KATHARINE FRIGULETTO joins
ELIZABETH CULLUM HELFRICH ’98
the Hockaday Board of Trustees as President-Elect of The Hockaday Parents’ Association. She will serve on the Finance and Administration, Education and Student Life, and Strategic Planning Committees. Following her graduation from Virginia Tech, she pursued a career in finance and held senior finance roles in the U.S. and abroad with General Electric and NBC Universal. Katharine is currently on the staff of the experiential leadership company TRI Corporation, where she develops and facilitates executive education. In addition to serving the Hockaday community, she is an active volunteer with several educationbased organizations and currently holds board leadership roles with the University Park PTA. With her husband Mike, she has three daughters: Sophia (Class of 2020 at Hockaday), Lauren (fifth grade at McCulloch Intermediate School), and Juliette (first grade at University Park Elementary).
joins the Hockaday Board of Trustees as the Alumnae Association President-Elect. She will serve on the Strategic Planning Committee and the Education and Student Life Committee. Elizabeth graduated from Hockaday in 1998 and Harvard University in 2002. She is an active alumna and has served in many leadership roles in the Alumnae Association including Treasurer of the Board, Secretary of the Board, and 2012–2013 Alumnae Day Chair. Elizabeth is also an active member of the Junior League of Dallas, the St. Michael’s Women’s Organization, and the Junior Group of the Dallas Garden Club. Elizabeth and her husband, Jeffrey, have two daughters, Ann Marie and Katie, both at The Lamplighter School.
RICK O’BRIEN is new to the board this year and will serve on the Finance and Administration Committee and the Education and Student Life Committee. Rick is President and Chief Operating Officer of Westham Co., a developer and manufacturer of proprietary mosquito control products. He also leads private equity investments at M. Terry Enterprises, a family investment office focused on real estate, oil and gas, and direct investments in operating companies. Rick graduated with a BA from Vanderbilt University in 1986 and an MBA from Rice University in 1991. He currently serves as chairman of the board of the St. Paul Medical Foundation and is a former member of Young Presidents’ Organization. Rick and his wife, Caroline, have four daughters: Cate and Gretchen (both Class of 2014), Meg (Class of 2016), and Elly (Class of 2020).
SAMANTHA ACKERMAN SIMONS ’91
joins the Board this year and will serve on the Finance and Administration, Education and Student Life, and Strategic Planning Committees. Samantha is a 1991 Hockaday graduate and a graduate of Randolph-Macon College. She is a former teacher at The Lamplighter School. Roles held with Yhe Hockaday Alumnae Association include being a member of the Honorary Alumnae Committee, Alumnae Leadership Giving Committee, and the Centennial Organizing Committee. She has also been involved with the Hockaday and St. Mark’s Parents’ Associations over the past several years. Samantha has three children: Phillip (St. Mark’s Class of 2018), Emma (Class of 2021), and Lilly (Class of 2024).
MARY ELLEN WILENSKY was elected by her peers to be the faculty representative to the Board of Trustees. She will serve on the Education and Student Life Committee. Mary Ellen graduated from the University of Arkansas and received her master’s degree from Texas A&M University. Mary Ellen has been teaching at Hockaday for 15 years and currently teaches third grade math. She is also the Lower School Math Department Chair. She was the 2008 recipient of the Ackerman Award for Character Education. Mary Ellen and her husband, Stephen, have two daughters, Sara and Laura.
2014 – 2015 ANNUAL REPORT of GIFTS
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