f r o m t h e b o a r d o f t r u s t e e s I Letter from the President

This year, I have continued in my efforts to demystify the work o f the Board o f Trustees, and to that end, I would like to share a few o f the highlights o f our year so far:

• The Board has voted to embark upon a comprehensive 5-7 year campaign that will be transformative for MKA.

• The Strategic Planning Committee will continue to guide us through the Board implementation process, leading us to where we must focus our energy at this most exciting time.

• Eric Pai ’79, Chair of Educational Programs and Policies, along with Karen Newman and Tom Nammack, prepared for a workshop on the development of our Trustee Dashboards (see article below) for the National Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference in San Francisco this past February.

• Although still to be fleshed out by the Upper School administration, we approved the premise behind an alternative academic semester or semester abroad for a limited number of juniors or seniors.

• Guided by Tom Nammack, Richard Sunshine and Sarah Rowland, we have opened a dialogue on Board policy regarding financial aid, and will be spending additional time to debate our policy. Finally, I would like to share with you the news that I will complete my term as Board President on June 30 this year. This will mark the conclusion of my third year as President, and I feel it is the perfect time for a transition in leadership. I am thrilled to announce that Michael Johnson will be the next Board President. Michael and his wife, Mary, are the parents of MKA graduates Sarah ’06 and Matthew ’08, and of current MKA students William ’10, Michael Henry ’13 and Annie ’19. You will be hearing more from Michael in the months to come and we are so fortunate that he has accepted this role at such an important time in MKA’s history.

Finally, I would like to thank Tom Nammack for his leadership, friendship and vision, Richard Sunshine for his ever-watchful diligence, and the faculty, administrators and staff for all they do for MKA each and every day.

Alice M. Hirsh President, Board of Trustees

review spring 2010