David Gregory speaking with Vice Board Chair Paula Glover during a board meeting this fall

A Letter from Board Chair David Gregory

In July, David Gregory P’18 took over the leadership of Cardigan’s Board of Trustees, accepting the reins from the capable hands of Jeremy Crigler ’79, who had been the chair since 2019. Mr. Gregory shares below his reflections as he continues his years of service to Cardigan.

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Greetings Cardigan community!

It felt so good to be on campus this past fall for our trustee meeting, and see students and parents on campus as well. While we are still vigilant in our fight against the virus, Cardigan feels back to near normal! What a relief.

I became the chair of Cardigan’s Board of Trustees this past summer, and I am eagerly supporting our Head of School Chris Day P’12,’13 as he and his amazing team navigate Cardigan through the pandemic and to new heights.

As you may know, my son Max ’18, now preparing for college next fall, was a Cardigan student. Prior to coming to The Point, Max attended a well-known private day school in Washington, D.C. It was clear by the end of sixth grade that it wasn’t the right fit for him. He required more learning support than the school provided and craved a change from the environment he had known since kindergarten. In short, he needed a boost of confidence. We never imagined boarding school in rural New Hampshire, but once we visited, we got it. We were drawn to the School’s atmosphere, including the focus on athletics, the emphasis on getting the boys outside and moving during the afternoon, and the wrap-around support. I’ll never forget what Admissions Director Chip Audett P’18 told me while we toured the Wakely Center: “No one falls through the cracks here.”

Put boys together in the natural beauty and isolation of Cardigan and they forge a deep bond that becomes even more important as they mature and appreciate what they experience here.

The adults at Cardigan knew Max. They made the investment of time, effort, and care to really see him and meet him where he was. He thrived as an athlete who loved basketball, and he grew to be a better, more organized and confident student. It wasn’t a straight line up, yet the adults in his life then remain in his life today.

What’s more is that the brotherhood is real. Put boys together in the natural beauty and isolation of Cardigan and they forge a deep bond that becomes even more important as they mature and appreciate what they experience here. They learn a lot together. And they look after each other, like when Max’s dorm mate chastised him for being under-dressed for the auction during Fall Family Weekend. “Dude, you have to wear a tie!” he told Max.

Board service was unexpected, but I welcomed the challenge. With my son still on campus, it gave me extra insight into the School and his experience. I also felt as a current parent I was uniquely suited to offer guidance to the board. As chair, it takes the service to another level. To be clear, I would not accept this honor and challenge if I didn’t love Cardigan and feel that we, as a family, were transformed by Max’s time here. When I talk to fellow parents at the School, they are passionate about what the School offers and how it prepares boys for the next step of education. As board chair, I have a deep appreciation of the operations of the School, and I’m most excited about playing a part in planning for the future.

Strategic planning is the most important aspect of board service. Driven by Mr. Day, the board contributes to his vision and constructively challenges the plan to make it the best it can be. The great thing is how strong Cardigan is today. That strength allows us to evolve and grow in exciting ways.

As board chair, I have a deep appreciation of the operations of the School, and I’m most excited about playing a part in planning for the future.

Mr. Day is driving an ambitious long-term plan with a focus on our people: how do we recruit, retain, and offer robust professional development to faculty? As a national leader in whole boy education, Mr. Day’s plan also focuses on programs: how do we strengthen our learning supports for the boys and enhance our offerings through hands-on education, best exemplified by our Stem learning center housed in the new Wallach building and our renowned annual Gates competition? And how do we support the boys as they grow and develop as student-athletes? What facilities will help them both literally and metaphorically play through any weather? Our focus will be strengthened by ensuring we make new efforts to achieve our goals, to be who we say we are through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Finally, if we are to achieve our goals at Cardigan, we, as a community, have to be serious about strengthening the foundation of our School by raising our endowment. This is an essential goal that our leadership is committed to achieving. Endowment allows us to make financial aid available to as many deserving young men as possible as well as achieve other critical goals around our people and programs.

May we never lose sight of the fundamental promise of Cardigan Mountain School: to know and love the boys who join us on campus. As I said at Commencement last spring, the boys will learn in time that that’s about all any of us can hope for in life—to be known and loved for exactly who we are.

Our future is bright and I am thrilled to be part of it. I wish you and your family good health. Go Cougars!