"Of course, Beckett and Lydia have a close connection to Emma Willard, but, over the years, I've also become very attached to the school and was especially appreciative of Trudy Hall's leadership during my time on the Board," shares Doug about the inspiration for the family's generous gift. "Lydia and I wanted this fund to be named for Trudy, to make sure in our small way that she would be remembered and honored for perpetuity."

Serving in a leadership role for the school was never part of Doug's plan as the parent of an Emma student, he openly admits. Before joining the Board, Doug notes that he at first just tried to "keep his head down" and make contributions to the annual fund. However, his expertise as an investment manager and role as a co-founder of Penobscot Investment Management soon led Doug to become a parent trustee before ultimately being tapped to join the school's investment committee.

"I was quite surprised but was assured it would be a two-year assignment, so after talking to Lydia, I agreed to join the committee," recounts Doug, who remembers he soon found himself chairing the committee. "I developed so much love for Emma Willard and its mission that when I was then asked to join the Board full-time, I just said yes!"

As with many volunteer positions of leadership, serving as a trustee gave Doug a deeper understanding of the operational needs of the school. He describes one particularly impactful visit to campus when trustees were given a tour of the Mount Ida physical plant: "What we observed was many, many millions of dollars in deferred maintenance needs and, from that day on, it's been important to me that we contribute with the hope that Emma Willard someday has the funds and resources to drop the word 'deferred' from our lexicon."

Doug would go on to serve for over 14 years on the Emma Willard Board, the entirety of which he partnered with Trudy Hall and also helped lead through one of the most uncertain financial times for the school.

"The economic crisis in 2008 and 2009 really wreaked havoc and we had very real problems trying to figure out how to move Emma Willard forward...even asking whether or not we could move forward. And I remember saying to Trudy, 'It's easy being a trustee when everything is going well—the real work of the Board begins when things are not going well.'"

Trudy turned to Doug and his financial expertise to help assuage the concerns of an understandably unsettled faculty and staff by addressing them directly in an open forum. Making sense of the economic headwinds and the role the Board would play in navigating Emma Willard through the storm proved a seminal moment in Doug's tenure as a trustee.

"The Board really pulled together and worked hard alongside Trudy to get us through what was a really uncomfortable time. I felt we seized the opportunity to take a situation that everyone was very scared of and turned it into something people could understand in context and feel some reassurance that the school was operating effectively."

Today, while the school's financial future is far more secure due to the doubling of its endowment and the unprecedented success of its Infinite Horizon fundraising campaign, Doug notes that it's the high-quality education for girls that remains the north star for Emma Willard.

"What I think Emma Willard does so well is to offer young girls of all different backgrounds—whether financial or societal or intellectual—this unique opportunity to thrive within a supportive community. I think most boarding schools are not that way; in fact, I know my former boarding school was certainly not that way."

In addition to his many years supporting students as a member of the Board, Doug can also point to members of his own family as exemplars of the Emma experience. Lydia remains a dedicated alumna and made the family's last multi-year pledge of support in 2020 in honor of her 50th Reunion. Beckett works in corporate development, strategy, and operations, is a mother to two sons, and is active in many athletic pursuits, including biking, running, and rowing.

"I know my daughter and my wife both acknowledge that what Emma Willard gave them is a tremendous sense of self-confidence," reflects Doug. "As they've each gone out into the world, this school truly prepared them to live with purpose, to work hard, and even take some risks. And what more could you ask for?"