艾伦·麦克尼尔，查尔斯，55岁

感谢她稳定的领导, 经久不衰的奉献, 异常管理, 并致力于为威尼斯彩票游戏服务, the Board of Trustees and Head of School Cathy McGehee honored 艾伦·麦克尼尔，查尔斯，55岁 by presenting her with Foxcroft’s highest award, the Anne Kane McGuire ’52 杰出的服务 Award, at a special luncheon on April 22 during Reunion Weekend.

“威尼斯彩票游戏的女人都能做到!” exclaimed Ellen when she received the phone call in the spring of 2018 that the Centennial 运动, 她是联合主席, was completed two years early and $5 million over the goal. “完成它”是她的全部. From that day back in 1951 when Ellen began her Foxcroft journey through today, she continues to impact the School in myriad ways by ‘getting it done.’

Ellen grew up with horses on a farm in Howard County, MD, and attended Garrison Forest School before matriculating to Foxcroft. 她的马术生涯, her family joked that she liked horses a lot better from the ground than she did from their backs! During her four years at Foxcroft, Ellen was “well thought of by both faculty and classmates.” She was a member of the Alliance Francaise, 法国俱乐部, and Glee; she was a Library Co-Head, 一顶帽子, 以及塔利豪的业务经理!. Miss Charlotte wrote of Ellen’s time at Foxcroft, “She is thoughtful and gracious! She fulfills her jobs in an efficient but not flashy manner. 她是最棒的!”

After Foxcroft, Ellen headed to Mount Holyoke College and graduated in 1959. Marriage, three sons (Lee, David, and Andrew), and a new endeavor — raising dogs — soon followed. Puppies and ponies were to become a theme in Ellen’s life as she went from dog breeder to American Kennel Club judge, AKC狗博物馆的主席, and owner with winning distinctions such as Best in Show with Jewel, 一个猎狐犬, 和荣誉, 比熊尾巴, 在威斯敏斯99499威尼斯信誉狗展上.

With both parents active in the racing world, it is not surprising that Ellen also found a love for horses. In 2004, she purchased her first horse to race under her mother’s colors and propelled Hillwood Stable to what it is today. 与这项运动的其他参与, she has served on the board of such groups as the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. 带着她的马和狗, 她靠自己的哲学生活, “当你参与一项运动时, 你也需要回报.”

而她也有所回报! Ellen has served on the boards of many organizations, 包括99499威尼斯信誉, 都铎王朝的地方, 还有希尔伍德庄园, 博物馆及花园. 在希尔伍德, her grandmother Marjorie Merriweather Post’s home, Ellen served as President of the Board for 25 years and brought it from a “well-kept secret to a shared treasure.“对所有这些组织, Ellen has brought a special blend of leadership, 经验, 智慧, 热情, 激情, and a great sense of humor that not only benefits and enriches the organization, but leaves it well-positioned for the future. In 1997, after speaking to Foxcroft alumnae during a tour of Hillwood, she began another 25-year involvement — this time with her beloved School.

Ellen has answered Foxcroft’s call to service many times since then. As a member of Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees, she has served as co-chair of the Advancement Committee, where she now sits as an ex-officio member, 以及百年纪念运动的联合主席, the largest capital fundraising effort in the School’s history. 在她的领导下, the extraordinary bequest from Ruth Bedford ’32, the largest gift ever given to an all-girls secondary school, 收到了. She was a member of the 搜索 Committee that brought Cathy McGehee as Foxcroft’s 10th Head of School and has interviewed candidates for positions in the Office of Institutional Advancement. She continues to host gatherings for the School in her beautiful home in Georgetown and attends as many 事件 on campus as possible. 一次, she drove all the way to campus for a virtual meeting for the simple reason that, 正如她所说, “It is more fun to be with people than to sit alone in my house!” 

也许是Van S. 小Merle-Smith., Academic Head at the time who would go on to become Foxcroft’s second Head following Miss Charlotte, said it best when he wrote with great foresight to Ellen’s mother in 1952, “I can only add that [Ellen] seems to be fitting in very nicely and I feel sure that as the years go by, she will contribute more and more to our life here at Foxcroft.他的话在今天仍然是正确的, 因为她继续付出她的时间, 她的天赋, and her treasure — all of which have left an indelible mark on the School.