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BOARD MEMBER PROFILE
Earle Mackenzie
Earle MacKenzie’s connection with Keswick School began 27 years ago, when his son Alex was 13. “Our son was heading in the wrong direction, and we felt we had tried everything we could locally in Atlanta to help him,” Earle said. When he and his wife Glenna received a recommendation for Keswick School, they naturally felt that having their son attend a boarding school hundreds of miles away would be very difficult. “When we arrived on campus and met the staff, we knew we were making the right decision,” he said. Alex attended here year-round for approximately four years.
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“Coming to Keswick School saved his life,” Earle said. The school gave him many coping skills that he continues to use today. “Alex continues to struggle, but he has been married for 19 years and has adopted and raised his wife’s two kids. Today he is a happy person, which was not the case during much of his childhood, and we credit Keswick School for being a big part of his success.”
Earle had a 43-year career in telecommunication, which began in 1976. In 1984, he was fortunate to be in on the ground floor of a new technology— cellular. Earle’s career moved into marketing, and eventually, he was part of an entrepreneurial team that started five companies.
Earle has been happily married to his college sweetheart Glenna for 48 years. They have two children and five grandchildren. In retirement, Earle has taught some accounting classes at the local community college and started a second career/ hobby working with a contractor to build spec homes at Smith Mountain Lake, where he and Glenna have a lake home.
Earle understands the value and mission of Keswick School from a parent’s perspective and appreciates how the school has changed the lives of many young men and is a great asset to the board of trustees. He wanted to join the Keswick board to give back to Keswick School for all it has done for Alex and their family. “I would like to use my experiences to help Keswick School continue to evolve, keeping all that is good and working with the board and staff to continue to improve the school,” Earle said.
