August 18, 2022

Dear Bennington Community, 

I am delighted to announce three additions to our Board of Trustees: Sekka Scher '90, a leader in the entertainment community, George Davison, an esteemed educator/administrator and Florence Gill '22, our newest Recent Graduate Trustee. 

“Like the College itself, the Bennington board is a dynamic institution that benefits from a hugely creative group of individuals who have excelled in diverse areas, from the arts and humanities to science and public service. We could not be more thrilled to welcome our newest board members, including our new student representative who graduated last year,” said Board Chair Nick Stephens '77.

Sekka Scher '90 is an esteemed entertainment management professional who launched and cultivated the careers of several Oscar and Emmy winners/nominees. In 2019, she received the Hudas Schwartz Liff Outstanding Volunteer Award in connection with her work launching the Spencer Cox '90 Field Work Term (FWT) Fellowship for Public Action.

“I owe my experience as a Bennington student – and the myriad opportunities that experience gave me to learn and grow – not only to the professors and students of Bennington but to the generous financial aid that allowed me to attend, said Scher. “I am inspired by the students and alumni who create new frontiers in the arts and sciences and by Bennington’s on-going commitment to activism that seeks to improve the world.”

Educator George Davison served as Head of the Grace Church School in New York from 1994 to 2022. His teaching career in New York City schools includes St. David’s School, where he taught history and science, and Birch Wathen, where he served as head of the middle school. George is a past President of the Guild of Independent Schools of New York and he served as Chair of the Committee of Trustees of the Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY). He spent 10 years on the New York State Association of Independent Schools Commission on Accreditation. 

Mr. Davison was a long-time board member and Vice Chair of Learning Leaders, a citywide non-profit that trained and placed volunteers as tutors and other academic support positions in the New York City Public Schools, providing as many as 8,000 volunteers to work with over 140,000 students under its auspices.

"I am so excited to join the Board of Bennington and to share my love for education and my commitment to creating systems that help the most underserved communities access some institutions and environments of learning,” said Davison. “Bennington has been close to my heart for decades, as so many friends and family members have attended and flourished there."

Florence Gill '22 is a community organizer and change-maker in the dramatic arts. Florence will be the Production Management Fellow at Berkeley Repertory Theatre for the 2022-2023 season. Florence has worked on theatre and film in the UK and the USA, including projects with Living Room Theatre (USA), Slung Low Theatre Company (UK); Imagine If Theatre Company (UK); Rock Challenge (UK); The Montgomery Theatre and Arts Centre (UK); and Dorset Theatre Festival (USA). 

As a student at Bennington College, Florence collaborated on college initiatives for sustainable stewardship, democratization, and connecting with the local community. Florence also directed, produced, stage-managed, and performed in many productions there. These experiences, and Florence’s year as a Drama SEPC representative, inspired them to coordinate with the drama discipline to ensure DEI initiatives truly respond to the needs of marginalized students.

“The opportunities for growth and communities of changemakers and collaborators allowed me to flourish beyond what I ever expected,” said Gill. “Over the last four years I have been inspired by the students, faculty, and staff who work tirelessly to make our college and our world a better place. I hope to return these opportunities to current and future Bennington students.” 

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to all three of our extraordinary new trustees! 

Sincerely, 

President Laura Walker