After working at the school for 33 years, the school’s Supervisor of Accounting Operations, Mrs. Ellen Fontaine P’04, 07, will retire on May 1. Ms. Fontaine has been a beloved member of the business offi ce since 1990, and has had two sons, Brody ’04 and Dillon ’07, graduate from the school. 

Ms. Fontaine started her career at the school as a switchboard operator, but has since assumed an important role in the business office. She is responsible for overseeing all the student contracts, the billing, insurance and loans. Ms. Fontaine also oversaw the recent transition to automated programs like Paymerang and FACTS Tuition Management. 

Her tenure has encompassed that of seven heads of school, and her positive demeanor has encouraged and inspired many coworkers at the school. Speaking about her colleague, Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer Renee Sartori said, “Although she has many admirable qualities, Ellen’s most valuable traits are her professionalism, ability to maintain confidentiality when working with sensitive material, strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and above all being a team player.” 

Reflecting on her time at the school, Ms. Fontaine said, “There are many ‘bests’ for me working at Hotchkiss… including spending every day with the greatest team of coworkers anyone could ask for.” She places a great emphasis on the strength of the school community and encourages students to use all the resources available to them at school. Asked for words of advice to students, she stated: “Take full advantage of all Hotchkiss has to offer… don’t sweat the small stuff - life is too short”. 

After her retirement, Ms. Fontaine plans to travel, relax and hopes to spend her time with her soon to be five grandchildren at her home in Sharon, CT.