Dear PNB School Families,
I am writing to you today to share some important news about leadership transitions at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. We communicated this news to our faculty and staff last month, and wanted to share it with all of you as well. Denise Bolstad, PNB School Managing Director, will retire at the conclusion of Summer Course and Abbie Siegel, PNB School Principal will retire from her position after School Performance. It is hard to imagine PNB School without Denise and Abbie.
Denise began working for PNB in 1980 and held various positions with the School including Registrar and Principal. Denise’s contribution to PNBS is beyond measure. She has seen the School through its move from the Good Shepherd Center to the Phelps Center and from the first Eastside school to the first and second Francia Russell Center. She has helped a devoted team implement and enhance DanceChance, Community Education, Dance for All, Dance for PD, New Voices, NEXT STEP, the Mentorship program, multiple Teachers’ Seminars, countless conferences, dozens of Scholarship Teas, School Celebration Dinners, Petite Finales, audition tours, faculty meetings, 42 school performances, and the first dedicated wellness team in the country for a ballet school. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work alongside her.
Though Abbie has decided to retire from her School Principal duties in June, luckily for us, she will remain on the faculty. Throughout her 34 years at the School, Abbie has been an irreplaceable member of the faculty, teaching students at every level. Abbie has also held many important roles, including DanceChance Manager, serving as Assistant Principal, Principal of the Francia Russell Center, and, since 2012, as Principal for both schools. Her many roles are impressive, but her true strength lies in the quiet, everyday moments when she’s there to help students and families navigate life’s challenges and celebrate their accomplishments in ballet. She has always led with her heart, deeply committed to what’s best for each student, guiding them not just in dance, but in life.
We are pleased to share Assistant Principal Marisa Albee will assume the role of School Principal at the conclusion of this school year. Marisa has been an influential faculty member for the past twenty-four years. As Assistant Principal for the past three, she worked alongside Abbie learning the myriad complexities and nuances of the role. We are excited to see Marisa’s further contribution to the School and community in her new role.
Please join me in congratulating Denise and Abbie on their extraordinary contributions. We will honor them at this year’s School Performance.
Sincerely,
Peter Boal
Director, PNB School
