ALUMNI/AE
ALUMNI EDUCATORS
JOANNE LEMBO ’91
Making Every Student’s Voice Matter Joanne Lembo ‘91 found her place at Millbrook and has kept the school’s mission close to her heart throughout her career in education. She remembers stellar teachers, engaging course offerings, and one-of-a-kind extracurriculars, but Joanne especially recalls thriving in the environment of service and inclusion during her high school years. She carries those values forward in her work for many years as director of student activities at Phillips Exeter Academy, where she oversees many aspects of student life, a portfolio that has grown to include DEI and equity initiatives on campus. Arriving at Millbrook as a IVth former from New York City, Joanne welcomed the change from city life and immediately felt at home. She spent hours in the Barn, then home to the Arts Department, and had a particular love for photography. She worked in the communications department and the dining hall, immersing herself in the community spirit that pervaded campus. Drew Casertano took over the headship from Don Abbott in 1990, and though Joanne was on campus for only the first year of his tenure, she recalls a perceptible change in school culture with Mr. Casertano’s arrival. The scale of Millbrook was especially appealing to Joanne, and Mr. Casertano “maintained that small-school feel,” she said, “while bringing the school into the 21st century.” Joanne felt a sense of familiarity during a summer visit to Bennington College before her VIth form year. She immediately applied and was accepted. “Bennington was the next great educational experience for me,” Joanne said. As Bennington was modifying curriculum and appointing new faculty, Joanne realized that she “loved education and loved problem-solving…I learned to think strategically and creatively at the same time.”
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• SUMMER 2021
• J oanne with wife Lee and child Jax
While earning her BFA in fine arts, Joanne became involved with student activities on campus and participated in a program for Bennington students using photography and film to capture elements of the Mayan language and culture in Chiapas, Mexico. She planned to return to Mexico and continue the work after graduation, but societal upheaval in Chiapas made those plans untenable. Through a friend, Joanne learned of an opportunity in residential life and student activities at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), and her involvement in activities at Bennington provided the experience to apply for the one-year position. Joanne still leans on the valuable training and experience gained during that year at UNH. Another personal connection led to a job as associate director of student activities at Phillips Exeter at the