Sant Bani School is pleased to introduce Katherine Raphaelson P’21 ’24 as the School’s next President of the Board of Trustees. Katherine assumes leadership from Chris Bicknell ’87 P’21 ’25, President of the Board since 2020; Chris previously was Vice President from 2011 – 2020.
“It is both an honor and a privilege to assume the role of the next President of the Sant Bani School Board of Trustees,” Katherine said. “I have had the distinct opportunity to view the school from various perspectives, both as a parent and as a member of the Board. Witnessing firsthand the positive impact that Sant Bani School has had on my sons, I wholeheartedly believe in the values and teachings upheld by the institution. I am enthusiastic about the prospect of continuing to collaborate with my fellow Board members as we guide Sant Bani School towards an even brighter future.”
Chris will remain on the Board in the role of Secretary and continue to offer his extensive institutional knowledge to planning the School’s future.
“I am thrilled that Katherine has stepped forward to lead the SBS Board,” Chris said. “When I first met Katherine and her family, I felt strongly that they were a great match for SBS. Through her time on the Board, Katherine has been a thoughtful supporter of the School and she is a firm believer in the future of SBS.”
Katherine is a graduate of Emma Willard School, a grades 9-12 independent school in Troy, N.Y., and Hamilton College. Katherine’s involvement in leadership and philanthropy began shortly after she graduated from college, when she joined Emma Willard School’s Alumnae Board.
She began her professional career as a Legal Assistant before she transitioned into a more people-facing role as the HR and Marketing Manager for a startup bakery in South Carolina. While living in South Carolina, Katherine earned her M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business. Her interests in leadership and philanthropy expanded while Katherine was pursuing her M.B.A., when she became a member of the school’s Business Philanthropy Committee and was President of Graduate Women in Business.
Familiar with independent schools from her experience at Emma Willard School, Katherine returned to the independent school world came when she served as the Annual Fund Director at Greenwich Academy, a grades PK – 12 school for girls in Connecticut. In 2008, Katherine became an Associate Board Member for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, an environmental conservation group. Katherine also was the Foundation’s Sponsorship Chair and led fundraising efforts for the annual Nantucket Race for Open Space, one of the Foundation’s hallmark events. Katherine then spent nine years as a Consultant, and then Senior Consultant, for the business consulting firm CFO Solutions, LLC before she transitioned to her current role as a Realtor for Keller Williams Realty.
The family’s connection to Sant Bani School began in the 2015-16 school year, when Ethan ’21 and Max ’24 both enrolled. Katherine joined the SBS Board in February of 2020 – less than a month before the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an unnerving time for independent schools, and while the clouds of uncertainty did not bypass Sanbornton, the deliberate, thoughtful planning and reflexivity of the SBS students, staff, and Board has helped the school emerge into a period of stability as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“This is indeed an exhilarating moment for our school, as we commemorate our illustrious history with the 50th Anniversary celebration while simultaneously charting a path for the future through the development of a new Strategic Plan,” said Katherine. “Sant Bani School is currently in a highly favorable position, and I am eagerly anticipating the incredible opportunities that lie ahead.”