New Board President and VP Emphasize Commitment to Inclusion, Racial Justice

Intensified commitment to inclusion initiatives and an emphasis on racial justice are priorities of the two new leaders of Groton’s Board of Trustees.

 

Beginning their terms this summer are Board of Trustees President Benjamin Pyne ’77, P’12,’15, replacing Jonathan Klein P’08,’11,’18, and Vice President Gary Hill ’83, replacing James Windels ’82. The new president was chosen in January and the vice president in April, for terms that began in late June. New members of Groton's board as of June are Ellen Boiselle ’85; Crista Gannon ’81, P’11; David Porter ’72, P’20, '24; and Alfred Winkler ’85, P’23.

 

Both Mr. Pyne and Mr. Hill point to a new alumni council dedicated to racial justice as well as continued emphasis on the GRAIN (GRoton Affordability and INclusion) initiative as essential to continuing the school’s path forward as it listens to varied voices and perspectives on race at Groton.

 

“One of the key initiatives I would like to focus on is involving the broader alumni group through the ages to engage on the topic of race, to talk about their experiences at Groton and beyond, and to hear what the school is doing,” explained Mr. Pyne.

 

Vice President Hill plans to “elevate and amplify Black voices” within the Groton School community, creating momentum for a movement toward change that began when the school appointed Temba Maqubela, a lifelong activist for racial justice, as headmaster.

 

Mr. Hill says that, as an African American, he considers leadership the key measure of an organization’s progress on racial equity. “Groton now has a Black head, a Black vice president, and a Black treasurer [Diana Ferguson '81],” he said. “The simple story is: Groton School put a stake in the anti-racist ground seven years ago—a very large stake. Clearly there’s always work to be done, but we started the work seven years ago that many schools are starting now.”

The results are quantifiable. Over the past decade, the number of trustees of color more than doubled, from 12 percent to 27 percent; during that period, women serving as trustees also doubled (now 46 percent).

In Groton’s student body, the number of underrepresented minorities rose from 13 percent in 2012 to 19 percent in 2020. Twice the number of Black senior and house prefects—the highest student leadership positions—have been elected in the past decade compared to the prior decade. Driving these results has been the school's mission and Mr. Maqubela’s refrain: “Who is here? Who is not here?”

 

The entire board has repeatedly affirmed enthusiastic support for the headmaster and the school’s ideal of equity, and in fact named inclusion its number-one priority in 2014. “Racism should not exist anywhere and certainly not at Groton,” said Mr. Pyne. “That doesn’t mean it hasn’t, and we should acknowledge that. But through GRAIN, Groton forged ahead in this struggle. The early results speak for themselves.”

Within two years of GRAIN’s passage, the gap in the admittance rate between full-pay students and those seeking financial aid was eliminated. GRAIN ensured that all applicants would be considered regardless of their ability to pay. In addition, it brought thirty-two Inclusion Scholars from varied backgrounds to the Circle over the last six years.

“GRAIN is a most amazing initiative, but it is still only a few years old and it is critical to make sure we not only lock it in, but also build on it,” said Mr. Pyne, explaining the ongoing initiative, referred to as GRAIN 2.0.

 

The board president said that other priorities during his tenure will include completing a strategic plan, increasing support for global education and sustainability initiatives, and creating a new facilities master plan.

 

He also expects the board to support significant expansion of the GRACE summer program, which offers a chance for all students to propel themselves forward academically, filling preparation gaps to move Groton students, as Headmaster Temba Maqubela often says, “beyond access to success.” GRACE Scholars reach higher-level courses and have shown that they perform better in those classes and improve their college options. 

 

“When you have Black leadership you can trust that issues of equity are top of mind,” said Mr. Hill, whose mother, Wanda Hill, and brother, Stephen Hill '80, both served on Groton’s Board of Trustees. “Temba has no choice. As a Black person you don’t have the opportunity to not think about it.”

 

Mr. Hill said he joined the Board of Trustees in 2017 because school leadership, including both the headmaster and the board president, are so committed to inclusion. He recognized that he would not be spearheading inclusion singlehandedly, as he, and many people of color, are sometimes expected to do when organizations plan without taking real action.

 

“What I want to know is if I’m at a school that cares,” said Mr. Hill. “Seven years ago Groton School took a leap in this journey by doing perhaps the most significant thing a school can do by putting a very strong person in a leadership position.

 

“We’re seven years into a journey that never ends.”