The Pennington School has a new CFO.
Brenda Cole began the role on July 18, according to Dr. William S. Hawkey, longtime head of The Pennington School.
Cole is a finance executive with more than 30 years of experience building and leading successful financial departments. Following a career in the corporate world with responsibilities in finance, accounting and capital planning, she became director of finance and operations and CFO for Wilmington Montessori School, where she worked for 15 years. There, she developed five- and 10-year strategic plans for the institution, built new infrastructure at the school for technology and facility maintenance, prepared annual operating budgets, and supervised all finance, accounting, human resources, technology, and facility functions, Hawkey said.
Most recently, Cole worked in a similar capacity at Holy Child School at Rosemont, where she collaborated on a capital campaign and was a member of the master planning committee for the building of a new performing arts and athletic center and turf field. At Rosemont, she also negotiated construction financing for the new building, managed insurance and risk management, maintained capital forecasts, supervised COVID protocols, and revamped the cleaning, cafeteria, and investment management functions for the school, Hawkey said.
Cole is a graduate of Miami University and Xavier University in Ohio and is a certified public accountant.
“I appreciate the rich history and success of The Pennington School, and this is an opportune time to join the Pennington School leadership team and contribute to the next stage of its strategic plan,” she said.
The Pennington School is an independent coeducational school for students in grades 6 through 12, in both day and boarding programs. The curriculum is college preparatory, with an emphasis on individual excellence, fostering the development of the whole student through academics, athletics, community service, and the creative and performing arts.