Four Kent Place Alumnae Honored with Prestigious Awards

Four outstanding Kent Place graduates have been honored with prestigious awards, and will be recognized during Kent Place School’s Alumnae Weekend at the Welcome Brunch and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 25. Read on to find out more about these incredible alumnae and their distinguished honors.

Gretchen (Pfaff) Riley ’66 has been honored with the Barbara Wight Biddison ’30 Distinguished Alumna Award. Gretchen is an accomplished horticulturist, floral designer, and philanthropist with a distinguished career in community service. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Gretchen has exhibited and judged floral design nationally and internationally, including over three decades of competition at the Philadelphia Flower Show. She has been on the National Speakers List of the Garden Club of America. Beyond her artistic talents, she is a staunch advocate for local non-profits; she serves on the Advisory Board for the Salvation Army’s Philadelphia Kroc Center and was recently involved with their New Day Women’s Drop-In Center in Kensington. Gretchen also lends her leadership to the University of Pennsylvania Health System as an inaugural member of the Women’s Health Council. She was Chairman of The Philadelphia Antiques Show. For over twenty years she served on the Women’s Committee of the Penn Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology. A devoted alumna of Kent Place, Gretchen is a member of the Head’s Council, has dedicated math and English classrooms, and is an early supporter of the new Leadership Center for Athletics, Wellness, and the Arts, ensuring future generations benefit from the same inspiring education she received. She has been married to Jay for almost 54 years. They have three adult children and four precious granddaughters.

Meredith Bayse ’06 has earned the Alumna Professional Achievement Award. Meredith's professional trajectory in the arts began at Kent Place, where she received departmental honors in fine arts upon graduation. She earned dual degrees in Studio Art and Business from the University of Southern California and worked in artists' studios before co-founding Moskowitz Bayse in 2015. As one of the pioneering contemporary galleries in Hollywood, the space represents and exhibits a multi-generational, international roster of artists of institutional caliber, with emphasis on painting, sculpture, photography, and video. Beyond her professional success, Meredith remains a dedicated leader within the Kent Place community. She has served as an Alumna Class Agent, hosted a regional event at her gallery, and plays a vital role in cultivating and connecting the KPS alumna network in the greater Los Angeles area.

Andrea Carson Tanner ’91 has been selected for the Alumna Community Service Award. Andrea’s service and leadership began at Kent Place, where she served as class president, vice president of Senate, Alumnae Office volunteer coordinator, and field hockey co-captain, earning the 1991 Montgomery Award and continuing her dedication to the school for over 35 years. She has remained deeply engaged through roles on the Alumnae Association Board, the Community Life & Well-Being Alum Council, and as a longtime class secretary and Kent Place Fund class agent, leading the Class of 1991 to record participation and strong community connection. Andrea graduated with honors from Emory University and built a career in university admissions, including roles at Emory, Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, and the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Master’s in Organizational Dynamics. She currently works with undergraduate admissions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her volunteer work spans the 1996 Summer Olympics, Rutgers’ Center for the American Woman and Politics, a public library board, and leadership on Carrboro’s Human Services Advisory Commission, where she chaired funding recommendations for local charities. Andrea has also been deeply involved in civic and political efforts, including managing successful local campaigns and supporting historic electoral milestones. In her community and schools, she has led parent organizations, advised PTAs, contributed to major school initiatives, spearheaded a national bilingual children’s book project supporting immigrant communities, and extended her leadership through her faith community, where she founded a long-running charitable gift market and co-leads youth and family programs, while raising three children with her husband of 25 years in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Lizzy (Miggins) King ’11 will receive the Young Alumna Award. Lizzy is the Admissions Coordinator at Marymount New York, a Nursery through Class XII Catholic all-girls school on the Upper East Side. She plays a key role in shaping the admissions journey by bringing Marymount’s mission to life for prospective families, guiding applicants through the application process, and creating a warm, engaging experience from first inquiry through enrollment. After nearly a decade in Financial Institutions Sales, with roles at Bloomberg, Sensor Tower, and Grata, Lizzy was excited to channel her passion for all-girls education into her day-to-day work. Lizzy graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. In addition to Lizzy’s professional accomplishments, she champions Kent Place in all aspects of her life. Lizzy served on the Alumnae Board for six years and is a driving force behind the alumnae board’s engagement in Founders Day, culminating in 100% board participation for the past two years. She serves as class agent to seven classes (2008-2014), and is both Class Secretary and Reunion Chair for the Class of 2011. She lives on the Upper West Side with her husband, Barrett, and their rescue dog, Stevie.

Alumnae Weekend is April 24–25 and all graduates are invited to their alma mater. Special celebrations are planned for class years ending in 6 and 1. You may register here.