Meet the Alumni & Development Team

Meet the Team

The Alumni & Development Office has modestly restructured our staff, and welcomed a few new team members in recent months. We are pleased to introduce the team, which now includes three alumni members, and encourage you to keep in touch with us — and each other. We look forward to seeing you at alumni events and back on campus, and we’re here if you need help connecting with fellow alumni.

HANNAH ALLEY-KELLER

has recently joined the Alumni & Development team and manages day-to-day planning to secure funding for strategic priorities. She brings to the team more than a decade of experience in higher-education and independent school fundraising. As Director of Annual Giving for Marist College, Hannah oversaw a team responsible for alumni and parent giving. She has served as Associate Director of Alumni Giving at Kent School, Director of Alumni Relations at Trinity-Pawling School, and the Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Wofford College. Before relocating to the Northeast, Hannah was the Associate Director of Development for Hollins University, where she oversaw the significant growth of the Hollins Fund and worked as a Major Gifts Officer as part of the Alumnae Engagement Initiative.

JESS BAKER has been named Director of Engagement and Operations. She leads the team focused on alumni/ parent engagement and donor relations through events, targeted communications, and opportunities to connect with students and faculty on and off-campus. Jess continues to oversee the expansion and rollout of the restructured Alumni Association. Jess joined The Frederick Gunn School in 2015 as the Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications. She is a proud contributor to the Bulletin and is currently working toward her MBA at the University of Connecticut School of Business, with a focus on digital marketing strategy. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School, she was the Community Outreach Coordinator at Ability Beyond in Bethel, Connecticut, where she designed marketing and communications material in addition to internal and external communications. STEVE BENDRICK is Associate Director of Database Operations. Steve joined the Alumni & Development Office in 2015 after working for a few summers in the Business Office and Admission Office while completing his college degree. In his current role, Steve maintains and develops policies for the database that the Alumni & Development Office relies on for its day-to-day operations.

CHRISTIAN BIANCHI ’08 is Associate Director of Reunion Programs. Prior to joining the Alumni & Development Office, he was an account executive for Mylan Pharmaceuticals and an international sales executive for Lenco Armored Vehicles. He was also an income analyst for State Street Bank. In his current role, Christian helps every major reunion class have a successful reunion year. He enjoys speaking with as many alumni as possible, whether by phone, via email or in person.

SEAN BROWN P’22 is Chief Development Officer and has led the Alumni & Development Office since his arrival at The Frederick Gunn School in 2014. In his 19th year as a development professional, Sean previously served as Director of The Lawrenceville School, Director of Principal Gifts at The Rutgers University Foundation, and Director of Alumni Affairs & Development at The University of Chicago — Booth School of Business.

BILL CURREN is Associate Director of the 1850 Fund. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School, Bill lived and worked in New York City as a producer and director for documentary and feature films, short films and TV commercials. He also served as Associate Director of Annual Giving/Athletics at Trinity College. In his current role, he manages philanthropic efforts with alumni stakeholders and volunteers for all classes prior to 1990 that are not in their reunion year.

MARLON FISHER ’01 has joined the Alumni & Development team as Associate Director of the 1850 Fund. A combat veteran, Marlon served in the U.S. Army as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst from 2008-2016. He has spent the bulk of his career working with at-risk youth and families in various settings. In his current role, he works with young alumni classes from 1991 to 2021.

ALLISON FODOR has joined the Alumni & Development team as Associate Director of Special Events. Alli brings more than 10 years of experience in sales and hotel operations to The Frederick Gunn School. She served in a variety of managerial roles at The Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Resorts, in Washington, most recently as Catering Services Manager. In her current role, she works closely with colleagues within the alumni office, the Head of School’s office and various academic and administrative departments to plan events on and off campus.

Let us know if you have any questions and tell us what you’re up to by visiting frederickgunn.org/alumni or emailing alumni@frederickgunn.org. ASHLEY JUDSON ’16 joined the Alumni & Development office in August 2021 as Alumni & Development Assistant. In her current role, she assists with database operations, alumni mailings, and event preparation. Prior to returning to The Frederick Gunn School, she attended the University of Connecticut, where she earned her bachelor’s in psychological sciences.

JAMES LEBLANC is Associate Director of Major Gifts. James has lived and worked in boarding schools for over 13 years. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School in 2020, he had served since 2008 as the Major Gifts Officer at Hebron Academy. During his tenure at Hebron, James also served as the school’s Assistant Director of Admission for Student-Athletes for six years. He taught French in both the middle and upper schools, and was Head Coach for varsity golf, varsity boys ice hockey, and varsity boys baseball. From 2006-2008, he served as Assistant Coach of the Men’s Ice Hockey Team at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. In his current role, James seeks to continue building relationships with alumni from coast to coast.

HOPE THORN has been named Director of The 1850 Fund and Special Gifts. She leads the team that raises unrestricted gifts via the annual fund, which currently accounts for roughly 10% of the annual operating budget. Hope also continues to manage the Parents Fund and, additionally, carries a small portfolio of “up and coming” prospects, mainly younger alumni who represent the next generation of volunteer leaders, trustees, and benefactors. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School in 2016, she worked as an apprentice on two Connecticut farms and at Trinity College in Hartford, where she was a member of the alumni office’s annual giving team.