We are grateful to the men and women who serve or have served on the Northwood School Board of Trustees. We thank them for dedicating their time to this special place called Northwood and for sharing their expertise and wisdom for the betterment of our school. We plan to profile current Board Members intermittently in Northwood News to introduce you to the individuals that make up this dynamic group as they lead our school into the future.
Trustee Profile
Karen Miller
Vice Chair Karen Miller serves on several committees within the board. She is Chair of the Advancement Committee, Chair of the Admissions Committee, and Chair of the Former Trustees Committee. Saying “I love being part of any and all of it!”, she also serves on the Facilities Committee, Student Life Committee, and Capital Campaign Steering Committee.
We recently caught up with Karen to ask her a few questions:
Karen, why did you choose to serve on the Northwood School Board of Trustees?
I have been involved with prep schools all my life. I went to Phillips Exeter Academy in the late 70’s and then taught and coached at Greenwich Academy for a few decades. When my husband (Reed Miller Northwood Class of ’72) and I came to Lake Placid to see his old stomping grounds I was incredibly impressed and realized how much I missed being involved with school life, the students, the athletes and the entire prep school world. I was truly excited to get back involved in education and to be part of the Northwood family. What an amazing school community and little gem of a prep school nestled in the Adirondacks!
What are you excited about for Northwood in the near future?
I’m excited to witness Northwood as it continues to grow and flourish. Seeing the Campus Master Plan unfold is something we can all be excited about and proud of. Additionally, there are so many new opportunities being explored. Developing programming at the Innovation Hub for not only Northwood students, but also local families and their children to learn about coding, robotics and all that this exciting space has to offer. I am excited to see Northwood becoming fully engrained in the community. Another aspect of Northwood that is becoming highlighted is the fact that our campus is not just the school buildings but the entire Adirondack Park and Olympic Village. Olympic Physics classes have been designed around the luge track, ski jumps and bobsled runs. Geology classes have been held at the top of Cobble Hill. Mountain Day has groups of students hiking the 46 Peaks. The LEAP program teaches flying fishing on the Au Sable River, week-long class in Mountain Rescue, hiking the Saranac Six, and understanding the modern Olympic movement.
Why is philanthropy/giving back important to you and your family?
So many alumni including my husband talk about how Northwood changed their lives. Those are hugely powerful words and for that reason it is incredibly important for us to give back so that the tradition continues and the programming continues to grow.
Karen Miller was born in Oceanside, California at Camp Pendleton. She attended Phillips Exeter Academy and is a graduate of Wesleyan University. Karen says it took a few careers (at Lord & Taylor and Merrill Lynch) to figure out her passion. For 18 years she coached field hockey, squash and tennis at Greenwich Academy. An avid and accomplished squash player, Karen travelled the world with the Men’s and Women’s U.S. Squash Team as Manager and Assistant Coach 1999-2008 and played on the U.S. Women’s Squash Team in the 2000 Pan Am Federation Cup in Brazil. She is a member of the Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame. Karen and her husband Reed live in Greenwich, Conn. and they love spending time in the Adirondacks.
Bonus question:
What was your favorite music during your high school years? (We know you also played guitar.)
James Taylor, Carly Simon and Cat Stevens.