AROUND PACE
BOARD CHAIRMAN ROBERT SHEFT BIDS FAREWELL
Sheft with Assaf in 2015
When ROBERT SHEFT’S term as chair of the Pace Academy Board of Trustees concludes this summer, Sheft will leave in his wake a better Pace Academy. He and his wife, HOPE SHEFT, came to Atlanta more than 15 years ago and wasted no time in becoming actively involved in Pace life. As supporters of annual giving and capital campaigns and volunteers for any needs that arose, the Shefts considered no job too big or too small. Sheft displayed the same tireless commitment to Pace as a Trustee for 11 years, during which time he co-chaired the largest capital campaign in Pace history. “Robert quickly became one of my favorite people after co-chairing the Aim High campaign with him,” says Aim High Co-Chair ELIZABETH RICHARDS. “He is incredibly smart, and his generosity is admirable. He likes a short, efficient meeting that doesn’t start early in the morning—which is probably my favorite trait of his. Robert has a great sense of humor, and I have loved being able to work alongside him to serve the Pace community.” Sheft views leadership decisions through the lens of what is best for Pace students. As Board chair, his goal was to ensure that all voices were “heard, debated and, where possible, resolved in a manner that serves the long-term interests of the Pace community.” According to Head of School FRED ASSAF, Hope and Robert Sheft understand and embrace the heart of the Pace community and did all they could to leave it better than they found it. “It is nearly impossible to measure the impact the Sheft family has made on Pace—both Hope and Robert have invested their time, talent and treasure at every turn,” Assaf says. Another living example of this commitment is the Sheft Family Academic Resource Center in the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School—a visible and powerful statement, rooted in Pace’s mission to serve all of its students with the best possible resources. “For this and so many other gifts they have given to the school, we express our most sincere gratitude to Hope and Robert,” Assaf says. The Shefts have two sons, MILES SHEFT ’13 and ELIJAH SHEFT ’15.
12
KnightTimes | Summer 2016
DARON PAIR rolls off Pace Academy’s Board of Trustees this year, having contributed invaluably to every major building project at Pace since 2010, the year he became a Trustee. Pair has served on the Board’s finance and properties subcommittees, and joined the executive committee when he was appointed properties committee chair in 2011. His consistent leadership will leave a lasting mark among his peers, Pace administrators and the extended community. “Words wouldn’t do [Pair’s] service to Pace justice,” says Pace parent BOB MILLS of University Development Services. “I can’t recall a time that I was not impressed by his quick understanding of complex issues, and without fail, his pragmatic guidance has always been spot-on… He gets it!” Within a remarkably short timeframe—about six years—Pair played an integral role in completing projects that define Pace’s landscape today. Highlights include: the sale of Pace’s Warren Road Softball Complex; expanded parking and a new softball field at the Riverview Sport Complex; the new Walsh Field; Inman Center renovations; the Academic Village; and, undoubtedly a crowning achievement for Pace, the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School. At the helm, steering each of those endeavors, was Pace’s Director of Facilities DAVE FORTIER, who summed up Pair’s contributions in a single comment: “I want to grow up to be like Daron Pair!” “It was a privilege to be a part of so many exciting new building projects at Pace during my time on the Board and to work with such a talented group of people,” Pair says. “It was truly a team effort, and I am very proud of the impact we have had on the Pace community for future generations.” Daron and his wife, TERRACE PAIR, are the parents of EMILY PAIR ’13 and WILLIAM PAIR ’15.
DARON PAIR
PROJECT MANAGER EXTRAORDINAIRE
Pair at the ribboncutting ceremony for the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School on Aug. 18, 2014