Meredith Lazo McPherron '85 is the 2019-2020 Alumna of the Year

The Alumnus/a of the Year award is presented annually to a graduate who has been steadfast in his or her loyalty to the school, and has shown an unwavering commitment to the place that meant so much to them. The inscription on the award reads: For Loyalty, Dedication, and Service to The Governor’s Academy.

This year’s recipient, Meredith Lazo McPherron, is a graduate of the class of 1985. From the day she jumped the wall, Meredith has been an enthusiastic connector for those in her class, and surrounding classes, and a steadfast champion of the Academy's mission. Over the past thirty-five years, Meredith has continued to give back to the Academy in many capacities as an alumna volunteer lending her talent, insight, and knowledge as a guest speaker, reunion committee volunteer, Governor’s Fund advocate, and now as trustee emerita.    

Meredith joined the board of trustees in 2013, serving a seven-year term that concluded in May of 2020. During her tenure as a board member, Meredith served on the Communications and Marketing Committee providing leadership and expertise with the Academy's re-branding initiatives and website redesign. Most significantly, in her recent role as Campaign Steering Committee Co-Chair, Meredith has helped develop the inspirational marketing strategy for the Academy’s current 75M campaign, With True Courage, The Campaign for Governor's, the most ambitious campaign in our school’s history, which successfully launched in 2017.

Meredith served as a panelist during our 250th Founders Day Celebration in 2013, and volunteered as a conversation facilitator during the 2015 Boston Business Leaders Luncheon, personally inviting leaders in the Boston entrepreneurship industry to share their expertise with our community. She spoke at the 2018 Boston Holiday Gathering, where she provided updates on the historic progress of the With True Courage Campaign to alumni and guests, and shared how the impact of her personal GDA experience had prepared her for future successes. Meredith most recently served as a facilitator of the Academy’s COVID-19 Town Hall featuring Board President Jim Pierce ‘72, P’08 and her classmate and Head of School, Dr. Peter H. Quimby ‘85, P’14. Today, Meredith continues to lead her class as a key member of the Class of 1985 35th Reunion Committee and remains an overall advocate and champion for the Academy.

To learn more about our alumni awards, click here.