Kent Place Breaks Ground on Leadership Center for Athletics, Wellness, and Performing Arts

Preliminary work has begun on the new Leadership Center for Athletics, Wellness, and Performing Arts after two commemorative groundbreakings were celebrated on campus at the end of May. 

Designed for connection, creativity, excellence, performance, and growth, the Leadership Center will be a dynamic space for students, faculty and staff, families, and alumnae to come together. Featuring state-of-the-art facilities, the Leadership Center will enable Kent Place to expand on its pedagogy of educating the whole child. Learn more about the Leadership Center here. 

On May 29, Kent Place broke ground with campaign donors, key partners, and school leadership. Board Chair Anne Grissinger P ’25 and Campaign Cochairs Katie (Herbst) ’95 and Patrick Machir P ’28 as well as Head of School Jennifer Galambos spoke in honor of the occasion. 

“The current athletic center doesn’t reflect the innovation and excellence of our academic buildings,” says Katie Machir, “so it gives me tremendous pride to know that we’ll have a facility for athletics — and the performing arts and wellness — that will give our programs new wings with which to soar and match what we provide inside our classrooms.”

On May 30, students, faculty, and staff joined in on the celebrations. More than 800 members of the community gathered on the Lower Field to witness the creation of a time capsule, put together by Director of Athletics Vicky Browne, Director of Performing Arts Edel Thomas, and Director of Health and Wellness Michelle Stevenson, who selected items that represent the history of each of their programs. Students Evelyn Gunsberg ’35, Myra Wadhawan ’30, and Naomi Ravenell ’26 each helped put a shovel in the ground, and were the first to sign a banner showing the current building and the future Leadership Center. Over the days that followed, the banner was signed by students, faculty, and staff; it will serve as a memento of where Kent Place is now and where the school is headed.

Watch a recap of the two groundbreaking ceremonies here.

If you’d like to make a gift to the Leadership Center or learn how you can participate in delivering this exceptional new facility, please contact Beth Gottung, Chief Advancement Officer, at gottungb@kentplace.org or (908) 273-0900, ext. 213.