Leading the Way

We are grateful to the men and women who serve or have served on the Northwood School Board of Trustees. We thank them for dedicating their time to this special place called Northwood and for sharing their expertise and wisdom for the betterment of our school.

BRIAN LILLY ’85, CEO, LILLY BROADCASTING

Northwood Trustee Brian Lilly ’85 is CEO of Lilly Broadcasting, a privately owned broadcasting company operating in the U.S. and Caribbean. He is also involved in a variety of entrepreneurial ventures which include a brewery and hockey arena. In addition, Brian sponsors a design contest each year at Northwood for budding entrepreneurs.

Why did you choose to serve on the Northwood School Board of Trustees?

I ran into Head of School Mike Maher at the Interlaken when visiting Lake Placid a few years ago. It was exciting to hear his vision for the school. I also remember him playing the piano for us while we were there. It sounds funny but I don’t think the result would have been the same had we just set up a traditional meeting.

What are you most excited about at Northwood currently?

I find it interesting that there seem to be so many entrepreneurs among Northwood’s alumni and parent community – that’s where my interests lie as well. I am excited about the role the Innovation Hub plays in inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs. You see a lot about entrepreneurship at the college level, so I think it’s great that Northwood students have the opportunity to tap into their interests even earlier.

Why is philanthropy important to you?

I’ve had incredible role models in my family and among our family friends and they have taught me a lot about giving back – and supporting kids in particular. I’ve tried to reflect those same values in my philanthropy and the projects we get involved in through our business.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

When I was a Freshman, my family moved from Buffalo to Ithaca, N.Y. At the time I was attending the Nichols School in Buffalo and wanted to remain so I took a three-hour bus ride home and back every weekend by myself. As a parent of a child close to that age now that seems crazy!