Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
The Pingry School is committed to sustaining a welcoming and supportive environment both for children and families in its community and those interested in joining the Pingry family.
Honoring our legacy and defining our future, the Pingry community values and celebrates a broad definition of diversity that includes ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Recognizing that the only constant in the world of tomorrow will be change, effective leadership will demand intellectual flexibility and agility, creativity, teamwork, comfort with complexity and ambiguity, experience with diversity, and, above all, character and honor.
As we prepare our students to claim their place as leaders in the 21st century, it is essential that their intellectual engagement occur in a multicultural environment. Daily experiences with differing perspectives of our larger society, while leaning firmly into that which can be a source of discomfort, will prepare our graduates to thrive as culturally competent individuals in a multicultural world.
At Pingry, we are committed to fostering a culture of belonging where every student, educator, family, and community member feels seen, heard, and valued. True growth begins when individuals walk through our doors feeling empowered to be their authentic selves. Through intentional diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, we aspire to create an environment where differences are celebrated, barriers are removed, and every individual has the opportunity to thrive."
Gilberto Olvera, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Leadership
The DEIB Leadership Team coordinates K–12 programs and activities, and serves as a resource and support to students, families, faculty, and staff.
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Lower School DEIB Coordinator
MS Multicultural Team Co-coordinator
Multicultural Team Co-Coordinator and Middle School Affinity Group Coordinator
Basking Ridge Assembly Co-coordinator
Basking Ridge Assembly Co-coordinator
Board of Trustees Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee
Through continuous self-reflection and an orientation toward learning about current best practices in DEI, the Board of Trustees DEI Committee educates Board members and acts as a resource for other Board committees to ensure they adopt best practices and policies. The primary function of the DEI Committee is to partner with the Head of School to realize the aspirational goals of Pingry to become a school that engages in DEI best practices, including actively opposing racism and other forms of bias in all their manifestations. In addition:
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The Committee ensures that DEI is a strategic and institutional priority.
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The Committee and Director of DEI design and regularly review a DEI dashboard to provide data to the Head of School and Board of Trustees around effectiveness of the school’s DEI programming.
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The Committee meets a minimum of six times per year.
Kevin Eng
P ’24, ’26 - Co-Chair
Twinkle Morgan
P ’23, ’26, ’27 - Co-Chair
Betty Galván
P ’25, ’29, ’31
*Former Trustee
Lori Halivopoulos ’78,
P ’23 - Vice Chair
Carolyn (Cookie) Mason
P '21, ’24
Melissa Moriarty ’87,
P ’23
Michael Nitabach ’84
Maggie O'Toole ’05
Ian Shrank ’71
Board of Trustees Chair
Adam Plotkin ’94
Grace Park
P’23, ’26
Margaret Santana
P’22, ’24
The Team
Pingry’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Department includes Multicultural Team Coordinators, Affinity Group Facilitators, and dedicated DEIB roles. Altogether, this team is made up of approximately 60 faculty and staff members who are deliberate and intentional in their efforts to guide the Pingry community in achieving the goals outlined in the School's Mission Statement of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. At Pingry, this work is not optional. The acquisition of cultural competency skills is required of all.
Programming that promotes cultural competency for students within the Pingry community is developed and implemented through the leadership of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Department in partnership with the Multicultural Team Coordinators at the Lower and Middle Schools. Upper School programming is led by the DEIB Department. The goal in developing training and other programming is to foster an open and inclusive environment for students, parents, and caregivers.
In the Upper and Middle Schools, a team of Affinity Group leaders facilitates discussion-based curriculum for students in Grades 6–8 and 9–12.
In partnership, Pingry’s Head of School and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Department oversee the systematic and organized approach to increased cultural competency within the K–12 school community.
Our DEIB Committments
We expect intellectual flexibility and agility, creativity, teamwork, comfort with complexity and ambiguity, experience with diversity, and, above all, character and honor among not just our students, but our faculty, staff, and members of our leadership team as well as our Board of Trustees.