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Alumni achievements

2/23/2012

At Homecoming 2012, Sanford recognized the following four individuals for their personal and professional achievements:
John McVaugh '67
Danny Seymour '67
Jen Nightengale '82
Pam Dixon Ventola '97

Do you know someone who you think should be recognized? Contact the Development Office to share your thoughts!

Jack McVaugh '67

Then: Jack remembers distinctly when he first decided upon a career as a chemical and environmental engineer. It was back in 6th grade and Marnie Sawin was his teacher. The class went on a field trip to the refinery in Delaware City, and Jack came back all excited, determined that he wanted a job as a plant operator. Marnie encouraged him to set his sights higher and from then on he applied himself to his goal of becoming an engineer. Nancy Sawin recommended him for a scholarship at the University of Delaware, which set him on his way.

Now: After a long career as an environmental engineer and manager at several companies, in 1994 Jack opened his own business, Environmental Technology & Management. Jack’s expertise is in demand because he has highly specialized certifications in Environmental, Health and Safety Management Systems and Responsible Care Management Systems.

Sanford Connections: Jack and his sister, the late Judith Ann McVaugh Tuck ’63, were both Sanford lifers. Jack remains close friends with another lifer from his class, Harold Walls ’67. In fact, Jack and his wife, Brigid, have taken several vacations with Harold and his wife, Judy.

Job Satisfaction: “We show companies that they can save money, reduce pollution, and work more safely at the same time. It’s very gratifying work.”

Hobbies: He spends up to 80 percent of his time traveling all over the country and the world for work, so he enjoys spending his free time at home with his wife, Brigid.

Danny Seymour '67

Then: Danny not only attended Sanford from kindergarten through 12th grade, he also lived right across the street from campus. His sister, Sandra “Sandy” Seymour Dudley ’65, was also a lifer. Danny says that the Sawins, and in particular Nancy, Bill and Marnie, were just like family to him and Sandy. They shared many holidays and meals together.

Now: After earning associate’s degrees in both culinary arts and food service management, Danny began his life’s work in school nutrition. He later returned to school and earned his B.S. in human resource management at age 50. Danny is currently the Dean of Education for the School Nutrition Association, whose 52,000 members serve meals to schoolchildren all over the nation.

Sanford Influences: In addition to the Sawins, Danny has fond memories of Mildred Taylor, who taught him social studies in Upper School. “She looked at us as individuals and treated us as adults,” he says. “She was strong as far as discipline. She saw our strengths and weaknesses and encouraged us in so many ways.”

Where You’ll Find Him: Danny lived and worked in Pennsylvania for 33 years, moving around from the Philadelphia area to Allentown to Pittsburgh. He now works in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside the nation’s capital. His job, however, has him traveling to conferences and educational forums all over the country.

His Passion: Improving child nutrition by improving the meals students receive at school and afterschool programs, including breakfast, lunch, snacks and summer meals. With Type 2 diabetes rampant, Danny notes, it is imperative that we teach children healthy ways of eating.

His Hobby: For 40-some years Danny has raised and showed pure-bred dogs. His family now includes two Irish setters, an English pointer and a Scottish terrier. In fact, tomorrow Danny will travel to Bucks County, Pa., to grade a litter of Pointers sired by one of Danny’s Grand Champions, aptly named “William Sanford” after Bill Sawin. Danny has been approved by the American Kennel Club since 1995 to judge several sporting breeds.

Jen Nightengale '82
Then: Jen attended Sanford School for grades 11 and 12. She had spent the prior two years of high school across the world in Japan, where her father was on assignment for the DuPont Company. While at Sanford, Jen played volleyball, was a member of the bell choir and was cast in two musicals.

Now: As Middle School Technology Instructor, Jen works with all Sanford students in grades 5-8, teaching them a wide variety of technology skills, from computer software to robotics. She also coaches 7th and 8th grade girls’ volleyball and serves on the Middle School Admissions Committee.

Sanford Connections: Jen’s father, the late Robert “Bob” W. Nightengale, Jr., had served Sanford School as president of the Board of Trustees. Her son, J.T., is a 2009 graduate who now coaches junior varsity soccer here. Daughter, Jillian, is a member of this year’s senior class. Jen once worked for the printing company owned by the family of fellow alumna Sarah Small Watson ’84, who is herself now assistant to the head of Lower School at Sanford.

Fun Fact: Jen and Jackie Pitts ’55 led the Alumni Board in starting the Alumni Awards program back in that late 1990s, when Jen was Associate Director of Alumni Relations. Jen says she never imagined that she would one day be a recipient of the award.

On Working at Her Alma Mater: “I love the feeling of community that you get when you are walking around campus. I think that’s something that’s unique to Sanford.”

Pam Dixon Ventola '97

Then: “Sanford was a phenomenal school where your talents and interests were really supported,” says Pam, who attended from grades 7 through 12. “It didn’t matter whether you were an athlete or a musician or whatever—the strengths you brought to the table were equally valued and supported.”

Now: After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hamilton College, Pam went on to the University of Connecticut where she earned a doctorate in clinical psychology with a concentration in neuropsychology. She is an Associate Research Scientist in the Child Study Center at Yale Medical School. Her research and teaching focus on autism disorder, and she recently published the book Essentials of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evaluation and Assessment.

Sanford Influences: Pam credits her Middle School English teacher Eph Humphreys (now Middle School head) with teaching her how to write, a skill that has been invaluable throughout her schooling and in her career. In Upper School, she found a mentor in Sue Dagenais, who is now director of counseling and learning services.

Her Research: Pam’s potentially groundbreaking research focuses on using interventional techniques with preschoolers with autism while monitoring their brain activity with functional MRIs and EEGs to see if the teaching can change how the children perceive and react to social stimulation—in effect, rewiring their brains and changing the trajectory of their development, perhaps to a degree such that they no longer show significant signs of autism.

At Home: Pam and her husband, Noah, have two children, Madelyn, 3, and Tucker, three months. They live in rural Connecticut and have two dogs, a cat and 10 chickens, which provide fresh eggs for the family. Pam enjoys working in her large vegetable garden and is also active in her daughter’s preschool.

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