Within a few weeks of joining Green Hedges in December ’09 as its new business manager, Tom Mast found himself among a small group of brave faculty and staff members, shoveling snow off the roof of Kilmer Hall in the wake of the blizzards collectively known as Snowmageddon. Someone more easily daunted might have thought of the experience as a case of “be careful what you wish for,” since part of what attracted Mr. Mast to our school was that its small size would allow him to experience a closer camaraderie, and to take on a greater variety of roles, than had his previous decade as business manager of larger private schools in Virginia. But Mr. Mast, a former aviator for the Air Force, smiles with delight remembering the high altitude incident.
Other Green Hedges experiences that Mr. Mast names as important are taking lunch duty in Mrs. Vagoun’s classroom, which gave him a glimpse into Green Hedges daily life; going on the Grade 8 trip to New York City, where he was impressed by the maturity of the students; and listening to teachers discuss end of the year awards. “You could tell the teachers really knew the kids, and appreciated how they had grown during their time here,” he says.
Mr. Mast and his wife have three grown children of their own, two sons and a daughter. He began coaching and eventually refereeing field hockey as a result of his daughter’s interest in the sport. A former CPA in private practice, he enjoys now being in an environment where work is “much more than just a job.”
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