Dear CA friends,
What a perspective we have now! Witnessing the Centennial Arts Center inspire new forms of cross-disciplinary collaboration every day, we are seeing just how transformative the 2024–25 academic year was for Concord Academy.
The completion of the C.A.C. last year would not have been possible without your confidence in CA’s mission and investments in the Centennial Campaign. In addition to offering new artistic opportunities, this facility has become another hub for student gatherings. Shifting our school’s center of gravity has kept the Chapel at our core and extended creative connections throughout our reshaped campus.
Thanks to you, the 2024–25 Annual Fund made it possible for CA to keep nurturing the shared experiences, everyday connections, and spontaneous joys that reaffirm our sense of community and help us continue building the “we” that defines our community. Moreover, our strengthened endowment is now also better able to sustain the people and programs that make CA’s individualized education so life-changing and relevant today.
The title of this year’s report, The Work of “We,” reflects the shared efforts, relationships, and responsibilities that make CA the school we cherish. As you scan the report, we hope you’ll see how the we is built—deliberately and daily—through your trust, care, and belief in what this community can do together.
Just as senior chapels are the heartbeat of the school week, your steadfast support is vital to CA. We hope you’ll enjoy this look back at all that you have helped to make possible here.
Henry D. Fairfax
Head of School, Dresden Endowed Chair
Jen Burleigh ’85 and Jennifer Pline P’13 ’15
Co-Presidents, Board of Trustees
Every gift to Concord Academy fuels our students’ passion for learning and deepens the connections within our caring community.
CA’s mission is rooted in love of learning, striving for equity, and common trust. Our students excel together while expressing their unique voices. During 2024–25, we were inspired by how our values came to life through generous giving.
The time, care, and leadership of our volunteers sustain our school and help every member of our CA community feel seen, supported, and connected.
Our volunteers lead with trust and generosity. Their commitment, insights, and mentorship shape the daily experiences of students and teachers alike, and reflect the best of what it means to grow together.
As his 40th CA reunion approached, David Cotney ’85 seized the opportunity to serve on his class reunion committee; it was time to make a lot of phone calls! As he reflects on the many touchpoints he made, what stood out was the “catching up” with peers he hadn’t seen in a long time. David loved the performing arts, and he recalls how CA helped him break out of his shell and spark a love of human-centered dialogue and problem solving. David believes that giving back is a reflection of the school’s mission. “It’s a way to expand our understanding of ourselves and the world,” he explains, “through thoughtful engagement that benefits CA students now and in the future.”
Mark Krum P’26 volunteers his time and expertise to CA’s Mock Trial Club as an “attorney-coach,” refining students’ ability to think critically, communicate effectively, and to “sweat the details” through close reading, organization, and patience. He’s continually impressed by the team’s focus and curiosity, calling them “smart kids who are prepared to take the time to learn something.” Mark has also assisted the Parent Annual Fund committee and Parents’ Council. From giving tours, to serving snacks, to committee service, he knows that volunteer engagement is vital to our CA community. Mark hopes his volunteerism will resonate with fellow parents and others who can help guide our young people to develop into effective leaders for a “just and sustainable future.”
Providing for Today
In 2024-25, alums, parents, and friends collectively raised $3,418,600 in support of the Annual Fund—together, we continue to enable CA students to thrive and live out the school’s mission each and every day. Every dollar contributed enhances our programs, supports our people, and enriches CA’s unique learning environment. Last year, the Annual Fund contributed to 8% of the school’s operating budget. This ongoing support plays a vital role in driving CA forward.
Jing Wang P’28 feels that CA has given her family so much. She’s seen how CA encourages her daughter to explore her passions, from dance to music, with opportunities to perform. Teachers and staff support her not only academically, but also emotionally and creatively, noticing what she loves, opening doors to new experiences, and helping her gain the confidence to take risks, learn, and grow. Their family gives to CA in hopes that the school will continue to thrive and offer transformative opportunities to students of all backgrounds. She shares, “we hope that, by sharing our story, more families will feel inspired to join us in supporting CA’s mission and future.”
Demonstrating exceptional commitment to CA, these devoted supporters have given to the CA Annual Fund for 20 or more consecutive years. We are eternally grateful for your faith and confidence in CA. You make the extraordinary possible!
We gather in the Chapel, CA’s “house of stories,” to share and listen. Storytellers Society members, who have given to the Annual Fund for five or more consecutive years, help CA continue its story. Their names appear in bold green in donor lists, celebrating their loyalty and generosity.
In June 1957, students chiseled 1 Corinthians 1–8 into durable pine heartwood, ensuring the words would endure in the Chapel. Today, Heartwood Society members honor CA’s mission by including the school in their estate plans or making planned gifts, extending their support into the next century.
Total Raised by Alums
Alums’ contributions reflect lasting loyalty, helping sustain programs and scholarships.
Total Raised by Current Parents
Current parents’ investment in their children’s education directly impacts the CA experience.
Total Raised by Parents of Alums
Parents of alums maintain a connection with CA, enhancing the school’s legacy and support for future generations.
Total Raised by Faculty, Staff, and Students
Faculty, staff, and students’ involvement in the Annual Fund fosters a strong spirit of community.
Total Raised by Grandparents and Friends
Grandparents and friends play a vital role in enhancing the school’s impact and expanding our resources.
Total Raised by All
Your collective generosity makes the CA experience possible.
Initial Annual Fund Goal
CA sets ambitious goals to strengthen our campus community
Amount Exceeded Over Goal
Your extraordinary support has exceeded our expectations.
Reflecting on his time at CA as a former international boarding student from China, Peter Li ’02, remembers the passion and commitment of his teachers, who offered that extra help, who poured themselves into the meaning of each line of a text, who acknowledged that students were equal intellectual partners in and outside of the classroom. These relationships, at the heart of Peter’s journey of lifelong learning, compelled him to name Concord Academy in his estate plans, naming the school as a beneficiary of his retirement fund. Peter remains steadfast and committed to living and enhancing CA’s mission to inspire future students toward a lifelong love of learning.”
We are grateful to the foundations, corporations, and organizations who made generous gifts to CA during the 2024–25 academic year.
Your support plays a critical role in enhancing our programs, expanding opportunities for students and faculty, and strengthening our community. We deeply appreciate the partnership each of you provides, enabling us to foster a dynamic learning environment that prepares our students to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Because the Future Belongs to All of Us
CA’s endowment is a promise we make to future generations, and a foundation that helps us honor the commitments we’ve made. Endowment gifts support the programs and people that shape the CA experience and the long term health of the community we’re building together. By sustaining faculty, expanding access, and supporting educational innovation across our campus, these gifts strengthen the relationships and values that define a CA education. They are an investment in connection, care, and a shared vision of what is possible.
2024-25 Endowment Total $108,697,846
A named endowed fund is a gift established in perpetuity, with a portion of annual investment earnings used to provide support for a particular purpose agreed upon by the donor and the school. These funds support all areas of school life, including faculty, curriculum development, maintenance of the school’s historic campus, and our financial aid program. Concord Academy is grateful for these funds, which ensure long-term financial stability and represent lasting tributes to faculty, staff, alums, parents, and friends.
As a legal professional whose work has revolved around critical engagement with arguments, opinions, and law, Mary Anne Mayo ’72 credits CA with teaching her how to read and write papers, develop her creative side, and interact with a diverse set of students and adults. The curiosity and intellectual flexibility that allowed her to move fluidly between German and music at CA have remained central to Mary Anne’s path. In appreciation of her CA experience, Mary Anne has included the school as a contingent beneficiary in her will. As the daughter of an educator, Mary Anne understands how her gift will ensure the heart of CA’s academic experience will continue for future generations.
We look back on this pivotal year with gratitude for your trust in Concord Academy. Each of you who contributed, whether through philanthropy, volunteerism, or both, acted from a conviction that a CA education is important. Collectively, you demonstrated the community spirit that sets this school apart. You invested in a culture that cultivates empathy, integrity, and responsibility. You fostered purposeful collaboration, creative engagement, and love of learning—habits and mindsets the world needs now more than ever. Thank you for all the opportunities you helped to provide for students today and the doors you’ve opened for our school’s future.
Officers
Jen Burleigh ’85
Co-President
Jennifer Pline P’13 ’15
Co-President
John Grossman P’17 ’19 ’26
Vice President
Kevin Parke P’12 ’15
Vice President
Jonathan DeSimone P’20
Treasurer
Ashley Shih P’21 ’25
Secretary
Henry D. Fairfax
Head of School and
Dresden Endowed Chair
Trustees
Nana Admadjaja ’96, P’27
Charles Carter P’28
Trelane Clark ’92, P’22
Jane Du P’15 ’16 ’23
Rachel Lipson Glick ’77
Dennis Goldstein P’20 ’25
Alexis Goltra ’87, P’26 ’27
Kerry Hoffman P’14 ’20
Jared Johnson P’25
Natalie Krajcir ’02
Stephen Kramarsky ’85
Brendan Largay P’23 ’25 ’27
Pauline Lin P’21 ’23
Rose Peabody Lynch ’67
Karen McAlmon ’75
Patrick McWhinney P’27
Carol Moriarty P’02 ’05 ’07
Derrick Pang ’93
Imani Perry ’90
Ethan Thurow ’94, P’27
Ly Tran P’22 ’23
Tracy Welch ’89, P’23 ’24
Life Trustees
John Abele ’56, P’86 ’87 ’90, GP’18 ’19
Kathleen Fisk Ames ’65, P’95
Marion Freeman ’69
John Moriarty P’02 ’05 ’07
Kim Williams P’08 ’14
Linden Havemeyer Wise ’70
Fay Lampert Shutzer ’65
