Boards of Trustees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's more of a big fish in a small pond scenario. The most high-powered parents usually don't have the time or interest to be on their DCs' school's Board. And the amount of money it takes to make a splash at Harvard, Yale, or Princeton is a lot more than it takes to be a major donor at a local day school, no matter how selective.

Which could mean that Board members may indeed be hoping for especially glowing college recs!

Seriously? Tell that to Larry Culp and Tom Carr, to name just 2 big fish off the top of my head (at different schools as well).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's more of a big fish in a small pond scenario. The most high-powered parents usually don't have the time or interest to be on their DCs' school's Board.

Seriously? Tell that to Larry Culp and Tom Carr, to name just 2 big fish off the top of my head (at different schools as well).

I'm guessing they'd agree with that characterization. They're not the norm (either among high-powered rich guys or among private day school Board members).

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't say that they don't have the interest--but they might not have the time. People in high powered positions are pulled by their careers, as well as by any number of associations that want their time. I suspect that spouses of high-powered people are more likely to devote time to the school.

BTW, high-powered doesn't necessarily mean wealthy. In DC, there are parents who run influential NGOs, are well-regarded intellectuals, are artists, etc., who can't contribute money, but contribute "wisdom" and also boost a schools intellectual/public interest/artistic merit.

[Anonymous]

Who are Larry Culp and Tom Carr? Never heard of 'em. One man's big fish is another man's minnow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who are Larry Culp and Tom Carr? Never heard of 'em. One man's big fish is another man's minnow.

Only if you have no clue about the DC business world. This quote is a perfect example of how out-of-touch many of the purportedly "in-the-know" posters on this board actually are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who are Larry Culp and Tom Carr? Never heard of 'em. One man's big fish is another man's minnow.

Only if you have no clue about the DC business world. This quote is a perfect example of how out-of-touch many of the purportedly "in-the-know" posters on this board actually are.

I don't think that's quite fair. PP never claimed to be in-the-know on the DC business world. Moreover, although Culp and Carr are big fish in their own ponds, I can think of several other ponds where they're effectively non-entities.

[Anonymous]

Well, who are they

Looking to get in the know....

[Anonymous]

Culp is (was?) at Danaher Corp. Carr is part of the founding family of CarrAmerica Realty.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to the people that make the time to serve on the boards. It is not always easy to find parents that can commit to all that is involved in being a board member. And IMO those guys, Carr and Culp, are not such big fish.

[Anonymous]

Again, if you are a DC business type, yes, Culp and Carr are known (the Carr name probably more due to their ubiquitous DC real estate holdings). Prominent business people who are eminently Googlable, sure -- household names, no. Pre-eminent piscene status is in the eye of the beholder . . .

[Anonymous]

But I'll grant you high-powered.

[Anonymous]

The board at our school includes a stay at home dad. So much for powerful and wealthy

[Anonymous]

Larry Culp is the long-time CEO of Danaher. He is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is one of the biggest fish in DC, even if you don't know who he is. 11:48, who do you consider "big fish?" Law firm partners? Please.

Culp, for example, has plenty of money to "make a splash" at Harvard, Yale or Princeton if he was inclined to do that. Yet he serves on Potomac's Board. There are other examples like this. Tom Carr is one other.

[Anonymous]

I believe most who know the composition of their school's boards would agree that some very wealthy people (e.g. Mr. Culp) serve on the boards of some of these schools (especially the STA/Landon/Potomac/Sidwell/Holton/GDS type schools). They would also agree that the "very wealthy" are not the only ones on these boards -- plenty of plain old "law firm partners" for example, as well as educators, physicians, . The tone of breathless awe that the immortal Larry Culp and Tom Carr would deign to serve on an independent school board is what has gotten the responses. It is good of them, as for the other hard- working people/parents on those boards, to give their time and expertise, and I'll leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

I think this whole tangent started because a PP ignorantly asserted that the truly high-powered parents don't have the "time or interest" to deign to serve on the Board of their kids' schools. The examples raised showed this to be incorrect. So while 17:01, you may have already recognized this reality, others did not. No one suggested that their service made them worthy of some kind of awe or reverence. Now, if posters want to get back on topic of the original discussion, by all means....