Meet The Board

Tatnall’s Board of Trustees is a diverse group of professionals who embody the Mission of our school and are devoted to driving our growth and maximizing our impact. Each trustee has their own reason for dedicating their time to Tatnall, and each reason speaks to a deep respect and appreciation for our unique culture. Get to know the men and women who support our school.

Steve Marvin ’88

As president of the board since 2017, what from your tenure are you proudest of?

Appointing the Head of School is one of the most important responsibilities of the Tatnall School Board of Trustees, so I’m proudest of bringing Dr. Andrew D. Martire here. I very much believe that he’s a great fit for Tatnall. In his short time here, it’s already easy to see how much he cares about all the people within our close-knit community, from the students and their parents through the faculty and alumni. He’s really embracing our Mission and unique culture. That’s been very encouraging for me to see, because compassion is such an important component of who we are and what we’re about. It’s what I loved most about the school when I was a student, and I particularly appreciate it now as a parent of Tatnall students. It’s also what continues to draw me back to Tatnall to support the school in whatever ways I can.

We’re coming off one of the most turbulent periods in recent history. What fills you with optimism about Tatnall’s immediate future?

This school year has actually been a great example of Dr. Martire’s positive influence. He came in at such a difficult time and brought everyone together. I’m genuinely excited to see him operate in a normal environment, without the weight of the world always bearing down on his plans. But even under such trying circumstances, there’s plenty to feel encouraged about, including the ways he’s helping to shape our outdoor classrooms and environmental studies program. Keith Morton ’74

What’s compelled you to remain involved in Tatnall for the better part of the last five decades?

Tatnall opened up a whole new world to me, and that continued even after I graduated. So much of what I’ve achieved, I can trace back to my time at Tatnall. It was, and continues to be, everything I could ask of a learning institution. Secondly, Tatnall has become our family’s school. My nieces, both Wooden Spoon Award winners, graduated in 2009 and 2011. And they’ve described experiences that were similar to mine. So Tatnall has been a consistently positive presence in mine and my family’s lives.

Reflecting on your long association with Tatnall, what resonates most with you?

When I was a student in the seventies, it was very much like it is now. There was a lot of political upheaval and activism around the Vietnam war and civil rights movement. Tatnall became my refuge from much of that. While I did experience some racism, the vast majority of people embraced me as family. Because of that, I always felt like the school was actively trying to live up to its values. And as a result of that experience, and because of all the ways the school has supported me, I’ve wanted to be involved in enabling Tatnall to continue to aspire to be its best self.

I believe it’s especially important at this critical time for the school to listen to different perspectives from its history. That will bring clarity to the future and help Tatnall evolve its mission accordingly.

The relevancy of our curriculum balances creativity and critical thinking. The education a student receives at Tatnall is by no means narrowly focused, which I believe is so important in today’s world.

— Caroline Brown Lintner ’83

Caroline Brown Lintner ’83

You’ve been a trustee since 2005, and you were President of the Board from 2013 to 2017. Why take such an active role in shaping Tatnall’s present and future?

Well, I’m a graduate of The Tatnall School, as were my sisters. I believe deeply in its Mission and motto, “All Things Done in Love.” I’d like to believe that for everyone in the Tatnall community those are more than words. Everything here is done with a lot of heart. The most shining example of that is our teachers. They adopt each student as an individual. And that’s been the case since I was student.

Looking back on your time as board president, what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishments?

Maintaining focus on the school’s Mission. My term coincided with a generational shift at Tatnall. Dr. Eric G. Ruoss retired after 17 years. He was the longest-serving Head of School since school founder Frances Dorr Swift Tatnall. At the same time, we also embarked on a significant, multi-year strategic planning process. So there was a lot of upheaval. But both the board and our faculty remained stable because, I think, they believed in our Mission. And that went a long way toward protecting our unique culture here.

What fills you with optimism about Tatnall’s immediate future?

The relevancy of our curriculum, which balances creativity and critical thinking. The education a student receives at Tatnall is by no means narrowly focused, which I believe is so important in today’s world. Frank McKelvey

You’ve been a trustee for the last 12 years, but that’s really just scratching the surface of what is a deep involvement in Tatnall.

My wife, Patti, and I started off simply enough, reading to our daughters’ classes while they were in Early Childhood. It was a great way for us to get a glimpse into that part of their lives. And then Patti was a homeroom parent through their Lower School years. I’ve done some calling for the annual fund, and I was asked to join a marketing committee before eventually serving on the board. As our daughters got older, we found ourselves manning the concession stand at football games and the Hungry Hornet at various sporting events. We’ve met a lot of people along the way we might not otherwise have gotten to know very well and become close friends. We think about it this way: The teachers do so much. Volunteering is one way we can support them.

Your two daughters are in college now. Your son is about to enter eighth grade at Tatnall. How has your perspective as a Tatnall volunteer evolved?

I now see us having a long-term relationship with Tatnall. When we were picking a school for our daughters, we were strictly focused on finding the best place for them. All these years later, we’ve come to appreciate that the school serves many children. And we’ve benefitted from the generosity of people we’ve never met who invested their time and money in Tatnall well before our daughters and son were enrolled here. That’s got us thinking more and more these days about how we can help the students at Tatnall 20 years from now.