Groton School Names New Board President

Groton School has named a new president of its Board of Trustees.

 

Benjamin Pyne ’77, P’12, ’15 will succeed Jonathan Klein P’08, ’11, ’18, who is leaving the board after six years as president and fourteen as a trustee. Mr. Pyne’s appointment was approved unanimously on January 24, at the Board of Trustees’ winter meeting, and will take effect July 1.

 

Mr. Klein, co-founder and former CEO of the digital media company Getty Images, has presided during a period in which Groton became known as the leader among independent schools in inclusion, access, and affordability. He helped rally support for the GRAIN (GRoton Affordability and INclusion) initiative, which has ensured access to Groton for every deserving applicant and contained tuition growth during a period of spiraling education costs nationwide. 

 

“Jonathan made it very clear that GRAIN was the number-one strategic priority of this board as soon as it was approved in 2014, and we were off to the races,” said Headmaster Temba Maqubela. “That is vision. He saw the impact long before it happened. His role as a champion of this initiative cannot be overemphasized.”

 

Mr. Pyne is dedicated to continuing Groton’s focus on inclusion and affordability. Mr. Maqubela described the incoming president, who has served on Groton’s board since 2009, as “one of the most authentic supporters of visible inclusion and globalism. He is a quiet leader who understands Groton. Few could care as Ben does about the health and well-being of the school.”

 

For the former Disney executive—who shepherded that company through twenty-five years of change, most recently as president of global distribution—the decision to help lead Groton is personal. “I accepted because I love Groton, and it has actually been fantastic to have been on the board over these last years, seeing how this school has changed,” he explained.

 

The Groton alumnus has deep family connections to the school: his father and grandfather attended, as did his two sons. In addition, his wife Janet’s father and grandfather were Grotonians. Of his alma maters—Groton, Princeton University, and Harvard Business School—Mr. Pyne credits Groton with the most powerful impact on his life and life skills.

 

“Nobody loves the school more than Ben,” said Mr. Klein. “Ben and I have served on the board together for eleven of my fifteen years. Ben has Groton in his DNA, and his extraordinary contributions as a board member and committee chair make him a perfect choice. Ben understands something fundamental: that Groton School is not a business, and that the president of the board is not the CEO. I believe that this approach is in the best interests of an educational institution and certainly worked well during my tenure.”

 

Mr. Pyne said that Mr. Klein’s leadership style has demonstrated “how to work with the headmaster and the board to coalesce around key priorities and make bold decisions that will continue to have a positive impact on the school for years to come. And,” he added, “Jonathan worked with all of us to execute on these priorities in a way that was incredibly successful and rewarding for all involved. I think he inspired all of us to put our heart and soul behind key initiatives such as GRAIN.” 

 

GRAIN is only one of the initiatives that Jonathan considers important during his tenure. He also names the school’s environmental strides, in particular a solar array; an increase in funding for mental health and wellness; enhanced programs in global education, theater, music, and visual arts; improved benefits for faculty and administration; and a friendly and productive relationship between trustees. “I’m proud and humbled to have served with and led an extraordinary group of trustees. Their care and commitment is evident, and we have been able to build a collegial, open, fun, and transparent atmosphere. We disagree with each other with gusto, but we’re not disagreeable,” Mr. Klein said. “It may not be appropriate to have favorite boards of directors; however, of my many boards, Groton has been an absolute honor and a pleasure and has become my favorite.”

 

Mr. Klein also encouraged the board to consider short-term as well as long-term benefits of Groton’s endowment. “The balance between keeping the endowment for future generations and using some of our wealth for students and faculty and administration who are at the school now is crucial,” he said. “And thanks to the support of my board colleagues and Temba, current students and faculty are benefiting from our strong financial position whilst we are safeguarding our endowment for the future.”

 

In Mr. Pyne’s eleven years on the board, he has served on numerous committees, including Audit, History and Archives, Finance, Residential Life, STEM, and the Committee on Trustees. He currently chairs the Building and Grounds Committee.

 

“I’ve been on so many committees with him,” said Ann Bakewell Woodward ’86, chair of the Committee on Trustees, which oversaw the succession process. “He has a great way of being able to synthesize information, listen to different viewpoints, make everyone feel their voice has been heard, but also move the process along. He’s an executive, yet he also has tremendous compassion.” Mr. Pyne is also an accomplished guitarist and lutenist; early in his career, he played professionally and managed the New Jersey Symphony.

 

Groton School is currently creating a new strategic plan, and Mr. Klein said the timing of his decision revolved partly around that process. “It’s really important for my successor to have his hands all over the plan, for him to feel a sense of ownership,” he said. The outgoing and incoming president will work together on strategic planning in the coming months, ensuring a smooth process.

“The transition from Jonathan to Ben is going to be seamless," said Mr. Maqubela. “Ben too said ‘count me in’ on every bold initiative that has enhanced Groton. He is taking over at an excellent time. Jonathan has led this school with wisdom and clarity and leaves the school in an outstanding position of strength. We have a very exciting future ahead of us.”