Hi! My name is Dawn Chmura. I am an educational communications professional dedicated to telling stories and creating compelling content for organizations that build a solid foundation of learning for students. For the past 23 years, I have worked at Rectory School, a co-ed junior boarding (grades 5-9) and day school (grades K-9) in Pomfret, CT. My roles have encompassed alum relations, fundraising, marketing, and communications. The best part of my time at Rectory has been telling the stories about the people who devote their lives to teaching students how to learn within the scope of their unique learning styles.

My journey with Rectory School began in the summer of 2001 when I joined the Alumni and Development Office as the Director of Annual Giving and Associate Director of Development. Over the years, I've transitioned into my current role as the Director of Communications. In this capacity, I oversee various responsibilities including maintaining the school's website, crafting and disseminating advertisements and press releases, producing publications such as The Rectory News and RECollections (the monthly parent E-Newsletter), and developing promotional materials. Additionally, I am entrusted with writing, editing, and disseminating important updates to targeted audiences within the school community. Throughout my career, I have been driven by a passion to support educators in equipping students with the skills they need to succeed academically and beyond.

I earned my B.S. in Business Administration from Nichols College in Dudley, MA, and subsequently pursued an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Over the years, I've actively contributed to various organizations including serving on the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools' Commission on School Advancement and as a board member of the Danielson Rotary Club. My dedication and contributions have been recognized through awards such as the Paul Harris Award from Rotary and the Kellogg and Army Awards from Rectory School. Currently, I serve as a member of Rectory's Senior Admin Team and am actively involved in the School's Safety and Retirement Committees.

As I embark on the next step of my professional journey, I look forward to using my talents and skills in a supportive rather than a managerial role. My family is relocating to Homosassa, Florida, in June 2024. I am open to local and remote opportunities. I am eager to fulfill a boots-on-the-ground position to enhance my new community.

Dawn has been an integral member of our development team originally and our communications department leader more recently. (She was our first Director of Communications and established the foundation for our communications efforts.) Her institutional knowledge, professional skills, work ethic, and incredibly fun-loving, heartwarming personality have been a gift to Rectory for so long. It will be hard to imagine this campus without her smile, her laugh, and her immediate attention to anything and everything communications-based.

~Fred Williams, Head of School, Rectory School