Alumnus appointed as new Development Director

Many of you will be aware that Stephen Alter '74 will be completing his term as Director of Development of Woodstock School at the end of this semester. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Woodstock community, I am delighted to announce that Abhrajit Bhattacharjee '92 has been appointed as Woodstock's next Director of Development from July 2010.

Abhra, who graduated in the Class of 1992 after 5 years at Woodstock, will be a familiar face to many alumni. He brings to this role more than 10 years of experience in public relations and communications for technology multinationals, as well as a passion and commitment for Woodstock. Most recently Abhra was based in Singapore where he worked for Dell, Inc., and was responsible for global product communications for all of Dell's Consumer and Small & Medium Business products. Since 1999, Abhra has also served nearly four terms as the youngest member of the Board of Directors, has been a member of the Development and Alumni Relations Committee, Student Life Committee and has also served as the Chair of the Governance & Nominations Committee. Abhra also served as the Campaign Director of the ambitious Woodstock 150 Capital Campaign from 2001-2003.

Abhra thus brings to the role a long-term commitment to and knowledge of Woodstock, as well as a high level of skill and professional experience in marketing, public relations, communications and fundraising. We are delighted to have him as part of the team. Abhra's wife Sandy and their children (Armaan, 7, Farhaan, 4 and Tara, 1) will be joining him as part of the Woodstock community, and we look forward to welcoming them.

There will be a better time to pay tribute to the work of Steve Alter in this role over the last two years, but it would be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to extend our thanks for his work. During his tenure, we have seen the completion of two of the largest building projects in the school's recent history, both funded by alumni, and the inauguration of several endowed student scholarships. I have also personally appreciated his wise counsel and support, and I look forward to forging an equally productive relationship with Abhra.

When I informed Abhra of his appointment, after a rigorous search process that gathered input from the administrative team, Board members and the Woodstock staff, he told me, "This is probably going to be my toughest job, but one that I am going to love. My years at Woodstock were amongst my most formative years, and I am honoured and excited to be able to serve Woodstock in the very demanding role of a staff member. Sandy and I are delighted by this new opportunity to serve Woodstock and help transmit this school greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us."

The Development Office at Woodstock School is responsible for institutional advancement and maintaining relations with external stakeholders, including alumni and donors. This office also collaborates with other departments to enhance the school's internal and external communications and its marketing efforts. Abhra continues a noteworthy tradition of alumni stepping forward to support Woodstock's development efforts over the last two decades. He will work closely with other members of the Development Office team who have all served Woodstock for a number of years. They include Pete Wildman (8 years), Monica Roberts (7 years in the Development Office and over 30 years at the school), Chris Starr '81 (6 years) and Immu Uniyal (8 years).

Abhra's appointment, together with that of former staff member Rev. Howard Wilkins as chaplain, and the addition of a Human Resources Director and a Director of Student Services, completes what I believe to be a very strong leadership team which will take Woodstock forward as we strive for leadership in global education.

David Laurenson PhD, Principal