Millbrook, Spring/Summer 2022

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Help us build on the past and secure a strong future, continuing Millbrook’s MILLBROOK’S MISSION In a community where every student is known and needed, Millbrook prepares its students for college and lives of meaning and consequence by instilling the values of respect, integrity, stewardship, service, and curiosity.

tradition of excellence in education.

YOUR ANNUAL FUND CONTRIBUTION

SUPPORTS OUR PEOPLE PROGRAM PLACE WAYS TO GIVE: ONLINE AT

www.millbrook.org/annualfund

BY PHONE AT

845-677-6752 OR BY MAIL Millbrook School Attn: Development Office 131 Millbrook School Road Millbrook, NY 12545

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SUMMER 2022

Living the Tradition of Non Sibi Sed Cunctis UP FRONT 3

Introduction from Headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98

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Millbrook Moments

MILLBROOK MATTERS

PAGE

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FEATURES

42 Ceremonial Investiture of Jonathan Downs ’98 The ceremonial investiture of Jonathan Downs ’98 as seventh headmaster of

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Academics

18

Quotables

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Athletics

32

Arts

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Student Life

ALUMNI

Millbrook School took place in front of a gathering of students, faculty, friends,

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Class Notes

family, and members of the board of trustees.

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Thomas E. Lovejoy ’59 Obituary by Rob Bierregaard ’69

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In Memoriam

44 Building on Traditions

Building dynamically on what has come before, mastering something that matters, having a purpose in service of something larger than themselves—these Millbrook alumni and parents are building upon the foundation of traditions and shared values.

46 52 54 56

Gil Schafer ’80 Bob Sanford ’77 The Hatfield Family Alejandra Charrabe Ciacci ’12 and Chloe Naese ’14

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62 Better by Design Since Millbrook’s Founding

When Edward and Lucy Pulling purchased the Stephenson farm in 1930 as the site of their new school, the buildings at that time included the farmhouse, barn, stable, tenant house, mill, and log cabin. The farmhouse became home to the Pullings, and it

Covert art - painting of the Flagler Memorial Chapel by Tracy Yin ’24

also served as the dining hall, movie theater, lecture/concert hall, and chapel.

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Director of Donor Relations & Development Operations

a m ag a z i n e fo r a l u m n i , pa r e n t s and friends of millbrook school

Trish Rexhouse Gift Entry Manager & Administrative Assistant

Sarah Sartorini

EDITOR

Michelle Blayney

Honorary Trustees: Farnham F. Collins ’53, GP ’17 William L. Crossman ’74, P ’09 Lucy P. Cutting P ’77 William R. Hettinger ’77, P ’01, ’04 David D. Holbrook ’56, P ’82, ’83, GP ’11, ’12, ’14

DESIGN

Administrative Assistant & Database Manager

Proof Design

Bonnie Lodevole

CONTRIBUTORS

Chief Communications Officer

Rob Bierregaard ’69, Michelle Blayney,

Michelle Blayney

NON DISCRIMINATION

Dan Cohen ’86, Sarah MacWright,

Director of Multimedia Content

Millbrook School adheres to a long-standing

Alex Pearson, Jeff Zelevansky

Alex Pearson

policy of admitting students of any race,

PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS

Lead Photographer, Writer

Michelle Blayney, Sarah MacWright,

Jeff Zelevansky

Yannis Malevitis, Alex Pearson,

Office and Alumni & Development Office of Millbrook School for alumni, parents, and friends of the school. Contents may be reproduced

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chairman

William L. Menard ’78, P ’09, ’12, ’12 Vice Chairman

Opinions expressed do not reflect the official

Paul M. Solomon ’61, P ’98

national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally

basis of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its education policies, admission policies, financial aid program, or other school-administered programs.

Secretary

Millbrook School 131 Millbrook School Road Millbrook, NY 12545

Peter R. Chapman P ’11, ’12

Phone: 845-677-8261 Website: www.millbrook.org

Headmaster

Treasurer

Richard A. Stuckey P ’00, ’03, ’09

Jonathan R. Downs ’98

ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Francisco L. Borges ’70 Follow Millbrook at your favorite social media sites: Facebook

color, creed, religion, sexual orientation,

the school. It does not discriminate on the

or reprinted only by permission of the editor. position of Millbrook School.

William B. McNamara ’75

accorded or made available to students at

Eric Piasecki, Jeffrey Totaro, Jeff Zelevansky MILLBROOK is published by the Communications

Bruce B. Huber ’47

Twitter

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Millbrook magazine is printed on stock that is manufactured with 10% postconsumer fiber using renewable energy.

It is FSC certified.

Stephen M. Clement III Kelly Macaluso Coles ’86, P ’19 Trevor L. Colhoun ’95 Morgan C. Conrad ’99 Constantine M. Dakolias P ’22 Kathleen A. Dill ’85

Linked in

YouTube

Christopher C. Holbrook ’82, P ’11, ’12, ’14

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

Theodore S. Karatz ’96 Sean McManus P ’18, ’20 Director of Advancement

Nancy Stahl

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Gordon S. Pennoyer ’99 Steve Rodgers P ’23, ’25

Assistant to the Headmaster for External Affairs

Gilbert P. Schafer III ’80

Robert Anthony ’65

Lisa P. Selz P ’12, ’17

Director of Annual Giving & Parent Engagement

Paul M. Simons ’83, P ’17, ’19

Barbara Gatski

William F. Souder P ’22

Director of Leadership Giving

Paul Stafford P ’16, ’19, ’23

Dan Skoglund

Charlotte Carroll Tracy ’88

Director of Alumni Engagement

James Vitiello P ’23

Colleen McAllister

Caroline A. Wamsler, PhD ’87

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Introduction from

Headmaster Jonathan R. Downs ’98 teachers, students, and alumni. We are caring for this campus so that we can provide the very best, authenticallyMillbrook, experience for all.

As we continue to evolve, Mr. Pulling’s dynamic vision of Millbrook as a conservatively progressive school remains the framework through which we view Millbrook’s development. We are conservative because we do not assume that new methods are best simply because they are different from the old ones. We are progressive because we do not adhere to tradition merely for tradition’s sake, and we reject old methods for which experimentation has shown that there are better substitutes. This tension of being both conservative and progressive is how we approach building and caring for every program and facility within this school that we all love.

Please take your time with each individual page of this magazine—the pictures and

The 2021-2022 Millbrook School year was extraordinary.

the prose—to learn a little more about

Like the rest of the world, we faced our fair share of

hope you read with enthusiasm the stories

challenges and adversity, which has made us smarter, stronger, and better versions of ourselves.

the nature of what we continue to build. I about our alumni who are building great things in our world and whose professions are, in many ways, an extension of their Millbrook education. I am confident you

As we consider the theme of “building”

I believe any school worth its salt is

in this annual magazine, I challenge us

always building—building programs,

to consider what building means. Does

curriculum, and relationships, as well as

building mean bigger, better, faster, stronger, more and more? Or, perhaps, might building mean something different?

financial structures and fit facilities to

will find the stories herein present alums unapologetically pursuing the very best version of themselves, as Millbrook School continues to do the same.

support the essential work we do each and every day. The verb “to build” in its gerund form “building” is suggestive

To restore, renew, rejuvenate? To renovate,

of an infinite state. At Millbrook we are

recycle, upcycle, and maybe even eliminate?

always building, which is in its essence,

Perhaps it can mean all of the above?

caretaking. We are caring for one another,

Jonathan Downs ’98 Headmaster

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Millbrook Moments

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In the postseason, when the fans show up and the entire student body effectively becomes the Milly Hype Squad, it’s the best kind of bedlam.

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Millbrook Moments

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Millbrook’s 8-man football team lights up the night on Callard Field as they prepare to trounce Forman School on their way to the championship game.

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Millbrook Moments

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Students raise a 30-foot amateur radio antenna on a frigid afternoon outside the Frederic C. Hamilton Math and Science Center so that they can connect via a ham radio with operators in Sweden, the UK, South Africa, Japan, and across the United States.

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Millbrook Moments

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Millbrook’s prefects are the eyes and ears of the student body, and their relationship with Headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98 allows him to keep close connections with each and every kid on campus.

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Millbrook Moments

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Lily Herman ’22 grew especially fond of the black and white ruffed lemurs, in her experiences as a zooie and advanced honors science student. Her Independent Science Research project measured their cortisol levels in response to original violin compositions—the true convergence of art, science, and stewardship that could only happen at Millbrook.

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Millbrook Matters AC A D E M I C S , AT H L E T I C S , A R T S , A N D S T U D E N T L I F E

Academics Along with an innovative, world-class curriculum, Millbrook’s faculty shares an overarching spirit of curiosity and passion for learning. Millbrook students don’t passively sit in class listening to facts and figures; they ask questions and seek answers for themselves, preparing to be lifelong learners. By engaging with teachers and with each other as they learn, they build the foundation of the lives of meaning and consequence to which they aspire.

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• Forrest Schmitt ’23

MILLBROOK MATTERS

Academics

Published Work of Millbrook’s Field Biologists Millbrook’s Field Biology science elective encourages students to immerse themselves in the natural world by exploring the woods and wetlands of our 800-acre campus.

Class members use purpose-built backpack research kits to facilitate their specific areas of scientific inquiry. Developed with citizen scientists in mind, the kits are part of a curriculum in which students do field research and write two original pieces: a technical research paper and an interpretative essay to elucidate their findings to a broader audience. With solid fieldwork and project analyses completed, several students were later published in widely distributed publications, including a state-wide bird journal.

• Jo’el Emanuel ’22

The field biology projects included birdwatching, wildlife counts, water quality analysis, and studies on invasive plants and butterflies, among others. With research papers completed, the field biologists shared their interpretive communications with local organizations. Forrest Schmitt ’23 focused on five bird boxes and recorded observations on inhabitants and their activities. He shared his bluebird observations with the Waterman’s Bird Club and was published in their newsletter. Shortly after that, the New York State Bluebird Society also published his insights in their spring publication. Nate Rebello ’23 collected water samples from the stream along School Road and analyzed them for pollutants; Dutchess Land Conservancy made use of his results. Alec Enchill ’23 contributed his birdwatching observations and the associated written piece to iNaturalist, a program of the Biodiversity Research Institute, which they then shared widely. Jo’el Emanuel ’22 also went birding and logged his observations on eBird, a service of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

• Alec Enchill ’23

• Nate Rebello ’23

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Academics

Up for Debate A classroom faceoff over the future of Brazil circa 1984 was both challenging and instructive to students in Trip Powers’ 20th Century World History classes.

Diretas Já began in Brazil in 1983 as a grassroots political movement that demanded the replacement of military rule with democracy through direct elections. Brazilians of all economic and social standing participated in mass demonstrations across the country to demand improvements to health, safety, and quality of life that they believed would result from a democraticallyelected government.

The Diretas Já movement was remarkable for its pervasiveness among huge numbers of Brazilians and for the resulting changes to government and the economy that subsequently swept across the nation.

Representing the major political factions of the day, half of the students worked in pairs to deliver platform speeches. The remaining students represented Brazilian citizens, interrogating the would-be candidates about their plans for creating a new government with accountability to the people.

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Trip Powers: “This lesson gets to two central goals of the class: learning how to argue real political issues respectfully and trying to understand the history and culture of the country being studied from the perspective of the people that live there. I was quite pleased with how the students delved into their characters and debated, respectfully, the issues surrounding the pro-democracy movement Diretas Já!”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Academics

A Vision for Teaching World Languages World Languages Department Chair Dr. Donna Canada-Smith finds the immersive nature of boarding school to be especially conducive to the teaching of French, Spanish, and Mandarin.

Drawn to Millbrook by the sense of community and enthusiasm she felt in a student panel interview, Dr. CanadaSmith was further impressed with the overall design and implementation of Millbrook’s world languages program.

Established by Barbara Gatski in 2000 and built with sustained focus over the many years since, Millbrook’s world languages program has been studied and emulated by peer schools eager to improve their own departments.

Our immersive curriculum is ideally suited to a residential school environment in which students also interact with teachers as coaches, dorm parents, and advisors. Teachers and students are speaking in the target language in every space on campus!

As Dr. Canada-Smith takes the department forward, she plans to increase opportunities for students to be surrounded by their target languages outside the classroom.

“I have a vision for a center where students can count on hearing and speaking their target language as soon as they open the doors,” said Dr. Smith, “and where they will also explore language outside of class through music or film.”

Creating opportunities for students to use their growing language skills is a great way to build confidence as they work towards fluency. “The department’s focus on communicative learning is significant,” said Dr. CanadaSmith. “Having a space where they are focusing on communicating instead of on being perfect is really valuable and a great way to learn.”

Dr. Canada-Smith teaches Spanish I, French I, and French Literature, a post-AP seminar-style course on literary analysis and culture. Working with students across the language-learning continuum has been illuminating. In her first year as department chair, she has been encouraged and inspired by both the student and faculty experiences.

“There’s such a great trajectory for students, and as a whole, the department is really excited to collaboratively strengthen our classroom practices and best serve our learners.”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Academics

QUOTABLES A wide range of visitors with vastly different life experiences and expertise visited campus this year to share their stories and wisdom. The thread that wove through their stories was OPPORTUNITY—opportunity to grow, to give back, to do the right thing, to change lives, and to be thankful.

Reginald Dwayne Betts Award-Winning Poet, Author, Attorney Reggie Betts transfixed the capacity crowd at Chelsea Morrison Theater with the story of his journey from 16-year-old convicted felon to awarded poet to PhD candidate at Yale Law School.

Mr. Betts spent nine years in prison, earning his high school diploma and expanding his mind through the reading and writing of poetry. Winner of a Guggenheim and a MacArthur fellowship, Mr. Betts is a tireless advocate for juvenile justice and an inspired creative force.

“To the degree that I have big ideas, it’s because consistently, when I was confronted with folks who could say yes to me, they said no.”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Academics

John Quiñones Television Journalist Host of ABC’s What Would You Do?, a hidden-camera television program that seeks to shine a light on ordinary people who do extraordinary things, John Quiñones is a broadcaster credited with diversifying the world of television news with his undercover and conflict journalism.

“What do you do when you get an opportunity to right a wrong? Do you sound the alarm and lend a helping hand, or do you mind your own business and just walk away? Silence is complicity, and we have to listen and learn from one another more than ever before.”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Academics

Jonathan Downs ’98 Headmaster With friends, family, and colleagues in attendance at his investiture, Jonathan Downs ’98 assumed his position as the seventh headmaster of Millbrook School. He spoke as a proud and dedicated alum, outlining what Millbrook has done for him and what he now hopes to give back.

“I want to say that I see myself in you, but that’s limited. I see the world in you and the purpose of Millbrook in you, which makes our mission all the more meaningful and fulfilling.”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Academics

Anthony Nicodemo High School Basketball Coach and LGBTQ Advocate Anthony Nicodemo is an openly gay high school basketball coach from Yonkers, New York. His inspiring journey of self-discovery, advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community, and plain-spoken wisdom about kindness and acceptance struck a meaningful balance.

“Whatever you do, if you have the opportunity to change lives, it’s truly important to do that. Embrace each other and stick together because in the long term it makes everybody stronger and makes the world a much nicer place to live.”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Academics

Caroline Hopkins ’21 Student at Texas Christian University Caroline returned to share a Chapel Talk about the most important things she learned during her four years at Millbrook. Time at college only reinforced these lessons, particularly that Millbrook is designed to support students through challenges big and small.

“To the seniors, I’m telling you to cherish every single second you have here. Cherish the good and the bad and know that it’s never too late to leave an amazing last impression. You’re going to miss this place and your friends and the community that you built that knows you so well.

When you go to college or wherever your next journey takes you, there will never be as many people that care about you and want to see you succeed as there are in this room.”

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S TA Y C O N N E C T E D with Millbrook You’re only ever a click away from current events, news highlights, thousands of photos and hundreds of videos. Reconnect with old friends, or share what’s new in your life!

www.millbrook.org

www.facebook.com/millbrookschool

www.millbrook.org/keepintouch

www.twitter.com/millbrookschool

to update contact information or write a class note

www.millbrook.org/alumni to read current news and learn about upcoming events

www.millbrook.org/app to login to the alumni directory

www.instagram.com/millbrookschool www.linkedin.com - search Millbrook School www.youtube.com/millbrookschoolny SPRING 2022 •

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

ATHLETICS Millbrook athletes leveled up on the racecourses, courts, and the gridiron during a school year that was notable for the resumption of mostly-normal interscholastic play and the realization of a long-anticipated rivalry. True to form, the Mustang tenets of preparation, teamwork, and grit begat success and growth across all programs.

A Rivalry is Born As a bright-eyed, true-blue Millbrook student, young Jon Downs longed for an interscholastic rivalry, a way to assert the primacy of his school over all others. As the newly-minted headmaster of his dear alma mater, Jonathan Downs ’98 was finally in a position to make it happen. Thus was born the inaugural Millbrook-Pomfret Day—The Battle Of Route 44: East Vs. West.

Longtime Headmaster Drew Casertano, in fact, set the wheels in motion in 1997-98 when he tasked then-Student Council President Jon Downs with identifying a suitable rival for Millbrook. As both schools grew and developed, their athletic programs and student bodies began to align closely enough that the creation of a rivalry made good sense all around.

The first Millbrook-Pomfret Day was planned for 2020 but was sadly scrapped due to the pandemic.

Flash-forward to November 13, 2021. A fleet of coach buses loaded with the Mustang volleyball, soccer, football, and field hockey teams made a hard left out of School Road and rumbled east on Route 44. Destination: Pomfret, CT. A day of spirited competition lay ahead. Pomfret rolled out the red (and black) carpet as first-time hosts. Home-field advantage may have factored into Pomfret’s victory tally as they defeated Millbrook in every contest besides volleyball and boys JV soccer.

Pomfret Head of School Tim Richards was gracious in victory as Mr. Downs dutifully donned red and black Pomfret gear, making good on his end of the gentleman’s bet between the two school heads. The Peck/Pulling Trophy, named for Pomfret Founder William E. Peck and Millbrook Founding Headmaster Edward Pulling, depicts a Route 44 road sign, the interstate highway that connects the schools. Millbrook took home a consolation trophy emblazoned with “Better Luck Next Time” that will doubtless inspire Mustang athletes when the Griffins travel west on Route 44 next year.

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Athletics

TEAM ROUNDUPS Millbrook Takes the Football Championship from Pomfret Millbrook’s football team came away with the NEPSAC League Championship after a storybook win over Pomfret.

Millbrook’s longstanding football program was shuttered at the end of the 1976 season only to return in the eight-player format in 2016. Ed Allen, beloved former athletic director, revived the Millbrook football program after a nearly 40-year hiatus, and the ensuing seasons have become a spirited and invigorating part of school culture.

After losing to Pomfret on their home turf in a regular-season game just a week earlier, Millbrook once again took the long journey east across Route 44 to play for the championship in front of a large Pomfret crowd. In a gritty defensive battle, Millbrook led the game at halftime, 14-12. The Mustangs scored two touchdowns and a conversion to take a 28-12 lead after the third quarter before Pomfret scored twice in the fourth quarter. With just 24 seconds on the clock, Millbrook stopped the conversion and secured their first win against Pomfret and their first championship since the program resumed six years ago.

Team captain Mac Elliott ’22 was named MVP and led in touchdowns and total yards. Head Coach Prince Botchway plans to go all out to defend Millbrook’s championship and anticipates another successful season with a solid group of returning players.

Supported by coaches Geoff Livsey, Jeff LaCosse, and Pat Malleolo, Coach Botchway created a powerful team bond under the motto “One Football, One Family, One Millbrook.” In his awards speech, he addressed the team, “You all are the reason we are champions, and I’m glad to be a part of this family.”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Athletics

Volleyball Scores a Seat in the New England Tournament In the fall of 2021, Millbrook varsity volleyball compiled a remarkable 11-4 record, the best in the program’s brief six-year history.

Coach Luke Westman launched Millbrook’s first JV team in 2016 and since 2018 has been building the varsity program, balancing individual skill development with team play. His dedication has paid off, as Millbrook defeated much larger schools this season, including Berkshire and Kent, in front of packed bleachers in the Wray Gymnasium.

Season highs were almost too numerous to mention, including a resounding 3-0 victory over the Griffins at the inaugural Millbrook-Pomfret Day. A week later, Millbrook volleyball qualified for the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) tournament. As the #6 seed in Class C, they fell after a tough match against #3 Cushing Academy in the quarterfinals at Williston Northampton.

“Our success this past season is entirely due to this group of seniors that have taken ownership of this team over the past four years,” said Coach Westman, “The work that they put in day in and day out to make each other better paid off big time this fall.

Most importantly, they seized the fall of 2020 as an opportunity to improve and fight through some adversity instead of throwing in the towel.”

Aly Rosenzweig ’22 stepped in as setter when the team needed her and earned AllNEPSAC Honorable Mention honors this fall. CC Pessoa ’23 earned All-NEPSAC First Team as a powerful outside hitter, and starting libero Emma Levy ’22, who began playing volleyball only three years ago, drew frequent admiration from opposing coaches and players due to her selfless play.

That Coach Westman has built such a high-performing program from the ground up is a testament to his love of the game, coaching prowess, and commitment.

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Athletics

Cross-Country Standouts Juliet Drury ’24 and Matt Dale ’22 had top-ten finishes in their respective New England Preparatory School Association (NEPSA) Division III Invitational crosscountry races in November.

Matt placed 8th overall, and Juliet was runner-up, just four seconds behind the leader from Brooks.

Their top-ten finishes qualified them to run in the NEPSTA DI-IV All-Star Race at St. Mark’s School the following week, where they competed against the top 20 runners from all four NEPSTA divisions. Juliet set a personal record with a time of 19:53, good for second place in the elite field.

Matt again placed eighth, holding his own even in the exceedingly competitive race of the fastest of the fast.

Coaches Leigh Schmitt and Kathy Havard named Matt and Juliet ‘most valuable runners’ for their passion, leadership, and grit. “In many ways, Matt’s performances were a shot in the arm to the program,” said Coach Schmitt, “and put Millbrook cross-country on the map.” Of Juliet, Coach Havard said, “Juliet has the most fearless attitude towards competition of any runner I’ve ever worked with. I’m so excited to keep working with her over the next two years, because the sky is the limit in terms of what she can accomplish.”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Athletics

Basketball Post Season Millbrook’s basketball program once again raised the bar as both boys and girls competed in post-season tournament play.

The boys finished the regular season 15-6, closing out the regular season with a 12-game winning streak capped off by a decisive win over Pomfret in the first round of the NEPSAC tournament. True team play carried the squad to the NEPSAC Semifinals, where they fell to a very tough Canterbury team on their home court.

The exceptional senior leadership of Nate Denham, Jo’el Emanuel, and Sharif Nelson, aided and abetted by Vth form standouts Liam Kennelly and Lucius Gibson-Savadel, yielded a team built on solid group fundamentals supported by individual excellence. “I have seldom been part of a team in which everyone so willingly and fully accepted their roles,” said Coach Thom. “This entire group of players, coaches, and managers have jumped the Millbrook Boys Basketball program to a new level never seen in the school’s history, and for that I’m eternally grateful and proud.”

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Athletics

The girls played in the first round of the NEPSAC tournament before falling to a talented team from Hamden Hall. Five standout VIth formers finished the season on a high note with a record of 14-8. Together, Allessia Carlo, Sofia Feigelson, Evelynn Najork, Kate Peek, and Lili Westerhuis have formed the core of a Millbrook squad that did the work and never backed down. Head coach Pat Stewart praised his team: “More impressive than their record was their commitment to the values of passion to compete, accountability, commitment to high standards, and trust both on and off the court throughout the season.”

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Athletics

COMMITTED STUDENT ATHLETES Millbrook is proud to announce National Letter of Intent signings for four VIth form Mustangs. Kate Peek has committed to play basketball at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and Matt Sardo will head to Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland, for lacrosse. Eli Stowe

• Kate Peek with Coach Stewart

will join the baseball team at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, and Jo’el Emanuel will post up at Fairleigh Dickinson in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Of Kate, Millbrook basketball head coach Pat Stewart said: “Kate’s commitment to her craft, particularly shooting the basketball, has been outstanding. Her habits line up with her goals, and she’s been a joy to coach during her time at Millbrook. She’s been a linchpin in building a winning basketball program for the last three years.”

Millbrook lacrosse head coach JJ Morrissey has high praise for Matt Sardo: “We were lucky to welcome Matt as a post-graduate this year. He is a talented athlete, a skilled lacrosse player, and, most importantly, a fine young man. He was also a wonderful addition to our community and had a positive impact on our football team.”

• Matt Sardo with Coach Morrissey

Headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98 coached Eli Stowe on the diamond last year and highlights his commitment and character as much as his on-field prowess: “Eli Stowe leads by example and is a delight to coach. His work ethic, positive attitude, and desire to improve with every minute of every day are an inspiration to his teammates and his coaches. The combination of Eli’s character and his size, strength, and talent makes him an unstoppable force on the diamond. As a junior, he was 1st Team All-League, hitting .468 with four home runs and four triples in 12 games. On the mound he posted a 4-0 record, striking out 71 batters in 31 innings pitched. The University of Maryland will benefit from his mid-90s velocity and increasing command of the strike zone with his fastball, slider, curveball, and change-up.”

According to Head Basketball Coach Billy Thom, Jo’el is “a skywalker, athletically gifted and bouncy on his feet like a predatory cat. Jo’el will play a large role for FDU next year,

• Eli Stowe with Coach Downs and Coach Harlan

as his athletic gifts and basketball IQ fit perfectly into the Knights’ style of play.” As one of the top-15 players in New England while at Millbrook, Jo’el is eager to bring his talents to Teaneck.

The determination and character evident in Millbrook’s 2021 class of National Letter of Intent signees highlights the best of Mustang athletics. Fewer than 2% of high school athletes sign letters of intent to formalize their commitment to continue their athletic pursuits at Division I and Division II colleges.

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• Jo’el Emanuel with Coach Thom

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MILLBROOK MATTERS

Athletics

COLLEGE COMMITMENTS • Back row: Greg Levin (baseball), Eli Stowe (baseball), Joe Masterson (golf), Nate Denham (basketball), Jo’el Emanuel (basketball), Sharif Nelson (basketball), Declan Allen (lacrosse), Matt Sardo (lacrosse), Ethan Kessler (lacrosse), Ryan DeSousa (baseball), Matt Dale (cross-country), Josh Polumbo (baseball), and Mac Elliott (lacrosse)

• Front row: Sofia Feigelson (basketball), Chelsea Sinclair (golf), Brysha Schmidt (hockey and lacrosse), Tommi Nash (hockey), Allessia Carlo (basketball), Abby Ainley (hockey), and Kate Peek (basketball)

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Arts At the heart of our community are the arts, which foster creativity and cultivate curiosity. Student learning is strengthened through a web of connections, as visiting artists support student initiatives while exponentially expanding students’ capacity to innovate and grow.

LIGHTING UP THE STAGE Millbrook’s stars of the stage shone brightly in the fall in their three-night run of The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong at Millbrook’s Chelsea Morrison Theater in the Holbrook Arts Center. The show, a farcical play-within-a-play depicting the travails of a hapless community theatre group attempting to produce their own murder mystery, included strong performances by an ensemble cast.

The 2021 fall play marks the welcome return to in-person, live performance in the Chelsea Morrison Theater after last year’s triumphant showing of Grease under an expansive tent on the north side of Casertano Hall and a filmed version of The Crucible.

Directed by Elaine Lifter, The One Act Play That Goes Wrong made good use of the comedic chops of a cast tasked with deliberate miscues, dropped lines, set and scenery failures, and absurd, overthe-top performances. As part of an arts field trip, the cast and crew were fortunate to attend a Broadway performance of the full version of The Play That Goes Wrong, after which they participated in a post-show Q&A with the cast and crew. “It was remarkable,” said director Elaine Lifter, “a master class in physical comedy, timing, and the dedication and commitment it takes to be a part of any show. They were so generous with our students, and we were very grateful for the time we had with them.”

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Humor was the thread woven into all major performances this year, as Mamma Mia! was selected for Millbrook’s spring musical.

The show wrapped in early March after three nights of thunderous ovations and audience singalongs. The ensemble cast brought their A(BBA)-game to every performance, inspiring some students and faculty to attend multiple performances. Eliza Withers-Clarke ’23 and Caitlyn Rodeo ’22 were captivating co-leads as the mother-daughter at the center of the story. Margaux Champon ’23 and Grace Ashford ’24 were exceedingly dynamic as the Dynamos, and Stephen Peschel ’22, Henry Stafford ’23, and Will Zelevansky ’23 had hilarious supporting roles as the trio of possible dads.

Directed by Elaine Lifter with choreography by Sara Cuoco, the show unfolded on an elaborate Broadway-level set built by Lauren Duffy with help from Rhett Roback ’04. Musical Director Joe Schermann played keyboards and led the band comprised of Millbrook’s own Brian Coughlin on bass, Steve Siktberg on guitar, and Jay Bradley on drums. Faculty members Jasper Turner and JP Burlington joined Headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98 in donning scuba flippers for memorable cameo appearances.

Millbrook’s strong theater tradition brings the community together and shines a light on just how much skill and talent resides in our faculty and students. Bravo!

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Arts

WARNER GALLERY FEATURES Kirk Henriques

STRONG HOLD Strong Hold, featuring the work of artist Kirk Henriques, opened at the Warner Gallery at Millbrook’s Holbrook Arts Center in October 2021.

Henriques’ solo show of eight works created an immersive experience saturated with color, texture, and both motion and stillness. A Brooklyn native of Jamaican descent, Mr. Henriques’ work “investigates power structures embedded in the construction and definition of spatial and temporal narratives.” His work is dense and highly textural, and his use of found material and technique of building and scraping produces exuberant, multidimensional work.

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Arts

Ruth Leonard

TRANSMOGRIFY In Transmogrify, Hudson Valley artist Ruth Leonard presented landscapes and natural tableaux. Her paintings seemed to levitate off the walls with bold compositions and colors blending the fantastic and the real.

Ms. Leonard spent a day on campus in January and, after a discussion of her work, described to students her process and technique in a master class in the studio. Ms. Leonard introduced students to using sticks and other non-traditional implements as they rendered a still life of branches and other flora assembled in the center of the room.

Looking through frames at their subject to aid and personalize composition, student artists put their unique vision on paper.

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Arts

ARTS NIGHT RETURNS! Millbrook’s first Arts Night since 2019 was a cavalcade of talent as musicians, actors, and dancers entertained a lively crowd. With ensemble performances by Millbrook Singers, The Groove, and Millbrook Dance, the show also featured solo musical masterworks, improv comedy, dramatic scenes, and a monologue.

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Arts

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Photo by Ceci Heurtematte ’23

Arts

BAROQUE PHOTOGRAPHY Theo Coulombe’s Digital Photography class produced stunning portraits that demonstrated their deep understanding of composition and lighting techniques of the Baroque period of art.

Students researched Baroque lighting, styles, and subjects in works by Caravaggio, Jan van Eyck, Artemisia Gentileschi, Vermeer, and others. The lead photographer worked from a reference image and collaborated with other students serving as assistants and art directors, just as a professional photographer would work during a studio shoot.

Student photographers used digital cameras tethered to monitors to tweak subjects and lighting in their portraits.

To simulate the Baroque style, Mr. Coulombe stipulated a limit of one light plus a reflector. Composing and capturing in real-time is very different from the painstaking brushwork undertaken by Baroque painters but also yields an immediate understanding of the cause and effect of

Photo by Luke Sosnow ’24

choices on a work of art.

The images were exhibited as large format prints on the wall of the photography studio. Viewed as a group, the portraits manifest the technical proficiency and artistry of the photographers.

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Photo by Poppy Morley ’24

MILLBROOK MATTERS

Arts

Photo by Claire Powers ’23

Photo by Aiden Corbin ’24

Photo by Alec Enchill ’23

Photo by Sophia DeStazio ’23

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Student Life SDLC Conference Millbrook sent four students to the National Association of Independent Schools’ (NAIS) Online Student Diversity

Small ad hoc affinity groups enabled conference participants to dialog freely and share experiences and ideas on strengthening DEI initiatives at their schools. Will was encouraged by the diversity of participating students: “It

Leadership Conference in December. NAIS is an

was very eye-opening to see that much representation in one

organization that provides support and guidance to over

place.” Connecting with peers at other schools, Will found

1900 member schools and associations in the form of

“There are some universal experiences for those who go to

research and professional development opportunities.

private schools, I think. Especially when relating to DEI work.”

Typically an in-person gathering of diverse students from

Aly attended the conference hoping to discover concrete

independent American and international high schools, the

strategies to create change at Millbrook. Her participation

conference was held online this year over a week. Facilitators

in a multiracial affinity group provided insights into her own

led large and small group activities intended to support student-

identity. “This experience validated a lot of the concerns I

centric DEI initiatives back on campus. Aly Rosenzweig ’22

didn’t know were universal in the lives of other multiracial

and Bella Shay ’22, both members of Millbrook’s Diversity,

kids like me,” said Aly. “I also learned that change does not

Equity, and Inclusion Council, attended the conference along with

have to be dramatic. Small steps can be just as meaningful as

Will Zelevansky ’23 and Ranly Cano ’25.

large ones.”

• Aly Rosenzweig ’22 and Bella Shay ’22 (left and middle students) are also members of Millbrook’s DEI community service along with Precious Esielem ’22 and faculty leaders Cam Hardy, Trip Powers, and Prince Botchway.

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Student Life

Winter Weekend Millbrook’s traditional Winter Weekend returned with lively competition in all events. With spirit and participation points in the mix, the noise level in the Wray Gymnasium was sonorous.

Old favorites like pillow polo and whipped cream pie eating and bubblegum blowing contests returned, and airband performances were truly at a new level. A spellbinding College Bowl was held in the Chelsea Morrison Theater along with a very intense ping pong tournament. Winter Weekend is perhaps the most highly anticipated all-school activity on the calendar, and after a pandemic-modified version in 2021, the teams truly went all out to win.

In the final tally, everything came up green for the boys of Harris Hall as they dominated the field, showing unity, spirit, and an overarching positivity. Led by a cadre of veteran dorm leaders, the largely IIIrd form crew took first place in airband and the banner and video contests, finished very strongly in all spirit events, and had a finalist in the ping pong showdown.

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The Ceremonial Investiture of

JONATHAN DOWNS ’98 The ceremonial investiture of Jonathan Downs ’98 as seventh headmaster of Millbrook School took place in front of a gathering of students, faculty, friends, family, and members of the Board of Trustees. After the chapel bell tolled seven times, longtime Millbrook employee Andy Skold performed a specially composed banjo tune followed by a reading from Tony McKinley ’98, a classmate and dear friend of Mr. Downs. Later in the ceremony, Bizzy Katz ’21 performed Ben E. King’s classic Stand By Me, backed by Millbrook Singers. Board Chair Bill Menard ’78 spoke about the collaborative relationship between board and school head, and Drew Casertano, Millbrook’s 6th headmaster, praised Mr. Downs’ aspirations for the school.

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• Millbrook’s 6th and 7th headmasters, Drew Casertano and Jonathan Downs ’98, with board members, from left to right, Caroline A. Wamsler, PhD ’87, Paul Solomon ’61, Bill Menard ’78, Kathleen Dill ’85, Trevor Colhoun ’95, Fritz Souder P ’22, Frank Borges ’70, and Paul Stafford P ’16, ’19, ’23

After sharing gratitude for the love and support of family, friends, and colleagues, Mr. Downs addressed those gathered, extolling the virtues of the community and outlining an ambitious path forward for the school he loves so dearly. His full address can be seen on Millbrook’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/millbrookschoolny.

“Millbrook is no prep-school snobatorium or bastion of elitism. We are as humble and hungry as we are privileged and proud. We are confident, not arrogant.

We are stylish, not brazen. Substantiative and not pretentious. Millbrook is a warm, welcoming, and intentional institution that believes in the potential of people.”

- Headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98

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BUILDING On T r a d i t i o n s

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Developing dynamic new spaces that honor what has come before, mastering something that matters, having a purpose in service of something larger than themselves—Millbrook alumni are building upon the foundation of traditions and shared values and creating beautiful, purposeful, and relational structures, designs, and landscapes.

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A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP:

MILLBROOK’S ARCHITECTURE AND ITS STEWARDS

By Sarah MacWright

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ALUMNI/AE

ALUMNI BUILDERS

GIL SCHAFER ’80 “My fellow students at Millbrook would have said I was something of a nerd, and the adults would have said I was 16 going on 45.”

This is how Gil Schafer III ’80, describes his teenage self. And yet, Gil graduated Millbrook as student council president, editorin-chief of The Silo, and all-school prefect. At his graduation, he became the second recipient of the Class of 1978 Award. If pressed, he adds humbly: “I guess something happened while I was in high school. This was before being a nerd was cool.”

Today, Gil Schafer is one of the top classical architects in the country. He has held a spot in Architectural Digest’s AD 100 for the last ten years and counting, and his architectural work—new homes as well as renovations and restorations—spans eighteen U.S. states as well as Canada, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Gil’s awards include a Millbrook Medal for extraordinary service as a member of Millbrook School’s Board of Trustees and the Institute for Classical Architecture and Art’s Arthur Ross Award for lifetime achievement. He is a graduate of Haverford College and the Yale School of Architecture where he won the H. I.

year, Millbrook looked different than it does now, but the bucolic

Feldman Prize, Yale’s highest honor for studio work.

landscape and the campus charm were evident to Gil, even before

A SCHOOL TO CALL HOME

their origin stories, but Gil admits that math wasn’t his strong

In 1977, Gil arrived at Millbrook School as a IVth former and took

suit in high school. He always liked art and especially loved

up residence in South Dorm (now named Harris Hall). He jokes

drawing on his own. At Millbrook, he was one of three students

that the walls were so thin that if a boy knocked firmly on his own

to take a mechanical drawing class in the basement of Abbott

dorm room wall, it was possible to knock the books off the shelf

Hall. There, inspired by his grandfather’s career as an architect,

in the adjacent room. With only 125 students on campus his first

he had his first lessons in drafting in a course led by Mr. Palmer.

he had the architectural language to describe the reasons why.

It seems that many architects emphasize math and art classes in

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Outside of classes and athletic requirements, Gil spent time doing what he loved: working on the school’s newspaper, The Silo. He used the New York Times as inspiration for changes to the paper’s nameplate and agitated for glossy paper stock, all efforts to make The Silo look more serious. He also organized a whimsical fashion photo shoot for the paper with the “wonderfully stylish” E. Ashley Carter (now Crytz) ’81. Together they gathered a group of classmates in trendy garb and used the dish room as an ironic backdrop. The love of storytelling that Gil cultivated while working for The Silo evolved into a lifelong interest. In fact, Gil suspects that if he hadn’t become an architect, he would have pursued a career in magazines.

Ultimately, Gil became editor-in-chief of The Silo his senior year, following in the footsteps of current Millbrook Board Chairman Bill Menard ’78, Gil’s role model in high school. Bill wore a jacket and tie to classes, and with admiration, Gil did the same. Bill was the first winner of the Class of 1978 Award, and Gil followed in his footsteps two years later. The inscription for that honor begins, “Given to that senior whose contributions, in his or her

SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL

own style, reflect the energy and accomplishments of the Class

“The idea that I would give back to Millbrook was always part of

of 1978.” Gil credits the faculty for encouraging him to discover his own style. “I loved the Millbrook experience then, and I love it now. Teachers encourage students to figure out what they care

In 1993 and during the early years of Headmaster Drew

about and then to pursue it.”

Casertano’s tenure, Gil joined Millbrook’s board. Drew mentored

As a student, Gil’s adventures off campus never took him farther

school, even when Gil didn’t initially see the connection.

than Four Brothers Pizza. So, it was longer trips to his childhood home in New Jersey that exposed Gil to the rural beauty of the Hudson Valley. The summer after graduating from Millbrook, he took a driving vacation through England, Scotland, and Wales.

While admiring the English countryside, he realized that the Hudson Valley was its aesthetic equal, and for the first time, he wondered about coming back to the region after college.

Those thoughts became reality in a short space of time. After finishing graduate school at Yale and moving to New York City, Gil returned to Millbrook in a summer rental. While driving to Pine Plains one day, he spotted a “For Sale” sign on a piece of land that would later become the site for his new home. Today, Gil splits his time between Millbrook, New York City, and Maine, when he is not in the air, flying from one architectural project to the next. When he and his family return to the Hudson Valley,

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my plan in life.”

Gil and affirmed how his insights as an architect could benefit the

From Gil’s perspective, Drew understood how architecture and the quality of place could help to make an institution successful, including how buildings spoke to students and their families. Gil recalls, “Drew and I talked about the subliminal transition that happens when a family drops their kid off at school. The child is going from home with their family to home at school. A school’s admissions building needs to be a house because it needs to feel like a home. It should not be a large, brick office in the Georgian style.”

Gil served as chair of the board’s Physical Resources Committee (PRC) for many years until the increased pace of his architectural work and the debut of his first book made it difficult to continue in that role. At that time, a friend and former schoolmate, Chris Holbrook ’82, stepped in, and the two continue to collaborate on PRC business today.

Four Brothers Pizza is a favorite spot for dinner, just like it was

Some of Gil’s favorite moments of board service have been

when Gil was in high school.

drawing with Drew and Daniela Voith, whose architecture firm,

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Voith & MacTavish Architects, is responsible for designing

often led by builders rather than architects. Some vernacular

Millbrook’s newest buildings. Together, they pulled sheets of

farmhouses are rambling, with one mass flowing into another.

trace paper over architectural drawings and made changes,

Their form traces necessary expansions—perhaps a kitchen

solving problems and capitalizing on opportunities.

addition followed by a barn and finally a connected structure that

While the architectural process was familiar, working on the client side was new for Gil and something he sees as a gift.

“While I do think about my board service in terms of giving back, I know that I have received so much through my own growth and

houses a privy. The original Pulling House certainly looked this way, and though Abbott Dormitory was constructed in the 1970s and renovated in the 1990s, it rambles, too, in homage to that idea.

On Flagler Quadrangle, Schoolhouse is an excellent example of

especially in my relationships with other board members.” After

the Georgian Revival style buildings that make up the other half

nearly thirty years of working alongside Drew Casertano, Gil

of Millbrook’s architecture. Georgian buildings are common

is now turning his attention to learning the style and goals of

in both the U.S. and England, and their design is named for

Millbrook’s new headmaster, Jonathan Downs ’98. About Jon he shares: “There is something so deep and resonant about his love for the school. With many important building projects in front of him, Jon anchors his thinking in how architecture can reinforce Millbrook’s sense of community.” The conversations Gil has had with Jon over the past year are the first of many to come. Soon, it will be time to pull out the trace paper together.

the English Kings George I-IV. Schoolhouse features Georgian proportions and details like the dentils at its cornice, which look like little teeth under the roof line, and a pedimented door surround on its primary entrance. The triangular roof line above the second story is called a centered gable, and it is also typical of Georgian style. Gil notes, “These handsome, overtly classical buildings built in the school’s early days possessed both the gravitas and understated dignity that reinforced Edward Pulling’s philosophy of education.”

MILLBROOK SCHOOL’S ARCHITECTURAL DNA

Newer buildings on campus have picked up on these two stylistic strands and sometimes include elements that are farmhouse and elements that are Georgian. For example, while the Frederic C.

Gil credits Millbrook’s Founding Headmaster Edward Pulling and

Hamilton Math and Science Center is mostly clad in white wood

his wife, Lucy, for the school’s auspicious architectural beginning.

with little decoration, its centered gable points to its Georgian

“Millbrook started out with a rural aesthetic because it was a farm

predecessor in Schoolhouse.

with farm buildings before it was a school with school buildings.

The Pullings added new structures that were elegant and wellmannered, which were the same hopes they had for the students.”

While Millbrook’s campus simply felt right to Gil when he was a student, as he learned more about architecture in college and graduate school, he began to understand why. Millbrook’s buildings belong to two styles—each one is either a humble farm building with white-painted wood cladding, like Pulling House or the Barn, or a well-mannered brick building in the Georgian Revival style like Schoolhouse or Casertano Hall, the new dining hall completed in 2016. According to Gil, “The merging of these two styles is Millbrook’s architectural DNA, and one doesn’t undermine the other because the scale and detailing are just right.”

Millbrook’s white clapboard farm buildings are examples of vernacular architecture. Though vernacular can be a vague term in the world of architecture, it generally refers to a local style,

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Like Holbrook Arts Center and Mills Athletic Center, Hamilton

those campuses.” Around the time of World War II, European

is built into a hill, which camouflages its large size and keeps

modernists—like Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and Le

it in harmony with more delicate neighbors. The campus’

Corbusier—arrived at universities in the United States bringing

controlled scale cultivates its welcoming and cozy feeling. In

their passion for glass, steel, and white-faced buildings that

contrast, Gil describes the campus of a neighboring school in

express simple geometry. More recently, training in traditional

Lakeville, Connecticut, that is “grand and intimidating because

architecture has re-emerged. Gil and Millbrook’s Physical

its buildings are brick and stand as tall as three or four stories.”

Resources Committee strive to hire architects from among this

While the effect of those buildings works for that school, it

new generation who understand and respect the campus’ history.

wouldn’t be right for Millbrook.

Two new Millbrook buildings, a rebuilt Pulling House and a new

Gil provides further reasons why Millbrook’s harmonious campus

alumni center, Anthony House, will be completed this fall. Like

is unlike other schools. “In the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even into the

two strands of the school’s architectural DNA, Pulling House

2000s, when independent schools and universities constructed

is a simple farmhouse, and Anthony House will be one of the

new buildings, most architects available for hire were trained

more formal brick buildings on campus. The two structures

in modernism. There was very little education in the traditional

will reinforce the east side of Pulling Quadrangle: “To be a

languages of architecture embodied by existing buildings on

quad, each of the four sides must be defined. To strengthen the corner between Anthony House and its neighbor, Prum Hall, we matched the two buildings’ cornice lines and detailing, as if Anthony House is completing the sentence begun by Prum.” Yet again, the trustees, Millbrook’s leadership, and the architectural team have considered the buildings’ relationship to each other and to the campus at large as much as they have attended to the individual designs. Creating a sense of welcome at Millbrook is as true for its buildings as it is for its people.

The word “cozy” was one of the first that came to Gil’s mind to describe the feeling of living on campus when he was a teenager.

Upon reflection years later, he credits that cozy feeling to the faculty’s warmth and caring as much as to the buildings. Gil says that “great buildings are the backdrop for great education, and on Millbrook’s wonderful backdrop, the faculty brought and continue to bring Millbrook’s philosophy of ‘every student is known and needed’ to life.”

LOOKING BACK TO LOOK FORWARD In addition to leading his architectural practice and serving as a board member, Gil is currently authoring another book. The third in a trilogy, his newest will follow The Great American House (2012) and A Place To Call Home (2017). Gil is a gifted writer, which is evident in his record-breaking book sales, and when asked about his process, his response was: “Writing is hard.”

While working on these books Gil has realized how his upbringing has influenced his work as an architect. “[As a child]

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after my parents’ divorce, my mom moved around a bit, and I

help bring analysis to intuition. Using both is the key to learning

witnessed different architecture in each place we lived. As an

how a campus creates feelings in its students and faculty, to seeing

architect, I work in a chameleonlike way, aware of context in

buildings for what they can become together, and for Gil, to

different parts of the country.”

building a creative life.

While writing about personal influences isn’t common in

Informed by affection and history, the exercise of looking slowly

architectural monographs, the connection of memory and feelings

brings up more questions. “It is well known that Pulling was an

to home has become a central feature in Gil’s books. “When I

Anglophile. Did that influence how campus looks? How does the

give talks about the importance of memory in my work, people

Flagler Memorial Chapel fit into Millbrook’s architectural DNA?

come up to me afterwards and tell me about a cabin that their

Why does Flagler Quadrangle mimic the plan of a small New

grandmother had or a house that they grew up in and how much it

England town?”

meant to them. The message resonates beyond architecture.”

It is a pleasure to see Millbrook’s campus through Gil’s eyes,

Today, Gil is contemplating recent events in his personal life,

with his love for the school as an alumnus and a trustee and his

most importantly his marriage and entrance into a parenting

knowledge as a leader who helped bring much of it into being,

process for two step-children, one in their late teens and the

but it is time for Gil to board a plane to somewhere and shepherd

other in their early twenties. He is noticing how new experiences

the next great American house into being. For those who live,

as a husband and stepfather have brought fresh perspectives to

work, or study on this campus, we get to look slowly at the

his architectural work, especially for clients with families.

architectural legacy and contemporary stewardship that is all

Reflecting broadly on his practice as an architect, Gil stresses

around us and contemplate the answers to those questions.

how important it has been to learn to look slowly. “There is tremendous value in careful observation. Looking slowly is much harder now because our culture is wired against it.” It’s a skill

Sarah MacWright joined Millbrook’s Art Department in 2012 to teach photography, becoming chair of the department the

that runs counter to the quick scrolling that Instagram and other

following year. In the fall of 2021, she began a yearlong sabbatical

social media encourages, but it’s also a skill that can be practiced

with G.P. Schafer Architect, and she gladly sat down with Gil this

and improved over time. Careful looking and careful reflection

spring to interview him and pen this article.

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ALUMNI BUILDERS

BOB SANFORD ’77

BUILDING ON RELATIONSHIPS Traditions run deep in the Sanford family. Bob Sanford ’77 is the fourth generation at Sanford and Hawley, a building supply company founded in 1884 in Farmington, Connecticut.

Dedication to value and a customer-centric approach has kept Sanford and Hawley in business at their original location for 138 years, which makes them the oldest business in Farmington.

Their success is due to their “down home” attitude, hard work, and dedication, and today they have nearly fifty employees across four sites in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Following their father’s path to Millbrook many years later, children Abby ’16 and Bobby ’14 are involved in the family business and maintain their connections to Millbrook School.

Boarding schools were familiar to the Sanford family, and it was natural that Bob would attend one as he was completing his final year, 9th grade, at Renbrook School. When the time came, he had many options. Seeking a little space from his twin brother, Ted, who attended Avon Old Farms, Bob chose Millbrook, which had a zoo and was not terribly far from home. Millbrook had a significantly different look in the mid-1970s than today. 215 students were enrolled at Millbrook in the fall of 1974, including 137 boarders and 78 day students (some forty of those being females since the school had recently become co-ed). It was a picturesque drive past the

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run bank located in the Barn. Bob fondly recalls his advisor, Mr. Gadd, thirds football, track and field, and Saturday night movies in the Barn, which was then, as now, the social hub on campus.

marshes and down a dirt School Road, and after a visit to campus,

Faculty care and attention have always made Millbrook special,

Bob was certain that Millbrook was the place for him. During his

and Bob’s connection to the school was strengthened both

three years, he served on the Fire Department Community Service,

through extracurricular and weekend activities and in the

as a dorm prefect, and as president of the ‘Strongbox,’ the student-

classroom. Mr. Gadd was a memorable math teacher. Finding

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• The family tradition continues - Bob with son Bobby ’14 and daughter Abby ’16

physics challenging, Bob asked for help and benefited from one-

the start. In forty-odd years, he has worked in virtually every

on-one tutoring from faculty member Robert Smart, whom he

building on campus. Bob’s expertise in windows, doors, cabinets,

credits with his success in science. Standing extra help sessions

and all building materials has proven invaluable in the upkeep

nightly in Callard House after study hall ensured his success.

and improvement of the physical plant, and his love of Millbrook

After graduation, Bob attended the University of Vermont,

is evident in the time and care he devotes to his work here.

following in his older brother’s footsteps, and then went to work in the family business. Working in the family business during school vacations and every summer had prepared him for this most of his life.

“Millbrook was very formative in my life, especially in terms

Frequent family visits to the area and to the Trevor Zoo made Millbrook seem like the home away from home it would eventually become for Abby ’16 and Bobby ’14. A tri-varsity athlete in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, after graduating, Abby attended Skidmore College and today is in commercial sales at Sanford

of leadership opportunities. Now, when I am on campus, I am

and Hawley. Bobby played hockey at Millbrook and is operations

enamored by the designs that Millbrook’s architects—whether

manager, responsible for overseeing inventory and deliveries at

that’s John Allee, Voith & MacTavish, or Gil Schafer—come

the busy distribution center.

up with. I am not creative; my strengths are on the other end,

Tangible evidence of the Sanford family’s longstanding and

determining which materials will hold up better or be more

ongoing relationship with Millbrook abounds. Millbrook thrives

practical in the long run. I enjoy working with the school and the

in facilities that are well-maintained and well-designed for

architects to make the best choices for Millbrook.”

durability, efficiency, and beauty thanks, in great part, to Bob and

In the early-1980s, Bob worked with a contractor undertaking a

now, his children.

renovation of Schoolhouse and has returned to supply building

“Through my own experience and looking through the eyes

materials on campus regularly over the many years since. When

of my children I appreciate what Millbrook does in terms

architects are involved, Bob typically enters the process in the

of youth development. This is one of the reasons I maintain

middle of the design-build process to give suggestions and input.

close relationships—with the school in terms of building, but

When working directly with the physical plant staff on smaller

also with my former classmates, and with the current school

renovations and improvement projects, he is involved from

leadership. I hope Millbrook continues to reach for the stars.”

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ALUMNI BUILDERS

THE HATFIELD FAMILY

FABRICATION & COLLABORATION The Hatfields have made their mark on Millbrook in many ways, especially at the Trevor Zoo. Tiffany ’18 and Amber ’21 are recipients of the prestigious Frank W. Trevor Cup, awarded to the Millbrook senior who has demonstrated the greatest and most meaningful commitment to the mission of the zoo. Bryce Hatfield ’24 is now putting his time in across School Road with Zoo Director Dr. Alan Tousignant as his advisor.

As the Hatfield children have studied at Millbrook, their father, Chris Hatfield, has developed a professional relationship with the Trevor Zoo. As an owner of Hatfield Metals in Poughkeepsie, a family business for over 70 years, Chris has unparalleled expertise in metal design and fabrication and access to the latest technology and equipment. Hatfield Metal Fabrication employs over 60 people in the design, fabrication, and finishing of products like microchip manufacturing equipment and stainless vacuum tanks used in vaccine production. The shop hums with powerful and precise laser and water jet cutters, massive press brakes and shears, a powder coating shop, and all manner of fabrication processes.

Upkeep and improvements are constantly underway at the Trevor Zoo, and with the usual repairs and upgrades at the busy facility, the zoo must uphold Association of Zoos and Aquariums standards to maintain its prestigious accreditation. From animal enclosures to new safety measures for zoo visitors to improved accessibility, Dr. Tousignant and the staff are always working to make the Trevor Zoo the best it can be. Over the past several years, Chris Hatfield has assisted in these processes, designing and creating many custom metal components throughout the zoo. He has generously given his time and resources.

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Among the most visible of his projects are the indoor exhibit fronts for the lemur displays in the Tropical House. Fabricated of AZA-mandated stainless steel, the three massive installations combine glass and steel mesh that balances the need for air circulation and clear sightlines with the need to protect lemurs and zoo visitors. The Tropical House is among the oldest zoo buildings, so any new infrastructure had to be highly customized to fit and function. “Chris listens to what our needs are,” said Dr. Tousignant, “and he really wants to figure out how to do things the absolute best possible way.” There are plans for a series of custom metal pathways for lemurs to freely roam among three different habitats. This project will greatly improve lemur quality of life and provide zoo visitors with more opportunities to see the lemurs.

“Everything can always be improved—there’s always something,” says Chris Hatfield. “But it’s always something fun to do.” Chris has grown especially fond of the otters and created a system of steel grates that allows water to flow freely through their habitat.

Hatfield projects include railings, decorative plant brackets, water tank holders, and shelving and design elements in the Mill.

The shop recently fabricated 100 custom brackets used atop the new wolf enclosure in line with federal wolf safety standards.

The ingenious design came through collaboration: “Chris has no ego, but plenty of practical know-how,” said Dr. Tousignant. “It is a pleasure to work with someone like that who also takes such pride in their work.”

With Tiffany and Amber finding success at college and Bryce taking part in all that makes Millbrook, Millbrook, Chris feels more connected than ever. “Everyone at Millbrook has always made time for us,” he said, “Doc is always running at 110%, and he has a lot of plans. So, when they need help, they give me a shout. I’m just glad to play a small part in the success of the zoo and the school.”

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STEWARDS WITH A PASSION FOR DESIGNING BEAUTIFUL SPACES

INSIDE AND OUT

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ALUMNI BUILDERS

ALEJANDRA CHARRABE-CIACCI ’12 AND CHLOE NAESE ’14 Chloe and Alejandra overlapped for two years at Millbrook, and as much as their journeys forward have been different, the scaffolding upon which those journeys have been built is very similar.

We spoke with Chloe and Alejandra recently about their

and types of insulation that led to better climate control. I

studies in architecture, design, and landscape design,

learned so much from that experience. I was also a member of

their pursuit of advanced degrees, and how Millbrook continues to drive their passions and pursuits, both

Students Concerned About Planet Earth (SCAPE) under Mrs. Meigs’s leadership. She was a very passionate teacher and such

professionally and personally.

an interesting human being. She taught me that it’s okay to be

COMING TO MILLBROOK

Climate change is a very uncomfortable conversation for a lot of

Alejandra: I came from Spain and did a full tour of different

passion and intensity when people would not give importance to

boarding schools in the U.S., mainly in California and then also

the movement that it needs to have—that’s when I learned it’s

in Connecticut and New York. Millbrook was the last school I

okay to be controversial.

visited. I remember thinking how small it was, but I loved my interview with Mr. Downs and Mr. Muller. I told my mom that Millbrook is where I needed to go, a place that was different and more open-minded than my previous school in Spain.

passionate about things that are uncomfortable for other people. people, and many refuse to believe that they can help. Seeing her

I also took Millbrook’s art history elective as a senior; that year we studied the aesthetics of the architects Greene & Greene with Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Hardy. Mr. Greenwood got very emotional, even cried in class, on topics that we discussed. I’ve never seen anyone

Chloe: I grew up in St. Charles, a suburb west of Chicago, and

express that much passion in class—it was very inspirational. In

attended public schools in 3rd through 8th grades. My parents

our world, men crying isn’t such an acceptable form of expression.

were considering private school for me—Lake Forest Academy

I appreciate the message that he sent—it’s okay for men to cry in

because it was nearby—but then we heard about Millbrook.

public. It’s okay to look at a building, to see how beautifully it was

When we learned that a high school had a ZOO, that was IT. After

made, and to feel something. I’ll never forget that. Like Mrs. Meigs,

visiting, it felt immediately like the best choice for me.

he, too, was very intense. I began to think about architecture that way, wanting to see if it would make me feel that intense.

MILLBROOK INSPIRATIONS

Then I had the opportunity to focus on architecture for my Culminating Experience for Seniors (CES) project. I still

Alejandra: My IVth form year, I did the Big Green Apple

tell people about it, and everyone’s amazed that we had the

intersession with Jane Meigs focusing on sustainable architecture.

opportunity, in a structured way, to follow our passions. I

We went to New York City and visited buildings that were LEED

redesigned Clark Dorm for my project, making some realistic

certified, learning about their different water collection systems

changes to give it substance.

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Mr. Greenwood had architect friends nearby who helped me create my conceptual model incorporating the changes I would make.

I loved Millbrook’s common areas, which were done beautifully, and I thought it would be nice to bring Clark’s common space up to the ground floor and open it to the outside, where everyone wanted to be when it was nice. I also proposed a connection from Clark to the library and proposed additional rooms on the back side of Clark so that all girls in the same class should be in the same dorm. I also asked Mrs. Clizbe what she would like—she suggested a larger door from her apartment leading into the dorm. That was Mama Cliz; her door was always open and for her, the wider the better.

Chloe: I was a zooie all four years at Millbrook and a curator my senior year. I was also a member of SCAPE and ran cross-country.

One of my favorite memories is running through the trails and being immersed in the nature on campus. I played jv hockey and lacrosse and was also on the zoo squad, which I loved.

Through SCAPE and the Trevor Zoo, I worked with Mrs. Meigs, and she suggested I attend a week-long Student Climate and Conservation Congress Sc3 in West Virginia. The program speakers and events focused on how sustainability can be applied to different fields. There, I attended a lecture hosted

by Terreform ONE, a nonprofit architecture and urban design research group in Brooklyn, NY. They create innovative experimental design installations highlighting the possibilities of local habitats in urban settings. That lecture alone pretty much convinced me to follow this path combining my passion for the environment and art.

I also took the elective Art History: Frank Lloyd Wright with Mr. Hardy my senior year. I learned so much in that class, traveling to Frank Lloyd Wright’s home in Arizona and putting together an exhibit at the end. Looking back, that was a full-on college level class, better than the art history courses I took in college. Mr. Hardy is one of those teachers whose impact continues.

My CES project, a large succulent wall, was inspired by the Sc3 experience and focused on green design. I repurposed a window frame that I sourced at a local antique shop and filled it with 90 succulents. Then, I displayed it outside on the side of the Holbrook Arts Center, inspired by Lena Hardy’s (Class of 2013) outdoor presentation the year before. This really ended up being a sort of precursor to my career as a landscape architect.

College & Career Alejandra: I went to Syracuse to study the history of architecture but realized that there aren’t that many opportunities for historians. After the first semester, I applied and was accepted into their architecture program. The year I entered, we had an influx of teachers from Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), a very technology-focused, non-traditional program, but each semester we learned something different. We did a lot of hand-drawing to start, but another professor did not want us to use a pencil. In my second year, I studied with Professor Randall Korman, a façades expert, and every semester thereafter we learned about the benefits of different architectural styles. It was an incredibly competitive five-year program, and we went from 160 students the first year to 70 at graduation.

• Chloe’s CES project was a harbinger of her career in landscape architecture

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I had been in the U.S. for nine years when I graduated from Syracuse, and my mom begged me to come home. Back in

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Spain, I began working for a PR and event organizing agency

because we have shared experiences. For me, this empowerment

before heading to Panama where my brother was working at an

came from Millbrook and strong role models like Ms. Mulberry

architecture firm. I joined the same firm and worked there for

(my advisor), Mrs. Meigs, Mrs. Clizbe. I also had a great role

nearly two years. It’s a completely different country than any place

model in my mom, who has been very independent my whole life.

I had lived previously. They move extremely slowly, and it’s very difficult to get things done. There’s no infrastructure, and there are a lot of tax loopholes and skyscrapers that are sitting completely empty. This experience tapped more into my environmentallyfocused mind, which I had developed at Millbrook.

Chloe: After Millbrook, I started out at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in their environmental design program and then transferred after my freshman year to Montana State University (MSU). MSU’s program was very technical and straightforward—

When you’re a young adult you can convince yourself that those issues are not your problem. I’m just a kid—I’m not going to save the world. In Panama, I was convinced that this world will end if we do not create architects who care about the natural environment. We’re not going to have the resources or even the benefits of being able to design a house that we want if we’re only thinking about budgets and aesthetics. That’s super easy to think about. It’s much harder to say that the materials you use need to be local and sustainable. It got to a point that I realized as much as I had discovered I wanted to be that kind of architect, it wasn’t going to happen in Panama.

After moving back to Madrid, my job search made me realize how few opportunities there were in architecture there and how badly architects were paid. While out one night, I met a guy who had a friend starting a new restaurant, ASIA ASAKO, and he hired me to design the space. That work led to more work via referrals, and since then, I’ve done full renovations in Madrid, interior design, and even graphic design. A current project is a holistic house that uses nature as a way to process trauma. It’s in the north of Spain, and it’s a lot slower than I’d like it to be because of COVID. But it did allow me to move to Amsterdam in September of 2021 and continue to work from here.

CHLOE’S FAVORITE SPACES AT MILLBROOK My favorite spaces would have to be the zoo and all of the natural land around campus, including Ski Hill and the marsh boardwalk.

Now I’m in school full time at IE School of Architecture &

The fact that Millbrook has retained and preserved beautiful

Design, earning my master’s in business. I will graduate in

natural places speak a lot to Millbrook’s value of stewardship.

July. I’m currently working on my master’s thesis and will soon have to decide if I want to work for an architecture, design, or event planning firm. I’m in a thesis group with three other women—from Greece, Peru, and Guatemala—and this is the first all-female group in this master’s program. Our project is focused on a device that you would be able to use call for help in a threatening situation. It’s based on gender studies and how streets are not created nor designed for any kind of minorities

MASC is my favorite building on campus. That’s where I first learned about LEED certification, which helped me land a job with a LEED consultant with whom I still work today. It was so great learning about sustainable design strategies like the green roof and geo-thermal heating and cooling, daylight lighting, woodslat ceilings, etc. The natural materials inside make for such an amazing space, and you feel inspired and excited to learn there.

or group of people who could be in danger. It’s been empowering

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we learned how buildings are put together. We ultimately

or a series of buildings located on an old square within the city.

designed a few different buildings—a Montessori school one

I was most inspired by the trees on the site. Nature has always

semester, a marine science center along the Seattle waterfront,

been an inspiration for my design.

and then a performing arts center for Montana State. I also studied for a semester in Copenhagen, and there our project was a theoretical community center, and we demonstrated how we could combine various program spaces (market space, contemplation space, and library, for example) into a building

Now, I am back at UBC, combining my passions for the environment and design in a master’s degree program in landscape design. It’s a three-year program, and I have one more year to go. In this final year, I’ll be working on my thesis project, which will likely have to do with waterfront design or sea-level rise planning.

Right after graduating from MSU, I worked for Sweet Sparkman Architects in Sarasota, FL, where my parents are living. Sweet Sparkman invited New York-based SCAPE architects to collaborate on a sea-level rise resilience framework plan for a small liberal arts college in St. Petersburg. We were considering the design of their waterfront campus and how to maintain their values and unique outdoors-centric identity in the physical spaces. During the process I loved how SCAPE engage with the students, asking them about their favorite spaces and attached memories, and how students were engaging with nature on campus. That experience convinced me to pursue an advanced degree in landscape architecture, and I am hoping next year to join a firm that does resilience sea-level rise planning or waterfront design, something that focuses on water and people and that relationship.

ALEJANDRA’S FAVORITE SPACES AT MILLBROOK I love the Barn. It is super American—the café with lots of baconegg-and-cheese sandwiches and the gift store. It was a happy place, and there were always good things happening there.

I also love the math and science center. It felt like it was an

My ultimate dream would be to work in Denmark, as I’m inspired by their design work. But it could be that I stay in Vancover or return to Florida, where the topic of sea-level rise is especially important. I’d love to help rethink some of the design spaces there, taking a look at how the traditional hard sea wall edge could be restored into a naturalized edge that helps to mitigate sea level rise.

adventure to go there for class. It was so well-prepared for

When people think about landscape architecture, they think a

children in the era of technology, and I always appreciated that it

lot about public parks and gardens. But landscape architects

was open to students on the weekends.

are mediators between the community and the city and

Most of all, Clark Dorm is still my favorite due to the many great memories I have of growing up there. I lived there all three years and took full advantage of the open-door policy with Mrs. Clizbe, which made all the difference for me.

conservationists and the environment. We are in a unique position to combine the values of different groups and embed those values into a design. Landscape architects do work closely with scientists and conservationists, and I really like that about this occupation. What I’m finding out with my degree—it’s a lot more than parks and gardens.

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• Alejandra’s brilliant design work in ASIA ASAKO, Madrid, Spain

HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS Alejandra: At Syracuse, I did my thesis on the red-light district in Amsterdam and the Baroque churches in Rome, comparing the institutions and architectural implications. I had a little awakening in my feminism. Adding architecture and design to that awakening is super interesting. Anything that has to do with psychology and architecture is super interesting. If I had carte blanche, I might teach others someday on the topics of gender, psychology, and architecture.

Chloe: Beginning in high school, my career goal was to improve the wellbeing and livability of cities through sustainability initiatives.

Landscape architecture is so multi-faceted, and I want to focus on the environmental side of things like habitat restoration, sea-level rise, and rethinking conventional ways of addressing issues. The way that we’ve built cities, I think we’re realizing, especially after COVID and now with climate change, that we need to reconsider urban design. How can cities be more livable and sustainable through green spaces? Can there be habitat corridors within cities?

How can green spaces benefit the community?

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Better by Design

Since Millbrook’s Founding When Edward and Lucy Pulling purchased the Stephenson farm in 1930 as the site of their new school, the buildings at that time included the farmhouse, barn, stable, tenant house, mill, and log cabin.

The farmhouse became home to the Pullings, and it also served as the dining hall, movie theater, lecture/concert hall, and chapel. The first building designed and constructed was South Dormitory (now Harris Hall); it was completed in September of 1931 and included the study hall, library, and Callard’s faculty apartment on the 1st floor, dorm cubicles and a faculty apartment on the 2nd floor, and the infirmary on the 3rd floor.

Edward Shepard Hewitt, Mrs. Lucy Pulling’s uncle, was the architect who designed South Dormitory and the seven other important academic, dormitory, and gathering spaces built between 1934 and 1948. Mr. Hewitt was chairman of the educational committee of the Beaux Arts Institute of Design in New York and an associate member of the National Academy of Design. He had a general practice but designed many school buildings and residences including the Jones Woods Homes and Community Garden in New York City, the Port Chester (NY) and Southampton (LI) High Schools, and the Lake George High School in Lloyd Harbor (NY). After his retirement, he continued to work as a painter and etcher, exhibiting at the National Academy of Design, the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, and abroad.

The buildings Mr. Hewitt designed for Millbrook have withstood the test of time and remain the inspiration for all future building design on campus.

Millbrook continues to be, inevitably, Better

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by Design.

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Buildings by Edward Shepard Hewitt 1. South Dormitory, completed in 1931, rededicated as Harris Hall in 1997 in honor of Henry Flagler Harris, Millbrook trustee from 1968-2006 2. Dining Hall, completed in 1934, renamed Prum Hall in the 1970s in honor of Xavier Prum, math and science teacher from 1941-1953 3. Callard House, completed in 1935, named in honor of Henry Callard, history teacher/assistant headmaster from 1931-1943 4. West Dormitory, completed in 1939, renamed Clark Hall

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in honor of Rene and Peg Clark, language teachers from 1942-1973 5. Guest House, completed in 1940, originally built as a place for parents to stay when they made a long trek to campus 6. Schoolhouse, completed in 1941, built on the original site of the farm’s tenant house, which was renamed Tuttle House and moved to a spot west of the chapel in 1940

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Better by Design Since Millbrook’s Founding

A committee of boys and faculty worked out a rough floor plan and carefully listed the needs of the proposed Schoolhouse before Mr. Hewitt

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began drawing up plans. Founding Headmaster Edward Pulling recalled in 1980 in his book The Early Years of Millbrook School, “…Edward Shepard Hewitt (my wife’s uncle), was exceptionally sensitive to his client’s wishes. ‘You tell me exactly how you want a building to function… my job is to make what is practical also aesthetically successful.’ We presented Mr. Hewitt with many architecturally difficult requests, ‘Never mind,’ was always his response, ‘it’s the architect’s job when he has a problem to make an artisitic feature of it.’ And so he did, time after time.”

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New Dormitory, completed in 1946, dedicated as Case Hall in honor of Dr. Everett Case P ’53, ’62, chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1959-1968

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In the 1950s through the mid 1990s, the school worked with a number of different architects on new athletics and dormitory buildings.

1. Wray Gymnasium, completed in 1955, designed

by Rogers & Butler, named in honor of Charles G. Wray P ’48, ’52, ’53, trustee from 1952-1963 2. Abbott Hall, completed in 1969, designed by MacFayden & Knowles, named in honor of Nathaniel B. Abbott, assistant headmaster and faculty member from 1933-1968 Flagler Memorial Chapel, completed in 1948, a gift of Founding Trustee and Chairman Harry Harkness Flagler (1931-1952) in

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3. New Dorm, completed in 1988, designed by Day & Ertman, renamed Burton Hall in honor of John C. “Sandy” Burton, trustee from 1957-1992 and chair from 1977-1991 4. Mills Athletic Center, completed in 1996, designed

honor of his wife, Anne

by JMA/JBA, named in honor of Bradford Mills ’44,

Lamont Flagler

trustee from 1978-2005

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Voith & Mactavish Architects began their long working relationship with Millbrook School in 2000, as they began to design plans for the school’s first comprehensive arts center. Their most recent designs, Anthony House and a new Pulling House, are currently under construction and expected to be completed later this fall.

Buildings by Voith & Mactavish Architects 1. Holbrook Arts Center, completed in 2002, named in honor of David Holbrook ’56, trustee from 1977-2001, and the Holbrook family 2. Abbott Hall, complete renovation in 2002 3. Frederic C. Hamilton Math & Science Center, completed in 2009, named in honor of Frederic C. Hamilton ’45 2

4. The Barn, student center, college counseling offices, and school store, total renovation completed in 2012 5. West Hall, completed in 2014, dedicated as Koenigsberger Hall in 2018 in honor of the Koenigsberger family, Robert (trustee from 2012-2019), Dilek, Amber ’13, and Ilayda ’16 6. Dining Hall, completed in 2016, dedicated as Casertano Hall in 2020 in honor of Drew and Linda Casertano’s 31 years of service to the school 7. The Barn Annex, Business Office and Counseling Center, completed in 2021

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NEW YORK CITY GATHERINGS 2

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1. Members of the Class of 2017, Corinne Keogh, Grayce Haudenschield, Katie Isler, Louise Lynn, Caroline Reilly, and Macquarie Simon with Bob Anthony ’65 2. Kate Meaney ’17 and Emma Davidov ’18 3. Sarah Stanton ’89 with Andrew Hernandez ’87 and his wife, Diane 4. Bill McNamara ’75 with John Dubaz ’76

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MILLBROOK ALUMNI GATHERINGS

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1. Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Prince Botchway introduces himself to friends and alumni 2. College Counseling colleagues, Shannon Vollmer, director, with Aldin Medunjanin ’12, assistant director 3. Sophia Hartman ’16 with Associate Director of Admission Emily Allen 4. Headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98 with Sam Lawson-Johnston ’13 and Nick Morley ’13 5. Chris Williams ’15, Headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98, and Tondi Mushandu ’14

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MILLBROOK’S 10TH ANNUAL

Women’s Event 2022 Guest Speaker Erin Downs, Associate Director of College Counseling and Millbrook’s First Lady Looking back, Erin Downs shared appreciation for the strong women in her life: those who raised her and those with whom she works at Millbrook today. Erin spoke of how her mother and grandmother modeled a strong work ethic and a sense of independence and how their examples shaped her career and personal life. Erin’s attitude of compassion and giving is inspired by her mom, who “did it all,” including going back to school while teaching and raising two children.

In a year at Millbrook that was focused on service, Mrs. Downs made a point to highlight all of Millbrook’s hardworking women, especially those who are caregivers.

“What has become increasingly obvious to me are the quieter acts of service that exist every day, committed by the women on this campus.”

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1. The group at Millbrook’s 10th Annual Women’s Event at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York City 2. Carey (Thorpe) Pierson ’86, Alicia (Lay) Leuba ’85, Kelly (Macaluso) Coles ’86, Kathleen Dill ’85, and Diana (Dyer) Knoblauch ’86 share a dinner table 3. Eliza Thorne ’95 (facing) with Kristi (Popovich) Brien ’97 and Charlotte Jenks Lewis ’97 4. Alicia (Lay) Leuba ’85, Sabrina (Ackerman) Bluestone ’82, Vanessa (Cutler) McGarry ’87, Maxine Agee with daughter J’nelle Agee ’06, and Bethany (Bowen) Turnure ’98 5. Anna Martucci ’92, Pat Sykes ’92, and Ann Anthony P ’07, ’08, ’12 6. Alison (Blanksteen) Marsal ’06 (right) catches up with Margaret Pennoyer ’06 7. Gina Fuller P ’09, ’10 with J’nelle Agee ’06

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Class Notes Class of 1947 75th Reunion Dr. Oakleigh Thorne II shared wonderful news that the Boulder International Film Festival just showed a feature documentary film on his life. The film, Mighty Oak, was produced by Pam Hoge and Christine Anderson. To learn more, visit www.millbrook.org/alumninews.

Class of 1959 Kurt Lerps reflects on his time at Millbrook and the Class of 1959: “We were quite a class. I ended up in OZ acting, directing, and adjudicating, and I always believed in Stan Hall who said I would

make it!” He recalls being featured as the lead in his last play at Millbrook, Closure, and that the playwright visited from Canada to watch the production. He is also thankful for Stanley Warner, “a teacher who cared!” “Great memories,” says Kurt.

“Love to those of us who are left!”

Class of 1960 Jim Currie Jr. shares that “N4O5BC is the tail number of my new light sport airplane.”

He completed a ferry flight on December 4, about 20 hours in the air, a low and slow trip of 1,600 nautical miles, and he has put an additional 20 hours on since. “This is a gentle plane, so I am considering something a little more adventurous, like a Pitts S2A.”

Class of 1961 Hank Frothingham’s wife, Janet Frothingham, shares that “Hank recalls his time at Millbrook fondly. Remarkable considering how many memories are fading due to Alzheimer’s disease. We spend most of the year at our home in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and briefly return to New Hampshire during summers.”

David Platt shares that all is well in Scarborough, Maine, where he is just shy of his 80th birthday. He and his wife, Janice, live in a shingled house next to the Spurwink River, where they watch ducks, gulls, ospreys, and the occasional eagle chase each other (and the fish) around the marsh out front and in Casco Bay in the distance. After the ice goes out in spring, he will be out

Class of 1948 Gordon Lamb is living happily with his wife, Anita, in Harbour Ridge, a golfing community on the Saint Lucie River near Stuart, Florida. They have been married for 63 years. His golfing is temporarily postponed while he recovers from a hip replacement. He reports that he gave up flying with an airshow team 10 years ago, quit tennis last fall, and is hesitant about trying pickleball.

Class of 1952

70th Reunion

Gordon and Anita with their daughter, Faith.

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Ambassador Ted Briggs and his wife, Sally, continue to enjoy the Lowcountry–Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Their life in the Foreign Service is recorded in his books Ambassador’s Apprentice and Honor to State, both published in 2018. “Now in our dotage, we view the world scene with varying degrees of dismay, but we’re thankful it’s up to later generations (of well-prepared Millbrook graduates) to sort out the challenges facing our country,” he says.

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Class Notes Class of 1959

rowing his boat so he can stay “reasonably fit.” David was an avid choral singer, but the pandemic brought this hobby to a halt over the last two years. After a career as a journalist (TV and newspapers) in Maine, he retired but still pens a bit of freelance writing. His pride and joy are his two boys and three grandchildren, who all live in New England. He says, “Summing it up: there IS life after Millbrook!”

Jim Cochran recalls being at the 2019 Millbrook Alumni Reunion and asking Dr. Thomas Lovejoy ’59, “How do you talk to a person who doesn’t believe in climate change?”

Tom replied with a smile, “Very tangentially.” Jim continues to be in touch with classmates, including Bert Leigh ’58, who he reached out to recently after not being in touch since 1961!

Eric Dodge shares a class note in memory of his father, Eric Dodge ’37: “Giving my father, his mother, and her father long-overdue credit for our Millbrook experiences. He was sent in the first year as a IVth former at the urging of the headmaster of Stone School, Dr. Carlos Stone. Stone School later became Storm King. Dr. Stone was my great-grandfather.”

Class of 1964 Austin Wand has been fortunate to have had the time and means to volunteer as a class agent. “That role has facilitated my reconnecting with classmates and has afforded me wonderful insights. I have told this story before, but it is worth retelling,” he said. He and his wife, Janet, enjoy living in Las Vegas. Any friends of Millbrook who are in the area are welcome to visit with them. Last fall, they took a drive to New Mexico; it was an adventure, in some places with no GPS availability. They visited with John Rice ’64 and his wife in Albuquerque.

Class of 1964 Rob Poole, Peter Blenk, and Steve Wikstrom met for an enjoyable dinner in September at the Wikstrom’s lakeside house near Aurora, New York.

Class of 1966

Class of 1965 George Currie sold his fourth-generation heavy machine tool manufacturing company in 2019; it was founded in 1895. He retired on June 30, 2021, after forty-seven years.

He and his wife celebrated the birth of their first grandchild in January and are developing retirement plans for the foreseeable future.

Dr. Ted Leighton is a professor emeritus at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), and in December 2021 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors. Dr. Leighton was recognized for his lifetime contributions to veterinary medicine as a pathologist and as an internationally renowned scholar specializing in wildlife disease. After earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from WCVM in 1979, Leighton earned his PhD in experimental pathology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. As a faculty member in WCVM’s Department of Veterinary Pathology, he contributed to research in areas of diagnostic pathology and wildlife disease. In 2021 Dr. Leighton was among 135 others at USask included on a Stanford University list naming the world’s most cited and top researchers within their disciplines.

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Class Notes Class of 1966 Dr. David Fentress is celebrating 36 years at Whitney Academy in Massachusetts. He is a Harvard-educated, Boston Children’s Hospital and Lindemann Mental Health Center-trained clinical psychologist. He is a founding member of Psychiatric and Psychological Associates and recently retired as consulting psychologist at Whitney Academy, a Joint Commission accredited residential treatment center serving developmentally disabled adolescent trauma survivors. He taught psychopathology and developmental psychology at UMass Dartmouth and presented regularly at national conferences on the neurobiological impact and treatment of trauma. Dr. Fentress has 40 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families for a range of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, and behavior problems.

Ed Woods is contracted as a military and family life counselor in South Korea at Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S military post outside of the United States with a population close to 40,000. He works with their school system that has 3,000 students in grades K-12.

He feels very privileged to be a resource for them. Ed shares, “My years at Millbrook (1961-1966) under Ed Pulling instilled a strong sense of being a responsible member of the community and the importance of service to others.”

Class of 1969 Rob Bierregaard was recently elected to be president of the Raptor Research Foundation after being asked to run by the nominating committee. Rob shares, “It’s an honor, and it’s all Frank Trevor’s fault! Without Millbrook and Frank, who knows where I’d be now, but I know it wouldn’t be here writing this note. Trevor and Tom Lovejoy ’59, who sadly passed away on Christmas Day, are the two pivotal people in my career trajectory.” Rob survived the damn-demic unscathed and hopes all Millbrook friends are staying healthy and at least a little bit sane.

Class of 1968 Terry Bennett celebrated the birth of his fourth grandchild, who was born in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, in December 2021.

Charles Alexander Vincent Bennett will be ready for Millbrook in the years ahead.

Terry says, “I am still filling in as a semiretired priest of The Anglican Church of Canada, (Episcopalian in the U.S.). No plans yet for full retirement if I can be of service to others in need.”

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Class of 1971 Captain James M. Cannon IV, USN 1971 enjoyed several mini-reunions last year in anticipation of this year’s 50th Reunion for the Class of 1971 with Chris Perry ’71 and John Ehrenclou ’71, Wayne Bailey ’71, Henry Rust ’71, Geoff Chester ’71, and Carey Crane ’71. He is looking forward to reuniting with all of his classmates in June during Alumni Weekend. Jim and his wife, Lucy, celebrated Thanksgiving 2021 at their 90-acre farm in Bumpass, Virginia, with Parke Martin ’70 and his wife, Anne Peterson Martin.

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Class Notes Class of 1973 Allen Low retired after 42 years with Delta Airlines as a Boeing 777 and 747 captain. He will continue to fly and teach in small planes.

Carey Birmingham recently completed editing and annotating his father’s memoir after a 5-year effort; it is due for publication by Lyons Press in May 2022.

Carey’s father was best-selling author Stephen Birmingham. Stephen died in 2015, and in obtaining the copyrights to his father’s works, Carey uncovered the memoir, which he edited and renamed A Writer Writes. This non-fiction account of Stephen Birmingham’s life and career includes Carey’s often-humorous anecdotes and additions that add color to the book.

A Writer Writes also includes numerous anecdotes from Stephen about his interactions with notable celebrities and influential people.

Class of 1974 Marion Percy says she does not mind getting older, and the day she penned this note her workout practitioner took her blood pressure and exclaimed, “It’s as perfect as a high school track star!” Marion’s teammate, Leslie Fay ’74, received a varsity letter in track in the spring of 1972. Fellow classmate Cori Josias had already earned her varsity letter in skiing. “Mrs. Kashatus was our great supporter,” says Marion, “insisting we’d earned our letters at a time when girls’ sports were not yet organized.” She says, “That’s a polite way to say we weren’t taken seriously. Oh, how times have changed.”

Now, she is a semi-retired grandmother.

For many years she created needlepoint designs. Then, she decided to up her game and started taking art classes. Today, she also works with acrylics and watercolor pencils. Some of her classmates heard her speak about Varian Fry, America’s unsung hero, at their 40th reunion. Marion concluded her Varian Fry research when she began caring for her dad. She is in touch with classmate Kris Kosciusko Freeman ’74, a rescue volunteer in the Idaho mountains. “I hope this finds you all well,” says Marion, “especially in this pandemic era.”

Class of 1975 Tim Hollaman and his wife, Lynn, moved from Colorado to South Carolina during the pandemic. He no longer practices veterinary medicine and now works for Sunbeam Energy as a solar advisor. “We sell to about half of the U.S. Call me at 843-949-8309 for a quote!”

Class of 1976 Dr. John Dubaz wrote to Robert Anthony ’65 when his mother passed away recently at the age of 95. It was after an experience at Broad Jump, and with Jack Bower’s persuasion, that his mother gave her blessings for John to attend Millbrook. Growing up as an only child, John thanks the Lord that his mom had the courage to send him to boarding school. “Needless to say, my experience at Millbrook changed my life, and I am proud that my son, Marcello ’07, decided of his own volition to follow in my footsteps.”

Class of 1980 Gerry Mullany recently spent a few months working at new Asia headquarters of The New York Times in Seoul, Korea; the company relocated operations to Korea after China’s crackdown on Hong Kong. After 30 years at The New York Times, five of them in Asia, Gerry joined his wife, Georgia, in retirement this January but continues to help the paper on a part-time basis, most recently editing Ukraine coverage from his Brooklyn home.

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Class Notes Class of 1982 40th Reunion Jeff Ryan recently moved from Orlando, Florida, to Winston Salem, North Carolina.

After over 35 years working for IMG Academy and, more recently, the United States Tennis Association, it was time for him to settle and get away from global travel.

In all, he organized some 150 tennis events and five Olympic tennis events for Team USA. Today, he organizes a small men’s professional tennis event that operates for the benefit of the community.

Class of 1986 Lars Haaland says he is “living with gratitude in Minnesota. Life is good!”

Class of 1983 George Petty, his wife, Diane, and their children are enjoying life in their new home in Givrins, Switzerland.

Andrew Elder is happy to share that he has become a full-time photographer and videographer, seven years after picking up his first camera, rather than continuing to use his iPhone 3, to take pictures of his baby.

As of January 2022, he leads photo and video production for an AI software company in upstate New York. He also maintains a “side hustle” called Best Frame Forward, working with small companies, families and couples, and artists and musicians throughout the Capital Region. “Thanks much to fellow Millbrookians like Voki Kalfayan ’93 and past faculty like Bill Hardy for the early photographic inspiration... even if it took some time to bear fruit,” he says. Check out www.bestframeforward.com to see some of his work.

Class of 1986 Amanda (Light) Silver wrote a book, The Joy of Gluten-Free, which shares her family’s experience living gluten-free along with some carefully developed recipes. Besides some basic techniques for cooking whole foods, there are 75 glutenand dairy-free recipes. Recipes include recreated family favorites, a few inspired by some authentic ethnic dishes, and some delicious snacks and desserts.

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Class of 1993

Class of 1987 Fortunately for Cynthia Flanigan, living in Simsbury, Connecticut, means she is close enough to see her nephews, Carl and Max Posse (Millbrook classes of ‘24 and ‘25, respectively), at both home and away games. She’s so excited to have such a great reason to visit Millbrook!

Class of 1996 Bridget Lawrence-Meigs began working as the first full-time farm manager at the Fairfield Farm at Hotchkiss School in

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Class Notes Class of 1998

May 2021. Prior to this, she was the director of the farm at Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts, for 10 years. There, she also taught classes on social justice, sustainability, and climate change, and managed daily farm operations. She sees farming as an opportunity to connect people to where their food is grown and to inspire people to work together.

Crick McKenzie appeared on PBS’s Antique Roadshow when they filmed in Middletown, Connecticut, at the Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate. The mansion played host to the first three episodes of the season as people from around the area brought their treasures to be examined by professional appraisers.

Class of 1997

Class of 1999

25th Reunion Joerg Fiebiger shares “Best wishes from Vienna to the most wonderful place. I am very much looking forward to returning to Millbrook soon. Thank you, Drew, for making Millbrook the best educational and family experience! ” Charlotte (Jenks) Lewis continues to build her stellar photography business.

In February she was named one of the top 15 wedding photographers in the U.S. by The Wed, an international wedding directory and magazine.

Tad O’Had spent seven seasons with the Florida Everblades before being hired as the Kansas City Mavericks head coach and director of hockey operations in April 2020. “Coach O” was dedicated to hockey growing up and playing in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington State, where he found himself drawn to the defensive side of the sport. He was a student-athlete at Millbrook for three years and went on to play junior hockey with the Capital Centre Pride in the North American Hockey League and then the Port Huron Clippers within the Ontario Provincial Hockey League. While pursuing

higher education, Tad attended Connecticut College and was named captain of the men’s hockey team three out of his four years. He also became one of the founders of BlueStreak Sports Training, one of the most prestigious sports training facilities in the U.S. Michi Shimura says “Hi, from Tokyo, Japan!” She is always amazed by the new developments at Millbrook and looks forward to visiting Millbrook soon.

Karl Tschanz continues to work for a benefits management company, Kelly Benefits, in Sparks, Maryland, and was recently promoted. He is a data analyst and project manager overseeing process improvement and change management initiatives. Karl lives with his wife and two daughters in Carroll County, Maryland.

Class of 2000 Garrett Meigs feels very fortunate to find solace in the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest, despite the chaos of the past year.

Most recently, Garrett and his family have

Class of 1997

Class of 1999

Dr. Lilin Chen has deeply enjoyed her work as a veterinarian. “I’ve only ever had this one profession I would consider and always knew I would do this job. There is so much compassion and resilience in our profession. There are days that cause heartbreaks, there are days that make the adrenaline rush through the blood, there are days where I get emotionally and physically drained. But then, more are the days I find great joy in feeling the purpose, value, and love in the things I do and making a difference in pets’ and people’s lives. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!”

Gordon Pennoyer shares that after nearly 10 years leading the communications and investor relations programs at Chesapeake Energy Corporation, he has co-founded DrivePath Advisors, a boutique financial communications firm specializing in helping companies navigate their most consequential events, challenges, and opportunities. While Gordon is traveling around the world supporting clients, he and his wife, Andrea, and twins, Alexandra and Brooks (age 5), continue to call Oklahoma City home.

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Class Notes enjoyed exploring the forests, mountains, and waterways around Olympia, where they moved in 2020 for career opportunities to study and restore forest ecosystems.

poor background and was unchallenged in my public school. I just happened to have the incredible luck of having Tom Stasz (father of Jeff Stasz ’02) as a hockey coach. He saw the potential in me, and one day he told

Class of 2002 20th Reunion Priscilla Bonnell shares, “Having the opportunity to attend Millbrook changed my life in no uncertain terms. I came from a

me that I was going to prep school. When I asked what prep school was, he said, ‘Just get in the van. You’ll figure it out.’ That was the most pivotal moment in my life. I like to say that I chose Millbrook, but Millbrook really chose me. I have been incredibly

grateful that they did ever since. My life has always been varied and colorful, but, especially since my experience at Millbrook, it has been even more grounded in solid morale, values, work, and social ethics.

I can’t say enough about how Millbrook has educated and informed my path. I can’t wait to come back to do another Chapel Talk someday!”

Nick Hoagland has always been proud to support the work of the Trevor Zoo. He recently spent time in the United Kingdom, supporting his wife’s campaign for UK Parliament. He looks forward to reconnecting and further supporting the valiant efforts of the zoo, however he can, and he and his wife hope to visit the Millbrook campus soon.

Class of 2005 Henry Cadwalader and his wife, Ashley, visited Millbrook and stopped on campus to say hello in August 2021. Henry and Ashley are living in Jackson, Wyoming, and expecting their second child.

Class of 2001 Jeremy Kross, his wife, Madeline, and their four children—Chloe (8), George (6), Charlotte (1), and Caroline (born May 3, 2021)—are doing very well. They are currently residing in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Class of 2003 Wayne Charles II is on a mission to help change young lives in some of New York’s most vulnerable communities. As a founding board member of Active Plus, a not-for-profit empowering youth and families, he partners with local schools to provide education on health, fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, and leadership skills. Wayne believes in paying it forward, using his knowledge and resources to inspire the next generation. Wayne credits his passion for service and volunteering to time spent as the chair of Millbrook’s Community Service Council. The seeds of Non Sibi Sed Cunctis that were planted so many years ago have blossomed. He is now helping make tangible change for local families and communities, digging in with children to facilitate the change he wants to see.

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Steve Giannone married Brittany Haines in September 2021, and he is currently working at Teed & Co. Luxury Real Estate at Compass in San Francisco.

Jaeger Kovich is a golf course architect and founder of Proper Golf, a golf course design and renovation company. Jaeger designed a golf course for Millbrook’s campus when he was a student, and while in college at Hobart, he wrote his thesis on A.W. Tillinghast’s design theory. He has since built his career by studying hundreds of golf courses around the world, and now he brings his take on fun and artistic golf courses to interesting projects in the U.S. and abroad.

Kayla (Moore) Thomas is working as an event coordinator with the Southern Tier AIDS program in Ithaca, New York.

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Class Notes Class of 2005 Katie (Coby) Hughes and her husband, Rob, recently moved to New Canaan, Connecticut.

They have two little boys—Frederick (2) and Theodore (8 months).

Maggie, their golden retriever puppy, loves being a big sister! Katie works in New York City at Morgan Stanley, heading their investment banking and capital markets division for lateral recruiting for North America.

Class of 2005 Andrew Williamson was promoted to the rank of major and accomplished conversion training from the F/A-18 Hornet to the F-35C Lightning II in 2019; he was subsequently selected to attend TOPGUN class 0221. Following successful completion of the course, Andrew is now deploying with Carrier Air Wing 9 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln while assigned to the VMFA-314 Black Knights at Marine Corp Air Station Miramar in California.

Class of 2006 Captain Peter Smith, his wife, Katy, and their daughter, Emily, live in Dallas, Texas. Peter recently started a new job as a principal on the corporate strategy team at The Boeing Company.

Class of 2007 15th Reunion AJ Links lives in Chicago, Illinois, with her husband, PJ, and is a casting director working on film and television. She was nominated for two Artios Awards for casting HBO’s Lovecraft Country and the fourth installment of FX’s limited series Fargo and won the Artios for the former. Just before the pandemic began in the U.S., she cast HBO’s Station Eleven for director Hiro Murai and writer Patrick Sommerville (also known for his work on The Leftovers). She is currently the casting director for a Marvel/Disney+ series, HBO’s South Side, Adult Swim’s Joe Pera Talks With You, AMC’s 61st Street, Shining Girls on AppleTV+, and The Bear on FX. Nick Weaver, his wife, Beth, and their baby, Catherine, are all doing well. Nick currently works with Addepar Wealth Management.

Class of 2009 Brooks Crossman ’09 and his wife, Alex, are living happily in Savannah, Georgia.

Class of 2010 Mariah Lavitt graduated from Cornell’s Johnson School of Management with her MBA, and her brother, Tate Lavitt, graduated with his MPhil in Biology and MBA from the University of Cambridge. Mariah is joining the Johnson & Johnson Medical Device Leadership program in the summer of 2022, and Tate recently began working at Corning Life Sciences in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Class Notes Class of 2011 Gardner Menges moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, from Washington D.C. in July 2019 after accepting a job as vice president for client development at The Bullen Insurance Group. Just two short months later, he married his wife, Taylor Fitzpatrick Menges, near her childhood home in Chatham, Massachusetts. This January, Gardner accepted a new job as

Sales Director for FXAIR, the private travel industry’s premium on-demand charter provider providing customers with a most comprehensive collection of aircraft access and solutions. This June, Gardner will finally head home to New York. He and Taylor feel it is time to be closer to family and friends and will relocate to New York City after 10 years of living in cities up and down the East Coast.

Class of 2012 10th Reunion Sarah Anthony moved to New York City in January and joined the American Express Global Client Group Travel Team as a senior manager. She is responsible for managing global merchant relationships with several large US-based lodging merchants, including Hyatt, Leading Hotels of the World, Preferred Hotel Group and Airbnb.

She partners closely with global teams and key stakeholders and develops strategies to drive growth and engagement with these merchants. From 2016 through 2021, Sarah worked for Williams Sonoma in San Francisco, California, where she managed cookware partnerships as an associate buyer.

Class of 2013 Marilyn Dedrick and Brad Buvinow bought a home in Providence, Rhode Island, in the summer of 2020 and reside there with their chocolate Australian labradoodle puppy, Benson. Marilyn is in her third year teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at a high school in Warwick and loving it, and Brad works for Zimmer Biomet as a medical device trauma sales representative. He attends surgeries in all major hospitals in Rhode Island to support surgeons. Together they love spending time with friends and family and working on their house. Reverend Cam Hardy will be marrying Marilyn and Brad in June 2022.

Marilyn shares, “It is a great way to honor how we met, and we could not be more excited that she has agreed to marry us!”

Class of 2012 Holden Jaffe is the artist behind the alternative/indie music of Del Water Gap. He performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers in January 2022 before heading out on a tour across the United States and internationally. Del Water Gap has been soaring in popularity, releasing a self-titled 12-song studio album in October of 2021. Holden’s roots in music began with his grandfather, who was a composer and executive at Columbia records, continued as he drummed for a middle school band, and then built during his four years at Millbrook. He played his guitar and wrote songs in lieu of joining an athletic team, and today his songs are hitting a chord with tens of thousands.

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Class of 2014 Sheldon Freeman launched his family’s clothing brand, T-Shirts Period, in the fall of 2021. As creative director, Sheldon designs graphics for new shirts, creates content for social media, and manages customer

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Class Notes engagement. Sheldon uses his brand as an avenue for his creativity, and he has also forged creative partnerships with ESPN and other firms as an independent contractor.

Recently, he wrote and voiced a 60-second tease for NBA Countdown on ABC. Sheldon gained extensive experience in content creation during his three years with ESPN as a content associate and associate producer.

He was also part of ESPN’s 2021 Sports Emmy® award-winning SportsCenter team.

Going forward, Sheldon seeks to grow his clothing brand, expand his creative reach, and continue to uplift those around him in the process.

Laura Mezzanotte attended New York University (NYU) after Millbrook and studied history with a focus on 20th century genocides. She studied abroad in London and Berlin before presenting her senior

colloquium, The Ethical Philosophy of Historical Atrocities; or Who Do You Blame For Everyone’s Death. Following her years of experience at the Trevor Zoo, Laura continued passion projects for animals during college and interned at a zoological breeding conservation center in Connecticut.

Upon graduation from NYU, she worked in the Animal Rehabilitation Center of the ASPCA hospital in New York, where she administered medical care, assisted in behavioral and medical rehabilitation of animal victims of cruelty, and aided in evidence collection for prosecution of their abusers. She also worked at a farm animal sanctuary in upstate New York and at the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) sanctuary, Black Beauty Ranch, in Texas, the largest animal sanctuary in the U.S. Her time at the ASPCA and the HSUS

Class of 2014 Sixteen years ago, Tondi Mushandu was a student in Zimbabwe with no idea what the future would hold. Today he is a member of the Johnson Cornell Tech MBA Class of 2022. Tondi shares, “It is unimaginable that my grandfather did not even go to high school because he was not afforded the opportunity. I thank the man above for continuous blessings and love. Without my family and friends, I would not have made it this far. This is a great accomplishment for me personally, since I will be the first, but not the last, person in my family to attend an Ivy League school!”

inspired Laura to apply to law school to further animal welfare on a large scale. She is currently attending law school at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and focusing on animal law as the secretary to the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund.

She also works on the Animal Welfare Pro Bono Project there to further local animal welfare legislation in partnership with the D.C. town council.

Casey Murray completed her master’s degree in Public Policy with a concentration in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at The George Washington University (GW) in the spring of 2021. Her thesis examined the state’s participation in parenting, using the National Institutes of Health’s “Safe to Sleep” guidelines as an example of the U.S. government’s tendency toward paternalism

Class of 2016 Danny Horne began working with Major League Soccer (MLS) team the San Jose Earthquakes this February, the very organization that drafted Ousseni Bouda ’19 in January. Danny is currently doing front office and sales work for the Earthquakes. He graduated from Michigan State in 2020, earned his master’s degree from the Football Business Academy, then worked briefly for FC Barcelona in 2021.

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Class Notes Alumni Profile

SKYE CASIANO ’17 Skye Casiano ’17 returned to Millbrook this fall as a faculty member to cover maternity leaves in the world language and history departments and has enjoyed seeing another side of life on campus.

As a student, Skye was studious and very involved in theater, undertaking an inventory and organization

without providing meaningful support. She currently works at Shape Advocacy, a public affairs and strategic communications firm focusing primarily on policy issues in the tech and entertainment industries. Casey married Dylan Cronin ’12 in April 2021, and they are living in Washington D.C. Dylan completed his master’s degree in environmental policy at GW in 2020 and is currently the sales director at Advanced Energy Economy, a clean energy trade association.

project of the costume department as her CES. This year, she has taught Spanish I & II and Immigration and Migration, worked on the spring musical, lent a hand with activities and served as a dorm parent

Class of 2017 5th Reunion Laura Toland graduated summa cum laude in May 2021 from the College of William & Mary, and she started at Georgetown University Law Center a few months later.

in Guest House—one of her favorite things about being back.

A graduate of Marist College, where she double-majored in psychology and criminal justice while concurrently earning paralegal certification, Skye has recognized meaningful change and progress back at Millbrook. “As a student of color, I knew the importance of having faculty of color while I was here,” said Skye. “I wanted to come back to give students of color a mirror.” She also expressed enthusiasm for the advent of Millbrook’s affinity groups and hope for more diversity on campus.

Skye now also has major insight into what it is to be a member of the Millbrook faculty. She recalled several transformative experiences as a student, particularly her time in Anthropology class with Trip Powers. “He made us question everything, and it really re-wired my brain before college.” Now, Skye understands how much thought and planning is needed to sustain Millbrook’s programming, from traditional classroom assignments to making Winter Weekend happen. “I just didn’t realize how much went into it all,” she said.

As a middle school student in the Bronx, Skye was recruited by now-headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98. Upon completing her undergraduate degree at Marist, she was encouraged to come back by her faculty advisor Anna Birnbaum, who now serves as director of financial aid and senior associate director of admission. According to Skye, much of Millbrook’s appeal is unchanged: the zoo, the sense of community, and the chance to grow into new roles and responsibilities. After acclimating to the unfamiliar environment of an upstate boarding school, Skye thrived as a peer counselor in her Vth and VIth form years. Back again, she’s an invaluable utility player on campus and one of the special people who make Millbrook, Millbrook.

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Class of 2018 Emily Le studied abroad at Arcadia University in London in the first semester of her freshman year at Hamilton College.

She is now a junior double-majoring in psychology and studio arts.

Corey Rundquist was recently featured

by Hamilton College for his research on microbes in Green Lake in Fayetteville, New York; this research has direct ties to his time as a student at Millbrook.

Through a summer internship in 2017 with MillbrookEngage, Corey worked closely with scientists at the Cary Institute in Millbrook and then continued his research his senior year in the Independent Science Research class, led by Millbrook’s Science Department Chair Ava Goodale ’01. His research then was focused on the toxic effects of blue-green algae in the Hudson River. Rundquist was the Millbrook Science Prize winner at his 2018 graduation.

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Class Notes

Class of 2018

Class of 2021 Izzy Finemore continues to excel by leaps and bounds in eventing competitions. She placed 4th out of 48 competitors in a 2-star CCI-S at the Great Meadow International event in Virginia. She headed to England for college and to train with Australian Olympic Medalist Andrew Hoy. This photo of Izzy and Andrew was taken in Arezzo, Italy, near Florence as she competed in April in the Toscana Tour.

Photo credit: Duke Athletics

Photo credit: GoStanford.com

Cherry Zhang is in her senior year at Hamilton College, double majoring in cultural anthropology and economics. Recently, one of her college research papers was published in a prestigious anthropology journal, Sapiens (www.millbrook.org/alumninews for link). This spring, Cherry was also awarded Hamilton’s Clark Prize for public speaking. Without a background in public speaking, Cherry took on the challenge of competing amongst her peers. In her prize-winning, eight-minute, off-script speech, she shared one of the most important lessons she learned during the pandemic: our work should not define our worth. Cherry will return to Hamilton for a final semester in the fall and will serve as a senior admissions fellow for the college.

Class of 2019 Ousseni Bouda was the 8th pick in the Major League Soccer (MLS) draft on January 11 with Millbrook friends, classmates, and mentors by his side to cheer him on. Leaving Stanford before completing his junior year, Ousseni is a Generation Adidas player and, as such, is guaranteed a scholarship to continue his college education in the future. He is currently playing professional soccer for the San Jose Earthquakes. From Burkina Faso and the Right to Dream Academy to Millbrook, Stanford University, and now the MLS, he has put in the work to get the results. There is no doubt, however, that Ousseni is so much more than a standout soccer player. An article by David Kiefer with Stanford Athletics quoted Bouda: “I can impact my community.

I can impact the whole country. I can impact the whole continent. I can impact the whole world.” (See www.millbrook.org/alumninews for full article.)

Class of 2021 Abdul Shakur Mohammed had a stellar year as a student-athlete at Duke University. In November of 2021, he was named ACC Freshman of the Year.

College Soccer News also honored Shak by naming him to their All-Freshman first team, while TopDrawerSoccer.com named him as a first team Best XI freshman. Shak scored 13 points, including three goals and seven assists, to finish second for the Blue Devils in points. Even more impressive, Shak was named to the All-ACC Academic Team at the end of January.

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Class Notes Class of 2021

Multiple Classes

Jack Linnartz is enjoying Bucknell University, playing club lacrosse, and majoring in economics and finance.

Nico Rexine has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Western Michigan University in the NCHC league after a standout season of junior hockey for the Minnesota Wilderness of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). As of April 1, 2022, Nico had 59 points (17 goals, 42 assists) in 50 games.

Hannah Stewart was published this spring in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, the Journal of Wildlife Research! Hannah’s project evolved from work done with Science Department Chair Ava Goodale ’01 in Peru and further developed in her Independent Science Research course taken in the 20202021 school year. That work continued during an internship and then resulted in a conference presentation before her publication of Patterns of visitation of the Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) at Amazonian mineral licks.

Her former teacher, Ava, shares, “I’ve enjoyed continuing to work with her this year to help bring her project to its full potential, almost exactly a year after her science symposium presentation at Millbrook.” (See www.millbrook.org/ alumninews for a link to the full paper.)

Jeannie Wallner is a freshman at Long Island University and earned multiple accolades during her first season including NEWHA Player of the Week and NEWHA Rookie of the Week. She ended her season at LIU, co-champion of their league, with 30 total points (12 goals and 18 assists), second highest on the team. With a .570 face-off winning percentage, 200 faceoffs won for the season, and most blocks (38) for her team, she earned a spot on NEWHA’s All-Rookie Team. In April, Jeannie was also named to U.S. College Hockey Online’s All-Rookie Team.

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Headmaster Jonathan Downs ’98 with Edward and Lucy Pulling’s children: Tom Pulling, Lucy P. Cutting, Joan P. Shepard, and Patsy P. Sands. All enjoyed lunch at the Pullings’ home, Redcote, in Oyster Bay in October 2021. Photo by Bob Anthony ’65.

Robert Anthony ’65 and Jonathan Downs ’98 met with Woody Johnson ’65 in March at his offices in Palm Beach, Florida. It was the perfect time to catch up since Woody’s return from London where he served as Ambassador to the Court of St. James from 2017-2021.

Millbrook Class of 2017 friends and Denison grads—Henry Rosenberg, Whittier Ambrose, and Sam Asman—celebrate at the university’s Commencement Exercises on May 26, 2021. This was a true milestone after sharing eight years of education between high school and college!

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Class Notes Engagements

Past Faculty

Grier Filley ’06 is engaged to Drew Levinson, and they will be married this summer.

Dr. Josephine Iacuzzo Diemond was appointed head of school of The Winston School of Short Hills, New Jersey, in April 2021. Dr. Diemond is a missiondriven educator with over two decades of leadership experience in schools. Dr. Diemond holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Princeton University, a master’s degree in French Literature from New York University, and a doctorate in educational and organizational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

Will Gray ’07 is engaged to Tricia Telles, and they will be married on June 25, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky.

Dillon Lawson-Johnston ’10 is engaged to Chloe Schmitz, and they will be married on July 2, 2022.

Georgia Parent ’11 is engaged to Nate Danforth, and they will be married on June 18, 2022.

Weddings Suzanne Newman ’81 was married on July 31, 2021, in Craftsbury, Vermont, to her partner of two decades, Rand Hartsell. It was a small, COVID-mindful wedding with 27 fully vaccinated family members. She was “given away” by her brother, Joshua Newman ’82. “A great excuse to see family all together and outdoors,” she said.

David Kaufmann and his partner, Willow Jones, say hello from Alaska where David is selling pottery online (www.dkaufmann. com). His two children are now ages 6 (Keel) and 3 (Elsa).

Elizabeth “Liz” Morrison, former Millbrook director of college counseling, dean of students, and assistant head of school, was appointed head of school at Morristown-Beard School, effective June 1, 2021. Liz is the first woman to serve as head of school since the Morristown School and the Beard School merged in 1971. She joins the ranks of only a handful of other women in the state serving in the position.

She came to Morristown-Beard School from Antilles School, an independent, coeducational college preparatory school in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where she served as head of school since 2016.

She brings more than three decades of experience in independent school education.

Engagements

Sarah Hoffman ’91 married Tom Thorsheim on June 12, 2021.

Steve Giannone ’05 married Brittany Haines at Sankaty Head Golf Club, perched on the edge of Nantucket Island in Siasconset, Massachusetts, on September 5, 2021.

Births Jacob Schur ’96 and his wife, Kerrie, welcomed their second daughter, Josephine (sister to Addie), on June 14, 2021.

Jaeger Kovich ’05 and his wife, Suzanne Woodrow, welcomed their son, Beau Woodrow Kovich, on July 27, 2021.

Jonathan Silver ’06 and his wife, Faye, welcomed Zoey Morgan Silver in April 2021.

Nick Weaver ’07 and his wife, Beth, welcomed baby Catherine Lillis Weaver to their family on December 3, 2021.

Margaret Pennoyer ’06 is engaged to Catie Walczak, and they will be married on December 17, 2022, in New York City.

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Class Notes Engagements

Emily Metz ’07 is engaged to Michael Warner.

Elizabeth Sednaoui ’09 was engaged to Gus Thompson on October 8, 2021, and they will be married in September 2022.

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Dr. Abigail Magovern ’08 is engaged to marry Dr. Mark McElroy. They have planned their wedding for August 2022, in Sewickley, Pennsylvania.

They look forward to celebrating with family and friends.

Marilyn Dedrick ’13 and Bradley Buvinow ’13 are engaged, and they will be married in June 2022.

Elizabeth Lowe ’13 was engaged to Joe Fecsko on January 6, 2022. They will be getting married on June 3, 2023, at Basin Harbor in Vergennes, Vermont.

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Class Notes Weddings

Lindsey Ronis ’06 married Peter Mawhinney in Newnan, Georgia, on May 8, 2021.

Alex Pinsky ’06 married Shannon O’Rourke on September 4, 2021.

AJ Links ’07 married PJ Fishwick in Sonoma, California, on October 31, 2020. Due to a sudden and serious diagnosis in AJ’s family, she and PJ, planned a last-minute but beautiful and intimate wedding ceremony with their immediate families. They still hope to celebrate in Chicago in the future.

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Class Notes Weddings

Ethan Vallarino ’07 married Jamie Barnes on September 25, 2021, at the Hitchcock Estate in Millbrook, New York. A host of Millbrook friends joined in the celebration, including Forrest Mas ’07, Daniel Kessler ’03, Sam Augustine ’08, James Augustine ’10, Holden Babcock ’06, Cooper Babcock ’09, Tripp Revson ’07, Nikeyu Callaway ’10, Arthur Anthony ’07, Frank Gould ’69, Robert Anthony ’65, and Ann Anthony.

Andrew Hughes ’10 married Hilary Andrysick on June 24, 2021, at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York.

Chase Cochran ’10 married Rachel Fort on September 25, 2021, at the Glen View Club in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Millbrook family there to celebrate included Chase’s brother, Andrew ’06. The weather was amazing and the sunset was perfect. They both live happily in Chicago with their puppy Jack.

Olivia Farrell ’10 and Will Einstein were married in a small ceremony with family and friends in 2020. They are now expecting their first child early this summer.

John McCulla ’10 married Laura Boucher on February 19, 2022, and had a wonderful beach wedding in Mexico with a number of Millbrook alumni in attendance including Dillon Lawson-Johnston ’10, Tyler Mauri ’09, Matt Ferrari ’10, Grayson Voges ’12, Harrison Gostfrand ’11, and Dale Mauri ’11. “We asked Dillon to officiate the wedding ceremony and he did an incredible job!”

Rene Rodriguez ’10 was there to celebrate.

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Class Notes Weddings

Ali Holbrook ’12 married Trey Smith on April 10, 2021. It was an extended HolbrookMillbrook celebration, which included Ali’s mom and dad, Alice ’82 and Chris ’82, brothers Cameron ’11 and Parker ’14, and grandfather David ’56. Close Millbrook friends were also in attendance including Sarah Anthony ’12 (bridesmaid), Campbell Moffat ’10 (bridesmaid), and Gardner Menges ’11.

Molly Chapman ’11 married Ryan Johnson on August 28, 2021, in Telluride, Colorado.

Connor Nelson ’13 married Samantha Nicholes on September 9, 2021. They were married at Wadley Farms in Orem, Utah, among many friends and family, including Connor’s sister, Taylor Nelson ’10, younger brother and member of Millbrook’s Class of 2025, Liam Blayney, and mom, Michelle Blayney, Millbrook’s chief communications officer.

Victoria Gray ’11 married Jon Martin on June 12, 2021, at HF Bar Ranch, in Saddlestring, Wyoming.

Casey Murray ’14 married Dylan Cronin ’12 on April 25, 2021, in Washington, DC.

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Class Notes Births

Katrina Cox ’04 and her husband, Kris Charij, welcomed Brooke McKinley Charij on September 5, 2021. They are living in the United Kingdom.

Emily (Hottensen) Bostwick ’06 and her husband, Tommy, welcomed John “Jack” Curtis Bostwick on April 30, 2021.

They are expecting their second child, a baby girl, in June of this year.

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Alex Bolesta ’06, and his wife, Danielle, were so happy to welcome their daughter, Winnifred, on June 15th, 2020. Winnifred loves going for walks, trying new foods, and cuddling with her toy giraffe, Sophie. She can’t wait to meet new friends from the ‘Brook!

Michael Marsal ’06 and Alison (Blanksteen) Marsal ’06 welcomed their second child, Liam Henry Marsal, on June 9, 2021.

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Class Notes Births

Current Faculty

Erica (Shapey) Freymann and her husband, John, welcomed daughter, Baylor Roe Freymann, on October 25, 2021. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces, and 18 inches long, Baylor is their happy and healthy little rainbow baby.

Captain Peter Smith ’06 and his wife, Katy, welcomed their first child, Emily Gray Smith, in November 2021.

Kealin (Maloney) Civetti ’08 and her husband, Ted, welcomed daughter Maeve Murphy Civetti on September 8, 2021.

Jennifer Tiso-Garvey and her husband, Matthew, welcomed Josephine James TisoGarvey on June 2, 2021. She was four weeks early but still clocked in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces.

Josephine enjoys watching her big sister, Juniper, get into all types of mischief, shrieking at the top of her lungs, and eating bananas.

Amanda (Weld) Templeton ’10 and her husband, Charles, welcomed Holland Elizabeth Templeton on January 10, 2021.

Jarratt Clarke and Lindsay Peterson welcomed Edward “Teddy” Thomas ClarkePeterson on November 20, 2021. Teddy measured 21 inches, 9 pounds, and 5 ounces.

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Class Notes

Th o m a s E . L ov e j oy ’ 5 9 (1941-2021)

Obituary by Rob Bierregaard ’69 On Christmas morning in 2021, the world lost one of its best known and most influential conservationists. After a mercifully brief battle with pancreatic cancer, surrounded by his family, Tom Lovejoy peacefully passed away to his final rest at his cherished home, Drover’s Rest, in MacLean, Virginia.

Tom’s voluminous Curriculum Vitae reflects the career of someone with unlimited energy and drive and the inability to say “no.” He edited ten books and was author or co-author of over 300 technical publications. He was a member of some 40 scientific societies, including the American Ornithological Society, where he was an elective member (1976) and a fellow (1989). He received six different scientific honors in Brazil alone, including induction into the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. A year before he passed away, he was inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

He chaired or was on the board of dozens and dozens of non-profits, schools (including Millbrook for 51 years), and universities. He participated in national and international advisory panels, including the Council on Environmental Quality during the terms of three U.S. presidents. He was an indefatigable spokesperson for the causes in which he believed—most notably the interrelated destruction of rainforests, the loss of biodiversity, and climate change—writing dozens of op-ed pieces for The New York Times and other popular outlets. He was honored in the Primetime Emmy Awards for his contributions to the founding of the PBS series Nature.

Tom’s acumen was not restricted to biology.

He was on the board, serving briefly as chairman, of the Manhattan Life Insurance

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Company, which his grandfather had purchased early in the 20th century. He invented the concept of debt-for-nature swaps, whereby developing nations with burdensome national debt could negotiate a reduction in their debt in exchange for investing in conservation of their natural resources. These programs led to over $1B invested in the protection of threatened ecosystems and were more or less the precursors of carbon tax credits.

It was when he came to Millbrook that Tom came under the spell of Frank Trevor. Taking Trevor’s basic and advanced biology classes and caring for animals in the Trevor Zoo was all Tom needed to realize what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. After Millbrook, Tom attended Yale University as an undergrad and then entered Yale’s Ph.D. program, where G. Evelyn Hutchinson, the godfather of modern ecology, was his major advisor.

Tom was introduced to the Amazon and the forest around Belém, Brazil, by his freshman advisor at Yale, Phil Humphrey. With Humphrey, he collected birds to study their arboviral parasites and developed a technique for mist-netting in the rainforest canopy. This resulted in his first publication and would play an important role in his Ph.D. dissertation.

Although we both were inspired by the same Millbrook zoo and biology teacher, I was several years behind Tom, and so I only met him when I entered Yale as an undergraduate in 1969. Our former biology teacher knew that Tom was at Yale and arranged for his two birds-of-a-feather students to meet. My first job in the sciences was coding Tom’s data from mist-net captures in Belém onto IBM punchcards in New Haven. I still remember the computer code for the most common bird in his dataset, the Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus).

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Class Notes Totally smitten as he was by the avifauna of the exuberant Amazonian ecosystem, Tom decided to return to Belém to use these new metrics in the richest and most diverse terrestrial ecosystem on the planet, comparing avian diversity across habitats and forest strata as the focus of his doctoral dissertation.

Although his Ph.D. project was to be his last ornithological field work, the Amazon and biological diversity were the major themes of his career for the ensuing sixty years.

example of how Tom brought people together to make change, and it is the crown jewel of his career. Often described as the most ambitious ecological experiment ever undertaken, the BDFFP provides telling examples of Tom’s remarkable abilities.

In the late 1970s a very heated debate was being waged in scientific literature—could a series of small reserves (habitat islands) protect as many species as a single large one? Through the BDFFP, Tom set out to collect the missing before-and-after data on species loss from isolated forest remnants of different sizes. The rainforests 1,500 km north of Manaus, Brazil, seemed to be a good place to start. In 1978 he hired me (my second job in the sciences) to be the midwife to his brainchild. The project began in 1979, and, while keeping the project funded was a never-ending effort, it is still running some 43 years later.

After receiving his doctorate, Tom began working first at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia in their Development Office and then at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Washington, D.C., the latter being the steppingstone to his extraordinary career.

When he arrived at WWF, conservation was largely focused on charismatic megafauna, with the best of intentions but little or no science driving the mission. Tom foresaw the looming extinction crisis, and his mission became to wed the passion of conservationists with hard data from the ecological sciences.

This was to be the driving theme of his career—to bring the understanding of ecosystem science to the people, be they nongovernmental conservation organizations working on the ground or legislators and policy makers who were making decisions about how to manage our planet’s natural resources. Tom intuitively understood the importance of networking, and he knew how to put people together to get things done.

As the project developed, it became clear that, while what we were learning about the ecology of fragmented rainforest ecosystems was important, there were other benefits of the project. It was taking place on a dramatic stage. Watching mist rise from the forest at dawn from a tower above the canopy, catching a glimpse of giant Morpho butterflies flashing through sunlit treefalls, or being serenaded by troops of howler monkeys while sleeping in hammocks at one of our basecamps, leaves a profound impression. Tom recognized the impact he could have by bringing influential people to Camp 41 or “The Project,” as it was known. Walter Cronkite visited our camps one New Year’s Eve to interview Tom. Al Gore, John Heinz, and a score of other senators and representatives visited the project on congressional delegations. Senator Dale Bumpers, covered in mud thrown by the spinning wheels of one of our Toyota pickups as we helped push it up a rain-slicked road, was overheard to comment, “And to think that back in D.C. they call this a junket!”

The Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP) is the perfect

When I think of Tom’s influence in the world of conservation and the importance of the

• Bob with Tom at Camp 41

BDFFP, I see his academic tree, rooted deeply in the pristine forests north of Manaus, where well over a hundred young scientists from around the world began their careers working as field interns on one of the many BDFFP subprojects or as graduate students working on their dissertations. Over 150 masters and Ph.D. theses were based on data collected in the project’s reserves. Many of those scientists are now in environmental government agencies, running their own conservation organizations, or teaching at universities across Latin America and much of the world. They are solving problems and training the next generation of scientists and conservationists, whose passions will fuel the fight to save rainforests around the world. Tom’s academic tree is an enormous rainforest emergent, standing as testimony to all the careers that came to be because of Tom and his project.

With the concept of diversity so deeply embedded in Tom’s academic psyche, it is no surprise that he and Edward O. Wilson (who passed away a day after Tom), would co-coin the term “biodiversity”—a word so ubiquitous today that it comes as somewhat of a surprise that someone had to invent it— over lunch in Washington, D.C., sometime in the late 70s. I can imagine Tom and Ed Wilson up in biologists’ heaven armwrestling over who invented the term.

He will be missed by all who knew him, but we will always remember that impish smile and his trademark bowtie, and his spirit will always be flying around somewhere in the rainforests that he loved so dearly.

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Class Notes

In Memoriam We offer our most heartfelt condolences to the families of all Millbrook alumni, parents, past parents, faculty, and friends who have passed away recently.

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1947

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Kim Seeley, Jr. was born deBenneville Keim Seeley on September 10, 1929, in New York City and passed away on May 9, 2021, at the age of 91. Kim attended Middlebury College and earned a degree in geology. He served during the Korean War with the U.S. Army where he taught geology, map reading, and marksmanship.

He competed very successfully as a part of their competition shooting team. He spent his life working as a geologist— first for Shell Oil Company and then independently as a consulting geologist. He was predeceased by wives Virginia Winkle Seeley and Bonnie Speyer Seeley. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Townsend Seeley, children, and grandsons.

George Blow died of natural causes at his home in Williamsburg, Virginia, on May 15, 2021, at the age of 92.

George graduated from Harvard College in 1950 and joined the law firm Covington and Burling after graduating from the University of Virginia Law School in 1953. There he was assigned a pro bono case later named Green v. United States, successfully arguing before the United States Supreme Court that, under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, no person tried for the same offense should twice be put in jeopardy of life and limb.

In 1963 Blow became a founding member of the firm Patton, Boggs and Blow, where he practiced corporate, international, and estate law while maintaining his pro bono and social justice work. George was a longtime member of the International Human Rights Law Group and accompanied Kerry Kennedy to South Korea as a member of the delegation of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, which sought to modify the harsh treatment of prisoners of conscience. He is survived by his wife, Sarah; children, two grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and six nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his brothers and Millbrook School alumni, Michael ’48 and Tony ’51.

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1948 Ben McGuckin, 91, of Charleston, South Carolina, entered into eternal rest on April 7, 2022. Ben graduated from Grinnell College before joining the U.S. Navy and rising to the rank of captain. He was called to active duty in 1962 for ten months during the Berlin Crisis where he proudly continued to serve his country. He was a member of Grace Church and member and former commodore (1985) of the Carolina Yacht Club. He spent 40 years with New York Life, but his greatest pride and joy was his family.

Ben was predeceased by his beloved wife, Dorothy S. McGuckin, his eldest daughter, Lisa, and a brother, Lawrence

McGuckin ’51. He is survived by his daughters, Laura and Lynn, his son, Benjamin, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Margery, sisters-in-law and a brother-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.

1949 John Burton II of Hamilton, Massachusetts, died on Sunday, June 13, 2021, at his home surrounded by his loving family, including his wife, Lucy, with whom he shared 63 years of marriage. He received his bachelor’s degree from Hobart College in 1953 and his master’s degree in wildlife management from the University of Wisconsin in 1958. He taught biology in private schools. He was a member of the American Iris Society and hybridized median and dwarf irises. He won the Williamson-White Award (a national award for the best median iris) in 1999. He was also a member of the Wildlife Society and Massachusetts Audubon Society and a volunteer at the Ipswich River Wildlife Society for many years. In addition to his wife, John is survived by his three daughters, six grandchildren, one greatgrandchild, and many nieces and nephews.

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Class Notes Phil Payson of Washington, Connecticut, died peacefully at home, December 29, 2021, at the age of 91. He grew up in Riverdale, New York, and Stamford, Connecticut, and graduated from Princeton University. For more than a decade, Phil administered grants for the New York Community Trust as an assistant director, and he also served as vice president of Community Funds, Inc. He later became assistant director and treasurer for the James Foundation, aiding the foundation’s purchase and development of an 1,800-acre public park in the Missouri Ozarks. After moving to Connecticut in 1972, Phil founded The Travelers Co-operative, an organization for members to research vacation travel in the pre-internet age. Phil devoted much of his time to improving his communities and helping those in need.

In 1988 he co-founded the Washington Community Housing Trust to help build and improve affordable housing for seniors and town residents. Phil also served as chair of the Washington Citizens’ Scholarship Foundation Award Committee, as treasurer and trustee of the American Indian Archeological Institute, as commissioner on the Town of Washington’s Historic District Commission, and as tennis chairman for the Washington Club for nearly two decades.

Phil delighted in the company of his family and many friends, especially on one of the many family vacations he meticulously planned in search of, as he put it, “the sublime,” rather than “the routine.” Phil is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sarah, and children Marian, Parker, and Elizabeth.

He leaves many grandchildren and nieces and nephews, including Millbrook alumni Larry ’73 and Blake ’75 Payson. He is predeceased by his brother, Bill Payson ’42, and sister, Constance.

1950 Dr. Peter Robinson passed away on July 1, 2021. Peter was introduced to fossil preparation during his time at Millbrook School, which prepared him to study geology and paleontology and earn multiple degrees including a PhD at Yale University. He remained in academia, teaching geological science as a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder for 41 years until his retirement in 2002. During his tenure, he also served as director of the UC Museum of Natural History from 1971-1982.

him terribly: his wife of 61 years, Marion, his daughter, Désirée, his son, Brian, his daughter-in-law, Jennifer, and his three grandchildren, Xanthe, Evan, and Ben.

1954 John Larkin, PhD passed away peacefully on July 29, 2021, on his 85th birthday. He was the beloved husband of Janet, devoted father of Sean, Sarah, and Emma, loving grandfather of five grandchildren, and former spouse and friend of Judith Larkin.

1956

1953 Paul Ratner died on February 11, 2022.

After Millbrook, Paul received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army in air artillery during peacetime.

He subsequently pursued a career in information systems in which he worked full-time until October 2021. When not in front of a computer screen, Paul always found time for his many passions: Chinese calligraphy, New York Times crosswords, orchids, reading (the lengthier the book, the better) and, above all, his wife, children and grandchildren. He will be missed for his ability to solve any problem, his everquick sense of humor, and his kindness to everyone. He was supremely devoted to his family who survive him and miss

Patrick Corcoran passed away on June 17, 2021, at his home in Washington, D.C., after a lengthy battle with myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer. After retiring from practicing law in D.C., Pat moved to Strasbourg, France, where he taught a course on American politics and history at the University of Strasbourg. He enjoyed spending summers at his home on Bantry Bay in Ireland. Pat was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of history and politics, a commitment to social justice, and his loyalty, kindness, and sense of humor.

After his cancer diagnosis, he volunteered with the MPN Research Foundation to raise research funds and increase awareness about blood cancers.

Dan Todd Jr., former Millbrook School trustee, business owner, and Renaissance man, passed away on June 3, 2021, at his home in Bernardsville, New Jersey. After Millbrook, Dan graduated from Princeton University in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in geology before launching a political career that spanned decades. He was a member of the New Jersey State Assembly in 1968, and he worked on numerous campaigns both presidential and statewide. In 1973 Dan was appointed deputy special assistant to the president in the White House Personnel

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Class Notes Office and in 1974 became inspector general in the Office of Foreign Assistance and assistant secretary for the Department of State. In 1976 he served as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

He was director of engineering and air safety for the Airline Pilots Association International AFL-CIO before moving on to become president, COO, and director of Frontier Airlines in Denver, Colorado. Next, he founded Blackacre Land Company in Livingston, Montana, successfully meeting his goal of restoring economic viability to eight ranches. He also became a certified mountain search and rescue pilot and certified firefighter. In between all of this, Dan was a professor at The Ohio State University and Monmouth University. He was also the founder and owner of Princeton Aviation Corporation and DarDan Farms.

Over the years, Dan served others by joining many associations, committees, and boards related to air safety. In October 2015 Dan was awarded The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award by the United States Federal Aviation Administration for his fifty years of dedicated service in aviation safety. In 2019 he was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame. Dan is survived by his wife, Barbara, his six children, including sons Will ’84 and James, and daughters Whitney, Elizabeth, Claire, and Margaret, and four grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey.

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1957 John Woodcock lost his brave battle against cancer on January 13, 2022, his 82nd birthday. He was a devoted and award-winning professor at Indiana University Bloomington (IU), a fine photographer with many prizes and shows to his credit, a loving and loved father, brother, friend, and husband. After Millbrook, John graduated from Amherst College and then returned to Millbrook to teach English and coach athletics. In 1962 he married Joan Ames and then enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War. He attended the Army Language School before spending three years in Japan decoding Russian transmissions. He returned home and entered graduate school to study English literature at SUNY Stony Brook, earning his PhD while teaching and lecturing at IU. As a result of John’s many cross-disciplinary interests in the humanities and sciences, he taught courses across several departments and schools within the university. He was awarded the coveted Lieber Memorial Award for distinguished teaching. John was also actively involved with the Environmental Defense Fund and edited the widely syndicated National Public Radio series A Moment of Science. An active volunteer, he served for many years on palliative care and hospice care committees, he taught autobiography courses at Emeriti House and the Unitarian Universalist Church, where he also sang in the choir, and was a pro bono photographer for many organizations and charities. In 1990 John married his second wife, Peggy, and together they visited over twelve countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. In addition to Peggy, John is survived by three children and three stepchildren, his brother, William J. Woodcock ’60, his stepsister Merrill Carrington, and his first wife, Joan. His mother, Marian Woodcock,

father, William A. Woodcock (former Millbrook faculty and longtime trustee), and stepmother,Lenore Woodcock, predeceased him.

1962 John Ferrebee died at home in his sleep in Kauai, Hawaii, on December 19, 2021.

John suffered from Parkinson’s disease for many years. Nicknamed “Salty,” John was born in Boston, and his family relocated to Cooperstown, New York, when he was five years old. While a student at Millbrook, John was captain of both the soccer and tennis teams. He attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where he opened a motorcycle shop and taught skiing.

John and his partner, Marcia, moved to South America, where their son, Samuda, was born. Later on, he moved to Rancho Santa Fe, California, to care for his ailing father. He worked at the Santa Anita racetrack for several years and also became a successful day trader. Subsequently, he moved to Hawaii to wind surf, meditate, and continue his trading. Samuda, who was by his side when he passed, survives him.

1966 Robert Console of Stow, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, of complications from kidney

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Class Notes failure. He was born in New York City, and he leaves his wife of 52 years, Susan, a sister and her daughter, brother-in-law and his wife and their children, sister-in-law and her husband, and his grandchildren. Bob spent his working career as a software engineer.

1974 Charles Hahn passed on October 22, 2021. He was the beloved husband of Sandra, devoted father, cherished brother, and loving uncle. Charles chose to donate his body to U.B. Science, the University of Buffalo’s Anatomical Gift Program.

1994 Aidan Sullivan, 45, of New Paltz, New York, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, September 30, 2021. Born in Rhinebeck, he was the son of Brendan and Aista Sullivan. Aidan was a caring soul who loved meeting people. He was always quickwitted and had a great sense of humor. In his youth Aidan excelled in athletics—he was an all-star soccer, lacrosse, and hockey player. He continued his interest in sports in his adult life, playing men’s league soccer and ice hockey. Most recently, he moved to New Paltz, where he worked at Mohonk Mountain House and enjoyed being in the outdoors. In addition to his loving parents, he is survived by his son, Joshua.

2008 Evie Pierrepont of Locust Valley, New York, passed on August 12, 2021, at age 30. She is the daughter of Virginia and Stuyvie ’73; sister of Alisa, Stuyvie ’07 (Dana), Will ’10 (Caroline), and Ned ’10 ( Janie); granddaughter of Harden L. Crawford III and the late R.S. Pierrepont;

and aunt of Elizabeth Alisa. She is also survived by several aunts, uncles, cousins, and her two faithful canine companions.

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OF THE SCHOOL Nancy Foster Perkins passed away peacefully at Walbridge Farm on January 21, 2022. Nancy was married to George W. Perkins, Jr., and they lived in Millbrook, New York, as owners and operators of Walbridge Farm, producer of National Champion black angus cattle. In her last decades, she was a quiet but transformational supporter of countless charities in the Millbrook community. Even as most of her contributions were done anonymously, the impact of her giving was immense for Dutchess County schools, churches, libraries, community centers, land preservation, scientific research, and local fire and rescue squads.

She was predeceased by her son, George W. Perkins III, and her husband, George. She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Speers.

Christina Lang-Assael, Millbrook School neighbor, former trustee, and friend, died on April 1, 2022. Christina was born June 15, 1946, in Karlshamn, Sweden. She graduated with an International Baccalaureate in modern languages. Moving abroad in 1968, she began a career as a model and commercial actress in London, Paris, and then New York City over a span of thirteen years. She then spent close to five years at Sotheby’s before entering into her own business as a private advisor and agent in fine art and antiques. She married Salvador J. Assael in 1991, and when he passed away in April 2011, she took over the family business in cultured pearls and precious stones.

She served as a board member for many foundations and educational institutions,

fighting passionately for the causes she believed in to create a fairer, greener, and more just society. Survivors include her children, Sophia and Robert Lang Assael ’15 and Edward Opoku ’15, her sister, loving nieces, nephews, extended family, great friends, and her loyal staff.

Kathy Myers of Millbrook, New York, passed away peacefully in her home on January 31, 2022, at the age of 75. She was surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Kathy was a graduate of Millbrook High School and Dutchess Community College and began her professional career at IBM. She also worked at Bennett College and then at Greer-Woodycrest before coming to work at Millbrook School in the summer of 1991. She knew immediately Millbrook was where she wanted to be, and she continued working as Headmaster Drew Casertano’s assistant for 25 years until her retirement in 2015.

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CIRCLING BACK In honor of 50 years of coeducation at Millbrook, this photo of the first 21 girls enrolled at Millbrook School was taken in the spring of 1972.

Their pursuit of excellence helped to cultivate an atmosphere where all students would respect each other’s differences, qualities, and strengths.

In their first year, the girls actually attended The Millbrook School for Boys.

It was in the fall of 1972 that the change to Millbrook School became official.

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Help us build on the past and secure a strong future, continuing Millbrook’s MILLBROOK’S MISSION In a community where every student is known and needed, Millbrook prepares its students for college and lives of meaning and consequence by instilling the values of respect, integrity, stewardship, service, and curiosity.

tradition of excellence in education.

YOUR ANNUAL FUND CONTRIBUTION

SUPPORTS OUR PEOPLE PROGRAM PLACE WAYS TO GIVE: ONLINE AT

www.millbrook.org/annualfund

BY PHONE AT

845-677-6752 OR BY MAIL Millbrook School Attn: Development Office 131 Millbrook School Road Millbrook, NY 12545

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Non Profit Org U.S. Postage

131 Millbrook School Road, Millbrook, NY 12545

Address Service Requested

PAID

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