NOOOO WTFFFF
It gives me a great deal of pleasure to announce that Mark J. Blackman has been appointed as Lawrence Academy’s new director of student life. Mark fills the June vacancy left by Elise Estes when she opted to return to the admissions office.
Mark brings a wealth of independent school experience to his new responsibilities here at LA. He began his independent school career as a teacher at Brooklyn Friends School in New York City. He then moved on to Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, where for three years his day job included teaching 9th grade English and directing a program that supported students transitioning from the middle school division to the upper school division. Mark’s night and weekend job during that same time was as a dorm parent at George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania, a Quaker boarding school serving grades 9 through 12. In 1995, Mark left Pennsylvania to become an English teacher and the Director of Diversity at Moses Brown School in Providence. A year later, Mark became an assistant to the president of Oberlin College (his alma mater) and after a four year stint at the college level, Mark returned to Philadelphia in 2001 to become the admissions director at Greene Street Friends School (he earned his Masters degree at Penn while he was working at Green Street Friends). Mark’s most recent posting had him serving as the director of admissions at The Bentley School in Oakland, California.
Mark will arrive here on campus at the beginning of August to begin his new role as director of student life. His wife, Tammy, and three-year old daughter, Isabella, will remain in Oakland for a short time before following Mark to Groton.
I want to thank all of you who made yourselves available on Monday, July 11th, to interview Mark and to provide feedback on his candidacy. From the positive buzz that followed Mark’s visit to campus, both on his end and on ours as expressed by the faculty, students, and administrators who met with him, I am pleased that we have found a great match for Lawrence Academy.
I hope your summer months are passing slowly and happily!
All the best,
Scott
Mark brings a wealth of independent school experience to his new responsibilities here at LA. He began his independent school career as a teacher at Brooklyn Friends School in New York City. He then moved on to Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, where for three years his day job included teaching 9th grade English and directing a program that supported students transitioning from the middle school division to the upper school division. Mark’s night and weekend job during that same time was as a dorm parent at George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania, a Quaker boarding school serving grades 9 through 12. In 1995, Mark left Pennsylvania to become an English teacher and the Director of Diversity at Moses Brown School in Providence. A year later, Mark became an assistant to the president of Oberlin College (his alma mater) and after a four year stint at the college level, Mark returned to Philadelphia in 2001 to become the admissions director at Greene Street Friends School (he earned his Masters degree at Penn while he was working at Green Street Friends). Mark’s most recent posting had him serving as the director of admissions at The Bentley School in Oakland, California.
Mark will arrive here on campus at the beginning of August to begin his new role as director of student life. His wife, Tammy, and three-year old daughter, Isabella, will remain in Oakland for a short time before following Mark to Groton.
I want to thank all of you who made yourselves available on Monday, July 11th, to interview Mark and to provide feedback on his candidacy. From the positive buzz that followed Mark’s visit to campus, both on his end and on ours as expressed by the faculty, students, and administrators who met with him, I am pleased that we have found a great match for Lawrence Academy.
I hope your summer months are passing slowly and happily!
All the best,
Scott