Alumni Awards

Beverly Watson '90 was named the recipient of the 2020 Ransom Everglades Founders’ Alumni Award, which is awarded to individuals who, through loyal attitude, inspired spirit and unselfish action, have helped fulfill the vision of the founders of the Ransom and Everglades Schools. The Director of the Scholars Program at King Philanthropies in Menlo Park, Calif., Watson has enjoyed a multi-faceted career in global education and access and currently helps international students develop leadership and social-impact skills.

The Head of School’s Award recognizes alumni whose commitment and service to the school serve as an inspiration, and who have lived out the Ransom Everglades mission. Recipients must have demonstrated commitment to the school’s mission by fostering a sense of “community, personal integrity and values,” and following Paul C. Ransom’s belief that people are “in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it.”

Head of School Penny Townsend named Lili Krech Neale '69 the 2019 recipient of the Head of School's Award during the Class of 1969 50-year reunion luncheon on April 12. Townsend thanked Neale for her leadership and decades of devotion and service to Ransom Everglades.

Neale volunteered to help organize her 50-year reunion, stepping up as she so often has since departing the Everglades School for Girls in 1969. Her passion and participation have been fueled by a long and proud connection to RE. She grew up under an educator father who worked at the Ransom School and Everglades School for Girls. She married an alum, sent her son to RE and has been an active alumna since she graduated.

"Lili is a kind and unassuming person who delights in elevating others," Townsend said. "She brings good cheer, enthusiasm and great competence to every undertaking. It is truly a privilege to recognize her for her years of joyful dedication to Ransom Everglades."