Lord named Brookwood’s director of college counseling
Kimberly J. Lord has been appointed Brookwood School’s next director of college counseling and will join the school family this summer.
Lord comes to Brookwood with a wealth of experience in university admissions, as well as college counseling in independent school settings. She has served as assistant director of admission, admissionscounselor and financial aid counselor in college admissions and financial aid at Rice University, University of North Texas and Harvard University.
Lord has worked in a variety of independent school settings, having directed the college counseling programs at Antwerp International School in Belgium and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton, Florida. She also served as a college counselor at St. John’s School in Houston, Texas.
Headmaster Randy Watts said her knowledge and experience with colleges and universities is exceptional.
“She has visited over 130 university campuses in 21 states and five countries. While she has a strong knowledge base with colleges and universities in the Southeast, she is also well versed with schools throughout the United States and internationally,” he said.
Lord holds a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and a master’s degree from Harvard University.
She said she was immediately struck by the sense of belonging on campus when she visited Brookwood.“Everyone smiled. There was real conversation happening casually in the school’s common areas; multiple times throughout the day when I heard faculty or students asked to pitch in for one reason or another, the immediate answer was, ‘yes,’” she said.
“These seem like small things, but they’re not,” Lord continued. “They speak to a community that has successfully developed an identity and within which the faculty and students are tied, perhaps by personal connection, but, most importantly, by a common purpose.” Lord joins the community upon the retirement of her predecessor, Vic Spigener, who has served Brookwood for 11 years and has devoted a total of five decades in education.
“It’s probably been the best experience of my working life,” Spigener said. “The kids are just so special.”
Spigener and Lord will work together to ensure a smooth transition in college counseling for the students.
“The great thing about the college counseling program at Brookwood is that it’s already so strong,” Lord said. “I’m so grateful that I get to follow on the heels of Mr. Spigener. He’s made it easy for me.”
Given that, Lord said she looks forward to being able to think creatively about how to expand upon the current program.
“What else can I do to help students build 21st century skills through college and career counseling? How do we encourage students to think about future careers, which may or may not exist yet, and how does that impact conversations about college choice? There are lots of big picture questions related to college counseling that I’m excited to consider at Brookwood,” she said.
Lord and her husband, Lucas, will move to Thomasville in June.
Brookwood School
Located in Thomasville, GA, Brookwood School is a private school for grades JK-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.