Boarding School Advisory Committee

Committee Members
 
Paul Rebuck
Dean of Enrollment and Financial Aid
Milton Academy
Milton, Massachusetts
Paul is in his 10th year as Dean of Enrollment and Financial Aid at Milton Academy and has worked in the field of admissions for 20 years. He earned his B.A. from Amherst College and his M.S. from UMASS Amherst. In addition to his role leading the admission offices and being a member of the administration team at Milton Academy, Paul is also an advisor and a football coach.

Jada Hebra
Vice Rector for Faculty
St. Paul’s School
Concord, New Hampshire
Jada K. Hebra has been a faculty member at St. Paul's School since 1991. She attended Vassar College and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Her past roles at the School include director of admission, director of college advising, associate dean of students, and humanities teacher. Jada lives on the St. Paul’s campus with her family.

Jim Ventre
Director of Financial Aid and Admission Operations
Phillips Academy Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Jim Ventre received an A.B. degree from Dartmouth College in 1983. He then joined the Phillips Academy faculty as a teaching fellow in English and later became an admission counselor. In 1990, he was appointed Director of Financial Aid. Jim has served as president of the Association of Financial Aid Officers and was named Educator of the Year by the Albert G. Oliver Foundation in New York for his work with underprivileged families. He has dedicated his professional career to working with students and their families with financial aid. In addition to his responsibilities in the Office of Admission & Financial Aid, Ventre has served as an advisor, coach and house counselor at Phillips Academy. He currently lives on campus with his family.

Erby Mitchell
Director of Admission
Loomis Chaffee School
Windsor, Connecticut
Erby has been the Director of Admission at Loomis Chaffee since 2009. Prior to joining the Loomis community, Erby was the Director of Admission and Financial Aid at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. He has also served in the admission offices at Bowdoin College and Saint Joseph’s College in Maine. Erby received his B.A. from Saint Joseph’s College and his Master’s in Education from Harvard University. He lives on the Loomis Chafee campus with his family.

Hugh Silbaugh
Northfield Mount Hermon School
Mount Hermon, Massachusetts
Hugh Silbaugh began working at Northfield Mount Hermon School in 2007 after serving as Upper School Principal at Milton Academy and as assistant director at the Putney School. Hugh earned a B.A. from Amherst College and Master’s in Education from both UCLA and Harvard Graduate School of Education. Hugh's graduate study and professional work center on faculty development and instructional improvement. A longtime English teacher, Hugh has also been an ethics teacher, outdoor educator, coach, and dorm parent.

Wil Smith
Dean of Community & Multicultural Affairs
Berkshire School
Sheffield, Massachusetts
Wil Smith recently joined the Berkshire School as Dean of Community & Multicultural Affairs. He also coaches girls basketball and softball. Prior to his work at Berkshire, Wil was Director of Multicultural Student Programs and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Bowdoin College. He spent a summer as Assistant Head at EXPLO at Yale. Wil graduated from Bowdoin College and received his J.D. from the University of Maine Law School. A Naval technician for seven years before attending college, Wil is committed to engaging in and enhancing school communities.

Pam Safford
Associate Head for Communications, Enrollment, & Planning
Concord Academy
Concord, MA
Pam has been at Concord Academy since 2000, has worked at boarding and day schools for over 25 years, and attended boarding school herself. At Concord Academy, Pam's primary responsibilities include overseeing the Admissions and Communications Office, and supporting the Board of Trustees and the school in its strategic planning work. Additionally, she is a member of Concord’s senior administrative team, the weekend duty team, and is an advisor to several students.

Ellie Griffin
Independent School Management
Wilmington, Delaware
Ellie Griffin is on the staff of Independent School Management’s Summer Institute, where she leads workshops for Deans of Students and Women Administrators. The founding Director of Health and Counseling Services at Milton Academy, a position she held for 31 years, Ellie has been a consultant and faculty trainer leading adult workshops on Human Development issues for numerous schools nationally and internationally. She co-created the Independent School Gender Project, a seven-year study exploring equity issues for girls and women in independent schools. Also published for her research on self-esteem and identity in black and Hispanic young women, Ellie has presented numerous times at the NAIS annual conference as well as at the Independent School Health Association and The Association of Boarding School (TABS) conferences. Ellie was recently awarded the Ruzicka Compass Premier Leadership Award by The Association of Boarding Schools for her contribution to the excellence, advancement, and success of boarding schools.

Anne Behnke
Director of Admission
St. Mark's School
Southborough, MA
Anne Behnke has been in the field of admission for 29 years. After graduating from Spring Hill College in 1982 with a degree in History, Behnke attended Washington University in St. Louis and earned an MA.Ed in Education with a specialization in Guidance and Counseling. Before joining the Admission Office at St. Mark's in 2004, Behnke spent 13 years as Dean of Admission of the Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, CA, and 11 years as Assistant Director of Admission at Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL. Behnke also serves as a faculty member for the Admission Training Institute for the Admission Organization, formally known as SSATB. Her responsibilities at St. Mark's include domestic and international travel, interviewing, serving on the Senior Administrative Team, overseeing all aspects of the admission process and managing a team of 11. Behnke also is a member of a six member dorm duty team, has five advisees and coaches varsity girls' tennis. When Ms. Behnke is not working she is often on the tennis court or playing with her two cocker spaniels, Nettie and Chloe.