FROM TRACY TANG LIMPE ’80
Celebrating Maureen Fonseca Dear Friends, In this issue of The Bulletin, we celebrate the accomplishments of Head of School Dr. Maureen Fonseca, and wish her the best as she moves on to new opportunities. It is difficult to sum up the phenomenal impact that Maureen has had on The Masters School over the past fifteen years. During Maureen’s tenure, Masters has seen a steady rise in applications and enrollment, the development of an engaged, superior faculty, the adoption of two strategic plans, unprecedented success in fundraising and a transformed campus. You can see a detailed list of Maureen’s accomplishments starting on page 5. However, this list tells only part of the story. I have had the good fortune to work closely with Maureen for the past six years, and to play a small part in envisioning the future of Masters. In that time, Maureen has taught me that having a vision can take a lot of courage. I recall that in 2009, in the middle of an economic recession, the Board of Trustees was persuaded, at Maureen’s urging, to proceed with the single largest construction project in the school’s history: the Masters Athletic and Arts Center. Despite the many hurdles we would face, Maureen believed in the transformative effect this building would have on our school. Maureen’s belief in an ever-brighter future for Masters, in our constant ability to “build strength upon strength,” is eclipsed only by her unique ability to inspire others to “gather around,” embrace a vision and put it into action. Over the past year, as the Board of Trustees has led Masters through a comprehensive strategic planning process, we have on several occasions created “word clouds,” graphical representations of answers from many people to a specific question. “What makes the Masters student experience so special?” “What qualities do we value most in Masters faculty?” It was as easy as posing the question to those involved in the process and compiling the responses into a word cloud. As I read others’ reflections on the distinctive qualities of Maureen’s leadership and add my own, I envision a word cloud, one that includes words like empathy and warmth,
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humility and inner strength, energy and optimism, and joy and love. But the word that appears largest in the word cloud in my mind is “presence.” It’s no secret that we live in a world where many people are over-scheduled and over-stressed. On our campus, Maureen as Head of School shoulders the greatest responsibility and her days are often packed. But no matter how much is looming in her life, when Maureen is with you, she is fully present. I’ve watched in awe as she has put everything aside to greet a student, reassure a teacher, or engage with a parent. Her ability to relegate her own concerns to the background in these moments reveals a selfless, empathic spirit and a warm, genuine person. Speaking from personal experience, we all feel valued and validated in Maureen’s presence. The reflections on the following pages make it clear how deeply Maureen has touched and inspired all who have worked with her. We are forever grateful for Maureen Fonseca’s leadership and presence. Warm regards,
TRACY TANG LIMPE ’80, P ’18 Chair, Board of Trustees