Introducing Melanie Hoffmann

On July 1, Melanie P. Hoffmann will join Vermont Academy as our new assistant head of school and director of external affairs. She will lead our Advancement Office, including our Annual Fund, capital campaigns, and all other fundraising. Melanie and VA’s CFO Jeff Seaton will each serve Vermont Academy as assistant heads of school, helping Dr. Jennifer L. Zaccara to steer the school strategically in collaboration with the other members of the newly formed Executive Council, which also include longtime faculty member Amanda Gilbert-Hodgson (newly appointed as dean of faculty).

Melanie has been a fundraiser for nonprofits since 1993, specializing in campaigns, major gifts, donor relations and stewardship, and board and volunteer management. She comes to Vermont Academy from The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, where she has served as the Director of Institutional Advancement. In 2016, The Pingry School completed and exceeded its six-year, $65 million campaign, raising $76.7 million. Melanie has raised more than $120 million for The Pingry School over the last 13 years.

“As soon as Melanie stepped into her interviews at Vermont Academy, we knew that we wanted her to be an assistant head of school and director of external affairs,” said Dr. Zaccara. “Melanie is a go-getter who has a phenomenal track record of campaign work, annual fundraising, and major gift cultivation. She also has a gift for bringing an alumni community together and helping to build a Board. Her wisdom, wit, and high standards are qualities I greatly admire.”

Prior to joining Pingry in 2005, Melanie was a senior consultant for Graham-Pelton Consulting and the Director of Development for the Save Ellis Island Foundation. She also worked at the Museum of the City of New York on their $50 million campaign, and served as campaign manager for The Pingry School's $44.5 million campaign from 1998-2000. She began her fundraising career at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the VA community, and look forward to contributing to its success under the leadership of Dr. Zaccara,” Melanie said. “ VA’s future is bright; its rich history and strong parent and alumni community are among the reasons that my family and I decided to come to Vermont Academy. Additionally, we spend a portion of our summer vacation each year in Vermont, so I am excited to now spend all year here!”

In July 2018, Melanie will complete her Master in Education for School Leadership degree from University of Pennsylvania. She previously received a bachelor's degree in art history from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She and her husband of 20 years, Arthur, have two children, William and Nicholas, and two dogs, Elsa and Gilly.