Since the spring of 2019, a small but dedicated group of Happy Valley and Besant Hill alumni have been working to organize an alumni association. We are happy to announce that we have reached our goal to establish the Alumni and Friends Council (AFC).

At the January 2021 meeting of the Happy Valley Foundation (HVF), the Board of Directors voted to make the Alumni Council and Friends an official committee of the Board. The Committee developed Charter and Officer Positions prior to their acceptance by the Board. HVF Trustee, Summer Galante (’07) serves as the Chair of the committee and alumnus John Hardham (’66) is the new Vice-Chair, and Kylie Berry (’19) is serving as the Communications Officer. We are currently looking for more alumni volunteers and an Administrator. We invite you to learn more about this opportunity by contacting us.

The AFC Committee has been working on short- and long-term goals as part of a strategic planning process. Short-term goals include placing a prominent Alumni link on the BHS website and developing a mentorship program so that students and alums can more easily connect and can share both professional expertise and networks. Long term, the AFC is planning to organize an event in 2022 that will bring alumni to the campus in Ojai with the purpose of expanding school scholarships and developing an endowment program.

Richard Ellwood (‘92), Besant Hill School’s Director of Technology, has volunteered to assist the AFC in simplifying access to alumni information on the current BHS website. The goal is to engage the alumni community more effectively by making photo albums, a directory, and alumni announcements more available. Ultimately, we hope to have a portal that will enable current students to connect with alumni who can offer mentoring relationships.