MKA's Parents' Association Celebrate Their Successes

It was a morning of celebration and transition at MKA as numerous parent volunteers and MKA administrators attended the Parents' Association (PAMKA) General Meeting, at which the results of PAMKA's hard work and successes are shared with the community.

Opening her last General Meeting as PAMKA President, Lori Yanes thanked her Board, the 2013-14 Slate and the MKA administration for their tireless efforts and support. She then introduced one of last year's PAMKA Faculty Trust Grant recipients, Upper School English teacher Paul Cunningham, who shared his experiences of studying James Joyce in Ireland.

President of the Board of Trustees Michael Johnson acknowledged his deep appreciation for PAMKA's work, including their role as the largest single donor to MKA's Faculty Compensation Endowment Fund. He updated the audience on the progress of fundraising for the MKA Upper School's new Academic Center, which, having now reached $3.6 million, will enable groundbreaking for this LEED Certified building to commence in June.

Headmaster Tom Nammack spoke to PAMKA's pivotal role in continually strengthening and building the sense of community that is "a standout quality" at MKA - a quality that brings people to, and keeps people at, the school, and he thanked Lori Yanes for representing and advocating for the parent body with such distinction over the past two years

PAMKA Finance VP Toni Friedman reported on PAMKA's significant fundraising efforts that resulted in the organization being able to present gifts to MKA totalling $302,700. These gifts include six Faculty Trust grants for next year, a $173,000 gift to Faculty Compensation Endowment, $50,000 to the Future Forward Campaign and numerous Wish List items for each of the campuses.

Following approval of the Minutes, Bylaw Changes and the 2014-15 Slate of Officers, PAMKA Secretary Smiti Bhalodia added her personal thanks to Yanes, before the morning concluded with the formal passing of the gavel from the outgoing President to incoming President Amy South. South, who most recently chaired Cougar Pride Day, is a long-standing and hugely experienced PAMKA volunteer with children in grades 7 and 10.

Photos from PAMKA's General Meeting can be viewed here.

Documents pertaining to the meeting can be found in the PAMKA Resources section of the Parent Portal.