COURTESY
SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. — Melanie P. Hoffmann will join Vermont Academy in Saxtons River as its new assistant head of school and director of external affairs. She will lead Vermont Academy’s Advancement Office, including the annual fund, capital campaigns and all other fundraising.
Hoffmann and Jeff Seaton, Vermont Academy’s chief financial officer, will each serve Vermont Academy as assistant heads of school, helping Head of School Dr. Jennifer L. Zaccara to steer the school strategically in collaboration with the other members of the Executive Council, which also includes Sean Braziel (new chief operating officer and head boys’ hockey coach) and longtime faculty member Amanda Gilbert-Hodgson (newly appointed as dean of faculty).
Hoffmann has been a fundraiser for nonprofits since 1993, specializing in campaigns, major gifts, donor relations and board and volunteer management. She comes to Vermont Academy from The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where she was the director of institutional advancement. In 2016, The Pingry School completed and exceeded its six-year, $65 million campaign, raising $76.7 million. Hoffmann has raised more than $120 million for The Pingry School over the last 13 years.
“As soon as Melanie stepped into her interviews at Vermont Academy, we knew that we wanted her to be an assistant head of school and director of external affairs,” said Zaccara. “Melanie is a go-getter who has a phenomenal track record of campaign work, annual fundraising and major gift cultivation. She also has a gift for bringing an alumni community together and helping to build a board. Her wisdom, wit and high standards are qualities I greatly admire.”
Prior to joining Pingry in 2005, Hoffmann was a senior consultant for Graham-Pelton Consulting and the Director of Development for the Save Ellis Island Foundation. She also worked at the Museum of the City of New York on their $50 million campaign, and served as campaign manager for The Pingry School’s $44.5 million campaign from 1998-2000. She began her fundraising career at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the VA community, and look forward to contributing to its success under the leadership of Dr. Zaccara,” Hoffmann said. “VA’s future is bright; its rich history and strong parent and alumni community are among the reasons that my family and I decided to come to Vermont Academy. Additionally, we spend a portion of our summer vacation each year in Vermont, so I am excited to now spend all year here!”
In July, Hoffmann will complete her Master in Education for School Leadership degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She previously received a bachelor’s degree in art history from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She and her husband of 20 years, Arthur, have two children, William and Nicholas, and two dogs, Elsa and Gilly.
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