Staff Story: Nancy Milner

By Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications

Family is what is most important to Nancy Milner, administrative assistant to Early Elementary Division Head Sheree Du Preez. And family includes the community at Trinity School, where Nancy has worked since 2000. As her youngest sister, Blair, shared with me, “What means the most to Nancy is family: the one she grew up with, the one she raised, the one she married into, the one at Trinity, and the one she creates with friends she makes everywhere she goes.” Visiting with Nancy in her cozy office, you can see the truth of this statement. Hundreds of photos of current and past Trinity students and teachers sit alongside photos of her husband, children, and grandchildren on the walls next to Nancy’s desk. “I’m surrounded by my people,” she says with a huge smile. “Including all my little friends.” Nancy grew up in Norfolk, Virginia, one of eight children born to Earl and Jerry Clark, who were also born and raised in Norfolk. Nancy was number six in line, with two older sisters, Linda and Barbara; three older brothers, Steve, Bill, and David; one younger brother, Jim; and one younger sister, Blair.

“I was very blessed to grow up in such a loving and supportive big family,” says Nancy. “My parents loved kids and being with us. They and my siblings were kind, honest, and patient. We often were referred to by friends as the ‘all-American family.’ If you needed help with something, there was always someone willing to pitch in help you out. Honestly, my siblings were my best friends.” Education was very important to Nancy’s parents, and they instilled that in their children. Her father graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in aeronautical engineering, and her mother completed a two-year program at Old Dominion, which was the Norfolk Division of William & Mary at the time. “We were very proud of our parents; they were such wonderful role models,” says Nancy. “My dad was a

Nancy loves being surrounded by photos of friends and family, including hundreds of Trinity students and teachers.

mechanical engineer and ultimately owned his own business. When we were older, my mom would do seasonal work for the IRS.”

Nancy makes her love for Trinity School and the work and learning that occur here clear. After struggling with mathematics through her elementary school years and subsequently her middle and high school years, she often references how she wishes that she had had the Trinity Experience when she was a child. “Mom and dad excelled at math, so I am still surprised about my struggle with math and numbers,” says Nancy. “In school, I was lost in a classroom of 28 kids, and I didn’t receive the support I needed. “I was so shy when I was little, and Trinity draws out the best in students, something I wish I had had when I was younger,” she continues. “Here, children are seen, known, and loved, and they are not overlooked. I was one of the students that fell through the cracks, and a school like Trinity would have made all the difference.”

While she may have had difficulties with math, Nancy excelled in other activities at school, including tennis. She played on the first girls tennis team at her high school, then later played as a freshman and senior in college. In addition, she went out of her comfort zone to be a cheerleader her sophomore year of high school. Nancy says, “That was so not me. I don’t like being in front of people, but it really helped me come out of my shell.” After high school, Nancy intended to major in Spanish, but after spending a month in Spain during her junior year and discovering that she would have to spend a full year overseas to complete her degree, she changed her mind. Unsure of what to major in, she turned to one of her passions - art. And since she, as Nancy puts it, “loves art and had some talent,” she focused on studio art the latter half of her college career, earning a Bachelor of Arts in art from Mary Baldwin College, in Staunton, Virginia. The summer after graduation, Nancy was working as an office assistant at a law firm when she decided to pivot again, and into a role that was newly on her radar. At the age of 21, she found herself and her little yellow American Tourister suitcase on a plane to Atlanta to interview for a flight attendant position with Delta Airlines. “One of my friends from college, Becky, was dying to be a flight attendant, and I thought that was cool,” Nancy says. “Then, when I was working as a gopher at a law firm, I thought, what the heck? I had not even heard of Delta, but I applied there because Becky said that it was one of the best airlines. Next thing I know, I received a letter to come for an interview.” Landing the job was a surprise to Nancy, and she moved to Atlanta and spent the next five years flying all over the United States, meeting new people, growing her independence and confidence, and overcoming her shyness. In 1981, she married and changed her name to Nancy Brading, then became a stay-at-home mom when her first child, Blair, was born.

The joy on Nancy’s face when she talks about her family is contagious. In addition to Blair, Nancy and her first husband have two sons, Clark and Bill, and another daughter, Alison. “I always wanted to be a mama,” she says. “After Blair was born, we lived on a cul-de-sac, and there were 10 houses on it. None of us in the neighborhood had extended family in town, so we all looked out for each other, and we treated the other kids like our kids. Those were great years full of Halloween parades, Christmas festivities, and other fond memories.”

After a divorce and with her children getting older, Nancy was led to go back to work. As the mother of young children in Atlanta, she knew about Trinity’s reputation and was friends with Learning Team Specialist Diane Dickey, her neighbor who was then a First-Grade teacher at Trinity. Nancy had been a substitute teacher at other schools, working with all age ranges in preschool, and Diane encouraged her to apply for an associate teacher position in the Early Learners (then called the Three-YearOlds) program. While she was not necessarily interested in working in education, Nancy was interested in working at Trinity and was excited to accept the position after interviewing with Betty Moore, the Early Learning Division coordinator at the time.

Nancy says, “That turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I began teaching in the Three-YearOlds class that was known then as the Dinosaur class, with Barbara Wheaton as lead teacher and Penny Sapone as associate. Barbara and I worked together for nine years before she retired.”

After Barbara’s retirement, Nancy transitioned into an administrative position as one of the School’s receptionists. Having taught for nine years, Nancy says that it was especially nice to welcome students and parents at the front desk as she knew most of them. And she says it was a wonderful opportunity to be able to embrace the whole school: parents, students, staff, and administration. In 2011, after three years as a receptionist, Nancy took on one more unexpected new role. Then-Head of School Stephen Kennedy asked her if she would like to be the administrative assistant to the Early Elementary Division Head. While she loved her role at the front desk and wasn’t sure she was ready for the technical demands of the

administrative assistant position, she took on the challenge, learning new systems and technology, once again growing in her confidence.

Nancy says, “I was intimidated at first because of the computer skills I had to learn, but this job is perfect for me. I have had the great pleasure of working with Dawn Pile for two years, seven years with Rhonda Mitchell, and now finishing out my first year with our new division head, Sheree Du Preez. All such amazing and wonderful women. “I have a hard time describing exactly what I do to people, as every day is different,” she continues. “Primarily, I work closely with Sheree to support her and the Early Elementary faculty. Listening is a huge part of my job as well as supporting everyone downstairs. I do my best to do what’s needed at any given time, from scheduling parent and teacher meetings to forwarding paperwork to other schools or psychologists, from organizing the Speech, Language, and Hearing screenings to helping students when they need it. When I have some free time, I especially love being with the children. You can find me in the halls greeting them in the morning or stopping by a classroom to see what’s going on.” And now, more than two decades after joining the Trinity family, she is still excited to come to work every day. “This community is amazing,” Nancy says. “This is such a great place to work, and it’s not one thing, it’s the overall positive environment provided by the teachers and administrators. Everyone is here because they want to be here. They love the children and want what is best for them.” With her perspectives as a teacher and a staff member, Nancy believes that she has a unique appreciation for the decision making that occurs at Trinity. “There is a reason for why things are done the way they are here,” she says. “The decisions are thoughtful, and it’s been great to be able to see the different sides of it all. And after struggling through my own experience in elementary school, I especially appreciate and respect the efforts of our teachers and the whole Trinity community.” Nancy will gain another perspective next school year, when her grandson Jack enters the Early Learners program and she becomes a Trinity grandparent. “When school started in August, and all the kids were walking in, and they were hugging the teachers, I called my daughter, Blair, and said you really need to bring Jack here. They were already thinking about it, and I am so grateful that I will have my grandson here next year,” says Nancy. In addition to her family, Nancy is motivated most by her faith in God. She says that it keeps her centered and is very important to her. “Peace, love, and happiness” is her mantra, and she doesn’t like to see others agitated and always wants to diffuse situations and lighten the load for others.

Throwback to 2007, when Nancy was photographed with her Early Learner, then called the Three-Year-Olds, teammates.

Nancy’s family gathers for a group photo in November 2021.

“I am a peacemaker, and I am not one to hold on to things. Sure, I will get upset, but I had a brother who was killed at 26 in a car accident. I was 21, and it rocked my world when he passed away and reinforced my belief that life was too short,” she says. Looking to the future, Nancy says she would like to continue to concentrate on her family, travel, and spend more time outdoors, where she feels the most comfortable. She married the love of her life, Fritz Milner, on June 27, 2015. Between them, they have seven children, six sons- and daughters-in-law, and nine grandsons. After Nancy and Fritz married, they moved to Fritz’s 350-acre farm in Hoschton, Georgia. After work and on the weekends, they love to ride their Kawasaki MULE around the property to discover wildlife and watch the cows graze. “I leave the city and get out there, and it’s cows and trees and a barn. It’s just completely different. I love it out there,” she says. And while she has seen Trinity evolve over the past 22 years, she looks forward to working here for years to come, meeting new friends, and adding photos to her office walls. “Even with the new location, new faces, new technologies, and other changes over the years, the wonderful spirit and mission of Trinity has remained the same. I spend more time here than I do with my family, and the overall camaraderie and care for each other keeps me here. Trinity has helped me grow in so many ways. I have received the gift of friendship, the gift of trust, the gift of kindness. And I’m grateful for it all.”

Fun Facts about Nancy Milner

Favorite food: Beef tenderloin and crab

Favorite musician: Neil Diamond

Secret talent: Nancy is a “master scheduler,” according to Sheree Du Preez Favorite movie: The Sound of Music

Favorite school subjects: Art and English Favorite children’s book: Charlotte’s Web

Favorite Flik meal: Salmon, beef tacos, barbecue pork and chicken

Nancy works closely with Early Elementary Division Head Sheree Du Preez.