Brooks Connections

Neil Maciejewski P’22, a Cape Codbased artist who specializes in stained glass, created this version of the Brooks shield this winter as a birthday present for his son, Zach Johnson ’22. BROOKS CONNECTIONS

IN THIS SECTION 46 Alumni News 50 Class Notes 81 In Memoriam

The Most Successful Giving Day Yet!

Giving Day totals shattered previous records on February 25. The Brooks community stormed past the school’s target of 750 gifts, contributing 1,008 gifts and a total of $432,420 to the Brooks Fund in one day. “In this remarkable year, the Brooks community truly stepped up for Giving Day and exceeded all expectations,” says Director of Annual Giving and Donor Relations Mary Merrill. “We are especially grateful to our dedicated team of class agents, as well as to the donors who issued our two matching challenges. Messages of appreciation and support poured in as alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty and students took this annual opportunity to celebrate Brooks.”

Donors met each of three incentivizing challenges on the way to the record-breaking day. First, the “Brooks Gives Back Challenge” allowed Brooks to donate acutely needed school supplies and learning tools to the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence (BGCL), an organization that the school has partnered with for decades (see accompanying article). Each gift to Brooks, up to 750 gifts, triggered a donation to the BGCL. Second, the 10 youngest alumni classes were able to double their giving impact through the “10 for 10 Young Alumni Challenge”: A generous donor matched, up to $10,000, the total dollar figure collectively donated by the school’s youngest alumni. Third, a generous family formed the “Brooks Together Challenge,” and matched up to $25,000 in gifts given by current parents on Giving Day.

English faculty Leigh Perkins ’81, P’14, P’18 works with BGCL club members in 2014, continuing the legacy of her mother, faculty emeritus Maureen Perkins H’81, W’56, P’81, P’83, GP’14, GP’18.

A Decades-Long Relationship

One of the three challenges issued on Giving Day provided donations of needed school supplies and learning tools to the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence (BGCL). The BGCL serves children and teens from more than 11 public schools in Lawrence, Massachusetts. It supports the club members in their schoolwork; provides activity and sport breaks; and provides children with a safe place to go in the evening.

Brooks has maintained a close relationship with BGCL for years. The community service afternoon activities program regularly brings Brooksians to the club to mentor, guide and get to know the children who spend time there. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, community service program

“I’m grateful for the wonderful people I crossed paths with at Brooks, the strong sense of community and beloved traditions, the beautiful campus, and the countless opportunities I had to explore my interests and learn and grow in new ways. I think of Brooks not only as a place I went to, but also as a place I came from. I donate to the Brooks Fund so that Brooks can continue to grow and develop in every area in order to provide students with meaningful educational experiences for years to come.”

EMMA DAWSON ’18

participants reported to BGCL weekly to help club members with their homework, for example.

Opened more than 125 years ago — first as a boys club, before a girls club was created in the 1990s and connected to it through a shared gymnasium, then reimagined in an entirely new co-ed building in 2007, thanks in large part to a gift from former member and Brooks alumnus Bill Perocchi ’75 — the club has long been a mainstay in the Lawrence community.

“The work that is done at the club is so critically important to the youth of Lawrence and the surrounding areas,” says Associate Head for Faculty Affairs John McVeigh H’16. “For many kids, it is the most important thing in their lives. It’s where they eat, study and play each day. It’s where they learn the skills that will help them in school and in life.” McVeigh is a great example of the impact BGCL can have on its members: He belonged to the club and attended its former Academic Basketball Awareness summer camp throughout his own high school career. He then received a scholarship from BGCL that made it possible for him to attend college. He returned to the club to coach at the camp each summer for more than 25 years.

Brooks is proud of its history of involvement with BGCL, which McVeigh says was personified by the work of faculty emeritus Maureen Perkins

The Brooks Fund typically accounts for 12 percent of the school’s operating budget. This year, those costs were exacerbated by the school’s ongoing battle to stay in session during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. This graphic reflects those costs as of February 25, 2021, Giving Day.

AND THE WINNER IS... The class of 1975 took honors again this year, with more than 60 percent of its members participating in Giving Day. The classes of 2006 and 1985 tied for second place with just under 56 percent participation, and the class of 1973 came in a close fourth, with just over 54 percent participation. The class of 1973 contributed $29,835, the highest class total dollar amount.

H’81, W’56, P’81, P’83, GP’14, GP’18. Perkins, who founded and headed up Brooks’s community service program for years, spent decades working to keep Brooks and BGCL connected and ensuring that everyone involved grew from the experience. Maureen Perkins’s daughter, English faculty Leigh Perkins ’81, P’14, P’18, has continued her mother’s support of and involvement with BGCL.

Dean of Community Life Ashley Johnston, who currently oversees the school’s community service program, describes the school’s work with BGCL as “a pillar” of the afternoon activity. “Our

Brooks was able to donate school supplies — from pencils and notebooks to calculators and markers — and fun activities ranging from puzzles to hula hoops to BGCL, as well as practical storage buckets, crates and other solutions.

students have thoroughly enjoyed afternoon tutoring, inviting BGCL students to Brooks campus for a basketball game and donating gifts to families for the holidays,” she says. “We hope to continue this amazing partnership for many more years, and we feel very fortunate to be able to partner with such a wonderful organization.”

ALUMNI BRIEFS

On October 1, 2020, leading climate scientist Dr. Peter deMenocal ’78 assumed the role of president and director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. deMenocal was the founding director of the Center for Climate and Life at Columbia University, where he also previously served as dean of science. His work and career were featured in the fall 2017 issue of the Bulletin, in which deMenocal described his earliest encounter with Woods Hole: In a life-changing turn of events, a young, “rumpled” deMenocal was dropped off in front of Woods Hole as he hitchhiked his way toward Falmouth, Massachusetts; he entered the facility in search of a washroom and encountered Dr. Charles Hollister, a pioneering marine geologist who sparked deMenocal’s interest in the field.

Documentary filmmaker Marquis Daisy ’01 directed a film called “The March on Washington: Keepers of the Dream,” which debuted on the National Geographic channel in February. The documentary traces the ongoing journey of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of the heroes who marched for justice and equality in the 1960s, and the experiences of those on the front lines of the current fight for racial equality. “The March on Washington: Keepers of the Dream” is also available on the streaming service Hulu. Daisy previously won an Emmy for his work producing “30 for 30” films for ESPN; he also directed “Rand University,” a film about the NFL star Randy Moss.

Jayda Pounds ’15 launched a series of events for Black business owners in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, over the past several months. She says that “after witnessing all of the racial injustice and economic disparities unfolding in the world around me, I decided to make a change and do what I could in my community.” Pounds hopes that her “Buy Black Expo” is a chance to “regain some economic justice.” Through these events, Pounds has connected with more than 30 entrepreneurs, including a set of young entrepreneurs through January’s expo, which focused on giving young entrepreneurs a chance to debut their businesses. “My goal is to continue to provide opportunities to uplift and empower Black entrepreneurs as we continue this fight forward,” Pounds says. “As my mum [Nekima LevyArmstrong ’94, P’15, P’17] always says, racial justice and economic justice go hand in hand.”

Brooksians Meet Up Online

The school sponsored a series of informative and entertaining online alumni events this spring.

Brooks helped its alumni connect despite the restrictions placed on the school by the COVID-19 pandemic this spring. The alumni office hosted virtual events that targeted specific topics, each of which attracted an invested and robust set of participants.

Howard Rossbach ’73, owner of Erratic Oaks Vineyard and Citation Wine in Issaquah, Washington, walked more than 40 registered Brooksians through a wine tasting on March 11. Rossbach, who has been involved in the wine industry in Washington and Oregon since 1975, led the group through a tasting of his Oregon and Willamette Valley wines while discussing the winemaking and wine-selling business. The Zoom event was moderated by alumni board events

committee member Brittanye Mackey ’07.

The Brooks Alumni Literary Society presented a talk by Jess Kapadia ’04 on March 25. Kapadia, who is senior food editor at Food52.com, led a discussion centered around the book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. The book, published in 2006, elaborates on the relationship between food and society. Kapadia guided the engaged group of Brooks alumni to think through the various parts of our existing food system, including agriculture, nutrition, politics and technology.

Please visit www.brooksschool.org/alumni/events for information on upcoming events for the Brooks community.

Brooksians connected over the course of a virtual wine tasting led by Howard Rossbach ’73.

Alumni Board Update

The Brooks alumni board had a successful year engaging school alumni, and it looks forward to continuing its work into the future.

The Brooks School Alumni Board has a mission of bolstering the ongoing relationship Brooks alumni have with the school and each other. Successes by the board’s committees have inspired the board to do even more in the next fiscal year under the leadership of current alumni board president Sally Milliken ’88, P’22, P’24. Please visit www.brooksschool.org/alumni/alumniboard to learn more about the alumni board and to nominate a new board member (including yourself!).

A Note From Board President Sally Milliken

Happy Spring! Thank you for supporting Brooks and each other through this difficult time. As always, we aim to help alumni be active and engaged members of the school. We are also working to ensure that the alumni board reflects the amazing diversity within the alumni body. We have exciting plans, and we’d love to have your involvement in carrying them out.

Fiscal Year 2021 Accomplishments

The nominating committee vetted and welcomed new members to the alumni board.

The class volunteer committee communicated with fellow alumni and encouraged their involvement in virtual programming.

The career advisory committee developed plans to host career panels and networking events in person or virtually.

The giving committee increased involvement in Giving Day 2021, which is crucial to the success of the Brooks Fund.

The events committee planned, managed and executed its first ever virtual 5k during Homecoming@ Home in November. It also helped facilitate other virtual events including a wine tasting and book discussion.

What’s Your Passion?

Do you have specialized knowledge, a passion or a career that you think other Brooksians would find interesting and want to learn more about? The alumni board wants to hear from you! We’re hoping to host a series of events, either in-person or virtually, for alumni on topics of general interest. If you’d like to explore speaking opportunities, please email Associate Director of Alumni Relations Carly Churchill ’10 at cchurchill@brooksschool.org.

Looking Ahead

In June 2020, the alumni board met virtually to discuss the school’s ongoing work toward becoming an antiracist institution, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the ways in which the board can support Brooks students and alumni as the institution continues its work in diversity, equity and inclusion. The alumni board will work in alignment with the school to ensure that necessary conversations and actions occur as this work proceeds.

2020–2021 BROOKS SCHOOL ALUMNI BOARD

Sally T. Milliken ’88, P’22, P’24 President

Career Advisory Committee

Matthew A. Godoff ’01 (chair) Leland B. Berman ’07 Catherine E. Cannon Francis ’96 Jason D. Fraser ’90 W. Alexander Haughton ’95 Jacqueline L. Murphy ’14 Lowey Bundy Sichol ’92

Class Volunteer Committee

Albert D. Nascimento ’10 Allison P. Barry ’13 Geoffrey M. Fulgione ’77, P’14, P’19 Abigail D. Skinner ’14 (DEI liaison) Kingsley P. Woolworth ’00

Events Committee

Nicholas R. Ziebarth ’95 (chair) Lowell C. Abbott ’10 Thomas L. Armstead ’89, P’22 John M. Greata ’00 Jessica S. Kapadia ’04 Brittanye J. Mackey ’07

Giving Committee

James G. Begen ’05 (chair) Phillip W. Field ’05 Joseph R. Malarney ’06 James T. O’Connor ’99 Katie Rogers Taylor ’92

Nominating Committee

Matthew Cascio ’91 (chair) Sean P. Nagle ’99 Emma M. Parkinson ’07 C. Stow Walker ’71, P’06

Emeritus

John A. McKallagat ’66, P’96, P’00