News

Six New Trustees Appointed to Serve Andover

Over the summer, Oscar L. Tang ’56, President of the Board of Trustees, announced the selection of six new trustees. Shelly D. Guyer ’78 and Joshua L. Steiner ’83, both charter trustees, began their first of a possible two eight year terms on July 1. The alumni body elected alumni trustees Michael Schmetzler ’70 and Susanna A. Jones ’77 to serve a four year term. Peter T. Hetzler, MD ’72 was elected to serve a three-year term as president of the Alumni Council. Alfred A. Blum Jr. ’62 will serve a two-year term as co-chair of the Annual Giving Board. Guyer is an active PA alumna and over the years has served as class agent, reunion gift committee member, and Non Sibi agent; she is currently a member of the Gift Planning Advisory Committee. In the past, she has served on the Andover Development Board. Guyer was elected as an Alumni Trustee in 1992 and served a four-year term. Steiner, a newly elected Charter Trustee, has served as a class agent and has been on the Andover Developmental Board. He works as a managing principal at the Quadrangle Group, a private investment firm. He said, “Trustees have a formal fiduciary obligation to protect and enhance the school’s well-being.  In practice, I hope to provide sound advice to the Chairman and the Head of School as they consider not only the best interests of students, faculty and staff today, but also the interests of generations of students to come.” Steiner continued, “As a general matter, however, I am particularly interested in ensuring that the school draws students of every economic, religious, ethnic, and racial background, and then provides a supportive environment that helps them succeed.  I am also focused on how Andover can help prepare students for a world of increasing complexity due to globalization, rapid changes in technology and severe economic inequality.” Schmetzler was recognized in 2005 by the Board of Trustees as a Benefactor of Phillips Academy. He served as vice-chair of the Gelb Science Center Campaign and as a member of the Elson Art Center Campaign Committee. The Schmetzler family has supported the Peabody Museum, Addison Gallery, and PA athletics. He has also given support to numerous PA academic departments. Jones participated on the board of the Andover-Abbot Alumni/ae Association of Southern California. Jones has also served as an alumni admissions interviewer, class secretary, and taught at Andover Summer Session for four summers. Hetzler is an admissions representative at PA and is on the Alumni Council. He has also been a supporter of the Alumni Council’s mentoring program. As a co-chair of the Annual Giving Board, Blum has more than 35 years of professional fund-raising experience, which he will bring to his new role on the Board of Trustees. Blum has served on the Special Gift Committee for Campaign Andover and has been a member of the Annual Giving Board since 1999. Blum was head class agent, reunion gift committee leader and served a term as the vice president of the Alumni Council. The role Blum occupies on the Board of Trustees is not a position that is part of the election process. According to Blum, his position on the Board has shown how the trustees want to signal its belief in the importance of fundraising for Andover. Blum said, “First as an alumnus of PA it is a profound privilege to have the opportunity to be on the board and also to reflect that the board has specifically identified the Annual Giving Board and what it accomplishes for the institution as important and reflects that by creating a board position for a member of the Annual Giving Board.” He continued, “While I have the privilege of being able to participate in all the discussions as any other member of the board, I think there is the underlying expectation that I am there to represent the importance of fundraising and keep that importance present in the thinking of the board and lend some sense of perspective in the fundraising.”