New RCS Board President, Betsy Duff
At the School’s Board of Trustees meeting on June 17, 2024, current member, Betsy Duff, was elected to become the next president of Radcliffe Creek School, taking over the reins from Robert Ditmars, who has served in the role since 2020.
Vice President Brennan Starkey Pʼ10 reflected on Ditmars’ service as President of RCS, “Rob Ditmars worked tirelessly to help navigate Radcliffe Creek School through a very turbulent time marked by the Covid pandemic and a change in the head of school. His unflagging optimism, ability to cut to the heart of complex situations and sense of humor buoyed both the staff and the Board as we made difficult decision after difficult decision. He was the right person at the right time to lead the School.”
Duff joined the Radcliffe Creek School Board in 2021 and has served as its secretary, chair of the Committee on Trustees, a member of the Finance and Advancement Committees, and is currently chair of the Head of School Search Committee.
Before joining RCS’ Board of Trustees, Duff was a trustee and chair of the Board of The Potomac School, director of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, director of The Literacy Lab, member of the International Board of Visitors of MICDS in St. Louis, and board member and president of the Junior League of Washington.
Professionally, Duff is a managing partner and the chief operating officer of Harbour Capital Advisors, LLC, an independent wealth management firm and multi-family office. Her firm works with families to achieve multi-generational financial goals and optimize their invested wealth. Before forming Harbour Capital Advisors in 2011, Duff worked for more than 20 years in private and investment banking at Bank of America, focused on business development, client management, and debt structuring for families and corporations. Duff began her career at the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. after earning a B.A. in International Relations from Brown University. She and her husband, Jim, live in McLean, VA, and spend their weekends in Chestertown.
Duff reflected on her top priorities for the school while taking the helm of the Board: “As Board President, it will be my privilege to work closely with Peter Thayer in his third year as head of school, and then to welcome our next head in 2025. Identifying, hiring, and welcoming our next school leader into the community will be a top priority for the board for the next several years. We will continue to emphasize the health of our school community through higher student admissions growth and retention of our outstanding faculty. We will ensure the school’s financial flexibility and sustainability through fundraising and strong financial management. Additionally, we will oversee the School’s strategic direction as we move forward into its next chapter under new leadership.”
About Radcliffe Creek School
As the only K-8 school on Maryland’s Eastern Shore specialized in educating children with learning differences, Radcliffe Creek School (RCS) continues to stand out as a critical resource for area families. Our expert faculty have been utilizing hands-on, multi-sensory instructional methods—grounded in the science of reading—for more than 28 years. RCS students hail from eight counties and 23 different zip codes. To learn more about the immersive, individualized education program offered at Radcliffe Creek School, visit www.radcliffecreekschool.org online or call 410-778-8150.
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