From the Board

president’s letter

NANCY CAREY CASSIDY P’13, ’15 BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT

What a remarkable academic year we had at The Albany Academies!

Despite the challenges presented to us on so many fronts, this community of students, parents, educators, professional staff, and alumni and alumnae came together to ensure we had a successful year. I offer my sincere appreciation to our families and our professional community for their willingness to step in and provide the extraordinary support our students needed to have as normal a year as possible during the pandemic. I am certain our recent graduates, especially, are grateful that we were able to continue most of our time-honored traditions, even if they had to be adjusted.

Our Admissions team was busy this summer enrolling new students for this school year, as parents determine the best academic environment for their children. We are pleased to see that our current marketing efforts proved fruitful and generated a great deal of interest from parents who want a private school such as the Academies.

Of special interest to many parents is the brand new space created as an Early Childhood Center to house our preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten programs. These programs will involve a play-based curriculum and a whole-child approach where students will learn to be collaborative and cooperative learners. Students will be taught literacy and numeracy skills that will provide them with a foundation for future success. Reach out if you would like to hear more!

Again, please accept my thanks for the role each of you play in sustaining the wonderful community that exists here at The Albany Academies. I hope you enjoyed your summer and are recharged to head into the fall with renewed enthusiasm.

Thank you to Trustees Neil Murray ’62 , P’99, ’05, ’06 and Bill Belleville ’89

The Albany Academies Board of Trustees expressed their gratitude to Neil Murray ’62, P’99, ’05, ’06 and Bill Belleville ’89 for their many years of service and dedication as members of The Albany Academies Board of Trustees at a board meeting on June 16. During Neil’s time as a trustee, he provided numerous hours of pro bono legal advice, historical knowledge, and guidance to help lead the Academies during some challenging as well as very successful nine years. Neil, joined by his wife, Martha, is pictured here in his new Academy chair given to trustees at the end of their tenure on the board. Both Neil and Bill will join the Board of Visitors. Thank you, Neil and Bill!

Welcome New Board Members

We are very pleased to announce the addition of three new members to our Board of Trustees—Nicole “Nikki” Borisenok ’08, Marcus “Marc” Cavanaugh ’68, and Elissa Smith P’23, ’25, ’26.

Marcus “Marc” Cavanaugh ’68

Marc retired in 2018 after a 35-year career in investment banking with a specialty in mergers and acquisitions for non-profit hospital systems. He began his career as a Vice President with Paine Webber in New York, later served as Managing Director of National City Corporation’s Health Care Finance Group and for the last 10 years of his career was Managing Partner of Cavanagh, Hoyt and Associates based in Cleveland, Ohio. He received an MBA from The Wharton School with a dual major in Finance and Health Care Policy.

Marc lives in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts with his spouse Dr. Anna M. Dempsey, Professor of Art History at the University of Massachusetts, College of Visual and Performing Arts. They have two sons who were “lifers” at the Columbus Academy and two grandsons.

Nicole “Nikki” Borisenok ’08 Nikki spent four years working on the product development and innovation team at Victoria’s Secret, and then in 2018 traded the corporate world in New York City for life on her family’s thoroughbred breeding farm, Old Tavern Farm, in Saratoga Springs. She has since expanded the business with the addition of a boutique winery, Old Tavern Farm Winery, and continues to oversee and manage wine production, sales, and vineyard operations both locally in Saratoga and with vineyard partners in California and Washington.

Well known for her entrepreneurship and philanthropy, Nikki has co-chaired the Travers Wine Tasting Event, a premier fundraiser held in Saratoga Springs that benefits LifePath, formerly Senior Services of Albany, for the past three years. She leads the committee in fulfilling the organization’s mission of keeping older neighbors and friends healthy and safe by providing effective programs and supporting them in staying connected to their communities.