Martlets on the Move

Laser-Focused on Conservation

For Nick Dilks ’92, the land along the Farmington River in Simsbury was a haven for bird-watching, fishing and exploring during his years at Westminster. A lifelong naturalist, Nick is co-founder and managing partner of Baltimore-based Ecosystems Investment Partners (EIP), a private investment firm that mobilizes capital to deliver large-scale ecological restoration and conservation.

“We balance the notion of restoring and protecting, while allowing development at the same time,” explained Nick. “My job is to execute projects that restore and conserve resources paid by the development that is occurring.” Through its investment funds, EIP acquires, restores and permanently protects priority conservation properties and sells the credits generated by them to customers who must offset their unavoidable environmental impacts.

Since it began in 2006, Nick’s firm has restored more than 44,000 acres of wetlands and 176 miles of streams in 13 states. Each project that uses EIP’s credits and offsets must undergo a rigorous approval process before mitigating is even an option. “No one is allowed to wantonly waste resources,” said Nick. “There has to be an economic justification, and they must demonstrate they cannot avoid the impact and have done everything feasible to minimize it. Projects and their offsets must be approved by multiple federal, state and local agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”

Nick’s father, Peter Dilks ’63, was a founder of the firm Public Financial Management in Philadelphia, where Nick grew up. “He helped not-for-profits get financing for public works projects and taught me about doing business for a good cause,” said Nick. “We can develop land and still engage in environmental protection. I awoke to that notion when I was 16 or 17 years old and have pursued it ever since. I am passionate about the environment, but I didn’t want to say no to everything since that does not address jobs or human welfare issues.”

At Westminster, Nick was founder and president of the Environmental Awareness Club and the Outing Club, and was a gifted artist noted for his drawings of North American birds. “I had been laser-focused on conservation since before I attended Westminster,” he said. “My father and uncle were both great outdoorsmen, and my grandmother was a naturalist and bird-watcher.”

In addition to his many outdoor endeavors as a Martlet, Nick played football and hockey, served as junior prefect and was co-editor-in-chief of The Westminster News.

Among his favorite teachers was science teacher Bill Sistare. “You need rigorous underpinnings of good science in my field,” said Nick. He also reflects fondly on outdoor activities with faculty member Scott Stevens, saying, “He was very encouraging to me as a young person.”

Nick attended Duke University, where he earned a B.A. in environmental science and policy in 1996. He then joined The Conservation Fund, serving as vice president of real estate while concurrently completing his MBA at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Following his tenure at The Conservation Fund, he co-founded EIP in 2006.

EIP is now one of the largest sources of capital for conservation and restoration in the United States. When asked about where he thinks EIP will be focused in the coming years, he replied, “Water quality is one of the preeminent environmental problems we can address and it is understood that large-scale restoration of our streams and wetlands is how we can get water quality back.”

Among EIP’s most recent projects is a restoration benefiting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. “The Chesapeake Bay is experiencing water quality issues associated with fertilizer runoff and the resulting algae blooms extracting oxygen out of the water,” said Nick. EIP and its partners were able to reduce nutrient and sediment discharges to the bay by restoring over 76,000 linear feet (almost 15 miles) of streams in the upper Chesapeake Bay watershed. In recognition of its work, the Chesapeake Conservancy named EIP a Champion of the Chesapeake.

Nick’s wife, Martina, and their children, Margaret and Peter, join Nick’s passion for the outdoors and love to fish, hunt and hike. They are also part of the next generation of the Dilks family spending time on the family’s farm in northern Maryland, where they often see Nick’s uncle, Charlie Dilks ’59.

Nick said that when he first visited Westminster, he knew it was the place for him. “I am gently introducing the idea of boarding school to our children,” he said. “They are curious but don’t understand. I didn’t at their age, either.”

Nick Dilks ’92 hiking in England with his daughter.

Making a Difference

When Alex Lavoie ’06 joined startup transit company Via as New York City general manager in 2014, the on-demand rideshare company was operating in a small fraction of the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Within a year, Via was serving all of New York City.

Now, Alex is global head of operations for Via, which does business across North America and in more than 20 countries, providing services far beyond the scope of the typical rideshare company. Via can be found in Seattle, Los Angeles, Berlin and London, to name a few locations.

Alex graduated from Harvard in 2010 with a B.A. in economics, and started his career at Goldman Sachs as an investment banking analyst. He was there two years before joining TPG Capital, a private equity firm where he specialized in technology, media and telecommunications, and first became interested in the rideshare industry. “In college, I had worked on entrepreneurial projects and subsequently began exploring joining a startup,” he said.

In his early days with Via, Alex recruited drivers, got feedback from riders and hired staff. “From the beginning, my job with Via was not limited to finance,” he said. “I liked being part of an early team that was building a product our customers would use on a regular basis for their day-to-day transportation.” Currently, in New York City alone, 40,000-50,000 passengers share Via rides each day.

Beyond direct-to-consumer transportation, Via works on behalf of government agencies to provide transit services that increase access to transit hubs, improve paratransit, create equitable public transportation in transit deserts and optimize poorly performing bus routes. “Via has become an integrated part of the public transit system for many cities around the world,” said Alex.

This year, Via will expand by managing New York City’s fleet of more than 10,000 school buses. “We are providing software that is both a rider and parent app,” explained Alex. “It will let parents and school administrators know where buses are going and when children board and disembark. This will help bring the city much-needed transparency to manage safety and increase efficiency.”

A technology-related career was not on the horizon when Alex was a student at Westminster. During his Sixth Form year, he was a research assistant for a surgeon at the University of Connecticut, where he worked on a study related to the effects of smoking on postsurgical orthopedic outcomes. “I considered majoring in the life sciences in college but ended up studying economics,” he said.

Alex came to Westminster as a day student from Avon. Several of his friends had older siblings attending Westminster, and Alex’s father encouraged him to visit.

Alex Lavoie ’06

“It was the only place I applied,” said Alex. “I found tremendous friends and mentors at Westminster. It was an immersive experience academically, but also one where I learned the value of balance.”

As a student, Alex was the recipient of numerous academic awards and served as editor-in-chief of The Westminster News, a class officer all four years, co-vice president of the John Hay Society and co-president of Black and Gold. He also sang in Chorale, was a member of Serving Our Neighbors and Model U.N., and played first team squash and baseball, and second team soccer.

“I enjoyed the level of engagement with other students,” said Alex. “We were always busy with classes, sports and extracurricular activities,” “Mark de Kanter ’91, who I had for physics and AP Biology, was the best teacher I’ve ever had at any level,” said Alex. “I’m still in touch with him, and he is a great mentor and friend. Also, great coaches like squash coach Peter Doucette always motivated me to practice more.”

Alex lives in Brooklyn Heights and travels frequently to Lake Tahoe. He enjoys biking, hiking and spending time in the outdoors. Each week, he and Ned Reeves ’05 play squash at the Harvard Club in New York City. Alex and Ned were varsity squash teammates at both Westminster and later Harvard.

Alex attends many Westminster alumni functions. He recalled an event held early in his career when former Headmaster Graham Cole encouraged him to try different career paths outside of finance. “In a subtle way, he pushed me to think about the impact I could have,” said Alex. “I have found a calling working in technology and the public sector where I can make a difference.”

Helping Bring Home an Oscar

The fictional Eastland School, the setting for the 1980s American sitcom “The Facts of Life,” inspired Angela Killoren ’88 to pursue a boarding school education in the United States. She was a student at the Seoul Foreign School in South Korea when she approached her parents about studying abroad.

“Boarding school looked like so much fun, and I was persistent with my parents,” said Angela. Her reluctant father allowed just one option: Westminster. “My dad was aghast, but he had a friend who was teaching drama at Westminster, although that friend left shortly after I arrived.”

Her bicultural upbringing and cross-Pacific career have led Angela to her current role as chief operating officer of CJ ENM, a subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate CJ Corporation and one of the world’s largest entertainment and media companies. This year, CJ has had unprecedented success as the studio behind the film “Parasite,” which won four Oscars, including becoming the first foreign-language best picture winner at the 2020 Academy Awards, in addition to more than two dozen international film awards.

“I had been at CJ for almost 10 years and ‘Parasite’ was the film I was waiting for,” said Angela. “My dream was for us to win South Korea’s first Oscar, and I just felt this was the film that would translate.” After the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the summer of 2019, Angela met with Neon, “Parasite’s” U.S. distributor. “I was adamant about preparing for a broad Oscar campaign and everyone seemed shocked,” she said.

Angela was pushing Neon on the film’s U.S. awards potential, and CJ guaranteed the initial budget for campaign efforts. “They projected “Parasite” to become the No. 1 Korean movie in the U.S., which meant $2.5 million at the box office, but we believed in much more,” said Angela. “We just needed to give it traction.”

Behind the scenes, Angela worked to move “Parasite” through the awards circuit. “I was surprised how similar this was to a political campaign,” she said. “I would meet people and share all the ways why I believed our candidate was the most worthy. The director, Bong Joon Ho, was the best spokesperson of all! As chief operating officer, the most important thing I could do was look into the future and marshal resources.” By midwinter, “Parasite” had grossed more than $50 million in the U.S. and nearly $230 million globally. “It’s become the highest-grossing Korean film ever,” she said.

Angela’s link to the entertainment industry goes back to her time at Westminster. “I did theater tech with Dramat and learned a lot,” she said. “I loved the camaraderie, the problem-solving and the production side.” She also performed with Chorale, Camerata and Choir; was a member of Black and Gold and the Language Club; was business manager of The Westminster News; and played soccer and volleyball.

Following graduation, Angela took an unexpected gap year, deferring her admission to Columbia University to serve as a volunteer translator for the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea. She filled the remainder of the year with an internship with the Korean Broadcasting System. “I bamboozled my way in and helped produce an English language education show and then worked in news and scripted drama,” she said.

After earning a B.A. in East Asian languages and cultures with a focus on Chinese history from Columbia, Angela joined Bear Stearns for six months, before returning to Korea, where she joined her mother’s public relations firm. “I introduced Korea to people who had never been to the country, primarily corporate clients of international conglomerates,” she explained. When the opportunity arose to join a new entertainment venture by Cheil Jedang (now CJ), a founding investor of DreamWorks, “it was a cross-cultural dream come true!”

After moving to Los Angeles with her husband, Po-Wen Shaw, in 2005, Angela became associate director of the Center for Asian Pacific Leadership at the University of Southern California, which focused on creating civic leadership networks among Asian American professionals, primarily in the finance, media and political arenas. And in 2011, she joined CJ E&M as senior vice president of marketing in the Los Angeles office.

Within a year at CJ E&M, Angela organized the first K-pop convention in Irvine, Calif., featuring popular music originating in South Korea. “Our first KCON event felt like a handmade effort with an amazing concert on top of workshops, panels, food and merchandise,” she said. In 2014, CJ introduced K-pop stars BTS in the U.S. Now, CJ’s K-pop conventions are held around the world and have crossed the millionth visitor threshold. They include dance covers, Korean beauty and fashion. “The fans are so dedicated,” said Angela. “But KCON is about creating a community experience that transcends any single band.”

Angela and her husband, who is an architect, live in Los Angeles with their 11-year-old son, Gabriel. Soon, Angela says CJ will be producing English language movies. “Korean language dramas on Netflix are popular around the world, and shows like “Masked Singer” and “The Good Doctor” are remakes of Korean programs,” she said. “U.S. productions of film and television is our next big thing, so we are staffing up. It is such an honor to be able to translate culture for people.”

Torrey Trzcienski ’99

Managing Nursing Services to Meet Emergency Needs

More than 100,000 patients enter the doors of Hartford Hospital’s Department of Emergency Medicine each year where nurse manager Torrey Trzcienski ’99 leads a team of 135 nurses to coordinate patient care. The emergency room and trauma center operate at capacity daily.

“The emergency department is about managing crisis,” said Torrey. “Some people may just need a BandAid, but we have to realize that the people coming in can’t manage their problems on their own and need us. Every day, we determine what is the best way to optimize our resources to safely, compassionately and efficiently care for our patients.”

Torrey’s grandfather, who was a Hartford Hospital physician, steered her toward a career in nursing rather than her original plan to become a doctor. “He told me that he would support my choice to pursue medical school, but that I would be frustrated by modern-day health care,” she explained. “He said he often heard physicians say that if they knew then what they know now they would not have entered the field. He did not hear nurses say that.”

After graduating from the University of Connecticut in 2004 with a double major in history and biology and prepared for medical school, Torrey followed her grandfather’s advice. She participated in the Nursing Accelerated Second Degree program at UConn and joined the nursing staff of Hartford Hospital in 2007.

“I loved bedside care, but I also wanted to be able to change things and make care better,” said Torrey. She subsequently became a charge nurse and then a nurse educator. “My supervisor told me I was a great educator but could also be a great manager.” Torrey was named a nurse manager before earning her master’s degree in nursing leadership and administration from Sacred Heart University in August 2008.

Including the nurses under her supervision, Torrey has 260 direct-report employees. “Most of what I do is teaching, coaching and mentoring, but the fourth part is cheerleading,” she said. “When they are frustrated and tired, they need to know they are doing hard work and doing it well.”

Torrey’s work begins well before she arrives at the hospital each day. During early morning phone calls, she and her team formulate a plan to handle the day’s safety and bed management decisions. “It’s not just the here and now; it’s also about the 30,000-foot view,” she explained. “It’s how we interact with the rest of the hospital and how we deal with the patient population. There is a significant psychiatric volume. Every hospital in the country has that challenge since resources for the psychiatric population are difficult, especially in crisis.”

Torrey came to Westminster her Fifth Form year, joining her cousin Justin Scull ’99. Though boarding school was a tradition in her family, she first studied at a public high school near her Connecticut home and abroad in Germany.

As a Westminster student, Torrey served as editor of the yearbook, worked on the Martlet, was a member of the Debate Club and the Jazz Ensemble, and was a volunteer tutor. She also played soccer, basketball and softball. Her time at Westminster influenced her future studies. “Faculty members Dick Adams and Charlie Griffith were the reason I became a history major,” she said.

While at UConn, Torrey had the option to study abroad again in Germany. Instead, inspired by 9/11, she chose to participate in Semester at Sea in spring 2002. “Most people responded to the tragedy by staying near home,” she said. “I wanted to see the good things that the rest of the world had to offer.” She visited the Bahamas, Cuba, Brazil, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Singapore, Vietnam, China and Japan. She also met her future wife, Melanie LaMere. “We had to prebook our excursions before departing and had by chance signed up for all the same experiences,” said Torrey. “We were together all semester.” After graduation, Torrey convinced Melanie to relocate to Connecticut from Iowa, and the couple married in 2011. They are parents to 5-year-old Charlotte and 4-year-old Benjamin.

Over the years, Torrey has served on Westminster reunion committees and as a class agent. She continues to embrace Grit & Grace in her daily life. “Don’t ever let them see you sweat, and do your work with honor and integrity,” she said.