Capital Campaign Newsletter - Fall 2016

T h e

1990 - 2015 Arts Courses

+47%

1992 - 2015 Honors and Advanced Arts Courses

+800%

A Long And Invaluable Tradition – Millbrook’s Sixth Form Parents’ Fund Thirty-eight years ago, the parents of the Class of 1978 initiated an effort to raise special funds from the parents and grandparents of the sixth formers that year.

The parent committee members who led the fund raising effort that first year included John C. “Sandy” Burton ’50, Lee and Judy Menard, Bob Goodkind, Dave Merwin, Billy Timpson, Norman Walker, and David Wakefield. The total raised in 1977-1978 was slightly more than $100,000—an extraordinary sum for Millbrook in that era, especially given the small size of the VI form.

In the years that followed, each class was asked to equal or exceed the figure established in that first year. While results varied from year to year, an important tradition was born—one that has propelled Millbrook to the forefront of parent support in the independent school world.

The Barn, center of student life, was renovated in 2012-2013

2001 - 2012

Early on, the funds were earmarked to support the annual operating budget, but as time has passed, the funds are now directed towards a special capital need that the school identifies each year.

Complete Building Renovation 23,750 sq. ft.

Abbott Hall

Callard House

In 2013 the sixth form parents underwrote the cost of the attractive new terrace attached to the west side of the renovated Barn. A total of $250,000 was raised for this purpose under the energetic leadership of Joe and Tracy Merrill and their senior parent colleagues.

The Barn

1992 - 2015

The Holbrook Arts Center was completed in 2001

Newly Landscaped Acreage 1990 - 2015 Number of Classrooms

1990 - 2015 AP, Honors, and Advanced Course Offerings

+59%

+167%

In 2014 the new stone bridge on School Road became a reality thanks to the efforts of co-chairs Larry Creel and Herb and Cinnie May and their committee. A record of $350,000 was collected from the sixth form parents that year.

+371%

($7 million-$33 million)

+291 %

Completed Barn Renovation:

$4,000,000

A gold level LEED certified student center

Squash Center Expansion: New Dormitory:

$1,700,000 $8,400,000

Health & Wellness Center: Dining Hall:

$400,000 $10,000,000

1990 - 2015 Enrollment

+82%

1990 to 2016 Annual Fund

state of the art 400-seat facility for a student body of 300 and faculty & staff

+418% ($425,000 - $2.2 million)

$65 million

RAISED TO DATE

$56.5 million

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ON TRACK

provides strong evidence that the drive will exceed its goal of $65 million.

In Progress Dorm Renovations: New Maintenance Facilities: Main Street Millbrook:

$500,000 $1,600,000 $1,700,000 $600,000 $1,500,000

Schoolhouse upgrades, lighting, landscaping, safety and security

TO BE ACCOMPLISHED Flagler Chapel Improvements: New Alumni/Development Center:

$500,000 $1,100,000

Total $30,000,000

For Endowment IN PROGRESS Faculty support:

$10,000,000

Financial Aid: Program Initiatives & Innovation: Campus Facilities & Maintenance:

$10,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,000,000

professional development and salaries and benefits

Total $25,000,000

Millbrook: Better by Design We live in a world in which facts, data, and metrics are sought for nearly every activity and provide measures that define strength, growth, and success. In the corporate world measurements are taken quarterly and annually. Yet, in the school world such short-term views are not particularly helpful.

Observers of the private school world, and certainly boarding schools, would more likely look at growth and

As the Campaign for Millbrook enters its final year, the support received so far

Campus Improvements:

In the coming year the cupola adjacent to the new dining hall will be the focus of the 2017 Sixth Form Parents Fund. Parents of members of the Class of 2017 will be counted upon to provide the resources to leave an enduring legacy in honor of their children’s experiences at Millbrook, as have those who preceded them.

The members of our school community are especially grateful for this selfless tradition begun nearly four decades ago.

GOAL

a 44-bed facilty for girls, with four beautiful faculty homes

including renovation of the Mill

This past year the parents of graduating seniors joined to meet the construction costs of the new amphitheatre that is located on the hill behind the Flagler Chapel and in front of West Hall.

This effort was led by Paul and Alyssa Stafford and their volunteers at a cost of more than $300,000.

C a m p a i g n

fall 2016

Zoo Improvements:

In 2015 a new stairway from the parking lot was built between the Holbrook Arts Center and the Hamilton Math and Science Center to direct foot traffic up into the Durand Quadrangle.

The co-chairs of this project were Mort and Carolyn Arntzen and Susan and Michael Stanley. The project cost— $310,000.

1992 to 2016 Endowment at Market

Admission Applications

Capital Projects

renovations to Prum, passages to the new dining hall

37.6 acres

1990 - 2015

The Millbrook Campaign

No task of this size is easy, nor should success be taken for granted. However, campaign co-chairs Peter Chapman P ’11, ’12 and Caroline Wamsler ’87 have reason to be optimistic considering the Board of Trustees’ leadership giving and the strong support coming from parents. Further, the Annual Fund, which is part of the overall campaign, has been steadily on the rise both in dollars raised and also in the participation of alumni and parents. This breadth and depth of support are strong indicators not only of where the campaign will end up, but also what the potential of future giving holds.

This campaign encompasses a number of impressive building projects that have been completed or will be finished by the end of the

school year. These include, among others, four new international squash courts and a new squash center, the full renovation of the barn, West Hall, a new dining hall, renovations to the Mill, and a new maintenance facility. The school has also carried out a number of other landscape projects that further enhance the beauty of campus. Finally, Millbrook is moving ahead with providing much-needed new housing for faculty.

positive change over far longer periods of time—five or 10 years or more. Those who study the boarding school world can identify schools that have remained even or possibly declined in strength. They also clearly recognize those that have gained substantially on their competition. Millbrook is in this latter category, and the data and facts listed below provide evidence of why Millbrook is so much stronger today than it was 5, 10, or 25 years ago. The picture is positive, indeed, and provides potential donors, large and small, with the assurance that their gifts will be well invested and will help to continue building on this success.

1995

In addition to continuing the rebuilding and expansion of the campus, the campaign also seeks new endowment funds for faculty support and for financial aid for deserving students.

Since the start of the campaign in 2010, the endowment, through gifts and successful yet prudent management, grew from $25 million up to $33 million – a 32% increase. Most are aware that a healthy endowment provides income to broaden and deepen programs and support faculty in many dimensions including salary and benefits, professional development, and housing. Knowing the importance of attracting and retaining the finest faculty, the Board of Trustees has enthusiastically adopted a covenant with our faculty—an immediate increase to make salaries competitive with other peer schools and an agreement that substantial further progress will be made in these areas.

Continuing to build on this momentum and growth of the endowment will only further support one of the school’s most important assets—our faculty.

1997 - 2015 New Construction 190,650 sq. ft.

Mills Athletic Center Holbrook Arts Center New Faculty Housing Wray Annex in Callard House Frederic C. Hamilton Math and Science Center Health Center Reese Squash Court Addition West Hall

Produced by Millbrook’s Development Office

845-677-8261 • www.millbrook.org

2016

New Dining Hall Maintenance Complex

West Hall, a new girls dorm, was completed in 2014

The Frederic C. Hamilton ‘45 Math & Science Center was completed in 2009

T h e

1990 - 2015 Arts Courses

+47%

1992 - 2015 Honors and Advanced Arts Courses

+800%

A Long And Invaluable Tradition – Millbrook’s Sixth Form Parents’ Fund Thirty-eight years ago, the parents of the Class of 1978 initiated an effort to raise special funds from the parents and grandparents of the sixth formers that year.

The parent committee members who led the fund raising effort that first year included John C. “Sandy” Burton ’50, Lee and Judy Menard, Bob Goodkind, Dave Merwin, Billy Timpson, Norman Walker, and David Wakefield. The total raised in 1977-1978 was slightly more than $100,000—an extraordinary sum for Millbrook in that era, especially given the small size of the VI form.

In the years that followed, each class was asked to equal or exceed the figure established in that first year. While results varied from year to year, an important tradition was born—one that has propelled Millbrook to the forefront of parent support in the independent school world.

The Barn, center of student life, was renovated in 2012-2013

2001 - 2012

Early on, the funds were earmarked to support the annual operating budget, but as time has passed, the funds are now directed towards a special capital need that the school identifies each year.

Complete Building Renovation 23,750 sq. ft.

Abbott Hall

Callard House

In 2013 the sixth form parents underwrote the cost of the attractive new terrace attached to the west side of the renovated Barn. A total of $250,000 was raised for this purpose under the energetic leadership of Joe and Tracy Merrill and their senior parent colleagues.

The Barn

1992 - 2015

The Holbrook Arts Center was completed in 2001

Newly Landscaped Acreage 1990 - 2015 Number of Classrooms

1990 - 2015 AP, Honors, and Advanced Course Offerings

+59%

+167%

In 2014 the new stone bridge on School Road became a reality thanks to the efforts of co-chairs Larry Creel and Herb and Cinnie May and their committee. A record of $350,000 was collected from the sixth form parents that year.

+371%

($7 million-$33 million)

+291 %

Completed Barn Renovation:

$4,000,000

A gold level LEED certified student center

Squash Center Expansion: New Dormitory:

$1,700,000 $8,400,000

Health & Wellness Center: Dining Hall:

$400,000 $10,000,000

1990 - 2015 Enrollment

+82%

1990 to 2016 Annual Fund

state of the art 400-seat facility for a student body of 300 and faculty & staff

+418% ($425,000 - $2.2 million)

$65 million

RAISED TO DATE

$56.5 million

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ON TRACK

provides strong evidence that the drive will exceed its goal of $65 million.

In Progress Dorm Renovations: New Maintenance Facilities: Main Street Millbrook:

$500,000 $1,600,000 $1,700,000 $600,000 $1,500,000

Schoolhouse upgrades, lighting, landscaping, safety and security

TO BE ACCOMPLISHED Flagler Chapel Improvements: New Alumni/Development Center:

$500,000 $1,100,000

Total $30,000,000

For Endowment IN PROGRESS Faculty support:

$10,000,000

Financial Aid: Program Initiatives & Innovation: Campus Facilities & Maintenance:

$10,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,000,000

professional development and salaries and benefits

Total $25,000,000

Millbrook: Better by Design We live in a world in which facts, data, and metrics are sought for nearly every activity and provide measures that define strength, growth, and success. In the corporate world measurements are taken quarterly and annually. Yet, in the school world such short-term views are not particularly helpful.

Observers of the private school world, and certainly boarding schools, would more likely look at growth and

As the Campaign for Millbrook enters its final year, the support received so far

Campus Improvements:

In the coming year the cupola adjacent to the new dining hall will be the focus of the 2017 Sixth Form Parents Fund. Parents of members of the Class of 2017 will be counted upon to provide the resources to leave an enduring legacy in honor of their children’s experiences at Millbrook, as have those who preceded them.

The members of our school community are especially grateful for this selfless tradition begun nearly four decades ago.

GOAL

a 44-bed facilty for girls, with four beautiful faculty homes

including renovation of the Mill

This past year the parents of graduating seniors joined to meet the construction costs of the new amphitheatre that is located on the hill behind the Flagler Chapel and in front of West Hall.

This effort was led by Paul and Alyssa Stafford and their volunteers at a cost of more than $300,000.

C a m p a i g n

fall 2016

Zoo Improvements:

In 2015 a new stairway from the parking lot was built between the Holbrook Arts Center and the Hamilton Math and Science Center to direct foot traffic up into the Durand Quadrangle.

The co-chairs of this project were Mort and Carolyn Arntzen and Susan and Michael Stanley. The project cost— $310,000.

1992 to 2016 Endowment at Market

Admission Applications

Capital Projects

renovations to Prum, passages to the new dining hall

37.6 acres

1990 - 2015

The Millbrook Campaign

No task of this size is easy, nor should success be taken for granted. However, campaign co-chairs Peter Chapman P ’11, ’12 and Caroline Wamsler ’87 have reason to be optimistic considering the Board of Trustees’ leadership giving and the strong support coming from parents. Further, the Annual Fund, which is part of the overall campaign, has been steadily on the rise both in dollars raised and also in the participation of alumni and parents. This breadth and depth of support are strong indicators not only of where the campaign will end up, but also what the potential of future giving holds.

This campaign encompasses a number of impressive building projects that have been completed or will be finished by the end of the

school year. These include, among others, four new international squash courts and a new squash center, the full renovation of the barn, West Hall, a new dining hall, renovations to the Mill, and a new maintenance facility. The school has also carried out a number of other landscape projects that further enhance the beauty of campus. Finally, Millbrook is moving ahead with providing much-needed new housing for faculty.

positive change over far longer periods of time—five or 10 years or more. Those who study the boarding school world can identify schools that have remained even or possibly declined in strength. They also clearly recognize those that have gained substantially on their competition. Millbrook is in this latter category, and the data and facts listed below provide evidence of why Millbrook is so much stronger today than it was 5, 10, or 25 years ago. The picture is positive, indeed, and provides potential donors, large and small, with the assurance that their gifts will be well invested and will help to continue building on this success.

1995

In addition to continuing the rebuilding and expansion of the campus, the campaign also seeks new endowment funds for faculty support and for financial aid for deserving students.

Since the start of the campaign in 2010, the endowment, through gifts and successful yet prudent management, grew from $25 million up to $33 million – a 32% increase. Most are aware that a healthy endowment provides income to broaden and deepen programs and support faculty in many dimensions including salary and benefits, professional development, and housing. Knowing the importance of attracting and retaining the finest faculty, the Board of Trustees has enthusiastically adopted a covenant with our faculty—an immediate increase to make salaries competitive with other peer schools and an agreement that substantial further progress will be made in these areas.

Continuing to build on this momentum and growth of the endowment will only further support one of the school’s most important assets—our faculty.

1997 - 2015 New Construction 190,650 sq. ft.

Mills Athletic Center Holbrook Arts Center New Faculty Housing Wray Annex in Callard House Frederic C. Hamilton Math and Science Center Health Center Reese Squash Court Addition West Hall

Produced by Millbrook’s Development Office

845-677-8261 • www.millbrook.org

2016

New Dining Hall Maintenance Complex

West Hall, a new girls dorm, was completed in 2014

The Frederic C. Hamilton ‘45 Math & Science Center was completed in 2009

T h e

1990 - 2015 Arts Courses

+47%

1992 - 2015 Honors and Advanced Arts Courses

+800%

A Long And Invaluable Tradition – Millbrook’s Sixth Form Parents’ Fund Thirty-eight years ago, the parents of the Class of 1978 initiated an effort to raise special funds from the parents and grandparents of the sixth formers that year.

The parent committee members who led the fund raising effort that first year included John C. “Sandy” Burton ’50, Lee and Judy Menard, Bob Goodkind, Dave Merwin, Billy Timpson, Norman Walker, and David Wakefield. The total raised in 1977-1978 was slightly more than $100,000—an extraordinary sum for Millbrook in that era, especially given the small size of the VI form.

In the years that followed, each class was asked to equal or exceed the figure established in that first year. While results varied from year to year, an important tradition was born—one that has propelled Millbrook to the forefront of parent support in the independent school world.

The Barn, center of student life, was renovated in 2012-2013

2001 - 2012

Early on, the funds were earmarked to support the annual operating budget, but as time has passed, the funds are now directed towards a special capital need that the school identifies each year.

Complete Building Renovation 23,750 sq. ft.

Abbott Hall

Callard House

In 2013 the sixth form parents underwrote the cost of the attractive new terrace attached to the west side of the renovated Barn. A total of $250,000 was raised for this purpose under the energetic leadership of Joe and Tracy Merrill and their senior parent colleagues.

The Barn

1992 - 2015

The Holbrook Arts Center was completed in 2001

Newly Landscaped Acreage 1990 - 2015 Number of Classrooms

1990 - 2015 AP, Honors, and Advanced Course Offerings

+59%

+167%

In 2014 the new stone bridge on School Road became a reality thanks to the efforts of co-chairs Larry Creel and Herb and Cinnie May and their committee. A record of $350,000 was collected from the sixth form parents that year.

+371%

($7 million-$33 million)

+291 %

Completed Barn Renovation:

$4,000,000

A gold level LEED certified student center

Squash Center Expansion: New Dormitory:

$1,700,000 $8,400,000

Health & Wellness Center: Dining Hall:

$400,000 $10,000,000

1990 - 2015 Enrollment

+82%

1990 to 2016 Annual Fund

state of the art 400-seat facility for a student body of 300 and faculty & staff

+418% ($425,000 - $2.2 million)

$65 million

RAISED TO DATE

$56.5 million

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ON TRACK

provides strong evidence that the drive will exceed its goal of $65 million.

In Progress Dorm Renovations: New Maintenance Facilities: Main Street Millbrook:

$500,000 $1,600,000 $1,700,000 $600,000 $1,500,000

Schoolhouse upgrades, lighting, landscaping, safety and security

TO BE ACCOMPLISHED Flagler Chapel Improvements: New Alumni/Development Center:

$500,000 $1,100,000

Total $30,000,000

For Endowment IN PROGRESS Faculty support:

$10,000,000

Financial Aid: Program Initiatives & Innovation: Campus Facilities & Maintenance:

$10,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,000,000

professional development and salaries and benefits

Total $25,000,000

Millbrook: Better by Design We live in a world in which facts, data, and metrics are sought for nearly every activity and provide measures that define strength, growth, and success. In the corporate world measurements are taken quarterly and annually. Yet, in the school world such short-term views are not particularly helpful.

Observers of the private school world, and certainly boarding schools, would more likely look at growth and

As the Campaign for Millbrook enters its final year, the support received so far

Campus Improvements:

In the coming year the cupola adjacent to the new dining hall will be the focus of the 2017 Sixth Form Parents Fund. Parents of members of the Class of 2017 will be counted upon to provide the resources to leave an enduring legacy in honor of their children’s experiences at Millbrook, as have those who preceded them.

The members of our school community are especially grateful for this selfless tradition begun nearly four decades ago.

GOAL

a 44-bed facilty for girls, with four beautiful faculty homes

including renovation of the Mill

This past year the parents of graduating seniors joined to meet the construction costs of the new amphitheatre that is located on the hill behind the Flagler Chapel and in front of West Hall.

This effort was led by Paul and Alyssa Stafford and their volunteers at a cost of more than $300,000.

C a m p a i g n

fall 2016

Zoo Improvements:

In 2015 a new stairway from the parking lot was built between the Holbrook Arts Center and the Hamilton Math and Science Center to direct foot traffic up into the Durand Quadrangle.

The co-chairs of this project were Mort and Carolyn Arntzen and Susan and Michael Stanley. The project cost— $310,000.

1992 to 2016 Endowment at Market

Admission Applications

Capital Projects

renovations to Prum, passages to the new dining hall

37.6 acres

1990 - 2015

The Millbrook Campaign

No task of this size is easy, nor should success be taken for granted. However, campaign co-chairs Peter Chapman P ’11, ’12 and Caroline Wamsler ’87 have reason to be optimistic considering the Board of Trustees’ leadership giving and the strong support coming from parents. Further, the Annual Fund, which is part of the overall campaign, has been steadily on the rise both in dollars raised and also in the participation of alumni and parents. This breadth and depth of support are strong indicators not only of where the campaign will end up, but also what the potential of future giving holds.

This campaign encompasses a number of impressive building projects that have been completed or will be finished by the end of the

school year. These include, among others, four new international squash courts and a new squash center, the full renovation of the barn, West Hall, a new dining hall, renovations to the Mill, and a new maintenance facility. The school has also carried out a number of other landscape projects that further enhance the beauty of campus. Finally, Millbrook is moving ahead with providing much-needed new housing for faculty.

positive change over far longer periods of time—five or 10 years or more. Those who study the boarding school world can identify schools that have remained even or possibly declined in strength. They also clearly recognize those that have gained substantially on their competition. Millbrook is in this latter category, and the data and facts listed below provide evidence of why Millbrook is so much stronger today than it was 5, 10, or 25 years ago. The picture is positive, indeed, and provides potential donors, large and small, with the assurance that their gifts will be well invested and will help to continue building on this success.

1995

In addition to continuing the rebuilding and expansion of the campus, the campaign also seeks new endowment funds for faculty support and for financial aid for deserving students.

Since the start of the campaign in 2010, the endowment, through gifts and successful yet prudent management, grew from $25 million up to $33 million – a 32% increase. Most are aware that a healthy endowment provides income to broaden and deepen programs and support faculty in many dimensions including salary and benefits, professional development, and housing. Knowing the importance of attracting and retaining the finest faculty, the Board of Trustees has enthusiastically adopted a covenant with our faculty—an immediate increase to make salaries competitive with other peer schools and an agreement that substantial further progress will be made in these areas.

Continuing to build on this momentum and growth of the endowment will only further support one of the school’s most important assets—our faculty.

1997 - 2015 New Construction 190,650 sq. ft.

Mills Athletic Center Holbrook Arts Center New Faculty Housing Wray Annex in Callard House Frederic C. Hamilton Math and Science Center Health Center Reese Squash Court Addition West Hall

Produced by Millbrook’s Development Office

845-677-8261 • www.millbrook.org

2016

New Dining Hall Maintenance Complex

West Hall, a new girls dorm, was completed in 2014

The Frederic C. Hamilton ‘45 Math & Science Center was completed in 2009

Paying it Forward

& Building on Meaningful Connections Trevor Colhoun ’95 joined Millbrook’s board of trustees in 2014 and is extremely supportive of and interested in academic initiatives that benefit Millbrook students.

He spoke recently to Director of Advancement Nancy Stahl about his Millbrook experience, his family life and career since graduation, and his reasons for supporting Millbrook’s momentum and development.

Trevor Colhoun’s initial boarding school experience was not particularly successful. As he dealt with dyslexia, he struggled during his sophomore year at a large boarding school. He was not supremely confident, then, about Millbrook when his father initially suggested he take a look. But the beauty of the campus and the proximity to New York City and Greenwich, CT sold Trevor after his initial visit. His parents, initially concerned about overloading Trevor academically, were eventually sold as well, and they enrolled Trevor as a V former in the fall of 1993.

Trevor remembers his years at Millbrook fondly—the intense athletic competition of the sports, the camaraderie he felt with teammates and dorm mates, and the abiding friendships he made with classmates. He remembers the girls, especially, as strong leaders who set the tone and drove the success of his class.

Reflecting back, he recognizes the value he derived in being a part of the Millbrook fabric: “It was so beneficial being a part of this eco system and community where integrity was a value that you were expected to live up to.”

Millbrook faculty had high expectations for Trevor. Even when he stumbled, fell short, and made some poor adolescent decisions, he felt supported. Provided with clear direction and a plan to make the most of his Millbrook journey, Trevor drew inspiration from Millbrook faculty.

“I was trying to figure it all out and transition into being an adult…The connection with Drew was big for me, and I can say the same about Rick McWilliams, who supported me and believed in me.”

When Trevor was 21, his father passed away, and he continued to feel the support of his friends and teachers from Millbrook. “The service was on campus, and this became a real turning point in my life. My father loved Millbrook, and having the celebration of his life here was very special.

There is this big connection, and whenever I come back, it is like coming home.”

More recently, Trevor began to consider ways to “pay it forward” to other Millbrook students or “pay it back” to his alma mater. When hearing about plans for a comprehensive academic center that would serve both students who needed tutoring in particular subjects and students, like him, who needed more focused assistance, Trevor saw his potential for getting involved and making a difference. Rather than making a general gift to the school, he wanted to help in a number of very specific ways. While directly benefitting students, he appreciated how the academic center would also drive revenues to sustain and grow these needed programs.

Helping to finance meaningful projects is part of what Trevor does regularly. He and his wife, Cece, both work on projects with the zoo and Audubon Park as well as SBP USA, a disaster relief group that has been very active in New Orleans, the city they call home. After meeting in New York City, where Trevor was working in finance and studying real estate development at NYU, they decided to put down roots and start a family.

For them New Orleans, Cece’s home town, was the best choice as they feel the city combines European elegance with a sense of community.

Here, Trevor runs his own firm working in private equity and real estate investments.

He continues to give back to Millbrook in his role as a trustee and feels passionate about this responsibility and his duty to ensure the health and well being of the school, its faculty, and its students. “Sustaining a strong fiscal school and being responsible for generations to come,

making sure we have the best faculty and are doing all we can to help them…the committee work and ownership of responsibility is incredible!” He also continues to learn from his Millbrook experience, as he has taken examples of efficient processes and board procedures here and implemented them for other boards on which he serves.

Trevor does feel that the Millbrook student experience today is healthier and better than ever, due in great part to Drew’s vision. “The campus and programs are so impressive. I wish I could be 16 again because I would take risks and try so many more things. When I was a student we had way too much free time—there is so much to do now, lots of activities and structured events. Plus, the student body has changed and become more diverse as we’ve grown to 300.” Trevor anticipates that the Millbrook students of tomorrow will continue to be well-rounded artists, musicians, zooies, and athletes, and that the faculty will continue to prepare them well for college and for lives of meaning and consequence. “Millbrook is a special place—we must never lose that.”

While he sees terrific improvements in facilities and program, Trevor admits that the endowment is not up to snuff. “Millbrook needs to significantly increase our endowment. At minimum it should be three to four times as big as it is now. That is the next hurdle—we have built the campus, and we have to sustain it. Our endowment needs to be on a par with our peer schools.”

A Family Affair An Interview with

Tracy and Joe Merrill

By Bob Anthony ’65 Joe and Tracy Merrill and their family have been closely involved with Millbrook for the past decade—three of their four children chose to enroll at Millbrook. In addition to hosting annual admissions receptions in their New Canaan home, the Merrills embraced their children’s experiences at school and did all they could to support them. Tracy served as a trustee from 20102016, and she and Joe remain true believers in our school.

Bob: How did Millbrook come to be your school of choice for three of your four children?

Tracy: We heard Drew speak at New Canaan Country Day School, and we were so impressed.

We were starting the whole process with Charlie, and for various reasons, we felt that Deerfield, which is where he was thinking he would go, wasn’t really the right fit for him. We visited Millbrook, and it was the first school that we looked at. We were so impressed, we all loved it, and it felt like the right place. We took him to a

bunch of other schools—he kept coming back to Millbrook, and so did we. That was the beginning, and Carrie and Emma would follow.

Joe: Our other introduction was through the placement director at Country School, who clearly had a very good understanding of Millbrook.

As he considered where Charlie would thrive, he suggested that Millbrook would be the place that would offer him a true sense of belonging as compared to larger schools like Taft and Deerfield and Westminster. His communication about

Millbrook’s values and what the school could do for Charlie really helped us in the beginning of our search process. We anticipated a very long journey with Charlie, but after driving back down School Road, Charlie knew he wanted to be at Millbrook.

“That’s it—we don’t need to go anywhere else.”

Bob: How did your children grow and flourish during their time at Millbrook?

Tracy: There are so many things we can touch on, but I’ll start with Charlie’s experience in athletics. When he started at Millbrook, hockey was going to be his sport. His advisor, Brent Cebul, happened to be the assistant squash coach, and he sensed Charlie’s growing frustration early on with hockey and a lack of playing time.

Although Charlie had never picked up a squash racquet, Brent encouraged him to give the sport a try; he signed on to play squash his IV form year and has been playing ever since, going on to play in college and now teaching squash in Chicago!

No other boarding school, certainly none that we took him to look at, would have taken the time to encourage him to take up a new sport and would have provided such opportunity to be successful going into a new sport as a sophomore! To take it up, be encouraged, play on a team, and to then go on and play in college—it’s an amazing thing that Millbrook did, for him and for us. The Millbrook faculty really do know these kids, and they see their potential.

Joe: That’s the advantage of Millbrook’s size.

Kids are needed in all sorts of areas—at the bigger schools those opportunities never happen. For Caroline, the Millbrook community, the Millbrook

experience helped grow her confidence in every area. Being known and needed really made a difference for her too.

Bob: How did Millbrook prepare your children well for college and for life beyond college?

Joe: In every area—socially, academically, athletically, and in the community—our kids became responsible adults during their Millbrook years. Did that prepare them for college and life afterwards? Absolutely! That part of Millbrook was the most important part in their lives, and that’s why they loved their experience there. Their ability to grow, to mature, to take on responsibility—they experienced that at Millbrook, and as parents we are seeing the results of that now as they become young adults.

Tracy: Millbrook also created very strong bonds between the students and their teachers that allowed them to talk to adults on campus. As a result, both Carrie and Charlie found it easier to go to their teachers at Hobart, to talk with their deans when they needed to. They’ve had a much higher comfort level with the faculty in college because of Millbrook.

Joe: And it’s not just teaching faculty—there is a mutual and deep respect between students and the non-teaching faculty like the dean of students, their coaches, their headmaster! Those relationships remain enduring. That really stands out. There are not many schools where kids will list their favorite faculty member as the dean of students or the headmaster.

Bob: You’ve been parents and trustee and have served on various ad hoc committees. What particular projects or involvements stand out as being particularly meaningful or satisfying to you both?

Tracy: Working with other parents on establishing the VI Form Gift was such a great thing for the school, getting the parents together early in their senior year to think about ideas, along with their children, of what their senior gift to the school could be. I loved that and the way it allowed us to get to know the other parents in Emma’s class. I’ve also really been thrilled to be a part of the campus development, from the dorms to the dining hall to the student center to the squash courts. It was so rewarding to see those projects take shape and come to fruition, and I don’t think I understood how badly needed they were until they were completed.

Joe: Hosting admissions receptions and promoting the Millbrook story has also been incredibly meaningful. The placement officer at Country School was really doing his best to get the Millbrook word out, but Millbrook was more of a newcomer then. I think today Millbrook is far better known, and I hope that as a family, hosting Millbrook receptions here in New Canaan, we helped a bit in this area. We loved the Millbrook experience ourselves, so any chance we get to promote it, we embrace it completely.

Bob: How have you seen the school develop and grow since Charlie first enrolled in 2006?

Joe: Certainly the physical plant has changed.

It was a beautiful school when we first got there, but now it is a first class operation. There are still areas that need attention, but the physical plant definitely changed over the period that we have been involved with the school. It’s such a tremendous place for kids to come and not only feel like they’re in a warm, comfortable, first-class environment, but that they are in a place that provides the best student experience in all areas including academics, athletics, and student life.

Tracy: Additionally, the school’s covenant with the faculty—to focus on programs and benefits to attract and retain the finest teachers—has made us feel that much more enthusiastic about the academic program and where the school is going. This allows Millbrook to attract the best families, and the whole admissions team, led by Jon Downs, has done a tremendous job in getting the right students at Millbrook.

Joe: We have a high interest in faculty growth and development, and we encourage that continued focus 100%. The faculty is the school’s strength. That’s where the rubber hits the road in terms of the student experience. A real program is being put together under the leadership of Drew and the board of trustees, and the faculty is dedicated to providing a different experience than can be found at any other school. Faculty are making a complete commitment to the student life, to enriching the students’ experience while they are there; in turn, the school is committed to providing teachers with training, coaching, mentoring, resources and more.

Giving Back and Looking Forward: The Dyson Foundation’s Commitment to Meaningful Change Growing up in Millbrook: A Family and a Foundation Will Trevor some day add “parent” to his many Millbrook roles? “Our boys are in a great private school in New Orleans now, but I would like for them to experience boarding school and find their east coast roots and see the world a little.

It’s important for young adults to get out and seek their own path, trip over themselves, and get back up. There would be no limit to what they could do at Millbrook and the confidence they would gain in the process—that’s what makes Millbrook special.”

It was the beauty of the natural surroundings, the space to roam and explore, and the potential for epic summer experiences that brought Charles and Margaret Dyson and their four children to Millbrook in 1957.

The farm they purchased in South Millbrook on Rt. 82 became a haven for the Dyson children (John, Rob, Anne, and Peter) and their friends, who found their hometown of Scarsdale, NY, to be lacking in boundless outdoor adventures. The farm quickly became the popular weekend and summer place for hunting, fishing, riding, trapping, and tree house and fort building. While the family lived in Scarsdale through the children’s high school years, eventually Millbrook would become their permanent place of residence and ultimately the headquarters of the Dyson Foundation.

Established in 1957, the Dyson Foundation has always been family run, growing from a charitable fund giving between $17,700 to $253,000 annually in its first two decades, into an endowed foundation with national reach, distributing over $16.2 million in 2015 alone. College scholarships and general funding were the primary focus at the start, and when Anne Dyson took over as president in 1978, she began to formalize the foundation’s operations while increasing giving levels in the areas of medicine and children’s health, establishing programs with ten U.S. medical schools to raise awareness of and build programs around community pediatrics health initiatives.

The family hired Diana Gurieva in 1991 to run the day-to-day operations of the foundation, and she served as president for 24 years, working closely with both Anne and then Rob Dyson, who took over as chairman following Anne’s death in 2000. During this time the foundation began to focus more on supporting programs in the six counties of the Mid-Hudson Valley in order to truly make a difference in the local area. The list of successful programs that the foundation has supported is extensive.

Making a Difference in the Hudson Valley While the Dyson Foundation has assisted a prodigious range of programs—from family support programs to after-school programming to public school field trips— Rob Dyson is particularly proud of several major initiatives that have had an impact on populations across the Hudson Valley.

“We’re stitched into the community to help make everything work a little bit better. We can really make a difference in our own area, and there are great things happening.”

Major donations in regional healthcare have led to the establishment of the Dyson Center for Cancer Care at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in nearby Poughkeepsie, NY, and an expansion at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY. The Dyson Center for Cancer Care is nationally recognized for medical innovation and a multi-disciplinary program of cancer care. This includes the new Dyson Breast Center, accredited through the American College for Surgeons for excellence in the treatment of women with breast disease. Northern Dutchess Hospital has been providing quality health care services to residents of Northern Dutchess, Columbia, and Ulster counties. A Dyson challenge grant to Northern Dutchess Hospital helped build 40 brand new state-of-the-art patient rooms and 6 surgical suites which opened this year, allowing enhanced healthcare services and improved patient care.

The Walkway Over the Hudson is undeniably one of the foundation’s flagship projects. Their multi-million dollar investment, staff assistance, and other donated resources were integral to getting the walkway converted from an industrial relic, built in 1888, into a park, which is now the longest elevated pedestrian walkway in the world. It has been an immensely successful project since it first opened in October of 2009, with more than a ¼-million visitors in the first three months. It remains one of the best-attended state parks in NY and a great asset for the local community and for the state.

Having approved 303 grants in 2015 alone, the foundation has seen the number of requests for grants continually increase, but Rob credits a robust and comprehensive request system for streamlining the process.

“It’s easy to give away money. You can stand on a street corner and hand out $100 bills. It may be considered charity, but it’s not very effective. We do it the other way. We review important programs, which requires not only understanding what the organization is doing and where they are going,

but also understanding what we can do to help them be successful. That has refined our ability to make meaningful and effective grants.”

Education Initiatives and Millbrook School Educational programming and work with select schools continues to be a strong focus for the foundation, as they have made gifts to many educational entities including Marist, Bard and Vassar colleges. This has included the establishment of a boathouse on the Hudson River for local high schools and rowing clubs to use, public school field trips through the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, donations to local libraries, and much, much more.

The Dyson Foundation has been a supporter of Millbrook School for more than 20 years, inspired to get involved as a result of the tremendous progress of the institution. “We’ve seen how the school has developed and how this is an institution that, in its own way, has been a part of economic development in this part of the county. It’s an important part of our community.”

Rob became familiar with Millbrook School when his daughter, Molly, attended Dutchess Day School, and he would become a Millbrook parent soon after when Molly chose to attend Millbrook as a day student. Molly valued her education here, working diligently to graduate as class valedictorian in 1999. “She had a terrific education, and as a parent it was nice to have expectations fulfilled. When the rubber hits the road and you have a student matriculate and the expectations are confirmed, that is very gratifying. Molly came out of Millbrook very disciplined intellectually and as a part of the fabric of the school, which is attributable to how the school makes day students a part of the boarding community.”

Better Facilities, Better Programs Every major gift the Dyson Foundation awards is based on a real need and a trust that the organization will properly execute the funded program. “We don’t run these institutions and organizations, so there has to be a level of trust. It comes down to the idea that there is a trust at the beginning and a trust in the execution. Then there’s the follow up—how did it turn out? What did it do? Our support with the hospitals, for instance…when we’ve done things for them, it’s added to what they do, made their services even better. And that’s measurable. The same is true here with Millbrook School—the community and the students are better off.”

Their many gifts to the school have impacted almost every major project on campus over the past 20 years, enabling the school to provide an infinitely better academic experience with the right facilities to do it. All of that builds on making the student experience better.

And Rob believes that Millbrook’s leadership is the reason the projects and programs are being executed so successfully.

“It starts at the top, and Drew has been a major force in making the school what it is today…his discipline, his single-minded focus on Millbrook School. His ability to articulate the school’s mission and how we’re getting there is vital. There’s no separation between the mission and all of the steps and the tactics and the projects that have been done to fulfill that mission.”

Paying it Forward

& Building on Meaningful Connections Trevor Colhoun ’95 joined Millbrook’s board of trustees in 2014 and is extremely supportive of and interested in academic initiatives that benefit Millbrook students.

He spoke recently to Director of Advancement Nancy Stahl about his Millbrook experience, his family life and career since graduation, and his reasons for supporting Millbrook’s momentum and development.

Trevor Colhoun’s initial boarding school experience was not particularly successful. As he dealt with dyslexia, he struggled during his sophomore year at a large boarding school. He was not supremely confident, then, about Millbrook when his father initially suggested he take a look. But the beauty of the campus and the proximity to New York City and Greenwich, CT sold Trevor after his initial visit. His parents, initially concerned about overloading Trevor academically, were eventually sold as well, and they enrolled Trevor as a V former in the fall of 1993.

Trevor remembers his years at Millbrook fondly—the intense athletic competition of the sports, the camaraderie he felt with teammates and dorm mates, and the abiding friendships he made with classmates. He remembers the girls, especially, as strong leaders who set the tone and drove the success of his class.

Reflecting back, he recognizes the value he derived in being a part of the Millbrook fabric: “It was so beneficial being a part of this eco system and community where integrity was a value that you were expected to live up to.”

Millbrook faculty had high expectations for Trevor. Even when he stumbled, fell short, and made some poor adolescent decisions, he felt supported. Provided with clear direction and a plan to make the most of his Millbrook journey, Trevor drew inspiration from Millbrook faculty.

“I was trying to figure it all out and transition into being an adult…The connection with Drew was big for me, and I can say the same about Rick McWilliams, who supported me and believed in me.”

When Trevor was 21, his father passed away, and he continued to feel the support of his friends and teachers from Millbrook. “The service was on campus, and this became a real turning point in my life. My father loved Millbrook, and having the celebration of his life here was very special.

There is this big connection, and whenever I come back, it is like coming home.”

More recently, Trevor began to consider ways to “pay it forward” to other Millbrook students or “pay it back” to his alma mater. When hearing about plans for a comprehensive academic center that would serve both students who needed tutoring in particular subjects and students, like him, who needed more focused assistance, Trevor saw his potential for getting involved and making a difference. Rather than making a general gift to the school, he wanted to help in a number of very specific ways. While directly benefitting students, he appreciated how the academic center would also drive revenues to sustain and grow these needed programs.

Helping to finance meaningful projects is part of what Trevor does regularly. He and his wife, Cece, both work on projects with the zoo and Audubon Park as well as SBP USA, a disaster relief group that has been very active in New Orleans, the city they call home. After meeting in New York City, where Trevor was working in finance and studying real estate development at NYU, they decided to put down roots and start a family.

For them New Orleans, Cece’s home town, was the best choice as they feel the city combines European elegance with a sense of community.

Here, Trevor runs his own firm working in private equity and real estate investments.

He continues to give back to Millbrook in his role as a trustee and feels passionate about this responsibility and his duty to ensure the health and well being of the school, its faculty, and its students. “Sustaining a strong fiscal school and being responsible for generations to come,

making sure we have the best faculty and are doing all we can to help them…the committee work and ownership of responsibility is incredible!” He also continues to learn from his Millbrook experience, as he has taken examples of efficient processes and board procedures here and implemented them for other boards on which he serves.

Trevor does feel that the Millbrook student experience today is healthier and better than ever, due in great part to Drew’s vision. “The campus and programs are so impressive. I wish I could be 16 again because I would take risks and try so many more things. When I was a student we had way too much free time—there is so much to do now, lots of activities and structured events. Plus, the student body has changed and become more diverse as we’ve grown to 300.” Trevor anticipates that the Millbrook students of tomorrow will continue to be well-rounded artists, musicians, zooies, and athletes, and that the faculty will continue to prepare them well for college and for lives of meaning and consequence. “Millbrook is a special place—we must never lose that.”

While he sees terrific improvements in facilities and program, Trevor admits that the endowment is not up to snuff. “Millbrook needs to significantly increase our endowment. At minimum it should be three to four times as big as it is now. That is the next hurdle—we have built the campus, and we have to sustain it. Our endowment needs to be on a par with our peer schools.”

A Family Affair An Interview with

Tracy and Joe Merrill

By Bob Anthony ’65 Joe and Tracy Merrill and their family have been closely involved with Millbrook for the past decade—three of their four children chose to enroll at Millbrook. In addition to hosting annual admissions receptions in their New Canaan home, the Merrills embraced their children’s experiences at school and did all they could to support them. Tracy served as a trustee from 20102016, and she and Joe remain true believers in our school.

Bob: How did Millbrook come to be your school of choice for three of your four children?

Tracy: We heard Drew speak at New Canaan Country Day School, and we were so impressed.

We were starting the whole process with Charlie, and for various reasons, we felt that Deerfield, which is where he was thinking he would go, wasn’t really the right fit for him. We visited Millbrook, and it was the first school that we looked at. We were so impressed, we all loved it, and it felt like the right place. We took him to a

bunch of other schools—he kept coming back to Millbrook, and so did we. That was the beginning, and Carrie and Emma would follow.

Joe: Our other introduction was through the placement director at Country School, who clearly had a very good understanding of Millbrook.

As he considered where Charlie would thrive, he suggested that Millbrook would be the place that would offer him a true sense of belonging as compared to larger schools like Taft and Deerfield and Westminster. His communication about

Millbrook’s values and what the school could do for Charlie really helped us in the beginning of our search process. We anticipated a very long journey with Charlie, but after driving back down School Road, Charlie knew he wanted to be at Millbrook.

“That’s it—we don’t need to go anywhere else.”

Bob: How did your children grow and flourish during their time at Millbrook?

Tracy: There are so many things we can touch on, but I’ll start with Charlie’s experience in athletics. When he started at Millbrook, hockey was going to be his sport. His advisor, Brent Cebul, happened to be the assistant squash coach, and he sensed Charlie’s growing frustration early on with hockey and a lack of playing time.

Although Charlie had never picked up a squash racquet, Brent encouraged him to give the sport a try; he signed on to play squash his IV form year and has been playing ever since, going on to play in college and now teaching squash in Chicago!

No other boarding school, certainly none that we took him to look at, would have taken the time to encourage him to take up a new sport and would have provided such opportunity to be successful going into a new sport as a sophomore! To take it up, be encouraged, play on a team, and to then go on and play in college—it’s an amazing thing that Millbrook did, for him and for us. The Millbrook faculty really do know these kids, and they see their potential.

Joe: That’s the advantage of Millbrook’s size.

Kids are needed in all sorts of areas—at the bigger schools those opportunities never happen. For Caroline, the Millbrook community, the Millbrook

experience helped grow her confidence in every area. Being known and needed really made a difference for her too.

Bob: How did Millbrook prepare your children well for college and for life beyond college?

Joe: In every area—socially, academically, athletically, and in the community—our kids became responsible adults during their Millbrook years. Did that prepare them for college and life afterwards? Absolutely! That part of Millbrook was the most important part in their lives, and that’s why they loved their experience there. Their ability to grow, to mature, to take on responsibility—they experienced that at Millbrook, and as parents we are seeing the results of that now as they become young adults.

Tracy: Millbrook also created very strong bonds between the students and their teachers that allowed them to talk to adults on campus. As a result, both Carrie and Charlie found it easier to go to their teachers at Hobart, to talk with their deans when they needed to. They’ve had a much higher comfort level with the faculty in college because of Millbrook.

Joe: And it’s not just teaching faculty—there is a mutual and deep respect between students and the non-teaching faculty like the dean of students, their coaches, their headmaster! Those relationships remain enduring. That really stands out. There are not many schools where kids will list their favorite faculty member as the dean of students or the headmaster.

Bob: You’ve been parents and trustee and have served on various ad hoc committees. What particular projects or involvements stand out as being particularly meaningful or satisfying to you both?

Tracy: Working with other parents on establishing the VI Form Gift was such a great thing for the school, getting the parents together early in their senior year to think about ideas, along with their children, of what their senior gift to the school could be. I loved that and the way it allowed us to get to know the other parents in Emma’s class. I’ve also really been thrilled to be a part of the campus development, from the dorms to the dining hall to the student center to the squash courts. It was so rewarding to see those projects take shape and come to fruition, and I don’t think I understood how badly needed they were until they were completed.

Joe: Hosting admissions receptions and promoting the Millbrook story has also been incredibly meaningful. The placement officer at Country School was really doing his best to get the Millbrook word out, but Millbrook was more of a newcomer then. I think today Millbrook is far better known, and I hope that as a family, hosting Millbrook receptions here in New Canaan, we helped a bit in this area. We loved the Millbrook experience ourselves, so any chance we get to promote it, we embrace it completely.

Bob: How have you seen the school develop and grow since Charlie first enrolled in 2006?

Joe: Certainly the physical plant has changed.

It was a beautiful school when we first got there, but now it is a first class operation. There are still areas that need attention, but the physical plant definitely changed over the period that we have been involved with the school. It’s such a tremendous place for kids to come and not only feel like they’re in a warm, comfortable, first-class environment, but that they are in a place that provides the best student experience in all areas including academics, athletics, and student life.

Tracy: Additionally, the school’s covenant with the faculty—to focus on programs and benefits to attract and retain the finest teachers—has made us feel that much more enthusiastic about the academic program and where the school is going. This allows Millbrook to attract the best families, and the whole admissions team, led by Jon Downs, has done a tremendous job in getting the right students at Millbrook.

Joe: We have a high interest in faculty growth and development, and we encourage that continued focus 100%. The faculty is the school’s strength. That’s where the rubber hits the road in terms of the student experience. A real program is being put together under the leadership of Drew and the board of trustees, and the faculty is dedicated to providing a different experience than can be found at any other school. Faculty are making a complete commitment to the student life, to enriching the students’ experience while they are there; in turn, the school is committed to providing teachers with training, coaching, mentoring, resources and more.

Giving Back and Looking Forward: The Dyson Foundation’s Commitment to Meaningful Change Growing up in Millbrook: A Family and a Foundation Will Trevor some day add “parent” to his many Millbrook roles? “Our boys are in a great private school in New Orleans now, but I would like for them to experience boarding school and find their east coast roots and see the world a little.

It’s important for young adults to get out and seek their own path, trip over themselves, and get back up. There would be no limit to what they could do at Millbrook and the confidence they would gain in the process—that’s what makes Millbrook special.”

It was the beauty of the natural surroundings, the space to roam and explore, and the potential for epic summer experiences that brought Charles and Margaret Dyson and their four children to Millbrook in 1957.

The farm they purchased in South Millbrook on Rt. 82 became a haven for the Dyson children (John, Rob, Anne, and Peter) and their friends, who found their hometown of Scarsdale, NY, to be lacking in boundless outdoor adventures. The farm quickly became the popular weekend and summer place for hunting, fishing, riding, trapping, and tree house and fort building. While the family lived in Scarsdale through the children’s high school years, eventually Millbrook would become their permanent place of residence and ultimately the headquarters of the Dyson Foundation.

Established in 1957, the Dyson Foundation has always been family run, growing from a charitable fund giving between $17,700 to $253,000 annually in its first two decades, into an endowed foundation with national reach, distributing over $16.2 million in 2015 alone. College scholarships and general funding were the primary focus at the start, and when Anne Dyson took over as president in 1978, she began to formalize the foundation’s operations while increasing giving levels in the areas of medicine and children’s health, establishing programs with ten U.S. medical schools to raise awareness of and build programs around community pediatrics health initiatives.

The family hired Diana Gurieva in 1991 to run the day-to-day operations of the foundation, and she served as president for 24 years, working closely with both Anne and then Rob Dyson, who took over as chairman following Anne’s death in 2000. During this time the foundation began to focus more on supporting programs in the six counties of the Mid-Hudson Valley in order to truly make a difference in the local area. The list of successful programs that the foundation has supported is extensive.

Making a Difference in the Hudson Valley While the Dyson Foundation has assisted a prodigious range of programs—from family support programs to after-school programming to public school field trips— Rob Dyson is particularly proud of several major initiatives that have had an impact on populations across the Hudson Valley.

“We’re stitched into the community to help make everything work a little bit better. We can really make a difference in our own area, and there are great things happening.”

Major donations in regional healthcare have led to the establishment of the Dyson Center for Cancer Care at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in nearby Poughkeepsie, NY, and an expansion at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY. The Dyson Center for Cancer Care is nationally recognized for medical innovation and a multi-disciplinary program of cancer care. This includes the new Dyson Breast Center, accredited through the American College for Surgeons for excellence in the treatment of women with breast disease. Northern Dutchess Hospital has been providing quality health care services to residents of Northern Dutchess, Columbia, and Ulster counties. A Dyson challenge grant to Northern Dutchess Hospital helped build 40 brand new state-of-the-art patient rooms and 6 surgical suites which opened this year, allowing enhanced healthcare services and improved patient care.

The Walkway Over the Hudson is undeniably one of the foundation’s flagship projects. Their multi-million dollar investment, staff assistance, and other donated resources were integral to getting the walkway converted from an industrial relic, built in 1888, into a park, which is now the longest elevated pedestrian walkway in the world. It has been an immensely successful project since it first opened in October of 2009, with more than a ¼-million visitors in the first three months. It remains one of the best-attended state parks in NY and a great asset for the local community and for the state.

Having approved 303 grants in 2015 alone, the foundation has seen the number of requests for grants continually increase, but Rob credits a robust and comprehensive request system for streamlining the process.

“It’s easy to give away money. You can stand on a street corner and hand out $100 bills. It may be considered charity, but it’s not very effective. We do it the other way. We review important programs, which requires not only understanding what the organization is doing and where they are going,

but also understanding what we can do to help them be successful. That has refined our ability to make meaningful and effective grants.”

Education Initiatives and Millbrook School Educational programming and work with select schools continues to be a strong focus for the foundation, as they have made gifts to many educational entities including Marist, Bard and Vassar colleges. This has included the establishment of a boathouse on the Hudson River for local high schools and rowing clubs to use, public school field trips through the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, donations to local libraries, and much, much more.

The Dyson Foundation has been a supporter of Millbrook School for more than 20 years, inspired to get involved as a result of the tremendous progress of the institution. “We’ve seen how the school has developed and how this is an institution that, in its own way, has been a part of economic development in this part of the county. It’s an important part of our community.”

Rob became familiar with Millbrook School when his daughter, Molly, attended Dutchess Day School, and he would become a Millbrook parent soon after when Molly chose to attend Millbrook as a day student. Molly valued her education here, working diligently to graduate as class valedictorian in 1999. “She had a terrific education, and as a parent it was nice to have expectations fulfilled. When the rubber hits the road and you have a student matriculate and the expectations are confirmed, that is very gratifying. Molly came out of Millbrook very disciplined intellectually and as a part of the fabric of the school, which is attributable to how the school makes day students a part of the boarding community.”

Better Facilities, Better Programs Every major gift the Dyson Foundation awards is based on a real need and a trust that the organization will properly execute the funded program. “We don’t run these institutions and organizations, so there has to be a level of trust. It comes down to the idea that there is a trust at the beginning and a trust in the execution. Then there’s the follow up—how did it turn out? What did it do? Our support with the hospitals, for instance…when we’ve done things for them, it’s added to what they do, made their services even better. And that’s measurable. The same is true here with Millbrook School—the community and the students are better off.”

Their many gifts to the school have impacted almost every major project on campus over the past 20 years, enabling the school to provide an infinitely better academic experience with the right facilities to do it. All of that builds on making the student experience better.

And Rob believes that Millbrook’s leadership is the reason the projects and programs are being executed so successfully.

“It starts at the top, and Drew has been a major force in making the school what it is today…his discipline, his single-minded focus on Millbrook School. His ability to articulate the school’s mission and how we’re getting there is vital. There’s no separation between the mission and all of the steps and the tactics and the projects that have been done to fulfill that mission.”

Paying it Forward

& Building on Meaningful Connections Trevor Colhoun ’95 joined Millbrook’s board of trustees in 2014 and is extremely supportive of and interested in academic initiatives that benefit Millbrook students.

He spoke recently to Director of Advancement Nancy Stahl about his Millbrook experience, his family life and career since graduation, and his reasons for supporting Millbrook’s momentum and development.

Trevor Colhoun’s initial boarding school experience was not particularly successful. As he dealt with dyslexia, he struggled during his sophomore year at a large boarding school. He was not supremely confident, then, about Millbrook when his father initially suggested he take a look. But the beauty of the campus and the proximity to New York City and Greenwich, CT sold Trevor after his initial visit. His parents, initially concerned about overloading Trevor academically, were eventually sold as well, and they enrolled Trevor as a V former in the fall of 1993.

Trevor remembers his years at Millbrook fondly—the intense athletic competition of the sports, the camaraderie he felt with teammates and dorm mates, and the abiding friendships he made with classmates. He remembers the girls, especially, as strong leaders who set the tone and drove the success of his class.

Reflecting back, he recognizes the value he derived in being a part of the Millbrook fabric: “It was so beneficial being a part of this eco system and community where integrity was a value that you were expected to live up to.”

Millbrook faculty had high expectations for Trevor. Even when he stumbled, fell short, and made some poor adolescent decisions, he felt supported. Provided with clear direction and a plan to make the most of his Millbrook journey, Trevor drew inspiration from Millbrook faculty.

“I was trying to figure it all out and transition into being an adult…The connection with Drew was big for me, and I can say the same about Rick McWilliams, who supported me and believed in me.”

When Trevor was 21, his father passed away, and he continued to feel the support of his friends and teachers from Millbrook. “The service was on campus, and this became a real turning point in my life. My father loved Millbrook, and having the celebration of his life here was very special.

There is this big connection, and whenever I come back, it is like coming home.”

More recently, Trevor began to consider ways to “pay it forward” to other Millbrook students or “pay it back” to his alma mater. When hearing about plans for a comprehensive academic center that would serve both students who needed tutoring in particular subjects and students, like him, who needed more focused assistance, Trevor saw his potential for getting involved and making a difference. Rather than making a general gift to the school, he wanted to help in a number of very specific ways. While directly benefitting students, he appreciated how the academic center would also drive revenues to sustain and grow these needed programs.

Helping to finance meaningful projects is part of what Trevor does regularly. He and his wife, Cece, both work on projects with the zoo and Audubon Park as well as SBP USA, a disaster relief group that has been very active in New Orleans, the city they call home. After meeting in New York City, where Trevor was working in finance and studying real estate development at NYU, they decided to put down roots and start a family.

For them New Orleans, Cece’s home town, was the best choice as they feel the city combines European elegance with a sense of community.

Here, Trevor runs his own firm working in private equity and real estate investments.

He continues to give back to Millbrook in his role as a trustee and feels passionate about this responsibility and his duty to ensure the health and well being of the school, its faculty, and its students. “Sustaining a strong fiscal school and being responsible for generations to come,

making sure we have the best faculty and are doing all we can to help them…the committee work and ownership of responsibility is incredible!” He also continues to learn from his Millbrook experience, as he has taken examples of efficient processes and board procedures here and implemented them for other boards on which he serves.

Trevor does feel that the Millbrook student experience today is healthier and better than ever, due in great part to Drew’s vision. “The campus and programs are so impressive. I wish I could be 16 again because I would take risks and try so many more things. When I was a student we had way too much free time—there is so much to do now, lots of activities and structured events. Plus, the student body has changed and become more diverse as we’ve grown to 300.” Trevor anticipates that the Millbrook students of tomorrow will continue to be well-rounded artists, musicians, zooies, and athletes, and that the faculty will continue to prepare them well for college and for lives of meaning and consequence. “Millbrook is a special place—we must never lose that.”

While he sees terrific improvements in facilities and program, Trevor admits that the endowment is not up to snuff. “Millbrook needs to significantly increase our endowment. At minimum it should be three to four times as big as it is now. That is the next hurdle—we have built the campus, and we have to sustain it. Our endowment needs to be on a par with our peer schools.”

A Family Affair An Interview with

Tracy and Joe Merrill

By Bob Anthony ’65 Joe and Tracy Merrill and their family have been closely involved with Millbrook for the past decade—three of their four children chose to enroll at Millbrook. In addition to hosting annual admissions receptions in their New Canaan home, the Merrills embraced their children’s experiences at school and did all they could to support them. Tracy served as a trustee from 20102016, and she and Joe remain true believers in our school.

Bob: How did Millbrook come to be your school of choice for three of your four children?

Tracy: We heard Drew speak at New Canaan Country Day School, and we were so impressed.

We were starting the whole process with Charlie, and for various reasons, we felt that Deerfield, which is where he was thinking he would go, wasn’t really the right fit for him. We visited Millbrook, and it was the first school that we looked at. We were so impressed, we all loved it, and it felt like the right place. We took him to a

bunch of other schools—he kept coming back to Millbrook, and so did we. That was the beginning, and Carrie and Emma would follow.

Joe: Our other introduction was through the placement director at Country School, who clearly had a very good understanding of Millbrook.

As he considered where Charlie would thrive, he suggested that Millbrook would be the place that would offer him a true sense of belonging as compared to larger schools like Taft and Deerfield and Westminster. His communication about

Millbrook’s values and what the school could do for Charlie really helped us in the beginning of our search process. We anticipated a very long journey with Charlie, but after driving back down School Road, Charlie knew he wanted to be at Millbrook.

“That’s it—we don’t need to go anywhere else.”

Bob: How did your children grow and flourish during their time at Millbrook?

Tracy: There are so many things we can touch on, but I’ll start with Charlie’s experience in athletics. When he started at Millbrook, hockey was going to be his sport. His advisor, Brent Cebul, happened to be the assistant squash coach, and he sensed Charlie’s growing frustration early on with hockey and a lack of playing time.

Although Charlie had never picked up a squash racquet, Brent encouraged him to give the sport a try; he signed on to play squash his IV form year and has been playing ever since, going on to play in college and now teaching squash in Chicago!

No other boarding school, certainly none that we took him to look at, would have taken the time to encourage him to take up a new sport and would have provided such opportunity to be successful going into a new sport as a sophomore! To take it up, be encouraged, play on a team, and to then go on and play in college—it’s an amazing thing that Millbrook did, for him and for us. The Millbrook faculty really do know these kids, and they see their potential.

Joe: That’s the advantage of Millbrook’s size.

Kids are needed in all sorts of areas—at the bigger schools those opportunities never happen. For Caroline, the Millbrook community, the Millbrook

experience helped grow her confidence in every area. Being known and needed really made a difference for her too.

Bob: How did Millbrook prepare your children well for college and for life beyond college?

Joe: In every area—socially, academically, athletically, and in the community—our kids became responsible adults during their Millbrook years. Did that prepare them for college and life afterwards? Absolutely! That part of Millbrook was the most important part in their lives, and that’s why they loved their experience there. Their ability to grow, to mature, to take on responsibility—they experienced that at Millbrook, and as parents we are seeing the results of that now as they become young adults.

Tracy: Millbrook also created very strong bonds between the students and their teachers that allowed them to talk to adults on campus. As a result, both Carrie and Charlie found it easier to go to their teachers at Hobart, to talk with their deans when they needed to. They’ve had a much higher comfort level with the faculty in college because of Millbrook.

Joe: And it’s not just teaching faculty—there is a mutual and deep respect between students and the non-teaching faculty like the dean of students, their coaches, their headmaster! Those relationships remain enduring. That really stands out. There are not many schools where kids will list their favorite faculty member as the dean of students or the headmaster.

Bob: You’ve been parents and trustee and have served on various ad hoc committees. What particular projects or involvements stand out as being particularly meaningful or satisfying to you both?

Tracy: Working with other parents on establishing the VI Form Gift was such a great thing for the school, getting the parents together early in their senior year to think about ideas, along with their children, of what their senior gift to the school could be. I loved that and the way it allowed us to get to know the other parents in Emma’s class. I’ve also really been thrilled to be a part of the campus development, from the dorms to the dining hall to the student center to the squash courts. It was so rewarding to see those projects take shape and come to fruition, and I don’t think I understood how badly needed they were until they were completed.

Joe: Hosting admissions receptions and promoting the Millbrook story has also been incredibly meaningful. The placement officer at Country School was really doing his best to get the Millbrook word out, but Millbrook was more of a newcomer then. I think today Millbrook is far better known, and I hope that as a family, hosting Millbrook receptions here in New Canaan, we helped a bit in this area. We loved the Millbrook experience ourselves, so any chance we get to promote it, we embrace it completely.

Bob: How have you seen the school develop and grow since Charlie first enrolled in 2006?

Joe: Certainly the physical plant has changed.

It was a beautiful school when we first got there, but now it is a first class operation. There are still areas that need attention, but the physical plant definitely changed over the period that we have been involved with the school. It’s such a tremendous place for kids to come and not only feel like they’re in a warm, comfortable, first-class environment, but that they are in a place that provides the best student experience in all areas including academics, athletics, and student life.

Tracy: Additionally, the school’s covenant with the faculty—to focus on programs and benefits to attract and retain the finest teachers—has made us feel that much more enthusiastic about the academic program and where the school is going. This allows Millbrook to attract the best families, and the whole admissions team, led by Jon Downs, has done a tremendous job in getting the right students at Millbrook.

Joe: We have a high interest in faculty growth and development, and we encourage that continued focus 100%. The faculty is the school’s strength. That’s where the rubber hits the road in terms of the student experience. A real program is being put together under the leadership of Drew and the board of trustees, and the faculty is dedicated to providing a different experience than can be found at any other school. Faculty are making a complete commitment to the student life, to enriching the students’ experience while they are there; in turn, the school is committed to providing teachers with training, coaching, mentoring, resources and more.

Giving Back and Looking Forward: The Dyson Foundation’s Commitment to Meaningful Change Growing up in Millbrook: A Family and a Foundation Will Trevor some day add “parent” to his many Millbrook roles? “Our boys are in a great private school in New Orleans now, but I would like for them to experience boarding school and find their east coast roots and see the world a little.

It’s important for young adults to get out and seek their own path, trip over themselves, and get back up. There would be no limit to what they could do at Millbrook and the confidence they would gain in the process—that’s what makes Millbrook special.”

It was the beauty of the natural surroundings, the space to roam and explore, and the potential for epic summer experiences that brought Charles and Margaret Dyson and their four children to Millbrook in 1957.

The farm they purchased in South Millbrook on Rt. 82 became a haven for the Dyson children (John, Rob, Anne, and Peter) and their friends, who found their hometown of Scarsdale, NY, to be lacking in boundless outdoor adventures. The farm quickly became the popular weekend and summer place for hunting, fishing, riding, trapping, and tree house and fort building. While the family lived in Scarsdale through the children’s high school years, eventually Millbrook would become their permanent place of residence and ultimately the headquarters of the Dyson Foundation.

Established in 1957, the Dyson Foundation has always been family run, growing from a charitable fund giving between $17,700 to $253,000 annually in its first two decades, into an endowed foundation with national reach, distributing over $16.2 million in 2015 alone. College scholarships and general funding were the primary focus at the start, and when Anne Dyson took over as president in 1978, she began to formalize the foundation’s operations while increasing giving levels in the areas of medicine and children’s health, establishing programs with ten U.S. medical schools to raise awareness of and build programs around community pediatrics health initiatives.

The family hired Diana Gurieva in 1991 to run the day-to-day operations of the foundation, and she served as president for 24 years, working closely with both Anne and then Rob Dyson, who took over as chairman following Anne’s death in 2000. During this time the foundation began to focus more on supporting programs in the six counties of the Mid-Hudson Valley in order to truly make a difference in the local area. The list of successful programs that the foundation has supported is extensive.

Making a Difference in the Hudson Valley While the Dyson Foundation has assisted a prodigious range of programs—from family support programs to after-school programming to public school field trips— Rob Dyson is particularly proud of several major initiatives that have had an impact on populations across the Hudson Valley.

“We’re stitched into the community to help make everything work a little bit better. We can really make a difference in our own area, and there are great things happening.”

Major donations in regional healthcare have led to the establishment of the Dyson Center for Cancer Care at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in nearby Poughkeepsie, NY, and an expansion at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY. The Dyson Center for Cancer Care is nationally recognized for medical innovation and a multi-disciplinary program of cancer care. This includes the new Dyson Breast Center, accredited through the American College for Surgeons for excellence in the treatment of women with breast disease. Northern Dutchess Hospital has been providing quality health care services to residents of Northern Dutchess, Columbia, and Ulster counties. A Dyson challenge grant to Northern Dutchess Hospital helped build 40 brand new state-of-the-art patient rooms and 6 surgical suites which opened this year, allowing enhanced healthcare services and improved patient care.

The Walkway Over the Hudson is undeniably one of the foundation’s flagship projects. Their multi-million dollar investment, staff assistance, and other donated resources were integral to getting the walkway converted from an industrial relic, built in 1888, into a park, which is now the longest elevated pedestrian walkway in the world. It has been an immensely successful project since it first opened in October of 2009, with more than a ¼-million visitors in the first three months. It remains one of the best-attended state parks in NY and a great asset for the local community and for the state.

Having approved 303 grants in 2015 alone, the foundation has seen the number of requests for grants continually increase, but Rob credits a robust and comprehensive request system for streamlining the process.

“It’s easy to give away money. You can stand on a street corner and hand out $100 bills. It may be considered charity, but it’s not very effective. We do it the other way. We review important programs, which requires not only understanding what the organization is doing and where they are going,

but also understanding what we can do to help them be successful. That has refined our ability to make meaningful and effective grants.”

Education Initiatives and Millbrook School Educational programming and work with select schools continues to be a strong focus for the foundation, as they have made gifts to many educational entities including Marist, Bard and Vassar colleges. This has included the establishment of a boathouse on the Hudson River for local high schools and rowing clubs to use, public school field trips through the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, donations to local libraries, and much, much more.

The Dyson Foundation has been a supporter of Millbrook School for more than 20 years, inspired to get involved as a result of the tremendous progress of the institution. “We’ve seen how the school has developed and how this is an institution that, in its own way, has been a part of economic development in this part of the county. It’s an important part of our community.”

Rob became familiar with Millbrook School when his daughter, Molly, attended Dutchess Day School, and he would become a Millbrook parent soon after when Molly chose to attend Millbrook as a day student. Molly valued her education here, working diligently to graduate as class valedictorian in 1999. “She had a terrific education, and as a parent it was nice to have expectations fulfilled. When the rubber hits the road and you have a student matriculate and the expectations are confirmed, that is very gratifying. Molly came out of Millbrook very disciplined intellectually and as a part of the fabric of the school, which is attributable to how the school makes day students a part of the boarding community.”

Better Facilities, Better Programs Every major gift the Dyson Foundation awards is based on a real need and a trust that the organization will properly execute the funded program. “We don’t run these institutions and organizations, so there has to be a level of trust. It comes down to the idea that there is a trust at the beginning and a trust in the execution. Then there’s the follow up—how did it turn out? What did it do? Our support with the hospitals, for instance…when we’ve done things for them, it’s added to what they do, made their services even better. And that’s measurable. The same is true here with Millbrook School—the community and the students are better off.”

Their many gifts to the school have impacted almost every major project on campus over the past 20 years, enabling the school to provide an infinitely better academic experience with the right facilities to do it. All of that builds on making the student experience better.

And Rob believes that Millbrook’s leadership is the reason the projects and programs are being executed so successfully.

“It starts at the top, and Drew has been a major force in making the school what it is today…his discipline, his single-minded focus on Millbrook School. His ability to articulate the school’s mission and how we’re getting there is vital. There’s no separation between the mission and all of the steps and the tactics and the projects that have been done to fulfill that mission.”

Paying it Forward

& Building on Meaningful Connections Trevor Colhoun ’95 joined Millbrook’s board of trustees in 2014 and is extremely supportive of and interested in academic initiatives that benefit Millbrook students.

He spoke recently to Director of Advancement Nancy Stahl about his Millbrook experience, his family life and career since graduation, and his reasons for supporting Millbrook’s momentum and development.

Trevor Colhoun’s initial boarding school experience was not particularly successful. As he dealt with dyslexia, he struggled during his sophomore year at a large boarding school. He was not supremely confident, then, about Millbrook when his father initially suggested he take a look. But the beauty of the campus and the proximity to New York City and Greenwich, CT sold Trevor after his initial visit. His parents, initially concerned about overloading Trevor academically, were eventually sold as well, and they enrolled Trevor as a V former in the fall of 1993.

Trevor remembers his years at Millbrook fondly—the intense athletic competition of the sports, the camaraderie he felt with teammates and dorm mates, and the abiding friendships he made with classmates. He remembers the girls, especially, as strong leaders who set the tone and drove the success of his class.

Reflecting back, he recognizes the value he derived in being a part of the Millbrook fabric: “It was so beneficial being a part of this eco system and community where integrity was a value that you were expected to live up to.”

Millbrook faculty had high expectations for Trevor. Even when he stumbled, fell short, and made some poor adolescent decisions, he felt supported. Provided with clear direction and a plan to make the most of his Millbrook journey, Trevor drew inspiration from Millbrook faculty.

“I was trying to figure it all out and transition into being an adult…The connection with Drew was big for me, and I can say the same about Rick McWilliams, who supported me and believed in me.”

When Trevor was 21, his father passed away, and he continued to feel the support of his friends and teachers from Millbrook. “The service was on campus, and this became a real turning point in my life. My father loved Millbrook, and having the celebration of his life here was very special.

There is this big connection, and whenever I come back, it is like coming home.”

More recently, Trevor began to consider ways to “pay it forward” to other Millbrook students or “pay it back” to his alma mater. When hearing about plans for a comprehensive academic center that would serve both students who needed tutoring in particular subjects and students, like him, who needed more focused assistance, Trevor saw his potential for getting involved and making a difference. Rather than making a general gift to the school, he wanted to help in a number of very specific ways. While directly benefitting students, he appreciated how the academic center would also drive revenues to sustain and grow these needed programs.

Helping to finance meaningful projects is part of what Trevor does regularly. He and his wife, Cece, both work on projects with the zoo and Audubon Park as well as SBP USA, a disaster relief group that has been very active in New Orleans, the city they call home. After meeting in New York City, where Trevor was working in finance and studying real estate development at NYU, they decided to put down roots and start a family.

For them New Orleans, Cece’s home town, was the best choice as they feel the city combines European elegance with a sense of community.

Here, Trevor runs his own firm working in private equity and real estate investments.

He continues to give back to Millbrook in his role as a trustee and feels passionate about this responsibility and his duty to ensure the health and well being of the school, its faculty, and its students. “Sustaining a strong fiscal school and being responsible for generations to come,

making sure we have the best faculty and are doing all we can to help them…the committee work and ownership of responsibility is incredible!” He also continues to learn from his Millbrook experience, as he has taken examples of efficient processes and board procedures here and implemented them for other boards on which he serves.

Trevor does feel that the Millbrook student experience today is healthier and better than ever, due in great part to Drew’s vision. “The campus and programs are so impressive. I wish I could be 16 again because I would take risks and try so many more things. When I was a student we had way too much free time—there is so much to do now, lots of activities and structured events. Plus, the student body has changed and become more diverse as we’ve grown to 300.” Trevor anticipates that the Millbrook students of tomorrow will continue to be well-rounded artists, musicians, zooies, and athletes, and that the faculty will continue to prepare them well for college and for lives of meaning and consequence. “Millbrook is a special place—we must never lose that.”

While he sees terrific improvements in facilities and program, Trevor admits that the endowment is not up to snuff. “Millbrook needs to significantly increase our endowment. At minimum it should be three to four times as big as it is now. That is the next hurdle—we have built the campus, and we have to sustain it. Our endowment needs to be on a par with our peer schools.”

A Family Affair An Interview with

Tracy and Joe Merrill

By Bob Anthony ’65 Joe and Tracy Merrill and their family have been closely involved with Millbrook for the past decade—three of their four children chose to enroll at Millbrook. In addition to hosting annual admissions receptions in their New Canaan home, the Merrills embraced their children’s experiences at school and did all they could to support them. Tracy served as a trustee from 20102016, and she and Joe remain true believers in our school.

Bob: How did Millbrook come to be your school of choice for three of your four children?

Tracy: We heard Drew speak at New Canaan Country Day School, and we were so impressed.

We were starting the whole process with Charlie, and for various reasons, we felt that Deerfield, which is where he was thinking he would go, wasn’t really the right fit for him. We visited Millbrook, and it was the first school that we looked at. We were so impressed, we all loved it, and it felt like the right place. We took him to a

bunch of other schools—he kept coming back to Millbrook, and so did we. That was the beginning, and Carrie and Emma would follow.

Joe: Our other introduction was through the placement director at Country School, who clearly had a very good understanding of Millbrook.

As he considered where Charlie would thrive, he suggested that Millbrook would be the place that would offer him a true sense of belonging as compared to larger schools like Taft and Deerfield and Westminster. His communication about

Millbrook’s values and what the school could do for Charlie really helped us in the beginning of our search process. We anticipated a very long journey with Charlie, but after driving back down School Road, Charlie knew he wanted to be at Millbrook.

“That’s it—we don’t need to go anywhere else.”

Bob: How did your children grow and flourish during their time at Millbrook?

Tracy: There are so many things we can touch on, but I’ll start with Charlie’s experience in athletics. When he started at Millbrook, hockey was going to be his sport. His advisor, Brent Cebul, happened to be the assistant squash coach, and he sensed Charlie’s growing frustration early on with hockey and a lack of playing time.

Although Charlie had never picked up a squash racquet, Brent encouraged him to give the sport a try; he signed on to play squash his IV form year and has been playing ever since, going on to play in college and now teaching squash in Chicago!

No other boarding school, certainly none that we took him to look at, would have taken the time to encourage him to take up a new sport and would have provided such opportunity to be successful going into a new sport as a sophomore! To take it up, be encouraged, play on a team, and to then go on and play in college—it’s an amazing thing that Millbrook did, for him and for us. The Millbrook faculty really do know these kids, and they see their potential.

Joe: That’s the advantage of Millbrook’s size.

Kids are needed in all sorts of areas—at the bigger schools those opportunities never happen. For Caroline, the Millbrook community, the Millbrook

experience helped grow her confidence in every area. Being known and needed really made a difference for her too.

Bob: How did Millbrook prepare your children well for college and for life beyond college?

Joe: In every area—socially, academically, athletically, and in the community—our kids became responsible adults during their Millbrook years. Did that prepare them for college and life afterwards? Absolutely! That part of Millbrook was the most important part in their lives, and that’s why they loved their experience there. Their ability to grow, to mature, to take on responsibility—they experienced that at Millbrook, and as parents we are seeing the results of that now as they become young adults.

Tracy: Millbrook also created very strong bonds between the students and their teachers that allowed them to talk to adults on campus. As a result, both Carrie and Charlie found it easier to go to their teachers at Hobart, to talk with their deans when they needed to. They’ve had a much higher comfort level with the faculty in college because of Millbrook.

Joe: And it’s not just teaching faculty—there is a mutual and deep respect between students and the non-teaching faculty like the dean of students, their coaches, their headmaster! Those relationships remain enduring. That really stands out. There are not many schools where kids will list their favorite faculty member as the dean of students or the headmaster.

Bob: You’ve been parents and trustee and have served on various ad hoc committees. What particular projects or involvements stand out as being particularly meaningful or satisfying to you both?

Tracy: Working with other parents on establishing the VI Form Gift was such a great thing for the school, getting the parents together early in their senior year to think about ideas, along with their children, of what their senior gift to the school could be. I loved that and the way it allowed us to get to know the other parents in Emma’s class. I’ve also really been thrilled to be a part of the campus development, from the dorms to the dining hall to the student center to the squash courts. It was so rewarding to see those projects take shape and come to fruition, and I don’t think I understood how badly needed they were until they were completed.

Joe: Hosting admissions receptions and promoting the Millbrook story has also been incredibly meaningful. The placement officer at Country School was really doing his best to get the Millbrook word out, but Millbrook was more of a newcomer then. I think today Millbrook is far better known, and I hope that as a family, hosting Millbrook receptions here in New Canaan, we helped a bit in this area. We loved the Millbrook experience ourselves, so any chance we get to promote it, we embrace it completely.

Bob: How have you seen the school develop and grow since Charlie first enrolled in 2006?

Joe: Certainly the physical plant has changed.

It was a beautiful school when we first got there, but now it is a first class operation. There are still areas that need attention, but the physical plant definitely changed over the period that we have been involved with the school. It’s such a tremendous place for kids to come and not only feel like they’re in a warm, comfortable, first-class environment, but that they are in a place that provides the best student experience in all areas including academics, athletics, and student life.

Tracy: Additionally, the school’s covenant with the faculty—to focus on programs and benefits to attract and retain the finest teachers—has made us feel that much more enthusiastic about the academic program and where the school is going. This allows Millbrook to attract the best families, and the whole admissions team, led by Jon Downs, has done a tremendous job in getting the right students at Millbrook.

Joe: We have a high interest in faculty growth and development, and we encourage that continued focus 100%. The faculty is the school’s strength. That’s where the rubber hits the road in terms of the student experience. A real program is being put together under the leadership of Drew and the board of trustees, and the faculty is dedicated to providing a different experience than can be found at any other school. Faculty are making a complete commitment to the student life, to enriching the students’ experience while they are there; in turn, the school is committed to providing teachers with training, coaching, mentoring, resources and more.

Giving Back and Looking Forward: The Dyson Foundation’s Commitment to Meaningful Change Growing up in Millbrook: A Family and a Foundation Will Trevor some day add “parent” to his many Millbrook roles? “Our boys are in a great private school in New Orleans now, but I would like for them to experience boarding school and find their east coast roots and see the world a little.

It’s important for young adults to get out and seek their own path, trip over themselves, and get back up. There would be no limit to what they could do at Millbrook and the confidence they would gain in the process—that’s what makes Millbrook special.”

It was the beauty of the natural surroundings, the space to roam and explore, and the potential for epic summer experiences that brought Charles and Margaret Dyson and their four children to Millbrook in 1957.

The farm they purchased in South Millbrook on Rt. 82 became a haven for the Dyson children (John, Rob, Anne, and Peter) and their friends, who found their hometown of Scarsdale, NY, to be lacking in boundless outdoor adventures. The farm quickly became the popular weekend and summer place for hunting, fishing, riding, trapping, and tree house and fort building. While the family lived in Scarsdale through the children’s high school years, eventually Millbrook would become their permanent place of residence and ultimately the headquarters of the Dyson Foundation.

Established in 1957, the Dyson Foundation has always been family run, growing from a charitable fund giving between $17,700 to $253,000 annually in its first two decades, into an endowed foundation with national reach, distributing over $16.2 million in 2015 alone. College scholarships and general funding were the primary focus at the start, and when Anne Dyson took over as president in 1978, she began to formalize the foundation’s operations while increasing giving levels in the areas of medicine and children’s health, establishing programs with ten U.S. medical schools to raise awareness of and build programs around community pediatrics health initiatives.

The family hired Diana Gurieva in 1991 to run the day-to-day operations of the foundation, and she served as president for 24 years, working closely with both Anne and then Rob Dyson, who took over as chairman following Anne’s death in 2000. During this time the foundation began to focus more on supporting programs in the six counties of the Mid-Hudson Valley in order to truly make a difference in the local area. The list of successful programs that the foundation has supported is extensive.

Making a Difference in the Hudson Valley While the Dyson Foundation has assisted a prodigious range of programs—from family support programs to after-school programming to public school field trips— Rob Dyson is particularly proud of several major initiatives that have had an impact on populations across the Hudson Valley.

“We’re stitched into the community to help make everything work a little bit better. We can really make a difference in our own area, and there are great things happening.”

Major donations in regional healthcare have led to the establishment of the Dyson Center for Cancer Care at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in nearby Poughkeepsie, NY, and an expansion at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY. The Dyson Center for Cancer Care is nationally recognized for medical innovation and a multi-disciplinary program of cancer care. This includes the new Dyson Breast Center, accredited through the American College for Surgeons for excellence in the treatment of women with breast disease. Northern Dutchess Hospital has been providing quality health care services to residents of Northern Dutchess, Columbia, and Ulster counties. A Dyson challenge grant to Northern Dutchess Hospital helped build 40 brand new state-of-the-art patient rooms and 6 surgical suites which opened this year, allowing enhanced healthcare services and improved patient care.

The Walkway Over the Hudson is undeniably one of the foundation’s flagship projects. Their multi-million dollar investment, staff assistance, and other donated resources were integral to getting the walkway converted from an industrial relic, built in 1888, into a park, which is now the longest elevated pedestrian walkway in the world. It has been an immensely successful project since it first opened in October of 2009, with more than a ¼-million visitors in the first three months. It remains one of the best-attended state parks in NY and a great asset for the local community and for the state.

Having approved 303 grants in 2015 alone, the foundation has seen the number of requests for grants continually increase, but Rob credits a robust and comprehensive request system for streamlining the process.

“It’s easy to give away money. You can stand on a street corner and hand out $100 bills. It may be considered charity, but it’s not very effective. We do it the other way. We review important programs, which requires not only understanding what the organization is doing and where they are going,

but also understanding what we can do to help them be successful. That has refined our ability to make meaningful and effective grants.”

Education Initiatives and Millbrook School Educational programming and work with select schools continues to be a strong focus for the foundation, as they have made gifts to many educational entities including Marist, Bard and Vassar colleges. This has included the establishment of a boathouse on the Hudson River for local high schools and rowing clubs to use, public school field trips through the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, donations to local libraries, and much, much more.

The Dyson Foundation has been a supporter of Millbrook School for more than 20 years, inspired to get involved as a result of the tremendous progress of the institution. “We’ve seen how the school has developed and how this is an institution that, in its own way, has been a part of economic development in this part of the county. It’s an important part of our community.”

Rob became familiar with Millbrook School when his daughter, Molly, attended Dutchess Day School, and he would become a Millbrook parent soon after when Molly chose to attend Millbrook as a day student. Molly valued her education here, working diligently to graduate as class valedictorian in 1999. “She had a terrific education, and as a parent it was nice to have expectations fulfilled. When the rubber hits the road and you have a student matriculate and the expectations are confirmed, that is very gratifying. Molly came out of Millbrook very disciplined intellectually and as a part of the fabric of the school, which is attributable to how the school makes day students a part of the boarding community.”

Better Facilities, Better Programs Every major gift the Dyson Foundation awards is based on a real need and a trust that the organization will properly execute the funded program. “We don’t run these institutions and organizations, so there has to be a level of trust. It comes down to the idea that there is a trust at the beginning and a trust in the execution. Then there’s the follow up—how did it turn out? What did it do? Our support with the hospitals, for instance…when we’ve done things for them, it’s added to what they do, made their services even better. And that’s measurable. The same is true here with Millbrook School—the community and the students are better off.”

Their many gifts to the school have impacted almost every major project on campus over the past 20 years, enabling the school to provide an infinitely better academic experience with the right facilities to do it. All of that builds on making the student experience better.

And Rob believes that Millbrook’s leadership is the reason the projects and programs are being executed so successfully.

“It starts at the top, and Drew has been a major force in making the school what it is today…his discipline, his single-minded focus on Millbrook School. His ability to articulate the school’s mission and how we’re getting there is vital. There’s no separation between the mission and all of the steps and the tactics and the projects that have been done to fulfill that mission.”

T h e

1990 - 2015 Arts Courses

+47%

1992 - 2015 Honors and Advanced Arts Courses

+800%

A Long And Invaluable Tradition – Millbrook’s Sixth Form Parents’ Fund Thirty-eight years ago, the parents of the Class of 1978 initiated an effort to raise special funds from the parents and grandparents of the sixth formers that year.

The parent committee members who led the fund raising effort that first year included John C. “Sandy” Burton ’50, Lee and Judy Menard, Bob Goodkind, Dave Merwin, Billy Timpson, Norman Walker, and David Wakefield. The total raised in 1977-1978 was slightly more than $100,000—an extraordinary sum for Millbrook in that era, especially given the small size of the VI form.

In the years that followed, each class was asked to equal or exceed the figure established in that first year. While results varied from year to year, an important tradition was born—one that has propelled Millbrook to the forefront of parent support in the independent school world.

The Barn, center of student life, was renovated in 2012-2013

2001 - 2012

Early on, the funds were earmarked to support the annual operating budget, but as time has passed, the funds are now directed towards a special capital need that the school identifies each year.

Complete Building Renovation 23,750 sq. ft.

Abbott Hall

Callard House

In 2013 the sixth form parents underwrote the cost of the attractive new terrace attached to the west side of the renovated Barn. A total of $250,000 was raised for this purpose under the energetic leadership of Joe and Tracy Merrill and their senior parent colleagues.

The Barn

1992 - 2015

The Holbrook Arts Center was completed in 2001

Newly Landscaped Acreage 1990 - 2015 Number of Classrooms

1990 - 2015 AP, Honors, and Advanced Course Offerings

+59%

+167%

In 2014 the new stone bridge on School Road became a reality thanks to the efforts of co-chairs Larry Creel and Herb and Cinnie May and their committee. A record of $350,000 was collected from the sixth form parents that year.

+371%

($7 million-$33 million)

+291 %

Completed Barn Renovation:

$4,000,000

A gold level LEED certified student center

Squash Center Expansion: New Dormitory:

$1,700,000 $8,400,000

Health & Wellness Center: Dining Hall:

$400,000 $10,000,000

1990 - 2015 Enrollment

+82%

1990 to 2016 Annual Fund

state of the art 400-seat facility for a student body of 300 and faculty & staff

+418% ($425,000 - $2.2 million)

$65 million

RAISED TO DATE

$56.5 million

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ON TRACK

provides strong evidence that the drive will exceed its goal of $65 million.

In Progress Dorm Renovations: New Maintenance Facilities: Main Street Millbrook:

$500,000 $1,600,000 $1,700,000 $600,000 $1,500,000

Schoolhouse upgrades, lighting, landscaping, safety and security

TO BE ACCOMPLISHED Flagler Chapel Improvements: New Alumni/Development Center:

$500,000 $1,100,000

Total $30,000,000

For Endowment IN PROGRESS Faculty support:

$10,000,000

Financial Aid: Program Initiatives & Innovation: Campus Facilities & Maintenance:

$10,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,000,000

professional development and salaries and benefits

Total $25,000,000

Millbrook: Better by Design We live in a world in which facts, data, and metrics are sought for nearly every activity and provide measures that define strength, growth, and success. In the corporate world measurements are taken quarterly and annually. Yet, in the school world such short-term views are not particularly helpful.

Observers of the private school world, and certainly boarding schools, would more likely look at growth and

As the Campaign for Millbrook enters its final year, the support received so far

Campus Improvements:

In the coming year the cupola adjacent to the new dining hall will be the focus of the 2017 Sixth Form Parents Fund. Parents of members of the Class of 2017 will be counted upon to provide the resources to leave an enduring legacy in honor of their children’s experiences at Millbrook, as have those who preceded them.

The members of our school community are especially grateful for this selfless tradition begun nearly four decades ago.

GOAL

a 44-bed facilty for girls, with four beautiful faculty homes

including renovation of the Mill

This past year the parents of graduating seniors joined to meet the construction costs of the new amphitheatre that is located on the hill behind the Flagler Chapel and in front of West Hall.

This effort was led by Paul and Alyssa Stafford and their volunteers at a cost of more than $300,000.

C a m p a i g n

fall 2016

Zoo Improvements:

In 2015 a new stairway from the parking lot was built between the Holbrook Arts Center and the Hamilton Math and Science Center to direct foot traffic up into the Durand Quadrangle.

The co-chairs of this project were Mort and Carolyn Arntzen and Susan and Michael Stanley. The project cost— $310,000.

1992 to 2016 Endowment at Market

Admission Applications

Capital Projects

renovations to Prum, passages to the new dining hall

37.6 acres

1990 - 2015

The Millbrook Campaign

No task of this size is easy, nor should success be taken for granted. However, campaign co-chairs Peter Chapman P ’11, ’12 and Caroline Wamsler ’87 have reason to be optimistic considering the Board of Trustees’ leadership giving and the strong support coming from parents. Further, the Annual Fund, which is part of the overall campaign, has been steadily on the rise both in dollars raised and also in the participation of alumni and parents. This breadth and depth of support are strong indicators not only of where the campaign will end up, but also what the potential of future giving holds.

This campaign encompasses a number of impressive building projects that have been completed or will be finished by the end of the

school year. These include, among others, four new international squash courts and a new squash center, the full renovation of the barn, West Hall, a new dining hall, renovations to the Mill, and a new maintenance facility. The school has also carried out a number of other landscape projects that further enhance the beauty of campus. Finally, Millbrook is moving ahead with providing much-needed new housing for faculty.

positive change over far longer periods of time—five or 10 years or more. Those who study the boarding school world can identify schools that have remained even or possibly declined in strength. They also clearly recognize those that have gained substantially on their competition. Millbrook is in this latter category, and the data and facts listed below provide evidence of why Millbrook is so much stronger today than it was 5, 10, or 25 years ago. The picture is positive, indeed, and provides potential donors, large and small, with the assurance that their gifts will be well invested and will help to continue building on this success.

1995

In addition to continuing the rebuilding and expansion of the campus, the campaign also seeks new endowment funds for faculty support and for financial aid for deserving students.

Since the start of the campaign in 2010, the endowment, through gifts and successful yet prudent management, grew from $25 million up to $33 million – a 32% increase. Most are aware that a healthy endowment provides income to broaden and deepen programs and support faculty in many dimensions including salary and benefits, professional development, and housing. Knowing the importance of attracting and retaining the finest faculty, the Board of Trustees has enthusiastically adopted a covenant with our faculty—an immediate increase to make salaries competitive with other peer schools and an agreement that substantial further progress will be made in these areas.

Continuing to build on this momentum and growth of the endowment will only further support one of the school’s most important assets—our faculty.

1997 - 2015 New Construction 190,650 sq. ft.

Mills Athletic Center Holbrook Arts Center New Faculty Housing Wray Annex in Callard House Frederic C. Hamilton Math and Science Center Health Center Reese Squash Court Addition West Hall

Produced by Millbrook’s Development Office

845-677-8261 • www.millbrook.org

2016

New Dining Hall Maintenance Complex

West Hall, a new girls dorm, was completed in 2014

The Frederic C. Hamilton ‘45 Math & Science Center was completed in 2009