Advancement at SBS serves alumnae, past parents and grandparents, friends of the School, as well as current students and families. Our Department cherishes the opportunity to partner with our constituencies across the country and around the world. Whether it's on campus, off campus, or virtually, we look forward to celebrating Stoneleigh-Burnham School with you. Owls for life!

Advancement Department

Susan Mattei, Senior Director of Advancement

Kathleen Tuck Fontaine ’83, Director of Alumnae Relations & Family Engagement

Brittany Porter, Assistant Director of Advancement

Advancement Engagement

Student Alumnae Relations Society (STARS)
Offers students an opportunity to step into leadership roles, a chance to learn about the history of SBS and maintain the School’s traditions, network directly with alumnae, and work to create a philanthropic culture within the school community.

Follow SBS Advancement on social media:
Facebook & Instagram

Meet the Advancement Department 

Susan Mattei
Susan Mattei
(she/her)
Senior Director of Advancement

When was your first year at SBS?
2015.

Where are you from?
I was born and raised one mile from SBS in Greenfield, MA. My husband Joe is an architect and he designed our current home in Shelburne, MA.

If you weren't in your current role at SBS, what other opportunities, professionally or personally, would you like to explore?
I especially love the creative side of my job and my early career was in sports management and marketing. If I weren't at SBS, I'd probably be directing athletic events or making films.

What's your favorite SBS tradition?
Convocation is my favorite tradition. The students and whole school come together in a momentous ceremony. It’s a formal gathering that highlights the hope and promise of the year.

What's a moment of joy you have experienced while at SBS?
When SBS turned 150 years old in 2019, we celebrated it with events over the entire year for the whole community. I’ll never forget our very own 150th Anniversary fireworks display after the Alumnae Weekend Dinner. The fireworks lit up the sky over the athletic fields and we sat on the hill and watched in awe.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
The work I do gives me the opportunity to visit places I never imagined would be possible. I don’t have one special place I’d like to visit, but look forward to meeting more amazing alumnae and parents wherever they live.

What is your favorite kind of candy?
My colleague Kathleen always has a candy bowl in her office. My favorite kind of candy is anything in that bowl, but I do have a soft spot for Mr. Goodbars!

Headshot of Kathleen Fontaine
Kathleen Tuck Fontaine '83
(she/her)
Director of Alumnae Relations & Family Engagement

When was your first year at SBS?
2015.

If you weren't in your current role at SBS, what other opportunities, professionally or personally, would you like to explore?
I'd have loved to take up Forensic Science. I have several children's books in the works that I would like to bring into fruition.

What other roles do you, or does your family, have at SBS?
I serve as the advisor to STARS (Student Alumnae Relations Society) and as liaison to the SBS Alumnae Board. My husband has become a part of the SBS community through supporting me in our hosting of international students and assisting our department during Reunion and more.

Where is your favorite spot on campus? 
Tarbell Terrace. The space itself is so conducive to taking advantage of the outdoors, added to that is the amazing view over the equestrian fields. It's gorgeous in each season.

What's your favorite SBS tradition?
Vespers. I have fond memories of my class gathering to say our farewells to Stoneleigh-Burnham. It was a special time for us as a class with our friends and Little Sisters.

Who in the community to do you turn to for help/support and why?
SBS's Senior Director of Advancement Susan Mattei - she's been my mentor since day one. She allows me to talk through things to work them out myself while also having an answer, solution, or best direction in which to point me. She has a passion for SBS comparable to that of a longstanding alumna.

What's a moment of joy you have experienced while at SBS?
Watching Olivia ’17 soar during a sax solo at an informal concert.

What is something that surprised you about SBS?
How familiar it is though it's changed so much in the decades since I was a student. When I began working here, faculty who had been here when I was a student were still here!

What made you want to work at SBS?
I always had it in the back of my mind that it would be wonderful to return to SBS. It's my alma mater. I was serving on the Alumnae Board when Susan reached out to me about a position in this department. And that as they say, was that. I love the idea of being able to give back for the opportunities I received, as well as pay it forward for future students. The mission of SBS, of helping girls find and hone their voices, is so important.

What is your favorite activity to do off campus?
I love traveling. Be it 10 days on the west coast or a weekend trip to another New England state. I love exploring new areas, getting lost in museums, antique shops, and bookstores. My father spent his early twenties as an explorer in the service. He instilled in me a desire to see what's down the road, waiting around the bend.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Antarctica. There's a mountain in the Sentinel Range of Ellsworth Mountains named for my father. My #1 travel goal is to visit the South Pole station where he served and fly over his mountain.