Board of Trustees

The Portledge Board of Trustees is a vital part of our community, with a primary focus on the long-term success of our school.

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!

I am privileged to serve as Board Chair of Portledge School. For those who don’t know me, my wife and three children have been part of the Portledge community for 10 years. Our oldest daughter graduated last year with the Class of 2023 and is officially an alumna of this great institution that helped her be the best she can be. We can confidently state that our son, who is in the Upper School, and our youngest daughter, who is in the Lower School, are on the same trajectory.

This is my seventh year on the board, and, like each year, there are lofty goals. I am optimistic about what the new year holds with this community that is known to continually rally together to make improvements. To that end, when you return, you will see some changes on campus. The campus quad between the Wellington gym and Upper school has been enhanced through a generous donation to create a more vibrant and functional quad for everyone to enjoy. Additionally, the Athletic and Wellness Center is well underway! Stay tuned for future updates.

As with prior years, we’re excited to welcome new faculty, staff, and four new members to the Board of Trustees. I’m so grateful and humbled to all the dedicated people who continue to make Portledge a truly special place and practice the Portledge Pillars of Kindness, Purpose, Honor, and Respect.

We will certainly miss the Class of 2023 as they transition to the next phase of life, but we also welcome and look forward to the Class of 2024 and all the new students and families coming to Portledge for the first time.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer, and I look forward to seeing everyone on campus!

Best,

Don Wilson
President, Board of Trustees
Grace ’23, Tyler ’26, and Mia ’32

Portledge School’s Board of Trustees bears ultimate responsibility for the well-being of the school.

Members are nominated by the Governance Committee and elected by the full Board. New members are selected for the particular talents or experience that they can bring to Portledge School’s affairs as well as for their knowledge of and involvement in the school's activities. The full Board meets at least five times a year at the school to receive reports from its various committees and from the Head of School.

Main Areas of Responsibility

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

Appointment of the Head of School

The Board delegates all administrative functions to the Head of School.
Finances

The Board sets the budget for each year, authorizes fund-raising activities, and ensures that the program operates within its fiscal limits. The Board is also responsible for properly managing Portledge School's endowment funds.
Policy Making

The Board determines the school's objectives and sees that those objectives are appropriately achieved.
Committees

The Board handles most of its business through standing committees, which meet as and when necessary. The present committees are:

Executive Committee
Accreditation Committee
Athletics Committee
Buildings and Grounds Committee
Design and Construction Committee
Development Committee
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Governance Trustees
Finance/Audit/Endowment
Lower School Task Force
Risk Management