time, maybe even a little bit scandalous. But, the tide was turning, and between 1836 and 1875, 50 women’s colleges opened in the United States, which catalyzed eager women to prepare themselves to enter college courses of study. Sixteen of those women turned their attention toward attending Burr Seminary with an eye on college and beyond.
The Forty-Niners were 16 intrepid women who entered Burr Seminary in 1849 with the radical goal of accessing a college-preparatory high school diploma. is incorporated
To GLIMPSE into the future, VIEW the past.
One of the Forty-Niners, Lucy Barrett, approached the Assistant Principal William Burnham to ask him for private instruction, so she could prepare to enter Mount Holyoke College. Burnham responded that he didn’t have the time to tutor her privately, but he encouraged her to come and join the existing classes… classes consisting of all men.
The rest, as they say, is history.
...between 1836 and 1875, 50 women’s colleges opened in the United States, which catalyzed eager women to prepare themselves to enter college courses of study. Sixteen of those women turned their attention toward attending Burr Seminary with an eye on college and beyond.
Lucy Barrett applies for instruction and is admitted to class along with Emma Wickham, Caroline Anderson, Frances Walker and others
Forty-Niners Lucy Barrett and Emma Wickham.
Burr Seminary opens on May 15
So much has changed in the ensuing 175 years— but just as shaking knees and sad goodbyes are as timeless as a graduation tradition gets, so too is the Burr and Burton tradition of women breaking down barriers to opportunity.
Three of the original Forty-Niners were graduates of that first class, Lucy Barrett, Caroline Anderson Barrus, and Emma Wickham Roe. On the occasion of their 50th Reunion in 1899, Caroline Anderson Barrus shared a reflection of those early days as the first women students at Burr Seminary. She reflected on the graduation ceremonies, held at the Congregational Church, calling it “the gold day of the year.” She said, “People came from all the adjoining towns to see and hear everything. The procession from the Seminary to the church was a pleasing sight… As the principal called their names the Salutatorian writers of essays and the Valedictorian rose from their seats and went up the steps (often with shaking knees) to the platform . . . the social time was a pleasant winding up of the festivities though a bit saddened by the good-byes that must be said.”1
So much has changed in the ensuing 175 years—but just as shaking knees and sad goodbyes are as timeless as a graduation tradition gets, so too is the Burr and Burton tradition of women breaking down barriers to opportunity.
As we celebrate 175 years of women at Burr and Burton, we share stories of the women who have lifted up this incredible school and paved the way for the future. Burr and Burton women
have been scientists, business owners, community leaders, poets, Olympians, teachers, health care workers, coaches, attorneys, visionary educational leaders—and more.
These are the women who define Burr and Burton.
THANK YOU to the Manchester Historical Society for providing materials for this column. Photo of Lucy Barrett, Class of 1849 from The Castle in the Pasture, Portrait of Burr and Burton Academy, Frederica Templeton, 2005
Trustee
and founder Josiah Burton leaves bequest for female seminary
School name is changed to Burr and Burton Seminary; that year, 67 of the 199 students were young women
Mary Orvis Marbury, who helped run the Orvis fishing tackle business, graduates
First reunion held in Manchester
1 B&B Seminary ’49 Mrs. Caroline Anderson Barrus responding for the “Forty-niners” (at their fiftieth reunion in 1899.) Courtesy of the Manchester Historical Society.
Opportunity for All Sarah Cleghorn, CLASS OF 1895
By Jill Perry-Balzano
“Here is what our town can do: this glorious old school. We have maintained it against changing educational fashions; against the cost of living; against the universal vicissitudes of all experience, for a hundred years as it was founded to serve the children of this valley.”
When Sarah Cleghorn passed away at age 83 in 1959, her New York Times obituary mentioned her great friendship with fellow writer Robert Frost, who called her “saintly.” The obituary goes on to say, “Miss Cleghorn would never have thought of herself as a saint, but she was ready at all times to accept the burdens that go with a life built on principles.”
Cleghorn’s principles guided her to become active in many causes: she wrote passionately about social justice, women’s suffrage, and in opposition to child labor. She balanced her activism with both writing about and engaging in daily life— many of her poems are portraits of New England country life, and Cleghorn herself was deeply connected to the daily goings on of life in Manchester for more than 30 years.1
Tradition of Senior Class Day is established
Steam heat and running water installed in Seminary Building
Clara
Hemenway,
first librarian of the
Mark Skinner Library, graduates
Belltower destroyed by cyclone; influential teachers Frances and Maria Snyder arrive at Burr and Burton along with new principal E.H. Botsford
In 1929, to celebrate Burr and Burton’s centennial, Cleghorn and Mary Campbell Munson, class of 1880, wrote a play depicting the story of the first hundred years of Burr and Burton.2 Walter Hard, class of 1900, owner of the local drugstore and a celebrated local poet, played the role of Mr. Burr and Trustee George W. Burton, played the role of ancestor Josiah Burton. In this way, and as an early “journalist” for the Manchester Historical Society,
Cleghorn left her mark on the character of Burr and Burton and its community.
To learn more about Sarah Cleghorn we caught up with Frederica Templeton from the Manchester Historical Society who, as an archivist and a writer, has extensive knowledge of the history of Burr and Burton.
1“Timestamp:
Interview with Frederica Templeton
Tell me about Sarah Cleghorn–what kind of a person was she?
From my reading of her works and other descriptions of her, I would say she was a gentle soul who was a serious poet, a dedicated teacher, and vocal social activist who could also be very playful. She had a very interesting upbringing and managed to live a remarkable life dedicated to socialism, pacifism, experimental education practices and the labor movement.
What was Burr and Burton like when Cleghorn was a student here?
Sarah arrived at Burr and Burton in the fall of 1890, along with her younger brother Carl. They both had been homeschooled by their aunts, with whom they lived in Manchester after their mother died. She soon found friends who loved poetry as much as she did, though she recalls in her biography that very few students wrote verses, so she had no difficulty getting published in the school magazine.
New gymnasium dedicated; Esther (Graves) Shaw, future owner of W.H. Shaw Insurance, graduates
Sarah Cleghorn”, Manchester Historical Society 2The Castle in the Pasture, Frederica Templeton, 2005
Mildred (Wilcox) Orton, proprietor of Vermont Country Store graduates
Sarah Cleghorn, poet and social reformer, graduates
Sarah Cleghorn, top right, during her senior year.
To what extent did her early life and education at Burr and Burton influence her later work and contributions to the community?
She was, from an early age, a fierce adversary of cruelty and stupidity. Her intense hatred of injustice was evident early in her life and informed many of her life choices. She published her first poem while she was a student, and she worked hard to achieve her dream of a literary career. After graduation, she decided she wanted to go to Radcliffe, but only for one year, as she knew her father could not afford it. She returned to Manchester afterward, where she took the minutes for the newly founded Manchester Historical Society and produced several very lively and informative notebooks filled with local news and charming, whimsical drawings.
During the early decades of the 20th century, she regularly had her poems accepted by such widely read publications as the Atlantic Monthly and the New York Herald Tribune. In the 1920s her income from freelance writing started to drop off and she decided to become a teacher. Sarah was very disappointed that she was not hired by Burr and Burton. But she ended up teaching at two new Progressive schools outside New York City, where she was very happy. During this time, she also became involved with the Labor movement in New York
City. Her pacifism led her to be a very vocal anti-war activist during the First World War.
Are there any well-known (or lesser known) stories that exemplify Cleghorn’s personality, values, or relationship with the community?
Sarah had a burning passion for social activism. She felt deeply about the injustice she witnessed in American society during her lifetime in many different areas: cruelty to animals, warfare, and poverty. She expressed her beliefs against all forms of injustice, never tiring of writing letters to newspapers and politicians, and joining organizations that reflected her values.
When she was 60, she published her biography Threescore, in which she describes her idyllic childhood, and the joyful companionship of local children who would become lifelong friends. Her great affection for Manchester shines through her memories of those years. A copy of her memoir, annotated by her with comments, photographs, and drawings, is in the Burr and Burton Archives.
In her later years, Sarah became a Quaker. She died on April 4, 1959, at age 83, and is buried with a simple stone marking her grave in the Plymouth Meeting Friends Cemetery outside Philadelphia.
Frederica Templeton is president of the Manchester Historical Society. She was a member of Burr and Burton's Advancement Office and school archivist from 1996-2012 and is the author of The Castle in the Pasture: Portrait of Burr and Burton Academy published in 2005. Her son Colin and daughter Sarah are Burr and Burton graduates.
Centennial celebrated with pageant written by Sarah Cleghorn
Green and gold become the school colors
Bulldog mascot is introduced
First field hockey team is organized
Place Purpose THE MAGIC OF Mildred Orton ’28 and
By Meredith Morin
E.H. Henry becomes headmaster 1943
Marcia Neugebauer, NASA physicist part the first team to successfully measure the existence of solar wind, graduates 1948
Title IX, the federal civil rights law that created conditions expanding women’s athletics, is signed into law
Sally Utiger, New England Tennis Hall of Fame Tennis official, graduates
WHAT IS THE MEASURE OF A LIFE?
Is it to be productive?
To be kind?
Make your fortune?
Share your wisdom?
By any measure, it could be said that Burr and Burton alumna Mildred Ellen Orton ’28 spent her life judiciously and prudently, as any true Vermonter might strive to. Yet, at every turn, with every story, there is an undercurrent of enjoyment and outright fun that speaks to an enviable fullness of her days. Arguably, one of her most public accomplishments is her role in co-founding the Vermont Country Store with her husband, Vrest Orton in 1946. But if we started there, the picture of Mildred’s life would certainly be less than complete.
Mildred died on May 6, 2010, just nine months shy of her 100th birthday. Throughout her near century of life, Mildred’s influence spanned generations and reached around the world — courtesy of her role at The Vermont Country Store. Yet, so much of her lasting legacy is enjoyed by those of us right here in the Northshire — in her deeply seeded Vermont roots and sense of place.
This year, we celebrate 175 years of women at Burr and Burton, commemorating the intrepid 16 women who joined the ranks of the male students at Burr Seminary in 1849, building the foundation of Burr and
In honor of this important anniversary, we look to the example that Mildred set throughout her life: as a sixthgeneration Vermonter, as a student, an entrepreneur, as a wife and mother, an author, and as a community leader. She worked hard, she served others, she shared her knowledge, and she never missed an opportunity to share her special brand of Vermont hospitality with everyone she met. Her life was one of purpose, and for those who knew her, her organizational skills and quick mind set her apart.
“She had this enormous capacity to bring people together and get on the same page,” said Lyman Orton ’59, Mildred’s son and proprietor of the Vermont Country Store. Lyman took over as President of Vermont Country
Judy McCormick Taylor ’57 and Brenda Madkour become the first women elected to the Board of Trustees; New gymnasium dedicated to E.H. Henry
Varsity Girls Basketball wins its first State Championship
Kathi Bierwirth, Burr and Burton’s first female Athletic Director and Target Program Director, graduates
Betsy Shaw, member of first snowboarding Olympic Team, graduates; Varsity Girls Basketball wins its first State Championship
Burton for the generations of women to come.
Store in 1975 and served in that capacity until passing the business on to his three sons.
On the summer day we met to discuss his mother’s legacy, Lyman generously shared photos that his mother curated, original copies of old catalogs, and an impressive collection of computers and adding machines used back in the day by his parents and himself. Our walk through Mildred’s life feels like time spent with a wise relative — someone who gives us the best advice on how to create a life and truly live. It is easy to imagine some of the sage lessons that Mildred might have passed on to us from her century of life experience.
Arrive early...
Mildred Ellen Wilcox was born on the Wilcox family farm five miles south of Manchester on Silver Spring Lane on February 9, 1911. The third of three children born to Erwin and Maria Hamilton Wilcox, Mildred grew up sharing the dairy farm chores with her father and brothers Roger and Howard. They made door-to-door milk deliveries to local homes and The Equinox Hotel, first in a horsedrawn wagon, and later in their father’s Model T.
Three generations of the Wilcox family lived and worked on the family farm, which was moved from its original location on River Road in Manchester to its current location in 1902 in a land swap. In a Manchester Historical Society recording of Mildred from the 1990s, she reflected on that transaction.
“Grandpa bought a small farm next to the Wilbur Farm. The owner of the Wilbur Farm came to my grandfather and said that he wanted to buy Grandpa’s farm,” Mildred said. “Then, the Pettibone farm came on the market, and that is this farm (current Wilcox Farm). Grandpa said, ‘If you buy the Pettibone farm, and give it to me, I’ll give this farm to you.’”
Mildred and her brothers shared their farm with a veritable menagerie of pets, including Roger’s pet crow. As the youngest of three, and the only girl, Mildred admired her brothers. “I had two of the most wonderful brothers in the whole world,” she said. Although, in a typical complicated-siblingrelationship manner, Lyman recounts a photograph he unearthed of his mother and her two brothers, as they are making faces at her. In Mildred’s careful handwriting, she captioned it simply, “Idiots.”
Mildred spent her elementary school years at the small school on Main Street, one of more than a dozen small area schools that preceded the construction of Manchester Elementary Middle School in 1932. Her school housed three grades per room, with 3035 students in each classroom. When she was young, she and her classmates would be driven to school in an openair, horse-drawn carriage that had bobsled skis attached in the winter. “If
The Burr and Burton Class of 1928 Graduation. Mildred Orton is front, third from right.
the weather was zero degrees or colder, we couldn’t go to school,” she said. “We’d freeze to death! So, I had a lot of absent marks in the winter, but I didn’t seem to get behind.”
At that time, the roads weren’t plowed. Instead, a horse-drawn snow roller packed the snow firm to accommodate sleds and sleighs. “On Dalton Hill, the road was very slanted,” she said. “Mr. Hanley, the teamster, was a heavy man, so when we got to the tippy part, he would always slide up to sit on the high part (of the seat). One day, he didn’t, and we tipped over. We kids went flying into the snow! It was all fun, nobody got hurt.”
In these early school years, Mildred quickly realized she had a passion for learning. She admired her third-
Mildred Orton ’28 and fellow Burr and Burton students during Mountain Day in 1927 at the Dorset Quarry.
grade teacher who also taught music, solidifying Mildred’s interest in piano, which she learned from her pianoplaying mother. Due to her academic aptitude, Mildred skipped the fourth grade and quickly reached the top of the class by sixth grade — a theme that would replay throughout her life. “We had good teachers, and I liked to learn. I paid attention,” she said.
Original 1913 gymnasium becomes arts center (today known as the Riley Center for the Arts); Charity Clark, Vermont Attorney General, graduates
Smith Center for Science and Communications opens; Meg Kenny begins work as a social studies teacher at Burr and Burton 1998
Enjoy life...
At Burr and Burton, Mildred excelled academically, while continuing to find fun at every opportunity. She fondly remembers the annual Mountain Day as “the most wonderful day!” During her time at Burr and Burton, Mountain Day was held at the Dorset Quarry as well as Table Rock on Equinox and was filled with picnicking, games, and hiking. Mildred remembered picnic lunches on the lawn on campus, her favorite history teacher Pearl Blackburn, and her fiercely loyal friendships, especially with her neighbor and lifelong best friend Laura Jean Lathrop ’28. In the video interview with Mildred from the 1990s, she reflects on the photo of her class at graduation. “Those were our graduation dresses. We six all bought the same one.”
Growing up on her family’s farm, Mildred watched her grandparents, parents, and then her brothers reinvent and hone their business over the years — from moving the farm’s location back at the turn of the 20th century to the addition of the ice cream business in 1928. Her business acumen was born
Board of Trustees votes to change name to Burr and Burton Academy; Girls Varsity Soccer wins its first State Championship
Girls Snowboarding wins its first State Championship
Mildred Orton ’28 and her brothers Roger Wilcox and Howard Wilcox ’27 waiting for the bus in 1920.
on the farm. After graduating from Burr and Burton, Mildred lived with an aunt and attended Rutland Business College.
Lyman describes the moment when his mother was approached by the head of Rutland Business College months ahead of her graduation from the two-year program. “The head of the school came to my mother and said, ‘Mildred, I have a job for you with Tuttle Publishing Company. Charlie Tuttle, the founder, needs a secretary, and he wants us to send our best girl.’” Lyman said that his mother initially protested, pointing out that she hadn’t graduated from the program yet. But he said that the head of Rutland Business College told her, “‘Mildred, you’ve learned all we can teach. Take the job and come back for graduation and your diploma.’” Lyman described the weight of such an opportunity in 1930 at the start of the Great Depression. “Getting a job like that after the crash was not easy,” he said.
It was at Tuttle Publishing Company where Mildred would meet her future husband and fellow native Vermonter Vrest Orton. Vrest was born in Hardwick, Vermont in 1897, the same year his father opened the general store Teachout and Orton in North Calais with his father-in-law Melvin Teachout. After serving in the AEF Medical Corp in World War I in France, Vrest came home and attended Harvard. He dropped out and moved to New York
City where he spent the next decade working in publishing. He worked at Time Magazine, launched newsletters and magazines, and authored books. But he yearned to return to Vermont. He bought the brick house on the Weston village green, joined by Mildred after their marriage in 1936.
Lyman said the North Calais store was “a country store, but not one that catered to tourists. They catered to local
Rowland Center completed, Rhoni (Midden) Basden, Vermont Works for Women Director, graduates
Mark Tashjian becomes 30th Headmaster
Vrest and Mildred Orton in a publicity photo for Cooking with Wholegrains
The cover of the 1945 first Vermont Country Store catalog.
The small 12-page catalog was an immediate success, Lyman said, spurring customers to write back saying they planned to come visit the store in the summer. “Well, we didn’t actually have a store yet — that first year, it was just the catalog!”
Soon after, the Ortons purchased the building in Weston, where The Vermont Country Store is to this day. And, the building “is the architectural spitting image of my grandfather’s North Calais store,” Lyman said.
Lyman is proud of his mother’s role in starting and growing the business. “I attribute the success of The Vermont Country Store to her bookkeeping and business acumen,” he said.
people and their needs.” That early experience alongside Vrest’s marketing and publishing acumen led him to envision what would become The Vermont Country Store.
Established in 1946, The Vermont Country Store got its start the year prior, when Mildred and Vrest sent out a small catalog to their Christmas card list, which promised, “36 items you can buy now: 14 for your house, 7 to eat, 3 to wear, 12 to read, all fine for gifts.”
“That was my father’s genius, enabled by starting his own publishing business, The Countryman Press. He started it in the garage with 19th-century printing presses, and he was a talented writer,” Lyman said. “So, he put together that little catalog, printing it in his garage shop, and the rest is history.”
Lyman is proud of his mother’s role in starting and growing the business. “I attribute the success of The Vermont Country Store to her bookkeeping and business acumen,” he said. “Otherwise, my father may have spent all the money on antique cars!” Mildred served as The Vermont Country Store’s bookkeeper from the store’s inception in 1946 through 1978.
The Ortons got to work building their business from the ground up, solidifying their presence as “the purveyors of the practical and hard to find.” The combination of Vrest’s general store experience and marketing talent, coupled with Mildred’s business insight and deeply rooted Vermont hometown sensibility created the perfect team. One such early team project was the revitalization of the grist mill in Weston by Vrest’s father, Gardner Lyman Orton, in the 1930s.
Mildred Orton ’28 and her son, Lyman Orton ’59 at Mildred’s 80th Burr and Burton Reunion celebration in 2008.
Girls Dance wins its first State Championship
Meg Kenny becomes first woman Assistant Head of School
Judy McCormick Taylor Turf Field is dedicated.
“My grandfather was the miller, so he ground the grain and bagged it up, and then we sold it in the store and the catalog,” Lyman said. “My folks started promoting whole grains while America was shifting to processed grains and enriched white flour.”
Mildred set about developing wholegrain recipes in the oven of her wood-burning range in the kitchen. She then wrote a cookbook, Cooking with Wholegrains, published in 1947 by Farrar, Straus of New York. Still in publication today, the jacket reads, “This short, charming little primer in whole grain cookery was first published… long before healthy eating was a national obsession.”
Mildred brought her cooking and baking skills to a small, four-stool lunch counter that was located in the store. “There was a little grill to cook hamburgers and hot dogs, and she would bake a ham and wholegrain bread to serve at the lunch counter,” Lyman said. As with so many things that Mildred touched, she inspired Lyman and his sons to enshrine her name in 2010 with Mildred’s Dairy Bar, located next to the Weston store, and Mildred’s Market in the Rockingham location.
Share your knowledge...
Mildred’s main job at The Vermont Country Store was as the head bookkeeper and overall business manager of the company. Lyman recalls many days in his youth, some when he was no older than five, when he would help his mother in her work. “One of my first jobs as a little boy was to endorse the checks with a hand rubber stamp,” he said. “I thought it was great fun! And, then she taught me how to use the adding machine for the checks,” Lyman said, pointing out one of the vintage adding machines on display at The Vermont Country Store Manchester offices.
“She insisted I learn how to use it by touch, so she made this little cardboard shield that she taped to the side of my head, so I could not see the keys on the adding machine, which was placed so I could touch the keys with my right hand but not see them. She instructed me, ‘Don’t peek at the keys!’”
Once Lyman got his driver's license, he was in charge of taking the daily cash and checks from the store and catalog to the Factory Point Bank in Manchester on his way to high school at Burr and Burton Academy. He’d drop it in the night deposit chute. “That solid brass keyed door is still in place on the outside of the old bank building that
now houses a restaurant,” he said. “My mother instructed me, ‘Don’t wait until after school because you shouldn’t just leave the cash in the car all day,’” Lyman said.
Take care of your neighbors...
In addition to raising her sons Lyman and Jeremy, and her work as the business’s bookkeeper and chef, Mildred made time to serve her community. She served on the Weston Library’s board and as the president of the Farrar Park Association, the nonprofit organization that owns the Weston Green. The association was incorporated in 1886 with the land deeded from local owner Oliver Farrar’s frog pond. “People who lived around the Green could keep a cow there for milk,” Lyman said.
The association was incorporated by nine women trustees, dubbed the “nine old ladies.” Mildred was appointed president soon after she arrived in town. “I think she may have been president until she died because it was pretty much a lifetime appointment,” Lyman said. In her volunteer capacity, Mildred and her fellow trustees managed the park and tended to the majestic maple trees. They once stopped an ill-conceived plan to turn it into a ball field, and quite literally, ran security over the park when the popularization of personal metal detectors in the 70s and 80s brought treasure seekers to the green with destructive shovels.
“I have an image in my mind of Irene Richardson (one of the trustees) coming from her house, wagging her cane at this guy who was out in the green with his metal detector digging up the sod,” Lyman said.
Mildred with her boys in the 1940s, Lyman Orton ’59 (standing), and Jeremy Orton ’62.
It’s hard to imagine that Mildred had access to the same 24-hour day as the rest of us. Between her volunteer work, cooking, baking, cookbook writing, and bookkeeping, the job she always made time for, the one she took the most pride in, was raising her children with the same sense of place and grounding that she had growing up.
Be proud of where you come from...
It’s hard to imagine that Mildred had access to the same 24-hour day as the rest of us. Between her volunteer work, cooking, baking, cookbook writing, and bookkeeping, the job she always made time for, the one she took the most pride in, was raising her children with the same sense of place and grounding that she had growing up.
Lyman remembers, “We town kids were pretty much free-range, and that was fantastic. The one thing my mother harped on was to not play in the West River, as it
used to be contaminated with farm waste. ‘You’ll get Polio!’ she exclaimed, as that was before the vaccine,” he said.
Every summer Saturday, Lyman and his brother would spend the day at the Wilcox family farm, playing with cousins. “She always talked about how much she loved the farm,” Lyman said. “To her deathbed, it was always the thing she talked about and had the best memories of.”
At age 98, Mildred accepted Lyman’s invitation to accompany him to Burr and Burton’s Reunion in 2008, the only alumnus ever to attend an 80th Reunion.
“I asked her to go — my Reunion was
really irrelevant, and she was the belle of the ball!” Lyman said.
It is rare indeed to leave such an indelible mark beyond one’s immediate family. Mildred Orton’s easy hospitality and her unfailing generosity of spirit are apparent to anyone who sets foot inside The Vermont Country Store. What a gift to experience her legacy in real time. In the 1990s video interview, as the picture fades, Mildred lifts her gaze from her childhood photo albums to offer her guests a plate of cookies, evidence of her rare gift for consummate yet simple generosity.
To learn more about Mildred Orton '28, scan the QR code for Manchester Historical Society's Timestamp video series on GNAT-TV.
Photos courtesy of the Orton Family, unless otherwise noted.
Video referenced courtesy of the Manchester Historical Society.
Mildred’s Dairy Bar is located next to the Vermont Country Store in Weston.
(photo by: Mike Morin)
Both, And: Meg Kenny Art of Being More than One Thing
By Jill Perry-Balzano
and the
Both, And
Iam sitting with Meg Kenny, and for a moment we are not in her Founders Hall office any longer. We are in Arlington, Massachusetts, and it is the 1970s. We are in a finished basement playroom that is outfitted as a schoolhouse—desks, books, chalkboard, paper, pens and pencils— and Meg and her sisters are completely immersed in playing school. She and her sisters take turns being teacher and student, creating lessons and activities. Taking after their mother and grandmother, who both spent time as teachers, the sisters embrace the culture of teaching and learning.
Then we are outside on a street, lined with sidewalks, dotted with houses, and Meg and dozens of other kids are out playing street hockey, wiffle ball, kick the can. Meg plays hard, and loves going to Red Sox games with all the neighborhood kids.
“Growing up, I was comfortable in both worlds; I loved school, and playing school . . . and I loved being out in our neighborhood.”
Like so many of us, Meg Kenny was more than one thing for as long as she can remember. The goldenrod and lime tint of the ’70s recedes, and the slate gray and navy present comes back into focus, and Meg is sitting across from me as Burr and Burton’s first woman Associate Head of School. She is headed into her 27th school year at BBA.
Hired as a social studies teacher in 1998, Meg became the social studies department head within a few years, and in 2010 she was appointed Dean of Faculty, succeeding John Wright ’66, who retired that year. In 2012, Headmaster Mark Tashjian named her Assistant Headmaster, replacing Steve Houghton who retired after 31 years. A few years later, her title shifted to “Associate” Head of School, acknowledging her critical role in running the daily operations: “Meg is the leader of our educational program. She’s a thought leader, she’s a people leader,
SHE IS BOTH A STRATEGIC LEADER AND AN EMPATHIC ONE—AND IF THAT FEELS LIKE A DICHOTOMY, MEG’S LEADERSHIP DEMONSTRATES THAT IT’S A FALSE ONE.
she’s a kid leader—and so in all things day-to-day, she’s in command.”
Meg is known for being in command, for creating the very solid foundation on which faculty and staff create meaningful learning experiences for students. She works hard behind the scenes to guide the processes— sometimes nearly invisibly—that lead to progress at Burr and Burton. Meg is a person you go to to get things done.
She is also a definitive figure in fostering and promoting the culture of care that is the very hallmark of Burr and Burton. Academic Dean Jen Hyatt, who has worked with Meg for nearly 20 years, says, “This place has an authentic feeling of care and community, and that is something Meg creates intentionally. The fact that she cares so deeply about people is one of her greatest strengths.”
She is both a strategic leader and an empathic one—and if that feels like a dichotomy, Meg’s leadership demonstrates that it’s a false one. It is possible to be both, and; it is possible to be more than one thing.
Meta
In Arlington, Meg, her sisters, and the kids on her street, walked to their neighborhood school. Early on, they also walked home for lunch, but then the school built a cafeteria, and the kids stayed there for lunch.
Meg reflects, “I loved my elementary school. It was a place where I felt known. There was so much love, care and nurturing. I can name all the teachers I had each year, and I can remember all these defining opportunities: the third grade Revolutionary War project I presented to the principal, my 5th grade classroom leadership role, our 6th grade camping trip.”
In middle school, she attended a progressive program that was multi age and integrated subject areas thematically. Meg credits this program with making connections that became an essential foundation for her learning to come.
From there, she says, “It was a funny transition” to the very structured local
parochial high school where there were high standards for both academics and character. She recalls, “There were really high expectations for everyone . . . I was exposed to ideas and had to think critically. No one was telling me what to think.”
She pauses, “I was always a little meta thinking about the way my teachers were teaching my classes. I was always noticing what helped me learn, and also what didn’t . . . ”
“Those points in my own education really translated in my own teaching career in terms of the importance of seeing all kids as capable, and of meeting individual needs so each student can make the most of their education.”
It Wasn’t a Strategy
In college at Saint Michael’s in Burlington, Meg studied economics and decided to write her senior thesis on the economics of education. “I ended up going down this rabbit hole of the history and theory of public education. I really began to wrestle with—what is education really about? Is it about
developing citizens? Productive workers? Or, is it about community? Is it about care? Is it about opportunity?”
Though she had initially resisted her family legacy, Meg realized that she did want to teach. She enrolled in an evening graduate program to become certified. Her graduate work included the keys to unlocking all the pedagogical choices she had been fascinated with throughout her childhood.
While in graduate school, Meg made another very important discovery—one that would impact her leadership and a generation of colleagues and students at Burr and Burton.
In high school, Meg had learned about Kohlberg’s stages of moral development and the cognitive development behind those stages. Now she was reading educational philosophers like Carol Gilligan and Nel Noddings who have a slightly different take on things: “[They introduced the idea that] women make ethical and moral decisions based on relationships. That hit me really hard. I thought, that’s what I do . . . that was the first time I heard the term ethic of care.”
For Meg, on the precipice of a career in education, this was a groundbreaking
concept: “That helped me see my ethic of care as a superpower. It gave me power. It allowed me to see how my deep care for others, my focus on relationships, my attentiveness—was a strength.”
She pauses, “It wasn’t a strategy; it’s just who I was.”
“I think it’s the same for BBA. We say, Burr and Burton is a place of care. That’s not a strategy; that’s just who we are.”
Both a Teacher and a Leader
It wasn’t a strategy, but it was the awareness she began to build her career on. Meg lights up when she talks about her early days teaching at Shelburne Community School. There, with cooperating teacher Dick Carlson and the support of graduate professor Susan Kuntz and mentor Carol Smith, she began to practice and hone her student-centered teaching philosophy. Encouraged to apply for an unexpected opening, Meg quickly became a full-time teacher focused on identifying learners’ specific needs; she helped her students set individual goals and
focus on process, progress, and product. She recalls the questions they explored, “What does a high-quality process look like in terms of revision or iteration or trying again? What does a high-quality product look like?”
Before long, leadership opportunities arose. She became the leader of her middle school team and participated in extensive professional development around student-centered learning and assessment. Then she became part of a group that taught teachers at Middle School Institutes in Vermont and nationally.
She is sincere in crediting her mentors for her path to leadership, “There were leaders in the school who saw something in me that I think I didn't even know was there, and then gave me an opportunity.” She continues, explaining that leadership was not a foregone conclusion: “Truly, I was not putting myself out there as an adolescent or even in college. I was in the background, observing, thinking. Certain people saw qualities in me that I didn’t see in myself. Then, I started to see it too.”
“I really hope that I’m doing the same and passing that on and seeing the strengths in those around me.”
Arriving at Burr and Burton in 2008, Mark Tashjian was another leader who wanted Meg on his team. Meg had been teaching at Burr and Burton for ten years already, and Mark recalls, “She was the chair of the social studies department; then she became the dean of faculty, and she was great at that— she’s very empathic, and she’s also very strong.”
When longtime assistant headmaster Steve Houghton retired in 2012, Mark knew that Meg’s leadership strengths would complement his own
in important ways: “She and I make a good team. Meg is collaborative throughout the school in a way that builds consensus around decisions— because those decisions are always informed by broader input and ideas.”
Jen Hyatt echoes this sentiment: “Meg is an educator and an administrator. She always makes decisions from a place of what’s best for students. She’s constantly reading, researching, learning and staying informed on best practices. She knows who she is as an educator. She knows what she believes in, and I deeply appreciate that.”
Reflecting, Jen is energized by the positive evolution that has happened at Burr and Burton: “I’m so thankful to have Meg as a thought partner in visioning and growing the academic program. In the 20 years I’ve been here, the academic offerings have expanded and become more integrative—most notably the Success Program, the Mountain Campus, the Farm and Food Studies courses at Hildene, and the faculty collaborations alongside Design and STEM integrationists. Structurally
and pedagogically, we’ve shifted to a focus on student engagement, which has created new and authentic learning opportunities for both faculty and students.”
A Professional and a Mom
Last spring, Meg’s youngest son, Will, walked across the stage as a graduate of the class of 2024. Her voice did not falter as she called his name, but there was a small pause as she took a moment to give her boy a hug.
Six years earlier, Meg performed a similar ritual for her eldest son, Jackson, at the Class of 2018 commencement ceremony. The pictures reveal a beaming, if tearful, embrace on a brilliant June day.
Like the many Burr and Burton faculty and staff who are also parents of students, the coexistence of personal and professional creates both a line to be tended and a source of great community alchemy.
Meg and her husband, Todd Ameden '81.
"MORE THAN EVER WE NEED CITIZENS WHO CAN ENGAGE AND THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM AND THEIR ROLE IN THE WORLD."
Her inspiration, in this and other things, is her own mother: “I have to give my mom thanks—she’s just been my champion. She was a teacher, and then a single mom, and then went back to graduate school, earned another master’s degree and became a clinical counselor—but she did that and raised me and my siblings”.
“She modeled being a professional and a mom. She brought her professional life into our home. I saw and knew the people she relied on as colleagues.”
She continues, “Colleagueship is so important to me. Every place that I’ve stayed for a long time, it’s been because of my colleagues. We spend a lot of time together; we have to feel like we can lean on each other and be supportive.”
Know and Be Known
For a moment, because I asked, we are talking about Barbie. In director Greta Gerwig’s 2023 film, which stirred a national conversation, the character Gloria launches into an iconic rant about the many paradoxes of being a modern woman.
At one point in the rant, Gloria says, “You have to be a boss, but you can't be mean. You have to lead, but you can't squash other people's ideas. You're supposed to love being a mother, but don't talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people.”
I ask Meg what she thinks of this tension between women and ambition, between caring and leading. Has it been hard?
Then she does something extraordinary: She declines to be defined by the terms presented and instead presents her own: “For me, I just try to be authentic.” She pauses, “Part of that authenticity is continual self awareness. When I’m assertive I try to be respectful and authentic. Sometimes when I’m authentic, I show vulnerability and I show emotion, and I don’t back away from that. It’s okay
with me to be uncomfortable and move through that.”
She laughs, “That’s growth though. You’re talking to me at 58. If I think of the arc of my career, I know there were times when I was younger when I would go home and think, I can’t believe that just happened. I don’t like how I handled that. I don’t like that I didn’t speak up.”
“I have become more comfortable.” She pauses. “I try to know and be known to people.”
Forward Thinking
Contemplating Burr and Burton’s 175 years of educating women, Meg is appreciative of that legacy: “When I learned that history, I was proud of it. That’s a point of pride for me and a lot of others who teach here.”
“That’s the power in the long history of the school—the importance of the school in the community. It’s so deep; the connections are so many.”
What is the work ahead?
The answer is also both, and: both education and supporting educators.
“Education today, more than ever, should be about educating for our democracy—more than ever we need citizens who can engage and think critically about the world around them and their role in that world.”
“At the same time, our systems need to change to reflect our commitment to work-life balance, our commitment to supporting families—our commitment to supporting educators, so they can do their best work on behalf of students.”
Sally Utiger
During her childhood, Sally’s family were “summer people,” leaving Vermont in the fall to return to Worcester and Boston. Her road to Burr and Burton was paved with her own tenacity and skills of persuasion. “I had wanted to spend a year up there (and attend Burr and Burton) when I was younger, and I couldn’t persuade them,” she said. “I finally convinced my parents to let me follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and complete my high school education at BBS.”
“It was such a dramatic change,” she said. “It was my first time away from home. I was like a sponge — I soaked it all up!” Sally lived in the girls' dorm, which occupied the third floor of the Seminary. She fondly remembers her roommate, Jean Wallace Grout, and her friends Priscilla Grummer Storrs '48, Louise Hart '48, and Bubsy Vaughan Tuttle '49. She also remembers babysitting for Headmaster Henry’s children, Peter ’60 and James Henry ’67.
“The school, even back then, had a wonderful reputation. Mr. Henry was the most beloved man. He had a firm and friendly command of the school,” Sally recalls. “I became involved with as many activities as possible, and when it came to classwork, I was one of those nerdy kids who loved school with all the reading, studying, and projects.”
She made the most of her one-and-only year at Burr and Burton, joining the cheerleading
squad, playing on the basketball team, and working as the Assistant Editor of the Burtonian (yearbook). In her Senior Poll, her classmates voted her “Best Looking Girl,” and also crowned her “Noisiest Girl.”
“Well, you know, I’m five feet tall and weigh 100 pounds, so I have to make my mark where I can,” Sally said. “I was just SO happy to be there, and I have an exuberant personality.”
Marcia Neugebauer
The chosen few who took part in the race for space discovery in the 1950s and 1960s might not have known at the time the part they’d play in making history. One such pioneer (though she disputes the label) is Marcia MacDonald Neugebauer ’50. Marcia was a research scientist with Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 1956 until her retirement in 1996. She and her team were the first to successfully measure the existence and properties of the solar wind with their tool, a curved plate analyzer (CPA), which was launched on the Mariner 2 spacecraft in 1962.
As space discovery tended to do in the early days of NASA (created in 1958),
Marcia’s work has been foundational for further space exploration and study, providing the shoulders on which today’s scientists stand. For her work, Marcia has received numerous awards, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA. Other recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal include Alan Shepard, John Glenn, and Neil Armstrong. According to NASA, the contribution of winners of this prize, “must be so extraordinary that other forms of recognition would be inadequate.”
Additionally, Marcia earned the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the George Ellery Hale Prize from the American Astronomical Society. She was named the Museum of Science and Industry California Woman Scientist of the Year in 1967 and was inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame in 1997.
For someone who has contributed so indelibly to one of the most seminal moments in U.S. space exploration, Marcia is quite solidly grounded here on planet Earth. When asked about what it was like as a woman working with NASA in the 1960s, she is quick to demur and chalk up her success to “being in the right place at the right time.”
For the full profile on Sally Utiger, scan the QR code.
For the full profile on Marcia Neugebauer, scan the QR code.
Judy McCormick Taylor
As one of the first two women—and the first alumna—appointed to Burr and Burton’s Board of Trustees in 1975, Judy McCormick Taylor was a trailblazer known for her tireless volunteerism and her love of her high school.
As a student, Judy sang in the Glee Club, helped produce the Burtonian (yearbook), and served as both a cheerleader and a member of the BBS ski team. Her school spirit, empathy, and can-do attitude were the stuff of legend, and after getting her degree at Colby-Sawyer and studying and working in New York City, she returned to Manchester, where she and her husband Derry Taylor bought the Johnny Appleseed Bookstore and raised their two children. Over the decades, she and Derry became self-proclaimed “superfans” of Green and Gold sports teams, cheering on hundreds of Bulldogs and Middlebury Panthers.
During Judy’s tenure as a trustee, the Burr and Burton campus saw its largest transformation since the construction of Alumni Hall (now the Riley Center) in 1913: the building and dedication of the E.H. Henry Gymnasium, opened in 1976. After she stepped down from the Board in 1982, Judy continued to serve Burr and Burton on the Advisory
Council and the school’s 175th Anniversary Committee.
Beyond Burr and Burton, Judy’s incredible generosity of spirit led her to active roles on the Dorset School Board, the Scottish Ball Committee for the Southern Vermont Arts Center, and the board of Hildene, of which she was a founding member. In addition, she was a 4-H Club leader, a literacy volunteer, and a parent volunteer in the Dorset School. When she passed away in 2021, her dear friend Mike Powers ’60, appropriately said, “Generous and giving, she could not do enough for others… Her generosity of spirit knew no bounds.”
When Burr and Burton made its next significant investment in athletics by installing a turf field on the south side of Seminary Avenue, it was more than appropriately dedicated as Judy McCormick Taylor Turf Field.
Manchester Journal Article on Turf Field Dedication, scan the QR code.
Kathi
Bierwirth
When she graduated from Burr and Burton in 1981, Kathi Frost Bierwirth
knew two things: that athletics and serving students at Burr and Burton would forever be a part of her future.
A three-sport varsity athlete and overall “involved” student at Burr and Burton, Kathi went on to earn her undergraduate degree in physical education and health from Castleton University, where she competed on the basketball team. She then went on to earn her master’s degree in education from the University of New England.
She began her career at Burr and Burton as a physical education teacher and went on to teach phys ed, health, general math, and science for 15 years, after which she became Burr and Burton’s first female Athletic Director, a position she held for 16 years. Kathi retired last year after spending eight years as the Director of the Target Program, an alternative education program where students receive individualized instruction and support.
Kathi is a third-generation Burr and Burton graduate. Her mother, Sandra Parker Frost, graduated from Burr and Burton in 1956, and her grandmother Barbara Hulsberg graduated in 1931. Kathi’s husband Don graduated in 1982, and their daughter Lindsay Bierwirth Sherman graduated in 2009.
Whether it is as a coach or a teacher, or as an Athletic Director or Target Director, Kathi’s core belief is to foster inclusivity by creating creative ways for each student to access learning.
For the full profile on Kathi Bierwirth, scan the QR code.
Betsy Shaw
Betsy Shaw couldn’t envision that her athleticism and competitive spirit would lead her to represent the United States at the first-ever Winter Olympic Games for the sport of snowboarding — a sport that didn’t even exist when she grew up.
She participated on the Burr and Burton Field Hockey Team and Ski Team for four years. By the time she turned 20, Betsy had become a competitive snowboarder. For the next 13 years, she competed around the world first as a member of the World Pro Snowboard Team, then as a member of the firstever Snowboard Olympic Team in Nagano, Japan in 1998. On the World Pro Snowboard Team, Betsy competed in the International Snowboard Federation (ISF) competitions. She won the U.S. Open here on her home mountain of Stratton in 1991. She won the World Title for giant slalom in 1995, and bronze and silver medals in the 1995 ISF World Championships in Davos, Switzerland. In 2014, Betsy was inducted into the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.
The Shaw family has been an integral part of the Northshire area of Vermont for generations. Her grandfather, Walter “W.H.” Shaw, taught at Burr and Burton and went on to serve the
school as a trustee. He founded W.H. Shaw Insurance in Manchester in 1908, and Betsy’s grandmother, Esther Shaw 1913, went on to run the company after her husband Walter died in 1934. Betsy's father Doug Shaw ’47 served as President of the company. Then her brother, Andy Shaw ’75, took over as President until the company was acquired by The Richards Group last year, and Andy also served as a Burr and Burton trustee. Betsy’s three older sisters are also alumni: Sally Shaw ’74, Nancy Shaw ’75, and Cindy Shaw ’79
Betsy’s strong sense of family and community has provided the wind at her back over the years, and her deep sense of place has grounded and inspired her. Betsy lives in Buckinghamshire, England with her two daughters. She still owns her home in Middletown Springs and loves coming back to Vermont frequently.
Charity Clark
Charity Clark’s decision to run for Vermont Attorney General unfolded swiftly in the spring of 2022. Ten days after making the decision to run, she kicked off her campaign, and nine days after that, she submitted the 500 signatures necessary to get her name
on the ballot. She is quick to thank her friends and colleagues for jumping in to help and gives her stepmother special credit. “My stepmother said, ‘I have great news. I got 40 signatures outside of Walmart. The bad news is, I don’t think I can go to Walmart again,’” Charity laughed. “They kicked her out! She also went to a festival where they had free Ben & Jerry’s, and she stood in the (ice cream) line and asked everyone to sign the petition.”
Charity said she immediately felt the weight of her historic win. “I took that (election win) incredibly seriously, and I try to identify opportunities for leadership in a space where a woman hadn’t previously been,” Charity said. “They say that women need to be asked multiple times to run for office, and also that women feel they need to have every possible qualification experience — I’m no exception,” she said.
In her work as Attorney General, Charity has a front-row seat to the drafting of history. That idea of close proximity to government that Charity first felt at Manchester Town Meeting when she was young is why she is so comfortable protecting and advocating for Vermont’s citizens. “I’ve always loved Vermont so much. Do you know when you’re reading a book, and the setting is almost like a character? Vermont is a character in my story, and I’ve always felt a deep responsibility towards caring for it,” she said. “The Attorney General’s post is the perfect place to affect that care and responsibility.”
For the full profile on Betsy Shaw, scan the QR code.
For the full profile on Charity Clark, scan the QR code.
Rhoni Basden
Rhoni Midden Basden ’04 is adept at crafting her surroundings into powerful teaching tools, a skill she learned, in part, at Burr and Burton. Rhoni is the Executive Director of Vermont Works for Women, a nonprofit based
in Winooski that “promotes economic justice by advancing gender equity and supporting women and youth at every stage of their career journeys.”
In her work, Rhoni focuses on opening spaces and opportunities for women through advocacy, job training, and community impact. While at Burr and Burton, Her connection with certain classes and teachers helped her envision the power of possibility for women in the workplace. Rhoni’s experience with an off-campus internship and classes in woodworking at Burr and Burton showed her the opportunities available to women in STEM and trades, allowing her to channel this passion into her work at Vermont Works for Women.
Vermont Works for Women was founded in 1987 as Northern New England Tradeswomen, aimed at helping women succeed in careers in the trades. Today, the organization creates many pathways for career success, including high school outreach programs, like summer camps designed to expose girls to trade careers. They also host an annual, one-day trades and STEM career exploration conference called Women Can Do, which provides the opportunity for girls to “meet local employers, learn to use a variety of tools and equipment, and to expand their sense of what’s possible in education and career pathways.”
For the full profile on Rhoni Basden, scan the QR code.
BURR AND BURTON ACADEMY IS GRATEFUL TO ITS BUSINESS PARTNERS WHO INVEST IN A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
Annual Fund Business Partners
Founders $10,000+
Bromley Mountain Resort
Headmaster’s List $5000+
Manchester Country Club
rk Miles, Inc.
High Honors $2500+
The Bank of Bennington
Home Maintenance Associates
Hub International Limited
Mountain Goat North, Inc.
The Orvis Company
The Richards Group
Sebonack Golf Club, LLC
TÖST Beverages
Honors $1000+
Ben & Jerry's
Earth & Sea Fish Market, Inc.
Lily of the Valley Florist
Northshire Bookstore
Salem Farm Supply, Inc.
Terry J. Hosley Insurance Agency
Wright Construction Co., Inc.
Presenting Sponsor – $10,000
Berkshire Bank
Lead Sponsor – $5,000
The Equinox Golf Resort and Spa
H.N. Williams Store
Academic Letter $500+
Baierlein Landscaping, Inc.
Brice Home Improvements, Inc.
Green Mountain Veterinary Hospital
High-Tech Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
The Inn at Manchester
Kramer Services, Inc.
Manchester Capital Management, LLC
Manchester Discount Beverage
Scott Thompson Builders
Spivey Lemonik Swenor PC
Academic Pin $250+
100 Yards to Go
802 Golf Academy
The Avocado Pit
Business Basics, Inc.
Coggins Auto Group
Dorset Physio Outpatient Physical Therapy
Evergreen Property Management
Flying Cow Signs
Gibson Painting Co.
Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning
Gala Sponsors
Champion Sponsors – $2,500
Express Copy
Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty
High-Tech Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
Lily of the Valley Florist
Nathan Auction and Real Estate
TÖST Beverages
Green Mountain Drywall
HBH Holding LLC
H.N. Williams Store
Mad Tom Builders LLC
Manchester Carpet Care, Inc.
The Maple Reserve
Metropolitan Engineering Associates, Inc.
Miosek Law
Mountain View Storage LLC
Northshire Civic Center
Plouffes Boiler & Mechanical Service Inc.
Ramsay Gourd Architects
RE/MAX Four Seasons
TPW
Walnut Hill Farm
Willoughby's Depot Eatery
Woodlawn Farmstead
Academic Award - Up to $249
Atlantic Fire Sprinklers
Lareau Woodland Services
Roger D. Jones, CPA
Serenity Spa
Advocate Sponsors – $1,000
DesRoberts Creative
Langway Chevrolet Volkswagen of Manchester
MVP Health Care
Polar Beverages
Rutland Regional Medical Center
Smith Brothers Insurance
Wine Sponsors
Special Friends of Burr and Burton
THE GALA BBA Celebrates the Unified Community
On Friday, May 24, more than 200 friends gathered at the beautiful Wilburton Inn to celebrate BBA’s Unified programs and community.
The evening began with a special performance by the Unified Drum Circle and stunning student artwork displays. Under the tent, the cast of the acclaimed spring musical Mamma Mia! performed two enthusiastic ensemble performances “Honey, Honey” and "Dancing Queen".
Guests got competitive with a live auction featuring a variety of BBA experiences and a Wente Vineyards weekend getaway, as well as an exciting raffle featuring local staycation packages and stunning diamond earrings, donated by Von Bargen’s.
Thanks to the generous community, the event raised more than $250,000 to support the people, programs, and school culture that make Burr and Burton a welcoming, caring, and supportive place for all students.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
191ST COMMENCEMENT Commencement Highlights Humility, Vulnerability, and the Power of Saying YES
On June 7, Riley Rink became a hub of celebration as BBA honored the Class of 2024 during its 191st commencement ceremony. Bolstered by a vibrant crowd of families, friends, and community members, Headmaster Mark Tashjian praised the graduates for their achievements across academics, athletics, and the arts.
Tashjian, reflecting on the journey of the 187 graduates, highlighted their incredible range of accomplishments. From dynamic performances in Mamma Mia! to showcasing their talents in Model UN, debate, robotics, and Science Olympiad, the Class of 2024 made the most of the opportunities at BBA. Their athleticism led to 15 State Championships and 24 Southern Vermont League titles, including two for Unified Basketball.
Tashjian was proud to highlight that the Class of 2024 contributed over 13,000 hours of community service.
He also noted the challenges these students faced. Despite the hurdles of
remote and hybrid learning during the Covid pandemic, the class was resilient: their experience was a testament to the power of community.
Salutatorian Sky Lewit, a cross-country athlete and wrestling team captain who will attend Columbia University, explored the balance of vulnerability and strength. She encouraged her peers to embrace vulnerability and seek supportive communities, reflecting on lessons learned from working with a local Girls on the Run club.
The dual Valedictorians, Isaac Vernon and Chris Alfano, shared insights from their experiences. Vernon, involved in cross-country, Nordic skiing, and
robotics, spoke about the importance of humility, while Alfano, a student council president and debate champion, emphasized respect, drawing inspiration from a senior advisor to President Biden.
Burr and Burton Math Teacher Pat Zilkha made everyone laugh with his humorous—and heartfelt—look at the power of saying “yes”: “That’s the thing about experiences. The more you have of them, good and bad, the more fun and interesting an individual you become. But you have to say YES. And the harder it is to say YES, the more you probably want to say YES.”
CLASS OF 2024
“ “
That’s the thing about experiences. The more you have of them, good and bad, the more fun and interesting an individual you become. But you have to say YES. And the harder it is to say YES, the more you probably want to say YES.
CLASS NOTES Life Beyond Graduation
1954
Peter McNamara ’54 continues to make and publish poetry and offers poetry workshops and readings in the Tampa Bay area, where he is retired from teaching English and American Literature at UNC-Chapel Hill. Best wishes to BBA alumni friends, faculty, and students!
1960
Frank Hoard Sr. ’60 and his wife Lula received Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s (Westhaven, VT) highest annual nonor, the John Bruno Award, in recognition of their lifetime contributions to the sport of stock car racing while maintaining high standards of conduct and respect. Manchester, VT native Frank Hoard Sr. began racing go-karts in 1960 and went on to regional prominence in open-wheel Modifieds through the 2010s. The couple spearheaded a racing family that included their son, Frank Hoard Jr. ’80, daughter Angela Hoard Hanson ’94, and grandsons Frank Hoard III ’99 and Kyle Hoard, each driving successfully, most often running on a shoestring budget and overachieving with victories at several tracks including Devil’s Bowl. In addition to the John Bruno Award, Frank Hoard Sr. was inducted into the NYSSCA (New York State Stock Car
Association) Hall of Fame on July 20. The NYSSCA Hall of Fame includes racers, fabricators, car owners and mechanics from all over the East Coast. Frank Sr.’s grandson Frank Hoard III wrote to say, “He commemorated the night of his induction by getting back behind the wheel of his fully restored 1979 race car and competing in the ‘Vintage’ class and finished second. Not bad for an 82-year-old!”
Photo of the Hoard family at the NYSSCA Hall of Fame Ceremony (LR): Frank Hoard III’99, Angela Hoard Hanson '94, Frank Hoard Sr. '60, Frank Hoard Jr. '80.
1965
Rollie Read ’65 is moving soon to New Mexico from CA. He has kept in touch and tells us that he runs and walks daily. Mike Nawrath ’65 and Bill West ’65 attended the celebration of life for our classmate, Jamie Stacy ’65, at his camp on Tinmouth Pond. His ashes were spread into the waters, while his “grandchild” played “You Are My Sunshine“ on the flute. What a touching send-off for Jamie!!
SUBMIT YOUR CLASS NOTES: alumni@burrburton.org.
MAIL YOUR CLASS NOTES: Burr and Burton, Alumni Office P.O. Box 498, Manchester, VT 05254
1974
Jerry Viault ’74 called to say that he and his wife Patricia Burke Viault ’69 are making the trip from North Carolina up to Vermont for their 50th and 55th Reunion this fall. Jerry retired after a career in the Air Force. He and his wife are the proud parents of four children, grandparents to 13, and greatgrandparents to four.
1980
Scott Frank ’80 wrote to say that he’s been living in Seattle, WA, enjoying the Pacific Northwest for nearly 20 years. He retired in February 2024 and has three awesome kids — one in college and two out of the nest. He’s currently traveling around the U.S. on hiking trips (WA, OR, CA, AZ, and AK), and his latest trip was to the McNeil River Wildlife Sanctuary in Alaska to view bears in the wild (see more on Facebook). The next trip is a major segment of the John Muir Trail in California.
1988
Peggy Brockett ’88 sent in a photo of her daughter Brianna Wilkins ’14 son Bridger in his new Burr and Burton Bulldogs onesie. Congratulations to Brianna and Seth ’14 and to Bridger’s big brother Jackson!
1993
On Saturday, June 22, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark ’93 and Vermont Works for Women Executive Director Rhoni Basden ’04 spoke at halftime of the Vermont Green FC’s first-ever game. The semi-professional women’s soccer team debuted in front of a record-breaking crowd at the University of Vermont’s Virtue Field. Close to 3,000 people attended the sold-out game with hundreds more joining on livestream. (L-R) Burr and Burton Alumni Board President Liz Hand Mackey ’05, Charity Clark ’93, and Rhoni Basden ’04 gathered for a photo. Vermont Green FC won the game 5-4 over FC Laval of Quebec.
2004
Meredith Bay Tyack ’04 leads communications for the Community Transportation Association of America, a nonprofit with 2,000 members dedicated to supporting and promoting safe, reliable public transportation options for all. She lives in Washington D.C. with her husband Josh and two elementary-aged daughters.
Jamie Hand ’04 and Clem Wright ’05 played with their band Wild Couch
on August 16 in Randolph, VT. “It was a sold-out crowd… capacity 49!” said Hand’s sister Liz Hand Mackey ’05. (L-R): Clem Wright ’05, Liz Hand Mackey ’05, Kira Schachinger ’04, Jamie Hand ’04, and Anna Lea Hand. Clem works for Google, is married to fellow Harvard alum Kathleen Chen, and lives in LA with their child. Liz is an associate attorney at Langrock Sperry & Wool and is married to former BBA English teacher Wil Mackey. They live with their 7-year-old and split their time between Middlebury, VT, and Hanover, NH. Kira works as a physician’s assistant in dermatology at Peraza Dermatology in Lebanon, NH. She is married to Nate Crain and they live with their nowrunning 16-month-old in Hartland, VT. Jamie and Anna are married and live in Middlebury, VT with their chickens (including 2 roosters, that have got to go). Anna worked as a math teacher at BBA at the same time as Wil Mackey. Anna now works at Middlebury College as a health educator. Jamie is an engineer for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
2005
Whitney Heingartner Goldfield ’05 wrote to say, “This past year has been filled with incredible joy and new beginnings. In October 2023, we welcomed our beautiful baby girl, Coco, into the world. Her arrival has brought so much love and happiness into our lives. Then, in July 2024, I married my wonderful husband, Aaron, in a celebration of love surrounded by family and friends in beautiful Manchester. We are so grateful for all the support and well-wishes we've received during these special moments.’’
2006
Kathleen (Kent) Proft ’06 and Silas Proft ’05 are delighted to share the arrival of their daughter Elle on March 21, 2024. Older sister Palmer has welcomed her new baby sister with the biggest open arms. Kathleen is a Fund Services Manager at a specialist asset manager, investing in the opportunities arising from the transition to a more sustainable economy. Silas is a Management Consultant at a global financial services consulting firm, while also serving as a US Army Intelligence Officer in the Vermont Army National Guard. They currently reside in Rye, NH.
2008
Over Memorial Day Weekend, David Faxon ’08 married Elisa (Cabrera) Faxon in Arlington, VT. It was a mini-class reunion for Burr and Burton. Alumni in attendance included: Chris Murray ’09, Adam Zeif ’08, Garrett Warren ’08, Taylor Sniffen ’08, Sooner Dawson ’08, Reed Bongartz ’08, Madeline Zeif ’16, Stirling Cobb ’08, David Faxon ’08, Chris Pagliccia ’08, Pantelis Geralis ’08, Judd Hoffman ’08, Steven Bayer ’08, and Jesse Myerson ’08
CLASS NOTES
2011
Cooper Bleakie ’11 received the selection of Class A Membership from the PGA of America this spring, which is the culmination of a decade of work. Cooper is an Assistant Golf Pro at Watchung Valley Golf Club in Watchung, NJ.
Jenna Hoffman '11 married Owen McNulty '06 at the top of Stratton on December 31, 2023. Her brother Judd Hoffman '08 served as the officiant.
2013
Kevin Sullivan ’13 married Ellen Brown on August 3, 2024, at the Scranton Country Club in Scranton, PA.
Kevin works as an engineer for Ferreira Construction where he has been employed since his sophomore year in college. He is rebuilding the roads and bridges on the New Jersey Turnpike. The couple bought a couse in Cherry Hill, NJ where they live with their chocolate lab, Captain.
2017
Dylan Kapusta ’17 worked with the Student Success Program at Burr and Burton and mentored students at MEMS. He went on to earn a master’s in psychology from Emmanuel College in Boston. Dylan is the Dean of Students for Cristo Rey High School in Dorchester, MA.
2019
Anna Freebern ’19 is starting her second year as band director at the Manlius Pebble Hill School in Syracuse, NY where longtime faculty member Bill Muench's mother taught Kindergarten for 25 years and former faculty member Rob Hunter's father taught History –What a small world! Anna earned her bachelor’s in music at Ithaca College where she was a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Honor Society and a recipient of the Ithaca College President’s Scholarship. She was Principal Horn of the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra and director of the Summer Music Camp at Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester.
2021
Qiaochuhan Li ’21 is a fourth-year student at Lawrence University and received the Miriam Clapp Duncan Award in Organ and Harpsichord Literature and the Majorie Irvin Prize in solo and chamber piano performance. In the past year, Qiaochuhan put on several solo and chamber performances as a pianist and harpsichordist. Highlights include an outreach piano trio performance at the Edison Elementary School in Appleton, WI, a junior degree recital featuring works by Amy Beach, Beethoven, and Jennifer Higdon, a chamber music recital featuring piano trios and quartets by Max Richter, Clara Wieck-Schumann, Paul Schoenfeld, and Gabriel Fauré, and a performance of the J.S Bach Concerto in A Minor for Four Harpsichords with her colleagues as a finalist at the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. This fall, She will be studying abroad in Vienna and interning at the Vienna State Opera. Qiaochuhan is beyond grateful to her teachers and mentors at BBA for inspiring and encouraging her to pursue her musical passion.
CLASS LIAISONS WANTED HELP YOUR CLASS STAY CONNECTED. If interested, please contact Meredith Morin at mmorin@burrburton.org or 803-549-8103
Liz Hand Mackey named President of the Burr and Burton Alumni Board
Liz Hand Mackey ’05 has been named President of the Burr and Burton Alumni Board following a board vote this summer. Liz has served on the BBA Alumni Board since 2017.
“How cool?! I get to volunteer with this generational cross-section of caring BBA folks who constitute the Alumni Board,” she said. “I’m excited to continue to offer our time and energy to support the school’s exceptional education and its future growth. I’m also looking forward to
bringing on additional voices. So alumni, don’t hesitate to connect with us and share your experience and good ideas!”
Growing up in East Dorset, Liz graduated from BBA in 2005. She followed in her brothers’ footsteps and attended Middlebury College, earning a BA in History and her Vermont teaching license in 7-12 social studies in 2010.
In 2013, while serving as an AmeriCorps member in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, she earned her MEd from Northeastern University. Liz has taught, coached and served as a dorm parent for middle and high school students. In 2018, Liz transitioned to higher education, working administratively and teaching at Dartmouth College. Liz is now an associate attorney at Langrock Sperry & Wool and is married to former BBA English teacher Wil Mackey. They live with their 7-year-old and split their time between Middlebury, VT, and Hanover, NH. Liz ski tours with her husband, runs
with her dogs, and coaches youth soccer, ice hockey, and baseball.
Previous Alumni Board President Dr. Andrew Boyer ’01 has been named to the Burr and Burton Board of Trustees, where he will continue his valuable service to Burr and Burton.
Are you still getting mail at your parents' address?
Scan the QR code to update your address or go to: burrburton.org/alumni/ alumni-community
Beginning in our spring 2025 issue of The VIEW, we will include an IN MEMORIAM SECTION. This section will include excerpts of obituaries submitted in the preceding year.
Send In Memoriam submissions to alumni@burrburton.org.
Submissions must include a link to the subject’s obituary. Submissions will be edited for space.
ANNUAL REPORT
2023-2024
From the the Chair of the Board
Dear BBA Friends and Families,
Burr and Burton is uniquely the product of the community that has supported and nurtured it for nearly two hundred years. What Robert Frost once called our “fine old mountain school” has retained its deep sense of place and history while evolving to meet our children’s dynamic educational needs. Our independent governance is a source of our strength, and it has been my pleasure to chair our hard-working board of trustees this year.
As a parent of BBA alumnae myself, I share pride and gratitude with literally thousands of families who have entrusted this school with their childrens’ education; and, I am deeply aware of the vision, leadership, and generosity that have propelled Burr and Burton—as our community’s school—to the cusp of its third century. As is always the case, we owe an enormous debt to those who came before us.
But the past alone is no guarantee of success, and the generosity of today’s Burr and Burton community is just as vital. On behalf of the board, I want to take this opportunity to thank the alumni, families, friends, businesses, foundations, faculty and staff whose financial support is recognized in the following pages. Without your support, friendship, and belief, the future would not be nearly so bright.
Charley Stevenson Chair of the Burr and Burton Board of Trustees
2023-24 Leadership
Board of Trustees
Charley Stevenson P'22,'23, Chair
Ed Campbell '70 P'99,'02,'05,'07, Vice Chair
Scott Swenor P'22, Treasurer
Sanfra C. Weiss P'06,'08, Secretary
Kellie Baker-Waite '79 P'11,'18
Brian M. Barefoot
Dr. Andrew Boyer '01
Peggy Brophy Brockett '88 P'14,'15
D. William Cairns '72 P'17,'19
Rabbi Michael Cohen P'10,'12
Michael Cooperman P'27
Pauline de Laszlo P'16,'18
Thomas N. Kelly, Jr.
Heidi Lynn P'06,'08
Daphne Markcrow P'25
Carol Bresko O'Connor '67 P'84,'85,'96
William V.N. Philip
Michael A. Powers '60 P'86 GP'21,'24
Robert D. Redmond
Trustees emeriti
Seth B. Bongartz '72 P'08
Orland Campbell P'81,'82
Dr. Robert E. Treat '55, P'80,'82,'85,'87,'89 GP'10
This Annual Appreciation Report was prepared by the BBA Advancement Office with great care and gratitude. Should you note any errors or omissions, please let us know at 802-549-8110 or sliy@burrburton.org.
Donors
* Families include current BBA parents, grandparents, and parents of alumni. ** Alumni who are also parents or grandparents are counted in the alumni percentage.
Gifts and Commitments
Annual Giving
The Burr and Burton Annual Giving campaign raises vital budgetary support for the people and programs that make BBA’s public mission possible.
The gifts listed below represent cumulative totals of annual support made between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Josiah Burton Society - $25,000+
Anonymous GP'16
Ms. Anne Archer and Dr. Michael Cooperman P'27
J. David Donahey, Jr.
The Enoch Foundation
Mr. Roby Harrington III‡
Faiz Kayyem and Paige Kayyem Family
Lyman K. Orton '59 and Janice A. Izzi P'05,'08
The Estate of Mrs. Joan C. Shaw P'74,'75,'75,'79,'83 GP'14,'14,'17,'20‡
The Stratton Foundation
Mr. Frederic F. Taylor
Sanfra and Ben Weiss P'06,'08
Robert E. Smith Society$10,000+
Berkshire Bank Foundation, Inc.
The Britton Fund
Tim Britton P'27,'27
Christie and Michael Bronstein P'25
Susie Hunter and Doug Watson
Thomas and Diana Kelly
Allison and Walker Kimball P'17
Mike and Heidi Lynn P'06,'08
Rocco Maggiotto and Kathleen Fisher
Craig and Daphne Markcrow P'25
Michael '60 and Barbara Powers P'86 GP'21,'24
Robert and Elise Redmond
Chris and Mel Robbins P'24
Jack and Penny Rohrbach
Charley Stevenson and Kate Brill P'22,'23
George and Susan Turner
Mary-Anne and Bob Van Degna
Mr. George A. Whaling and Ms. Jane Wykoff GP'16,'19
1829 Society - $5,000+
Anonymous
Brooks and Chie Addington P'22,'26,'27
Benevity Community Impact Fund
Georgeanne Bonifanti and James Church '72 P'04
Dr. Andrew Boyer '01 and Dr. Ananda Boyer
Mrs. Charles E. Childs
Hilary LaForge and Kevin Duffy P'23
The Equinox Golf Resort and Spa
Clark C. French P'03,'15
H.N. Williams Store
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Hammer
Georgine MacGarvey-Holman and Steven Holman P'06,'08
Lael and Susan S. Kellett
Paul and Diane Kelly GP'19,'20,'23,'24
Art and Elaine Kelton
Peter and Claudia Kinder
Amy and Rory Kirkpatrick P'25,'26
Stallworth and Juliette Larson
Jonathan and Leila Linen
Henry and Sheelyn Michael P'23,'25
Joe and Christine Miles
David and Christine Moson P'24
Bill and Jenny Philip rk Miles, Inc.
Ms. Judie Robbins GP'24
Ms. Rebecca Y. Robinson
Ms. Michi I. Tashjian GP'23,'26,’26
Trustees Circle - $2,500+
Anonymous
Lionel A. Atwill P'97
The Bank of Bennington
Wayne Bell P'01,'02,'05
Peggy Brophy Brockett '88 and Daniel Brockett P'14,'15
Robert H. Brock, Jr. '51
Paul '96 and Chrissy Carroccio
Bradley D. Myerson P'08,'12 and Pauline de Laszlo P'16,'18
Patricia Gilbert Hughes '68 and Michael Hughes P'97,'99
Tom and Karyn JacksonH
Ronnie and Lisa Jager P'21,'24
Pete '58 and Jane-Ann Johnson GP'16,'18
David '73 and Christine Katz P'05
MichaelH and Carolyn Keen P'18
Lap-Ching KeungH
Edwin '81 and Gene-Ann Kinney
Ted and Jessica Klick
Travis KlineH
Jamie Knafel '23
Christopher Kornaros '16
Henry Kornaros '18
Mr. Lee A. Krohn and Dr. Carol Talley P'10
Tim and Abby LalorH P'17,'19,'19
Tasha Cornell Lansbury '84 and Brian Lansbury
David and Elizabeth Lindenberg P'27
Isabella Liy '26
Mary Logan '04
Ms. Randi B. Lowe P'20,'20,'24
Kaelin Hand Mackey '05 and Erkki Mackey
Gillian MacMurtry MacKinnon '05 and Andrew MacKinnon '05
Susan and Troy Marshall P'27
Cynthia Fleming Mason '67
Melissa MichaudH P'10,'12,'14 and Richard Long
Hugh Miller
Nicole Mills P'27
Mr. and Mrs. Don Mosbarger GP'13,'14,'17,'24
Cynthia Schlieder Mowry '87 and Jonathan MowryH P'20
Josef MundtH
Charles and Loretta Murphy P'22,'24
Brendan D. Murray '12
Gabriel Myerson '12 and Elizabeth Burns
Jesse Myerson '08 and Danielle Searls
Amy NewboldH
Anna and Pete NicholsonH P'25
Chris and Pia Nolan P'13,'14,'19HH
Peter and Terri O'Dea P'26
David O'Meara and Sara Firebaugh P'24,'24
Christopher '08 and Marisa Pagliccia
Richard H. Pearl '73
Michael Petrucelli '89
Robert Polkosnik and Ewa Mosiej Polkosnik P'25
Jessica and George Poodiack P'23,'23,'25
Geoffrey '70 and Pamela Porter
Jessica Posch P'27
Madeline and Sean PowersH
John and Nicole PreiserH P'21
Amy Reichardt and Joseph Tucker P'26,'26
Roger D. Jones, CPA
Ariel Rudiakov and Joana Genova P'23,'26
Olivia and Harley Rukat P'21,'24
Lenore McNamara Scanlon '82
Kathryn SchonbeckH
Emily Schriebl and David Scott P'26
Matthew Scieszka '97
Serenity Spa
Kimberley and Quenton ShawHH
Nancy Sheldon '93 P'26H
Edward Skelly '24
Abby Skidmore P'27
Kate Coniglio Slade '02 and Mark Slade '02 P'26
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Smilko P'23,'26
Taylor Sniffen '08
Daniel StatesH and Rosalie Jennings
Mark and Sarah Stevens P'27
Pamela Torrey Stiles '70
Nicole Stratmann P'26
EricH and Stacy Subik
Daisy E. Sullivan '15
Kelsey M. Towslee '12H
Tom '92 and Sue TowsleeH P'23
Ben and Kelly TravisH
Patricia A. Trudel P'06
Brandon and Sarah Tschorn P'27
Ms. Heather Joy Vernon P'24,'26
Jacqueline Heuer Vincent '01
Alex VincentH
Donald '76 and Kimberly Waite
Joshua Whisenhunt '04
Lorraine Wilkins '73
Seth '14 and Brianna Wilkins '14
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick B. Wilkinson '60
Cory Williams '05
James and Jennifer Wright P'24
Cynthia A. Zandy '72
Yinjie (Forrest) Zhao '16
Special Friends of Burr and Burton
Orland and Hoa Campbell P'81,'82
Mark TashjianH and Erin Kaufman P'23,'26,'26
Gifts in Kind
Church Street Hospitality
DesRoberts Creative
Dorset Physio Outpatient
Physical Therapy
The Equinox Golf Resort and Spa
Express Copy, Inc.
Johnny Hinrich's Studio
Jim and Paula Liang
Lily of the Valley Florist
Jill Merrow '85
Manchester Country Club
Mettowee Mint
Mountain Goat North, Inc.
Nathan Auction & Real Estate, Inc.
Von Bargen's Wente Vineyards
Restricted Annual Giving
Gifts to specific purposes at Burr and Burton support the wide variety of opportunities and experiences available to all students through BBA's public mission. Donors have specific intent for their gifts in the following areas.
ARTS
Music Program
Ariel Rudiakov and Joana Genova P'23,'26
Ms. Michi I. Tashjian GP'23,'26,'26
TÖST Beverages
Theater and Dance Program
Anonymous (2)
Karl Brosch
Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning
Lareau Woodland Services
Northshire Bookstore
George and Susan Turner
ATHLETICS
General
Anonymous
Brian Allard '86
Jonathan M. Ams '02
Steve and Barbara Gramolini
Girls Ultimate Frisbee
Colleen and Chris Grazioso P'24
Bass Fishing
Bruce Holt
Hockey
Ms. Michi I. Tashjian GP'23,'26,'26
Girls Hockey
The Vermont Country Store Employee Matching Gifts Program
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
The G. E. Bonifanti and J. Church Community Scholarship
Georgeanne Bonifanti and James Church '72 P'04
Friends of Jeffrey Charbonneau Scholarships
Benevity Community Impact Fund
Clem Wright '05 and Kathleen Chen
Tara Dowden Scholarship Fund
Wayne Bell P'01,'02,'05
Neartu' Le Cara Fund
Halley Grabarz Monforte Memorial Scholarship
Charles and Arden Scranton P'97,'98,'01
Mark TashjianH and Erin Kaufman P'23,'26,'26
Friends of Ian Pollock Scholarships
Benevity Community Impact Fund
Clem Wright '05 and Kathleen Chen
The Adam Sniatkowski '20 Scholarship
Geralyn and Mark Sniatkowski P'15,'17,'20
Financial Aid
Pierson Family Foundation
Health Center Fund
The Stratton Foundation
Mountain Campus
Claude Catapano and Fredericka Cuenca P'23
Spires Fund
Michael '60 and Barbara Powers P'86 GP'21,'24
Nicole Chabot Winchip '83 and Stephen Winchip
Staff Travel Fund
Anonymous
STEM Fund
American Strategy Group LLC
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Austin and Joelle Greenland P'27
Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program
Student Success Program
J. David Donahey, Jr.
James and Alison Johnston P'26,'27
The Stratton Foundation
Annual Giving Business Partners
Every year, community business partners give generously to support the programs and people that make Burr and Burton an inspiring and caring educational home for every student.
Founders - $10,000+
Bromley Mountain Resort
Headmaster’s List - $5,000+
Manchester Country Club
rk Miles, Inc.
High Honors - $2,500+
The Bank of Bennington
Home Maintenance Associates
Hub International Limited
Mountain Goat North, Inc.
The Orvis Company
The Richards Group
Sebonack Golf Club, LLC
TÖST Beverages
Honors - $1,000+
Earth & Sea Fish Market, Inc.
Lily of the Valley Florist
Northshire Bookstore
Salem Farm Supply, Inc.
Terry J. Hosley Insurance Agency
Wright Construction Co., Inc.
Academic Letter - $500+
Baierlein Landscaping, Inc.
Brice Home Improvements, Inc.
Green Mountain Veterinary Hospital
High-Tech Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
The Inn at Manchester
Kramer Services, Inc.
Manchester Capital Management, LLC
Manchester Discount Beverage
Scott Thompson Builders
Spivey Lemonik Swenor PC
Academic Pin - $250+
100 Yards to Go
802 Golf Academy
The Avocado Pit
Business Basics, Inc.
Coggins Auto Group
Dorset Physio Outpatient Physical Therapy
Evergreen Property Management
Flying Cow Signs
Gibson Painting Co.
Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning
Foundations and Grants
Every year, generous foundations and grant-making organizations support the important work of educating our community’s young people through Burr and Burton Academy.
Amica Companies Foundation For the James E. Dooley Fund for Target
The Britton Fund For the Burr and Burton Annual Fund
Cunningham-Gardiner Foundation For the Burr and Burton Annual Fund
The Donahey Family Foundation For the Student Success Program
The Enoch Foundation For the Burr and Burton Annual Fund
The Fidelity Foundation For the Burr and Burton Annual Fund
First Eagle Investments Foundation For the Burr and Burton Annual Fund
The Perkins Charitable Foundation For the Burr and Burton Annual Fund
The wStratton Foundation For the Student Success Program For Student Support
Susan A. Martin Charitable Trust
For the Margaret and William Martin
Target Endowment Fund
Tribute Gifts
Gifts made in honor or memory of students, classmates, parents, friends, family members, teachers, coaches, supporters, and colleagues in gratitude, in celebration, and in remembrance.
In Honor Of
In honor of 50th Reunion
Lorraine Wilkins '73
In honor of Will Ameden '24
Meg KennyH and Todd G. Ameden '81 P'18,'24
In honor of Charles F. Benasich '07
MegH and Donald Benasich P'01,'02,'07,'15
In honor of Emma Benasich '15
MegH and Donald Benasich P'01,'02,'07,'15
In honor of Kevin P. Benasich '02
MegH and Donald Benasich P'01,'02,'07,'15
In honor of Timothy Benasich '01
MegH and Donald Benasich P'01,'02,'07,'15
In honor of Samantha E. Citron '18 and Charlie Citron '20
Mr. Alan Citron GP'18,'20
In honor of Kelsey W. DePriest '08
Lynne and Scott Welsh P'06,'08
In honor of Kendall Dorsey '21 and Quinn Dorsey '27
Terry Dorsey and Katherine McNabb P'21,'27
In honor of Peyton A. Gray '24
Mr. Robert Phillips GP'22,'24
In honor of the Haber Family
Joel Shatles GP'24
In honor of Meri Haber '24
Brooke Shatles
In honor of Cory Herrington P'10,'12,'15,'24H
Reed B. Bongartz '08
In honor of Michael Hornby '24
Rich and Annemaria Hornby P'24
In honor of Charlotte A. Howe '27
Thomas Evans and Pamela Dornin GP'27
In honor of Robert P. Johnson '58
Jane-Ann Johnson
In honor of Meg Kenny P'18,'24H
Seth and Kate LeachH
In honor of Emily Kohler '06H
Lynne and Scott Welsh P'06,'08
In honor of Isabella G. Liy '26
StephanieH and Rob Liy P'26
In honor of Beth McCoy P'18,'20,'24H
Paul and Janet Gillin GP'18,'20,'24
In honor of Meredith Morin P'25H
Mark H. TashjianH and Erin Kaufman P'23,'26,'26
In honor of Ellen Murray P'09,'12H
Brendan D. Murray '12
Christopher Murray '09
In honor of Chris and Pia Nolan P'13,'14,'19HH
Judd '08 and Shana Hoffman
In honor of the Ormsby Hill and Link Programs
Terrell Williams '97 P'24,'26H
In honor of Henry Parent '25
Joe and Nancy Mark GP'22,'25
In honor of Jason Pergament P'25,'26H and Billy CanfieldH
James and Alison Johnston P'26,'27
In honor of Amelia M. Podgorski '24
Robert Podgorski and Jolanta Konopska P'24,'27
In honor of Matilda E. Podgorski '27
Robert Podgorski and Jolanta Konopska P'24,'27
In honor of Ginger Ragaishis '24
Robert J. and Juliet S. Ragaishis P'24
In honor of Adriana F. Realmuto '24
Mr. and Mrs. Terry J. Hosley '63 GP'21,'23,'24
In honor of Charles W. Scranton P'97,'98,'01
Samantha Eisenstein Watson '96 and Adam Watson
In honor of Isaac Seiden '24
Ms. Sara Seiden GP'22,'24
In honor of Fay Stalcup '24
Mr. and Mrs. Don Mosbarger GP'13,'14,'17,'24
In honor of Dan StatesH
Mary Alden
In honor of Jennifer Swenor P'22,'27
Ms. Arlene Burns GP'22,'27
In honor of Scott Swenor P'22,'27
Ms. Arlene Burns GP'22,'27
In honor of Mark Tashjian P'23,'26,'26H
Evelyn Eskin and David Major
Tony Hoyt and Mark Daniels Hoyt
Eric and Eileen Kaufman GP'23,'26,'26
In honor of Alec Vartanian '27
Armen Vartanian and Heather Henyon P'27
In honor of Jordan Yeachshein '26
Colleen Doyle and Michael Yeachshein P'26
In Memory Of
In memory of George J. ”GG” Allard P'86,'90
Brian Allard '86
Rita Allard GP'86,'90
Penny Baldwin and Carl Baldin
Edwin '81 and Gene-Ann Kinney
Marjorie and Greg Scieszka P'93,'97
Cynthia A. Zandy '72
In memory of Jonathan Seth Barrows '90 P'17,'19,'22
Jennifer '81 and Daniel Bowen '90
In memory of Dale L. Caldwell '83
Mary Shattuck Caldwell '62 P'83,'84
In memory of Bonnie Lee Carpenter '74 and Cheryl Guyette '74
Judy D. Carpenter '72 and Glenn Marquis P'05
In memory of Jeffrey Charbonneau '05
Lani Lovisa and David Pollock P'04,'06,'09
In memory of Class of '81 Classmates no longer with us
Lucy Gobbi Costa '81 and Jack Costa
In memory of Sean Cornell '04
Richard '74 and Betty Charbonneau P'00,'01,'05,'08
In memory of Jesse Corum '69 and Barbara Bardin '69
Gayl B. Heinz '69
In memory of George H Deets IV '09
Cynthia MacDonald '78 and George Deets P'01,'09
In memory of Jim Dooley '60
Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Dooley '64
Michael '60 and Barbara Powers P'86 GP'21,'24
In memory of John E. Fay
Dr. Peter McNamara '54
In memory of Kimberly A. Frost '77
Kathi Frost BierwirthH '81 and Donald J. Bierwirth '82 P'09
In memory of Pierce Fulton '10
Matthew Rosenthal '10
In memory of Brian Gawlik
Helen Gawlik P'88
In memory of Lora Gray P'22,'24
Robert Gray P'22,'24
In memory of Carroll B. Gustafson, Jr.
Amy Reichardt and Joseph Tucker P'26,'26
In memory of John B. Hawkins '58 P'79,'83,'88
William G. Hawkins '83
In memory of Michael Hawkins '88
William G. Hawkins '83
In memory of Nadine Marsden Hayes '56
Robert J. Till, Jr. '56
In memory of James W. Henry '67
Peter R. Henry '60
In memory of Edward Warren Knowles II P'20,'20
Koreen Loncharich
In memory of Andrew S. Kollender '69
Anne Kollender '67
In memory of Bradley H. Laskin P'24
Kellie D'Elia-Laskin P'24
In memory of Glenn Lemke P'99,'01
Anne Lemke P'99,'01
In memory of Dola S. Lipinski
Richard and Lorraine Kalisz
Ms. Dolores K. Mahlmann
Jane Nevares
Sylvia and Stephen Reynolds
Pina Scieszka
Angela Scieszka
Marjorie and Greg Scieszka P'93,'97
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Scieszka '93
Maria Whittemore
In memory of Gerry L. “Skip” Martin
Ms. Maria BittingerH
Mr. and Mrs. Harold B. Finn
In memory of Halley Grabarz Monforte '02
Kate Coniglio Slade '02 and Mark Slade '02
In memory of Ryan North P'21
Margaret North P'21
In memory of Don B. Otis
Nora Gay Larsen '56
In memory of Danny Pinsonault '73 P'02,'05
Sandra Towslee Pinsonault '77 P'02,'05
In memory of Ian L. Pollock '04
Richard '74 and Betty Charbonneau P'00,'01,'05,'08
Lani Lovisa and David Pollock P'04,'06,'09
In memory of Barry and Wendy Rowland GP'06,'08
Vincent and Sandra Sullivan
In memory of James Scieszka
Matthew Scieszka '97
In memory of Raymond Senecal '59
Mary Senecal '59
In memory of Ira Sigel
Olga Arnold and Adam Sigel P'26
In memory of Jamie Stacy '65
Judith LaMontagne McPhail '65 and Steve McPhail
In memory of Ralph A. Thomas
Karl Brosch
In memory of Robert N. Waite '63
Richard and Leigh Adams
Judith LaMontagne McPhail '65 and Steve McPhail
In memory of Margaret Wilkinson and Charles Cadoret '47
Ms. Susan Tazzi
In memory of Peter Willmott
Mr. Howard A. Halligan, II GP'09,'10,'11,'12,'13
In memory of Darren Wilson '05
Kaelin Hand Mackey '05 and Wil Mackey
Endowed Funds
Burr and Burton's endowed funds provide enduring support for school programs and awards, as well as— unusually—significant scholarship funding awarded to graduating seniors for use in college, technical, and vocational studies.
David S. Bigelow Fund for Excellence, 1998 Faculty Travel and Professional Development
Sara Armemia Walker Bryant Scholarship Fund, 1984 College Scholarship
G. Murray Campbell Scholarship Fund, 1981 College, Technical, or Vocational Scholarship
James B. '28 & Dorothy T. Campbell Fund, 1983 Vocational Programs
Stephen W. Carman and Sean C ornell Scholarship Fund, 1982 College Scholarship
Jeffrey Charbonneau '05 Scholarship Fund, 2012 College Scholarship
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Charbonneau '75 P'05
Richard '74 and Betty Charbonneau P'00,'01,'05,'08
Ryan DeFelice Fund, 1999 Student Award
James E. Dooley Fund, 2001 Target Program
Amica Companies Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Dooley '64
Col. Alan B. Phillips '55
Janice Farnum Rosenthal '61
Patricia Dooley Tym '56 and Michael Tym
Tara Adams Dowden Memorial Scholarship, 2021 College, Technical, or Vocational Scholarship
Wayne Bell P'01,'02,'05
Marie and Raymond Ferrarin
Vickie Hall
Carol Lattuga P'85,'88,'91
O. Ross McIntyre and Helen Whyte P'94,'99
William H. Drake Mathematics Fund, 2008 Math Department
Ernestine S. Dunn Memorial Scholarship Fund, 1995 College Scholarship
Rhys Evans Fund for Government and Law, 2005 Social Studies Department
Eugene Gaiotti Memorial Scholarship Fund, 1994 College Scholarship
Brian J. Gawlik Media Arts and Sciences Endowment Fund, 2010 Media and Performing Arts Department
Mrs. Helen Gawlik P'88
Theodore P. and Gabrielle G. Hastings Memorial Fund, 1995 Burr and Burton Financial Aid
Susan Heckman Global Perspectives Fund, 2022
Cross-Cultural Educational Experiences
Dr. James D. Heckman
E.H. Henry Fund for Student Life, 1979 & 2007
Student Life and Headmaster's Awards
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie A. Bentley '59
Robert H. Brock, Jr. '51
Kirk Raney Howard Fund, 1937 General Support
Irene M. Hunter Endowment for Leadership, 2011 Mountain Campus Semester Program
Elizabeth F. Jennings Fund, 1989 Target Program
William and Wendy Jordan Endowment Fund for the Student Success Program, 2018 Student Success Program
Eric H. Knapp Memorial Scholarship Award, 1982 College Scholarship
Charles and Kathryn Chamberlain P'89 GP'17,'21,'24
Eckehard Latz Library Fund, 2002 Library Program
Jonathan Levin Teaching Chair, 1998 Technology
Margaret and William Martin Target Endowment Fund, 2004 Target Program
Susan A. Martin Charitable Trust
Martin Scholars Endowed Fund, 2020 Student Support and Scholarship
James W. McLellan and daughter, Cathy L. McLellan '73, Fund for the Student Success Program, 2017 Student Success Program
Mount Laurel Foundation Endowment Fund, 2010 ACCESS Program
Music Scholarship of Excellence, 1995 College Scholarship
Anne M. O'Leary Fund, 2001 Student Journalism
Ormsby Hill Trust Fund for Excellence, 2002 Faculty Professional Development
Dr. Richard Overton American History Award Fund, 1989 Student Awards
Mary Parrish Memorial Fund, 1988 General Support
Ian Pollock Memorial Scholarship Fund, 2021 College Scholarship
Richard '74 and Betty Charbonneau P'00,'01,'05,'08
r.k. Miles Inc. Scholarship Fund, 1990 College Scholarship
Joe and Christine Miles
rk Miles, Inc.
Benjamin A. and Wendy G. Rowland Endowment Funds, 2007
The Rowland Faculty & Staff Fund
The Rowland Headmaster's Discretionary Fund
The Rowland Student Life & Learning Fund
James Scieszka Memorial Scholarship Fund, 1986 College Scholarship
James and Katherine Caffrey
Charles and Kathryn Chamberlain P'89 GP'17,'21,'24
Richard and Lorraine Kalisz
Ms. Denise M. Lennart
Ms. Dolores K. Mahlmann
Jane Nevares
Sylvia and Stephen Reynolds
Angela Scieszka
Marjorie and Greg Scieszka P'93,'97
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Scieszka '93
Matthew Scieszka '97
Pina Scieszka
Cynthia Senecal
Maria Whittemore
Robert E. and Margaret Smith Fund for Technology, 2002 Technology
Peter St. John Memorial Fund, 1996 Student Support
Thomas F. Staley Fund, 2002 Target Program
Earle E. Storrs '15 and Eugene Grummer Fund for Business and Finance, 2013
Finance Education
Burr and Burton's General Endowment
General Support
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin‡ R. Grove, Jr. '44
Astri Eckhoff Kilburn '67 and Michael W. Kilburn '67 P'91,'96
Judith LaMontagne McPhail '65 and Steve McPhail
Caroline D. Wadsworth Fund, 1968 College Scholarship for the Arts
H.J. Willing Fund, 1903 General Support
Elizabeth de C. Wilson Fund for the Arts, 1991 Arts Programs
The Equinox Consecutive Giving Society recognizes current donors who have given to Burr and Burton for 5 or more consecutive years. BBA is deeply grateful to the many alumni, parents, friends, and businesses who have made an annual tradition of supporting our school.
35+ Years
Orland and Hoa Campbell P'81,'82
Pamela Beattie Webb '70
30+ Years
The Orvis Company
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Polifka P'97,'99
Michael '60 and Barbara Powers P'86 GP'21,'24
Joe and Christine Miles rk Miles, Inc.
Francoise Galland Roales '63 and Robert R. Roales
Janice Farnum Rosenthal '61
Cornelia Vaughan Tuttle '49 P'75 GP'07,'11,'13
Sally Baldwin Utiger '48 GP'16
25+ Years
Robert H. Brock, Jr. '51
Edgar T. Campbell '70 P'99,'02,'05,'07
Boris '71 and Mary Beth Funtow
Peter R. Henry '60
Hub International Limited (Finn & Stone Insurance)
Mr. and Mrs. David B. Johnson '61
Paul and Diane Kelly GP'19,'20,'23,'24
Paul and Ursula Lowerre
Charles and Susan Moritz
The Richards Group (W.H. Shaw Insurance Agency, Inc.)
Andrew '75 and Jennifer Shaw P'14
Mr. Frederic F. Taylor
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick B. Wilkinson '60
20+ Years
The Bank of Bennington
Kathi Frost Bierwirth '81H and Donald J. Bierwirth '82 P’09
Ken and Tina Glasier
Dr. James D. Heckman
Ms. Denise M. Lennart
Bob and Bev Leslie
Mike and Heidi Lynn P'06,'08
The Perkins Charitable Foundation
Robert J. Till, Jr. '56
Patricia A. Trudel P'06
Sanfra and Ben Weiss P'06,'08
Lynne and Scott Welsh P'06,'08
Mr. George A. Whaling and Ms. Jane Wykoff GP'16,'19
Ian '53 and Patti Wilcox
15+ Years
Meg Kenny H and Todd G. Ameden '81 P'18,'24
Mr. Charles M. Ams P'02,'05
Lionel A. Atwill P'97
Benjamin '61H and Carol Ann Beers P'80,'85 GP'06,'08,'14
Amos and Nancy Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Charbonneau '75 P'05
Rabbi Michael M. Cohen and Alison R. Hill P'10,'12
Bradley D. Myerson P'08,'12 and Pauline de Laszlo P'16,'18
EricaH and Scott Dunlap
Donna Adams Garland '65 and Robert E. Garland
Mr. and Mrs. Charles‡ M. Goodwin IV '64
Mr. Howard A. Halligan, II GP'09,'10,'11,'12,'13
CoryH and Meg Herrington P'10,'12,'15,'24
Ron and Anne Houser P'06,'11,'14
Mr. William W. Hoyt
Ms. Jennifer HyattH
Lael and Susan S. Kellett
Art and Elaine Kelton
Mrs. Gerry Martin
Mountain Goat North, Inc.
Northshire Bookstore
Carol Bresko O'Connor '67 P'84,'85,'96
Shannon O'Leary '04
Gloria Rovnak Palmer '81 P'09,'12
Claudia Shell-Raposa and Jim RaposaH
Susan Counsell Ritchie '74
Ms. Judie Robbins GP'24
Ms. Cristin RoseH
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Scieszka '93
Matthew Scieszka '97
Carol and Joe Sullivan P'13,'15,'17
Mark TashjianH and Erin Kaufman P'23,'26,'26
Ms. Michi I. Tashjian GP'23,'26,'26
10+ Years
Randy '73 and Teresa Ameden
Brian and Pamela Barefoot
Peggy Brophy Brockett '88 and Daniel Brockett P'14,'15
William '94 and Blair BrownleeH P'17,'24,'27
MikeH and Mary Ann Caraco P'17
Charles and Kathryn Chamberlain P'89 GP'17,'21,'24
Richard '74 and Betty Charbonneau P'00,'01,'05,'08
Ms. Anne Archer and Dr. Michael Cooperman P'27
Lucy Gobbi Costa '81 and Jack Costa
Charles and Anne Davis P'09
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent A. Dotoli
Stephen Drunsic '93 and Christian Goff
Ms. Evelyn Eskin and Dr. David Major
Mrs. Peter Faber
John and Elisabeth Fogarty
JulieH and Neil Freebern P'19
Paul and Janet Gillin GP'18,'20,'24
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Hammer
Timothy and Sunnie Heekin P'18,'21
Mr. and Mrs. Orrin L. Hewes, Sr. '57
Errol Hill '70 and Susan Dorgeloh P'95
H.N. Williams Store
AndreaH and William Hogan P'15,'18
Susie Hunter and Doug Watson
Pete '58 and Jane-Ann Johnson GP'16,'18
Eric and Eileen Kaufman GP'23,'26
Lily of the Valley Florist
Rocco Maggiotto and Kathleen Fisher
Manchester Capital Management, LLC
O. Ross McIntyre and Helen Whyte P'94,'99
Peter M. McNealus '79
Judith LaMontagne McPhail '65 and Steve McPhail
Barbara and Dave Miceli P'20,'22HH
Marcia MacDonald Neugebauer '50
Gary '79 and Bonnie Niles P'11
Lyman K. Orton '59 and Janice A. Izzi P'05,'08
JasonH and Lisa Pergament P'25,'26
Karl Pfister P'02 and Nancie Heinemann P'08
Bill and Jenny Philip
Col. Alan B. Phillips '55
Craig and Donna Powers P'21,'24
James and Susan Ramsey
Ms. Rebecca Y. Robinson
Jack and Penny Rohrbach
Pamela Skillin '89
The Stratton Foundation
Ms. Carol Tashjian
TPW
Myles and Robin UrbanskiH P'23,'25
Carmen Wessner West '61 and Thomas M. West
Mr. and Mrs. Keith B. Wilcox '58
Jon '01H and Amy Wilson P'26
Katherine Thomas Zilkha '88 and Patrick ZilkhaH P'19,'21,'23
5+ Years
Anonymous (3)
Brooks and Chie Addington P'22,'26,'27
Michael and Suzanne Alfano P'22,'24,'26
Bernard '70 and Debralyn Baker
Deborah Badger Baker '80 and John Baker P'07,'11
Megan Beattie-Cassan '99H and Damion Cassan P'25,'27
Dr. Andrew Boyer '01 and Dr. Ananda Boyer
James and Heidi Boudreau P'21
Ms. Arlene Burns
Megan Blair-CabascoH and Tony Cabasco P'21,'23
Tom and Franci CarieriH P'99,'03 GP'27
Paul '96 and Chrissy Carroccio
Dave and Julie Citron P'18,'20
Jeff and Maureen Crowley P'11
Cunningham Gardiner Foundation
Hilary LaForge and Kevin Duffy P'23
Eric and Michelle Emery P'18,'21HH
Clark C. French P'03,'15
The Enoch Foundation
Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty
Megan GaultH
Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning
Mr. Roby Harrington III‡
Donald '68 and Deborah Hazelton P'00,'02
Jenna R. Hoffman '11
Jann and Joseph Hoffman P'08,'11
Judd '08 and Shana Hoffman
Peter '84 and Sara Hunt
The Inn at Manchester
Alex Heintz and Kathleen James P'14,'17
Alan P. Kelleher '74
KristenH and Tucker Kimball P'24
Peter and Claudia Kinder
Tom and Cori KleinHH
Chris and Mary Kochenour P'07,'09
Robert and Betsy Lahue P'22,'24,'26
Stallworth and Juliette Larson
Seth and Kate LeachH
Carole Lewis and Thomas Von AllmenH
Jonathan and Leila Linen
Lani Lovisa and David Pollock P'04,'06,'09
Cynthia MacDonald '78 and George
Ms. Frede Mirenda GP'21
Anna and Pete NicholsonH P'25
Melissa T. Oliva '12
Mr. and Mrs. Denis Pinkernell
Sandra Towslee Pinsonault '77 P'02,'05
Andy and Margi PutneyH P'19,'21
RE/MAX Four Seasons
Chris and Mel Robbins
Ariel Rudiakov and Joana Genova P'23,'26
Sharryl Holden Rutken '72 and Christopher Rutken P'95
Planned giving holds a special place in the history of Burr and Burton. The Joseph Burr Society recognizes the alumni, parents, and friends who have chosen to walk in the footsteps of our founders by including Burr and Burton in their estate plans. Their thoughtful generosity in their own time enables this school to provide an exceptional experience for future generations.
Planned Gifts Realized in Fiscal Year 2024
The Estate of Mrs. Joan C. Shaw P'74,'75,'75,'79,'83 GP'14,'14,'17,'20
Edwin R. Grove, Jr. '44
Burr Society Members
Anonymous (6)
Gary Baker '72
Judith M. Barrows
Seth B. '72 and Christine Bongartz
Amos and Nancy Brown
Anne Clifford Brown '56
Dr. Miles T. Bryant '60
Kendra Cheney
Mr. Charles E.‡ and Mrs. Jane Childs
Charity R. Clark '93
Rabbi Michael M. Cohen and Alison R. Hill
Dorothy B. Conomos '43‡
Dan and Holly DeForest
Pauline de Laszlo
Michael H. Dooley '64
Stephen Drunsic '93
Mrs. Patricia J. Dupree‡
Scott Faraci '93
Joseph E. Fowler '35‡
Clifford F. Giddings '54‡
Edwin R. Grove, Jr. '44‡
Priscilla Storrs '48 and Gene Grummer‡‡
Fred and Ann Hammer
Thomas J. Hand '01
Dr. Judith Ann Harwood
Susan J. Heckman
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Henry '67‡
Peter R. Henry '60 and Dorothy Peirce‡
Steve and Judy Houghton
R. Peter Johnson '58
William '52 and Wendy Jordan
Arthur Kelton, Jr.
Tammy L. Keyes '86
Michael and Astri Kilburn '67
Henry F. G. Kornaros '18
Ronald W. Lamontagne '68
Seth and Kate Leach
Bob and Bev Leslie
Richard L. and Mary Rita Manley
Skip‡ and Nancy Martin
Susan A. Martin '63‡
Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. McCabe‡‡
Cathy L. McLellan '73
Judith LaMontagne McPhail '65
William McWayne '52
Barbara Binkerd Monahan '32‡
Mr. Bradley D. Myerson
Carol O'Connor '67
Bill O'Dea
Cindy Casey O'Leary '74
Sandra J. Peacock
Jack‡ and Joyce Phillips
Michael A. '60 and Barbara Powers
Charles '60 and Ann Randall
Benjamin A. and Wendy Rowland‡‡
Mary Williams Rowland '64
John K. Runnette
Christopher and Sharry Holden
Rutken '72
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Scranton
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Scutro, Jr.
Andrew '75 and Jennifer Shaw
Douglas '47 and Joan Shaw‡‡
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Shehadi, Jr.‡‡
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Smith‡‡
Lee M. Spivey Jr.
Norman '52‡ and Jeanine Storrs
Elisabeth Bartlett Sturges‡
Mark Tashjian and Erin E. Kaufman
Judith '57‡ and Frederic Taylor
Rich Thompson-Tucker
Robert J. Till, Jr. '56
Patricia Dooley Tym
Sally Baldwin Utiger '48
William T. Van Atten '60
Sanfra and Ben Weiss
Mr. and Mrs. Stuart K. Wichert
Keith B. Wilcox '58
Keith Williams '03
Irene Cadoret Wills '45‡
Mark and Sunny Wright
Include Burr and Burton Academy in your estate plans and provide a world of opportunities for generations to come. burrburton.org/legacy-giving, 802-549-8201.
Jeffrey Charbonneau ’05 Golf Tournament
Every year, alumni, friends, and families gather over Homecoming/Reunion weekend for the Jeffrey Charbonneau '05 Golf Tournament to support BBA Athletics and the Ice Hockey Program. The fundraiser is named in memory of Jeffrey Charbonneau '05, an accomplished athlete who played soccer, ice hockey, and golf. He was a member of four state championship teams and is a member of the Burr and Burton Hall of Fame.
Tournament Sponsors
100 Yards To Go
802 Golf Academy
David and Amanda Baer
The Bank of Bennington
Paul '96 and Chrissy Carroccio
Dave and Julie Citron P'18,'20
Coggins Auto Group
Green Mountain Drywall
H.N. Williams Store
HBH Holdings LLC
Manchester Carpet Care, Inc.
The Maple Reserve
Miosek Law
Ryan and Caitlin Miosek P'23,'27
The Gala
Burr and Burton is honored to serve all students, and to place that commitment at the heart of our culture. Through Unified Athletics, inclusive youth leadership opportunities, Neurodiversity courses, Student Accessibility Services, and whole-school culture building, we learn together that every member of our community is important, that valuing differences makes us stronger, and that Bulldogs truly do make it better.
The 2024 BBA Gala celebrated the incredible work of the faculty, staff, and students whose dedication to inclusion and respect resulted in Burr and Burton being recognized as a Special Olympics Unified Champion Banner School.
Northshire Civic Center
Rich and Sonce Pearce P'15,'17,'19,'24
Cameron Perham '06
Brent Qualls
RE/MAX Four Seasons
The Richards Group
rk Miles, Inc.
TPW
Robert Wendell
Willoughby's Depot Eatery
Woodlawn Farmstead
Charbonneau Donors
Jonathan M. Ams '02
Nicholas Balch '06
Kevin Bennison '05
Heidi and Scott Bourhill '96
Brice Home Improvements, Inc.
Bruce Charbonneau '77 P'10
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Charbonneau '75 P'05
Richard '74 and Betty Charbonneau P'00,'01,'05,'08
Christopher Senecal Construction
Danielle '08 and Ian Cox
Bill and Linda Drunsic P'93,'94 GP'21
Gibson Painting Co.
Steve and Barbara Gramolini
Connie and Frederick Hawley
Gala Supporters
Through event tickets, raffle tickets, donations, live auction bids, inspiring matches and Headmaster Mark Tashjian’s live appeal in support of Unified programming at Burr and Burton, the friends, families, and alumni listed below made the 2024 Gala a night to remember.
Brooks and Chie Addington P'22,'26,'27
Ellen Agress and Jay Gerber
Meg KennyH and Todd G. Ameden '81 P'18,'24
Ms. Mimi Q. Ams P'02,'05
Mary Bain
Brian and Pamela Barefoot
Matthew and Martina Barnes P'25,'27
Seth '72 and Christine Bongartz P'08
Maurizio and Allison Bonivento
CoryH and Meg Herrington P'10,'12,'15,'24
High-Tech Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
The Inn at Manchester
James and Alison Johnston P'26,'27
Paul and Diane Kelly GP'19,'20,'23,'24
Steve Kittredge
Kramer Services, Inc.
Jayne and Edward Lewicki P'11,'13
Edward Lewicki '11 and Jacque
LewickiH
Brian Maggiotto and Gabriela Torres
Dylan Malone '04
Manchester Discount Beverage
Peter McDonald '06
Geoff McGuire
Ryan Meeks
Dr. James and Anne Most
Susan Mohr Murphy '82 and Kevin Murphy '79
Bud and Julie Pagliccia P'08,'10
Brent Qualls
Scott Bourhill Builders
Timothy and Joy Stewart P'11,'13
TÖST Beverages
Dr. Andrew Boyer '01 and Dr. Ananda Boyer
Juliette Gates Britton '89 P'27,'27
Tim Britton P'27,'27
Peggy Brophy Brockett '88 and Daniel Brockett P'14,'15
Christie and Michael Bronstein P'25
Bill '72 and Cathy Cairns P'17,'19
Glen and Laura CallenH P'21,'21,'22
Paul '96 and Chrissy Carroccio
Charity Clark '93
Glauke Cooijmans and Erik A. Moses P'26
Ms. Anne Archer and Dr. Michael Cooperman P'27
Kelly CrayH
Kate Czaplinski and Marty Hersam
Bradley D. Myerson P'08,'12 and Pauline de Laszlo P'16,'18
Thomas Deck and Deborah Henley P'25
The Gala (continued)
Terry Dorsey and Katherine McNabb P'21,'27
Carol Newell and JP Eggers P'25
Brandon and Marissa Eustace
Gary and Margretta Fischer P'27
Greg and Tracey Gilliam P'22,'24,'27
Colleen and Chris Grazioso P'24
Green Mountain Veterinary Hospital
Renee Gudz-Mulkey P'20,'23
Mr. David A. Halligan P'09,'10,'11,'12,'13
Mr. Howard A. Halligan, II GP'09,'10,'11,'12,'13
John and Kimet Hand P'00
Marilyn and James Hand P'01,'04,'05
High-Tech Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
Georgine MacGarvey-Holman and Steven Holman P'06,'08
Ann Honan P'26
Mr. William W. Hoyt
Susie Hunter and Doug Watson
Mark Riley and Michele Hunter P'19
Allen and Jessie Hutcheson P'24,'26
Alex Heintz and Kathleen James P'14,'17
Tucker and Kristen Jones P'27
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Keefe P'11
Lael and Susan S. Kellett
Paul and Diane Kelly GP'19,'20,'23,'24
PaulH and Lisa Kelly P'20,'23,'24
Thomas and Diana Kelly
Art and Elaine Kelton
Allison and Walker Kimball P'17
Steve and Joanne Konold P'22,'24,'26
Seth and Kate LeachH
Ellen and Roger Leeds GP'27
Jonathan Canter and Tajlei Levis
Christopher Lewit and Kimberleigh Weiss-Lewit P'24,'27
Donald Luke and Anne Lian
Paula and Jim Liang
Mike and Heidi Lynn P'06,'08
Rocco Maggiotto and Kathleen Fisher
James and Gwen Maiella P'21
Mary Rita Manley and Richard Manley '58 P'00
Craig and Daphne Markcrow P'25
Mrs. Gerry Martin
Bernard and Sarah McCaffrey
Scott and Phoebe McChesney P'14,'23,'25
Tim and Amy McGlinn P'22,'24,'27
Henry and Sheelyn Michael P'23,'25
Brian and Jessica Miksis P'27
Walter and Mary Miller GP'23
Ryan and Caitlin Miosek P'23,'27
David and Christine Moson P'24
Siobhan and Michael Murphy
Michael and Sherry Nowicki P'13,'15,'18,'24
Carol Bresko O'Connor '67 P'84,'85,'96
Lyman K. Orton '59 and Janice A. Izzi P'05,'08
Arthur and Connie Page
Rich and Sonce Pearce P'15,'17,'19,'24
Jill Perry-BalzanoH and Rico Balzano
Bill and Jenny Philip
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Picotte
Craig and Donna Powers P'21,'24
Michael '60 and Barbara Powers P'86 GP'21,'24
Roxanne Prescott
James and Susan Ramsey
Tatyanna Wright and Michael Raso P'22,'27
Robert and Elise Redmond
Mark and Audrey Reffner
James and Mariana Reichl P'26
Jane Worley and Jay Reichman P'24
Chris and Mel Robbins P'24
Jack and Penny Rohrbach
Michael and Madeleine Saraceni
Dan and Elizabeth Skoglund
Francesca and Paul Slater P'26
JeffH and Chrissy Spencer
Mark Staples and Donna Kane P'24
Adam and Kate Stauffer P'22,'26,'27
Charley Stevenson and Kate Brill P'22,'23
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Stevenson GP'22,'23
Mark TashjianH and Erin Kaufman P'23,'26,'26
Daniel and Denise Thompson P'16
Joel and Kate Townsend P'18,'20,'24
Rob '82 and Shelley Treat P'10,'25,'26,'27
Dr. Robert '55 and Sally‡ Treat P'80,'82,'85,'87,'89 GP'10
Deian Urso P'26
Terrell Williams '97 P'24,'26H
Katherine Thomas Zilkha '88 and Patrick ZilkhaH P'19,'21,'23
