Director of Communications
Know Your Pelicans
Why did you choose to work at Packer?
I like the "heart" part of Packer's mission and our focus on student voices. I met many of my new colleagues through the hiring process and the warmth and care everyone showed made me excited to join a community that celebrates both individual achievement and care in our interactions with one another.
What work have you done prior to joining Packer?
Prior to joining Packer I worked for many years in a variety of administrative and teaching roles at our neighbor school, Saint Ann's, most recently as their first Director of Communications.
Tell us about your education.
I have a B.A. in English from Bates College and an M.A. from NYU. My graduate degree was through an interdisciplinary program where my focus was "gender politics." Studying gender really also means thinking about the intersection of race, class, gender and other identifiers and how these impact how we all go about being in the world. I have taught some general survey high school courses on feminist history and other topics under the umbrella of "gender." I also find my graduate studies to be useful in my administrative work, as schools focus on how our communications practices can help create communities where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
What are the strengths of your department?
I look forward to listening and learning more about this from my colleagues and our students! On my team we've got writers and project managers and artists and multitaskers extraordinaire. The great thing about comms in schools is we tend to have the privilege of seeing the big picture: we get to know and work with everyone and see everything that is going on throughout the whole school. So comms can really help enact a school's mission and showcase what our students and teachers are creating here every day.
What are your impressions of Packer? Our students? Your colleagues?
I started over the summer so I haven't met many students yet—just the ones joyfully bouncing around summer camp—but I am so excited to do so! My first (and maybe favorite) job ever was working directly with high school students in a division office, so I will always have a soft spot for high school kids. I look forward to partnering with students and colleagues in how we represent Packer and tell the Packer story. So far everyone has been beyond supportive and I have felt very welcomed here.
Tell us about a specific time you found your job especially rewarding.
While the first two years of the Covid pandemic were deeply challenging, it was rewarding to be in a position to help my Head of School, our colleagues, our students and their families by keeping everyone informed with clear and critical information during a time of extreme anxiety, and reminding them that our school community could be a source of sustenance and joy during dark times. I was able to use my skills as a writer and community-builder to help people navigate trauma, and that was very rewarding. (Plus, I feel like I earned an honorary doctorate in public health messaging and discovered a real interest in that field of Communications work!)
What is something most Packer people wouldn't know about you?
Oh boy, I am very boring...hmmm. Well, one thing that seems to surprise people is I didn't grow up in the city or attend NYC independent schools. I'm originally from Rhode Island and I have a lot of smallest state pride! We proudly have the most coastline per square mile. I think that's why I don't do well whenever I'm too far from an ocean!
If you had an inspirational fridge magnet (and we're not saying you would), what would it say and why?
Oh, has to be the "hang in there" cat. Classic and more relevant every day in this chaotic world of ours!