Alumni Council

Get Involved to Support The Island School

The Island School is launching the Alumni Council to strengthen connections and support our alumni engagement, outreach, events, and philanthropic efforts.

Serving in an advisory capacity, the Alumni Council brings together a small group of alumni leaders who are passionate about The Island School and eager to contribute ideas, perspectives, and energy. Council members meet quarterly and serve as ambassadors within the alumni community.

The Alumni Council is a non-governing body and may serve as a pathway for alumni interested in deeper leadership roles, including future Board or committee service.

2026 Inaugural Alumni Council

Nick Pibl ST14

Nick Pibl ST14 attended The Island School as a Summer Term student in 2014. He is currently pursuing an MBA at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business as an Energy & Environment Scholar with a focus in energy finance and climate tech. Prior to business school, Nick was a Founding Team Member at Sandbrook Capital, a climate infrastructure private equity firm, where he backed companies across the data center, renewable energy, and energy services space. Nick started his career in investment banking at Perella Weinberg Partners, with additional work experience at DCVC and TerraPower. He graduated from Claremont McKenna College as a Seaver Leadership Scholar and Robert Day Scholar. He serves on the Emerging Leaders Board of the Harlem Education Activities Fund (HEAF), a NYC-based nonprofit providing access to higher education and professional development.

Griffin Hunt F11

Griffin Hunt is a Fall 2011 alumnus who returned to Eleuthera during the summers of 2013 through 2016 to work as a communications intern, Summer Term alumni mentor, and Summer Term Dean of Students. He is passionate about kids’ digital safety and has spent nearly a decade at Google focused on safety, privacy, and crisis response efforts. Griffin lives in Austin, Texas, with his husband and enjoys the city’s food, music, cycling, and art scenes. 

Trevonya Pinder DCMS15

Trevonya Pinder DCMS15 is a dedicated Bahamian registered nurse with a passion for healthcare, continuous learning, and professional growth. She earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of The Bahamas and began her professional journey with a strong foundation in both education and customer service. Before pursuing nursing, Trevonya spent four years at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in North Georgia after attending Deep Creek Middle School, an experience that helped shape her independence, resilience, and adaptability. Trevonya is committed to providing compassionate, patient-centered care while continuously expanding her knowledge and skills.

Olivia Gomez F15

Olivia Gomez F15 is pursuing her MBA at Harvard Business School. She spent the past several years at S2G Investments on the Oceans investment team, where she focuses on the evaluation and execution of new investments across the blue economy. While at S2G, she served on the Chicago board of the Synergist Network, a national community of women in investing. Prior to S2G, Olivia was an Analyst in Cowen’s Technology Investment Banking Group in New York City. Olivia graduated from Williams College with a B.A. in Economics and a concentration in Environmental Studies and was a member of the Women’s Lacrosse team. Olivia credits her semester abroad at the Island School for driving her passion for championing the ocean’s role in combating climate change. Olivia loves a good shark dive, bird walk, farm tour, and NYT crossword.

Austin Frank S11

Inspired by his Island School experience, Austin Frank (TERM)  has since built his career at the intersection of sustainability and business. He studied economics and environmental analysis as an undergraduate and then moved directly into the energy sector, helping scale a solar startup before pivoting to broad-based energy consulting. For the past three years, he has worked in venture capital, backing decarbonization technologies. Outside of work, he stays active outdoors and enjoys documentaries and stand-up comedy.

Peter Keefe F13

Peter Keefe F13 is part of the Global Value Opportunity Strategy team at Silvercrest Asset Management, where his team manages several institutional global and international equity strategies. Prior to joining Silvercrest, Peter was a Senior Capital Markets Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, advising global banks and asset managers on regulatory, risk management, and strategic initiatives. He previously worked at Bloomberg LP as a Senior Portfolio & Risk Associate, supporting institutional clients with portfolio risk analysis and index-related initiatives. Peter earned a B.S. in Finance with a minor in Accounting from Elon University’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. A member of The Island School’s Fall 2013 Semester program, Peter credits the experience with shaping his perspectives on leadership, resilience, and service through experiences including the four-mile swim and a fisheries marine ecology research project conducted alongside local Bahamian communities. Coming from a multigenerational Island School family, Peter is honored to join the Alumni Council and looks forward to helping strengthen The Island School’s alumni community for future generations.

Eliza Judson F14

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Eliza Judson [TERM] graduated from Colgate University in 2020. After two years in New York City, she relocated to Sydney, Australia, in 2023. She works on the People & Culture team at an Australian recruitment agency, where she focuses on employee experience, learning and development, and designing programs that help individuals and teams thrive.   Based in Bondi Beach, Eliza enjoys a lifestyle deeply connected to the ocean, community, and the outdoors, a natural extension of the values first cultivated through The Island School. Outside of work, she can often be found training for marathons, participating in book clubs, exploring coastal walks, or gathering friends for beach picnics. She has especially enjoyed connecting with Sydney’s small but close-knit Island School alumni community and is passionate about fostering meaningful relationships rooted in place, community, and the landscapes that bring people together.

Garrett Pilgrim F16

Garrett Pilgrim F16  is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) at Pacific University and a recipient of the U.S. Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), reflecting his commitment to serving military populations as a future Navy psychologist. He holds an M.S. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Springfield College and a B.A. in Psychology from Colorado College. A Fall 2016 Island School alumnus, Garrett was elected Boys Dorm Head by his peers during his time on Eleuthera. He has stayed closely connected to the Island School community and presented at the 2nd Annual Alumni Summit on how his semester in Eleuthera shaped his approach to mental health and confidence. He is honored to continue that connection through service on the Alumni Council. Garrett’s work sits at the intersection of mental performance and clinical psychology. He currently consults with Pacific University’s Men’s Basketball program as a Mental Performance Consultant and has prior experience working with collegiate and youth athletes across football, rugby, golf, lacrosse, and surf programs. His research on mindfulness in action sports has been presented at national and international conferences, including the AASP Annual Conference in Montreal and NASPSPA in South Lake Tahoe.

Kate Kechriotis F21

Kate Kechriotis is studying Environmental Science and Journalism at the University of Oregon. She is especially interested in conservation, marine and environmental research, and making science more accessible to the public. Through her studies and hands-on experiences, Kate has continued to explore the connection between people, place, and the environment. Kate attended The Island School during the Fall 2021 semester, and her time on Eleuthera played a huge role in shaping both her academic and personal interests. Being immersed in field research, marine science, and a community centered around sustainability inspired Kate to pursue a path focused on environmental conservation and science communication. Outside of school, she loves running marathons, hiking, camping, scuba diving, and both film and digital photography. Kate is excited to serve on the Island School Alumni Council, give back to the community that had such a lasting impact on her life, and help strengthen connections between alumni and future Island School students.

Isabel Hanify S13

Isabel works on climate policy for Washington State, supporting industrial decarbonization and greenhouse gas reduction measures. She graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in Environmental Science and received a Master’s degree in Marine and Environmental Affairs from the University of Washington. She attended The Island School in the spring of 2013 and returned in 2016 to work at the Cape Eleuthera Institute. Isabel lives in Seattle with her husband, Connor, and enjoys exploring all the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Abigail Mottur F16

Abigail Mottur F16 grew up in Rhode Island, where living by the ocean shaped her passion for the marine environment. Her recent work is focused on mobilizing capital to strengthen environmental, social, and economic resilience in coastal and island communities. Abigail received her Master’s in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of St Andrews. She holds a PADI Advanced Open Water scuba certification. Abigail is excited to join The Island School Alumni Council and looks forward to strengthening connections across the extraordinary community that The Island School has built over the past 27 years.

Natalie Grune S12

Natalie Grune grew up in Darien, Connecticut, and attended The Island School in Spring 2012, an experience that shaped her foundational values and approach to learning. She attended Lafayette College and later earned her M.Sc. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Since then, Natalie has built a career in education, focusing on adult learning, experiential learning, and workforce development—strongly believing that meaningful learning happens well outside the walls of a classroom, a philosophy she first discovered at The Island School. Over the past year, she’s enjoyed reconnecting with old Island School friends and attending reunions, and is excited to bring that same energy to the Alumni Council.

Nina Kumar S01

Nina Kumar is the General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer for Nashville Surgical Instruments. Additionally, she has her own private mediation practice that specializes in family and civil dispute resolution. Prior to that, she was a Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Ardent Health Services, where she was responsible for all legal matters in the Americas and East Texas divisions. Before moving to an in-house counsel position, she was a partner in the healthcare group at the law firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. Nina graduated in 2010 from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was a member of the Dean’s List, a Scholastic Excellence Award recipient, and a managing editor of Environmental Law and Policy Annual Review. She received an M.A. Honours in International Relations from the University of Saint Andrews (Scotland), where she was a member of the swimming and water polo teams. Nina graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 2002, where she had the honor and privilege of being part of the Spring 2001 Island School class. 

Chanel Williams-Hamilton DCMS08

Chanel Hamilton was born to Larry and Joy Williams in Nassau, The Bahamas. She attended Queen’s College until eighth grade and matriculated at Deep Creek Middle School in Eleuthera, The Bahamas for ninth grade. While at Deep Creek Middle School, Chanel excelled academically, taking the SSAT exams and being accepted on a full scholarship to The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. While at Deep Creek Middle School, Chanel enjoyed swimming in the current at Cape Eleuthera and obtained her PADI Open Water scuba Diving certification. During her time at The Lawrenceville School, Chanel remained academically astute and athletically inclined. She enjoyed Lawrenceville’s Harkness-style learning, played water polo, swam, joined the dance team, and was a Davis Scholarship awardee. In her final year at Lawrenceville, Chanel served as a Prefect and mentor to Lawrenceville’s newest female students, while also considering the next steps in her own academic journey. Chanel applied to several undergraduate schools and received a full scholarship to attend Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Attending Bryn Mawr, an all-women’s liberal arts college, allowed Chanel to focus academically and realize her passion for cities and urban planning. Through her undergraduate studies, Chanel was able to travel to northern Germany, southern Germany, Hungary, and Bratislava. Chanel focused her undergraduate studies on learning the dynamics of port cities as well as how cities recover from a variety of disasters. Chanel’s undergraduate experiences culminated in her graduating Magna Cum Laude and obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Growth and Structure of Cities. Upon graduating from Bryn Mawr, Chanel attended Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she obtained a Master’s in Urban Planning. Her studies at Harvard focused on redesigning communities with an emphasis on affordability and climate resilience. While at Harvard, Chanel was a co-chair for the Black in Design Conference (2018), as well as a Summer Associate in Environmental Equity at the Greenlining Institute. These experiences informed Chanel’s understanding of environmental justice and the climate and social vulnerabilities that many communities face. The rigor of Chanel’s academic experience translates into her dedication to continue to grow and learn throughout her professional career. Chanel has worked for the City of Philadelphia’s Development Services Division, where she supported work in expanding the city’s affordable housing. She has also worked for the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, where she designed land use plans focused on sustainability and climate action. Chanel currently works as a Senior Emissions Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister’s National Emission Registry. Through her work, Chanel advances The Bahamas’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy efficiency, expand climate-smart agriculture, and reduce the impacts of climate change. Chanel thanks her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the many opportunities that she has had. Growing up in a middle-income family in The Bahamas can lead to uncertainty around education opportunities and career decisions. Thanks to Christ and her parents’ hard work and diligence, Chanel has been blessed in both academic and professional spaces. Chanel is married to Charles Hamilton, and her hobbies include exercising, baking, and listening to podcasts on her drive to work. Chanel enjoys tutoring, mentoring young individuals, and spending time with her family.

Tyler Maxey DCMS09

Tyler Maxey is a DCMS alumna. After living and studying in Argentina, she moved back to Eleuthera, where she worked for several years at The Island School, running visiting programs. Currently, she lives and works in Savannah, Georgia, teaching young kids to swim at a local YMCA.

If you are interested in joining the Alumni Council, please reach out to alumni@islandschool.org for more information. Applications are open annually in late spring.