At a young alumni professional networking reception involving six boarding schools and hosted in Hartford by Loomis Chaffee, Paul Mounds ’03 was asked about a pivotal moment that shaped his career. 

“Coming to Loomis Chaffee,” he said at the September event. “I wasn’t supposed to be at this school. A kid from Hartford, East Hartford, randomly showing up with no appointment.” But he and his parents had a vision. This was the place for him to be — and this became the place that helped launch his career. 

Paul went on to graduate from Trinity College, was once the chief of staff for Gov. Ned Lamont, and now is a vice president of community, corporate, and government relations for Yale New Haven Health. Paul has more than two decades of experience in the government, healthcare, and community sectors. He serves on the Board of Trustees for Trinity College. 

During a panel discussion at the networking event, Paul said that attending Loomis Chaffee was a lesson in working hard, finding mentors, and making something happen for himself. Many people in the room also had mentors, were mentors, or will become mentors. And that is part of what the reception was about: helping others.  

“I walked away energized by the sense of shared curiosity and ambition in the room,” Charlie Moroni ’06 said. “Conversations kept circling back to how we can support one another, not just professionally, but as people who share a common foundation. It reminded me that this network is full of talented, thoughtful individuals who are rooting for each other’s success, even across different schools. ... The atmosphere strikes the perfect balance between fun and purposeful, like career development wrapped in good company and light appetizers.” 

Choate, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Loomis Chaffee, Taft, and Westminster were the six schools involved, and each school invited an alumnus to serve as a panelist.  

“We intentionally chose representatives from six different industries to ensure a wide range of perspectives,” said Charity Hyde, the assistant director of alumni and parent relations who developed the idea for the evening. “The event had two goals: first, to provide attendees with practical takeaways such as interview tips, resume advice, and career insights; and second, to foster connections and broaden networks by bringing together alumni from peer schools. Because they share the experience of having attended boarding school, along with similar college and career trajectories, these introductions felt natural and valuable.” 

Besides Paul, the panelists were Dan Kroeber, Choate ’00, a civil engineer with more than 20 years of experience in sports facilities and residential real estate development; Patrick Ononibaku, Deerfield ’14, a strategic consultant for MassMutual; Maggie Smith, Hotchkiss ’20, an account executive for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA; Lily Estabrook, Taft ’10, a brand strategist for Meta; and Ben Kleinschmidt, Westminster ’14, a senior vice president with Lenox Advisors. About 100 attended the event with 20 Loomis Chaffee alumni in the audience.  

Heidi McCann '93, the associate director of development at Loomis Chaffee, moderated the panel discussion. She asked each panelist a career-specific question, and then the panelists answered some general career-related questions, followed by questions from the audience. Another networking event is planned for the spring. 

“Events like this strengthen the threads that tie our community together,” Charlie said. “We get to celebrate the different paths everyone has taken while discovering where our stories intersect. These relationships can open doors, offer perspective, and remind us that none of us are navigating our journeys alone.”