弗吉尼亚·克雷特拉·马尔斯

整整九年, 弗吉尼亚·克雷特拉·马尔斯 sat in Foxcroft Board meetings, quietly doing her needlepoint with her dog, 温柔的, on her lap — and never missing a beat. 一个母亲, 祖母, 受托人, 慈善家, 忠诚的狐狸, she and Foxcroft met in the spring of 1970 as her family was preparing to move back to the United States from France, 和吉利, 大家都知道她, was looking for schools for her daughters. Having only attended Dutch and French schools, 金妮的大女儿, 维多利亚, spoke limited English — something not all Washington-area schools were prepared to support. 进入特. Now our relationship with Ginnie and her family has spanned more than 45 years, through the graduation of daughters 维多利亚, in 1974, 和帕梅拉, in 1978; niece Christa, in 1992; and granddaughters Bernadette and Charlotte, 2003年和2012年, 分别.

多年来一直是活跃的家长, Ginnie stepped up her work with Foxcroft in the late 1990s, when she served on the Advisory Board of the $30 million Gateways to Excellence 运动, at the time the largest endowment campaign ever undertaken by an independent girls’ school. A graduate of Vassar College as well as mother of Foxcroft graduates, Ginnie understood and appreciated the value of an all-girls education. Having served on Vassar’s Board for 12 years and as Chair of the 运动 for Vassar in the mid-90s, her knowledge of fundraising was invaluable. The Gateways to Excellence 运动 proved to be Foxcroft's first successfully completed capital endeavor and provided the financial foundation for the future of the School. 在这次筹款活动中, her family honored Ginnie by creating the 弗吉尼亚·克雷特拉·马尔斯 Scholarship for Literary, 视觉, 及表演艺术, a merit award that is focused specifically on attracting girls who excel in these areas.

Ginnie served on Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2012. As co-chair of the Advancement Committee, she was instrumental in the planning and building of Stuart Hall and the implementation of our geothermal wells. Fueled by her passion for the environment, Ginnie always asked the challenging questions that ensured we were environmentally responsible in all we did on our campus. As plans began to take shape for our Centennial Celebration, the launch of our Centennial 运动, and the retirement of a long-standing Head of School, Ginnie thoughtfully and purposefully worked to make this time of change a positive one, leading by example in word and deed.

An avid 慈善家 and environmentalist, Ginnie supports the arts and conservation — and education — through the 弗吉尼亚·克雷特拉·马尔斯 Foundation, 她在1994年创作的. Organizations such as the National Cathedral and the Forest Society have recognized her work and honored her with the Laura E. Phillips Angel of the 艺术 Award in 2005 and the 2017 Conservationist of the Year, 分别, the latter for her help in protecting over 28,000 acres of “the highest conservation value lands” in the western part of New Hampshire. 除了这些组织, she is involved with the National Symphony Orchestra, 史密森尼学会, 肯尼迪中心, 当然, her beloved Vassar who gave her the Service to Vassar Award in 2005. Today, Foxcroft joins these groups in honoring Ginnie.

From the students we support each year in her name to the geothermal wells that heat and cool our buildings to the outstanding faculty she has supported, Foxcroft is forever changed by Ginnie’s leadership and outstanding service to the School. It is with great pleasure that the Board of Trustees and Head of School Cathy McGehee, honor 弗吉尼亚·克雷特拉·马尔斯 by presenting Foxcroft’s highest award, the Anne Kane McGuire 杰出的服务 Award.