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Alumni Weekend
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2022 Down School Road
There is nothing quite like getting to reconnect with familiar faces excited to be back at the place many called home in their teenage years. This feeling was in abundance as Millbrook hosted the first in-person Alumni Weekend in three years. All reunion classes got the chance to mingle, connect, explore campus, and honor fellow classmates on their old stomping grounds.
The weekend began with gatherings for classes celebrating their 50th reunion—the classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972. Coming together to reminisce and reconnect, some for the first time in many years, they met for dinner on Thursday night and enjoyed panel discussions before recording their oral histories on Friday. These 50th reunion alumni enjoyed extra tours of campus and the Trevor Zoo and partook in master classes in the Holbrook Arts Center and at the farm. They were joined on Friday evening by members of the classes of 1995, 1996, and 1997 for the annual 25th and 50th reunion dinner.
On Saturday, campus filled with members from all other classes. Classmates greeted each other joyfully and there was plenty of time for everyone to catch up. Plucking their class banners from the green grass of Pulling Circle, classes rallied for the walk across the Flagler Quad and into the chapel for the traditional Alumni Assembly. After giving an update on the state of the school, Head of School Jonathan Downs ’98, with the help of Senior Master Robert Anthony ’65, honored two alumni. Norman B. Bird ’69 was presented with the Edward Pulling Community Service Award, and Frank Borges ’70 was honored with a Millbrook Medal. Mr. Downs and all alumni in attendance also took the opportunity to thank and honor Drew and Linda Casertano, who spent the afternoon and evening enjoying reunion activities, for their dedication to the school and community over more than three decades.
Following the assembly, all alumni spent time reconnecting, enjoying food and cocktails in Casertano Hall, and dancing on the Class of 2022 Terrace.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Two special awards were presented to deserving Millbrook alumni.
Following are excerpts from the award citations written and shared by Robert Anthony ’65
MILLBROOK MEDAL Frank Borges ’70
A humble gentleman, no one deserves our recognition and gratitude more than Frank, who has truly embodied Millbrook’s mission and values throughout his life and served his school in so many distinguished ways.
Frank’s story is a personal and powerful one. After graduating from Trinity College in 1974, he earned a law degree from the University of Connecticut and then served as associate counsel for The Travelers Insurance Companies from 1978-1981 before becoming deputy mayor of Hartford, Connecticut. Twice he was elected treasurer of the State of Connecticut, an office he held from 1986-1993. He left the political arena to work for GE Capital’s Financial Guaranty Insurance Company before joining Landmark Partners as chairman and chief executive officer.
All along, Frank serves or has served on several boards including Millbrook School, where he was first elected in 1980. He was Millbrook’s first board member to be coaxed back to the board with his re-election in 2013, and he remains a wise and highly respected trustee today. He has also served on the boards of Trinity College and the NAACP, and he is currently chair of the Knight Foundation. Other board positions include Selected/Clipper Funds, the Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, the University of Connecticut Medical/Dental School and Health Center, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
Frank is all about giving people opportunities while bolstering their spirits and enhancing their chances to lead successful and meaningful lives. He seeks and draws out the humanity in everyone while treating all whom he meets with dignity and respect. For his service and devotion, we honor him with a Millbrook Medal.
Top row: Daniel Borges Correia '16, Frank Borges '70, Maria Borges Correia, Caleb Borges King '13, Keith King. Bottom row: Victoria Borges King, Joaquina Borges King, Cam Moniz (baby), Liz Aheart, Marcus Vega '25, Mason Moniz (baby), Arthur Moniz.
Following graduation from Goddard College, Norman married his wife, Diane, and they settled in Connecticut. The Birds had three sons, one of whom, Hayden, became a Millbrook graduate in 2005. Norman worked at Otis Elevator’s North American and world headquarters for 36 years; he became both a legend and a mentor.
Norman has stated that he has been guided for the past 50-plus years by Millbrook School’s motto: Non Sibi Sed Cunctis (Not for oneself, but for all). A member of the volunteer fire service for more than half a century, he has also helped at Special Olympics events locally and abroad since 1983. He ran his town’s youth soccer program while serving as a coach and overseeing the renovation of the town’s playing fields. He has been a member of the National Ski Patrol since 1993 and has participated in charity bike rides since he turned 60, raising more than $50,000 for the Closer to Free Ride, which supports Smilow Cancer Center. These days Norman keeps busy as the chief of the Riverton Volunteer Fire Department.
Three years ago, Norman volunteered to help his class celebrate their 50th reunion. Few, if any, have ever done a better job of gathering his classmates for a truly remarkable weekend. Since then, he has worked diligently to keep in touch with his Millbrook schoolmates, and as a class, they are united in their shared goal of leaving a lasting legacy to Millbrook. We salute Norman, who, in a distinctive way, has extended the principles and the spirit of community service in life beyond Millbrook through his continued service as a first responder and volunteer extraordinaire.
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2022
