Alumni @ TCS

Distinguished Alumni Awards

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to an alumnus/a who "through his or her actions, deeds, or words exemplifies the true spirit of The Country School." In keeping with The Country School Mission, Distinguished Alumni Award recipients look "beyond themselves to work cooperatively with others, to serve their communities and the larger world."

Each year since 2004, The Country School has recognized an alumnus/alumna whose achievements in life embody the ideals expressed in the school's mission statement. Nominations may be submitted from August through December of the current school year so that the Alumni Association Board will have time to fairly evaluate all candidates, make their selection, and arrange for the award recipient to be present at the annual Alumni Association induction ceremony for new graduates in the spring.

Past Award Recipients

2004

John Burt '71 was the first recipient of The Country School's Distinguished Alumni Award, receiving this honor in 2004. John is a theater producer and arts therapist. His original Cambodian Opera Where Elephants Weep made its debut in Lowell, Massachusetts, in April 2007 and in late 2008 was presented in Cambodia. His work was featured in a 2005 New York Times article that called his efforts to record and teach Cambodia's musical arts to a new generation of performers "A Cambodian Buena Vista Social Club." John, a graduate of Hampshire College who also received advanced degrees from Lesley University in expressive arts therapy, has certainly made a name for himself in the worlds of theater and international arts, but he is also a legend at TCS: John won the MacLane Poetry Recitation four times during his TCS career.

2005

The 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Conor Dubin '91, an award-winning actor now living in California. Conor, who attended Hopkins and then Boston College after TCS, received the Best Supporting Actor award at the 2000 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for his role in Wannabees. Conor has appeared in a variety of movies, including A Tale of Two Pizzas and Tinsel Town, and several television shows, including Without a Trace and Cold Case.

2006

In celebration of The Country School's 50th Anniversary, the 2006 Distinguished Alumni Award went to two graduates who have served TCS on the Board of Trustees and in a variety of other volunteer capacities: S. Jeffrey Burt '61 and Elizabeth Lightfoot '77. Jeff, a graduate of the Hopkins School, Franklin College (BA), and the University of Bridgeport (MBA), has more than 30 years experience as a portfolio manager and securities analyst. At TCS, he served as a trustee for eight years and continues to serve on the Investment Committee and Alumni Board. His lead donation established the Founders' Promise Fund, a tuition assistance program aimed at making a Country School education available to students who could otherwise not afford to attend. Jeff's two children, Hilary '03 and Taylor '00, are also alumni.

Liz Lightfoot served on the Board of Trustees for seven years, during which time she worked with Jeff to invigorate the Alumni Association, served as Board secretary, and chaired the Development Committee and Annual Giving Campaign. A writer who also serves as Publications Coordinator at TCS, Liz graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall, Harvard University (BA), and Columbia Journalism School (MS). Liz recently published Michelle Obama: First Lady of Hope. She is the mother of four TCS students: Graeme '05, Isabel '07, Alastair '08, and Honor '12.

2007

Lynn Fusco Hughes '67, president of the Fusco Corporation in New Haven, was named the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. A graduate of Windham College, she also serves as president of Fusco Management Company and sits or has sat on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including Mystic Aquarium, Albertus Magnus College, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and the Merritt Parkway Conservancy.

2008

The 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to movie and theater producer Jerry Davis '74, one of the masterminds behind such animated hits as Toy Story, Iron Giants, Robots, and Ice Age. A graduate of the Hammonasset School and Vassar College, Jerry began his career at the Goodspeed Opera House, later working on four successful off-Broadway shows in New York City. Eventually he moved toward animated film, joining Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he helped develop Pixar's first feature, Toy Story. He has also worked at Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and IDT/Starz Animation.

2009

Gregory Kats '74, Senior Director and Director of Climate Change Policy of Good Energies, a global private investment firm in renewable and clean energy technologies, received the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a founder of New Resource Bank (the first US green bank) and the American Council on Renewable Energy. Greg serves as Chair of the Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group for LEED (the US green building standard) and has published numerous books on clean energy. Greg served as the Director of Financing for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (1996-2001) and co-founded and chaired (1995-2001) the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol. He currently sits on a half dozen boards and serves as keynote speaker at national clean energy and real estate conferences. He resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife Maia and his children Alex, Evelina, and Robert.