Interoffice Correspondence

Date:  April 24, 2009

To: The Principia Community
Fm: The Board of Trustees
Subject: April 2009 Board Report

We held our regular April Board meeting on the School campus last week and want to share some of the actions taken.
 
Throughout the meeting, we turned to Mary Kimball Morgan’s unpublished message to the Trustees from May 1930. During a time of great uncertainty for Principia when the Board was actively planning the College’s relocation from the Page Avenue campus, Mrs. Morgan wrote the following to the Trustees:
 
“The Principia, if it is anything, and it is, is a divine idea, born of God, established on Principle, reared in Truth, sustained by Love, and dedicated to God’s service. Being a compound idea, all that goes to make up its wholeness must be perfect as the Mind it expresses. …
“Every idea in Mind is properly placed, unfolding according to the will of Principle, and moving in its own orbit.”
This theme of the established idea of Principia and its divine protection guided all of our discussions.
 
The Board meeting included the following:

• We are pleased to announce that we elected Dr. Jonathan Palmer to succeed David Anable as Chief Executive of Principia, effective July 1, 2009. Jonathan will also continue to serve as President of Principia College. More specific details regarding the implementation of this change in governance will be announced soon.

With the assistance of the executive search firm, Ridgeway Partners, the Board conducted a thorough, wide-ranging search for candidates for the Chief Executive position. We identified more than 70 prospects and were impressed with their experience and successful careers. A search committee of the Board conducted extensive interviews with five very qualified candidates over several days, and we are grateful for their willingness to consider serving Principia in this capacity. Each of the finalists brought a love of Principia, a love of Christian Science, and a long list of qualifications to the table.

Dr. Palmer’s educational experience, leadership and management skills, and current understanding of Principia identified him as the right choice for the position. He has demonstrated his deep love for the entire institution and has worked closely with the Head of School on various management and educational issues affecting both campuses.

Please join us in welcoming Jonathan to his new post. Although he and his wife, Sue, will continue to reside in Hutchinson House on the College campus, they are looking forward to getting better acquainted with the students, employees, and families at the School.

With deep gratitude we wish to express our thanks to David for his calm thought, able communication and management skills, and keen wit, which have carried Principia through a difficult period. He came to Principia on short notice, stayed longer than he or we anticipated, and developed and maintained an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect, and healing throughout the community. Please join us in expressing thanks to David and his wife, Isobel, for their selfless service for the past year and a half. In July they will be returning to their home in Maine.

• We approved the operating and capital budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010.  We recognize the tremendous effort put forth by all employees to bring greater efficiency to our operations and make some significant sacrifices in this time of economic uncertainty. Despite the challenges that lie before us, we remain confident in the law of progress that will continue to carry us individually, and Principia as a whole, through this economic cycle with freedom and dominion. The quality of programs on both campuses remains strong, and preserving that quality is a top priority as we look forward to economic recovery in the years ahead.
• We elected two new members to the Board: Hans Fredrikson (US’84, C’88) of Friendswood, Texas, and Allan Marquardt II (C’82) of St. Louis. Hans is a Managing Director of J.P. Morgan Private Bank and just completed a three-year term on the Alumni Association Board. He and his wife, Adriane, have three daughters, enrolled in Principia’s Upper, Middle, and Lower Schools. Adriane is currently serving as the housemom in the Middle School Girls’ Dorm. Allan is a real estate broker and consultant with MarqRealty. He and his wife, Lois, have two daughters who are students in Principia’s Middle School. Please join us in welcoming Hans and Allan to the Board.
• After seven years of dedicated service, Chris Towle is stepping off the Board. Serving as chair of the Investment Committee, Chris has provided valuable insight on the financial markets. He has agreed to continue serving as a member of the Investment Committee, and we are grateful for his ongoing contribution. Please join us in thanking Chris for his selfless service to Principia.
• We received reports from Chief Executive David Anable, College President Jonathan Palmer, Head of School Marilyn Wallace, and the Strategic Planning Committee.
• We initiated an ongoing study led by Executive Officer Peter Stevens to help us better understand Principia’s Policies and the history and context in which they were written.
• The Education Committee met with School faculty and directors to discuss how teachers’ instruction follows Principia’s Policies, including the need for continuous improvement. The Committee plans to hold similar meetings on the College campus in November.
• Committees of the Board began developing their goals for the next academic year.
• We had lunch with several School educators to discuss character education, and we met with the members of the Alumni Association Board.

We know the remainder of the school year will be a busy, exciting time focused on lively activities and celebrating accomplishments. Congratulations in advance to the graduating classes! We are grateful to the faculty, staff, and parents for your selfless giving and dedicated service in support of our students at all levels.

Let us continue to celebrate the unique opportunity Principia affords us as a community to serve the Cause of Christian Science. In the midst of change and challenge, we know the completeness of the Principia idea is already established in Mind.