Board of Trustees

List of 4 items.

• Abby Gerry, Chair

  A graduate of Duke University with a Masters in Childhood Education from New York University, Abby is the mother of two children at RCS — Stephanie ’27 in seventh grade, and Charlie ’30 in fourth grade. After teaching for five years in New York City at the Little Red Schoolhouse, Abby and her husband, Lloyd, moved to Pound Ridge to raise their family. They chose RCS because of the strong sense of community that they felt right when they arrived. “It is a magical place focused on the ages of my kids, and it became obvious there is no better place to build a foundation for a love of learning.”   Her time teaching in independent schools coupled with her passion for philanthropy has allowed her to take on many roles at RCS. As a volunteer for the Foundations Auction in 2016, in both the Auction Office and on the Special Projects Team, she went on to co-chair all auction donations for the Imagine Benefit in 2019. Since joining the RCS Board of Trustees in 2017, Abby has devoted time to chairing the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging committee, and, most recently, chairing the Campaign for Together 2020. With an opportunity to gather enthusiastic volunteers while expanding the infrastructure of the Cantitoe Street campus, she shares that “this is a momentous time.” She adds, “We have the power to enrich the academic environment, to personalize each child’s experience, and to shape the future for the next generation of students. I am excited to have new families, past families, alumni, and grandparents joining us as we reach our goals.” Abby also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bedford Historical Society, and she serves on the Board of Visitors of Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment as well as the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund.

• Ben Harris, Vice Chair

  Ben is the founder and CEO of Pinedale Capital Partners, a real estate investment company. He was formally the CEO of LINK Logistics, Blackstone’s U.S. industrial real estate platform. Ben grew up in Westport, Connecticut, and Ontario, Canada, and graduated from the University of King’s College in Canada. Ben and his wife, Laura, live in Bedford with their three children, Louisa ’24, Theodora ’25, and George ’29. .

• Oliver Bushnell, Secretary

  Oliver Bushnell grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and attended Shady Hill School, a small, coed day school with many similarities to RCS, before going on to Phillips Exeter Academy and Tufts University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2007. Oliver has worked in commercial real estate investments in New York City for the past 11 years and is currently a vice president of acquisitions and asset management at Global Gate Capital. He has lived in Bedford since 2012 with his wife, Emily, and together, they are raising their three children Lennox ’32, Crawford ’33, and baby Eloise, surrounded by nature, a tight-knit community, and a creative educational environment.

• Charlene Sy Ryan, Treasurer

  Charlene is currently a Partner at Chart Capital, a New York-based private equity firm. She has had an extensive career within private equity and corporate finance. During her fifteen-year tenure at Chart Capital, Charlene has led investments within the health and wellness, energy infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors. She has also served as a Board Director and/or board observer of multiple portfolio companies at various stages of growth and maturity. In addition to investment responsibilities, Charlene oversees Chart Capital’s compliance and finance functions, and manages relationships with the firm’s investors, which include major state and city pension funds, leading educational endowments, and family offices. Prior to joining Chart, Charlene executed senior and mezzanine leveraged credit transactions at Credit Agricole, a French financial institution.   Charlene is an active member of the Bedford community. She volunteers at local organizations including Healing the Children North East, an organization that provides critical medical and surgical care to children around the world. Charlene also serves as a member of the Rippowam Cisqua Campaign Steering Committee.   Charlene attended Phillips Exeter Academy and received a B.S.B.A. from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Charlene and her husband, Daniel Ryan ’93, live in Bedford with their two children, Reed ’27 and Morgan ’29.