RE Log Spring 2018

32 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2018 Dozens of members of the RE community attended the hearing, and nearly two dozen addressed the commissioners during the public comments session. Commission Chair Keon Hardemon was so impressed with the eight RE students – Tomas Gomez ’18, Chris Kucera ’18, Lauren Marx ’18, Alex Mendelson ’19, Paulina Pages ’18, Juan Roca-Paisley ’19, Ryan Sears ’18 and Hannah Tacher Lois ’18 – who spoke on behalf of the school he invited two of them, Sears and Tacher Lois, to serve as honorary co-chairs. The city’s approval also paves the way for the revitalization of the existing Upper School campus through the school’s REinventing Excellence campaign, beginning this summer with the construc- tion of the new STEM Center. The school’s campaign is guided by the five initiatives Townsend crafted with the board’s support soon after her arrival to the school in 2014: Enriching the curricu- lum; building the best faculty; integrating technology creatively; upgrading buildings, facilities and spaces; and developing RE as an institution. After the hearing, Townsend offered her personal thanks to many who contributed to the effort, including the legal team led by John Shubin ’79 , Amy Huber and Rachel Streitfeld; the architectural team directed by Carlos Prio-Touzet ’72 and Jacqueline Gonzalez; attorney W. Tucker Gibbs ’72 ; landscape architect Jennie Rogers; arborist Lisa Hammer; traffic engineer Joaquin Vargas; master planner Cal Bowie; parking expert Tom Butcher; land surveyor Anthony Campanile; entrepreneur Jose Goyanes; and engineer Joaquin Mojica. Many of that group participated in RE’s 20-minute presentation at the hearing. Townsend also thanked board Chair Rudy Prio Touzet ’76 , Vice Chair Andrew L. Ansin ’81 , and the rest of the board for their leadership, vision and dedication; Jim Cowgill, RE’s Chief Financial Officer, for his tireless work on the project; and the entire RE com- munity for its support. 1. Lewis Family Auditorium 2. Proposed Student Commons 3. Fine Arts Building 4. Proposed Multidisciplinary + STEM Center 5. Dan Leslie Bowden Library and Cameron Hall 6. Ludington Hall 7. La Brisa Home 8. The Pagoda 9. Henry H. Anderson, Jr. ’38 Gymnasium Members of the RE community standing outside Miami City Hall after the Jan. 25 hearing. Commissioner Chair Keon Hardemon stands between “co-chairs” Hannah Tacher Lois ’18 and Ryan Sears ’18 during RE’s January 2018 Miami City Commission hearing.