Brewster Welcomes Kris Light as Dean of Institutional Advancement

Brewster is pleased to announce that Kris Light will return to Wolfeboro as our new Dean of Institutional Advancement, bringing two decades of mission-driven leadership and a deep understanding of the Brewster community.

“We are thrilled that Kris is returning to Brewster in this pivotal leadership role,” said Head of School Kristy Kerin. “During his previous tenure at Brewster, Kris built deep relationships across our community and championed Brewster’s vision and priorities with enthusiasm, clarity, and conviction. He is a leader of deep integrity who believes profoundly in Brewster’s mission. As we conclude our current campaign and turn toward ambitious new priorities, I am confident he will lead our advancement efforts with purpose, momentum, and joy.”

Kris comes to this position with more than 20 years of organizational leadership experience in education and youth development, with a record of success in performance management and staff development. Most recently, he has served in senior roles with the American Youth Foundation, including Vice President of Strategic Programming, Communications, and Impact. He spent the previous 15 years at AYF Merrowvista and the Westminster School, an independent school in Atlanta Georgia, where he helped shape transformational experiences for youth grounded in character, community, and leadership development.

From 2019 to 2023, Kris served on Brewster’s Advancement team as a gift officer and as Director of Integrated Outreach, working closely with current and former parents, alumni, donors, and key partners to tell the evolving story of Brewster. Returning now, he shared that it feels like a rare opportunity to rejoin a community he knows and loves while helping to shape its next chapter.

“I am most excited to be back as part of a team that works unbelievably hard in service of a noble and important mission,” Kris said. “The faculty and staff at Brewster are so impressive, as are the students. I consider it a privilege to help build support for their work and to share their story more broadly. The Brewster community is much larger than what is happening on campus, and I hope my role will strengthen relationships and create opportunities for engagement with those who do not get to see the day to day amazing things happening at the school.”

With an eye to the larger Brewster community, Kris also appreciates the local community that the school is grounded in. “I live in Wolfeboro,” he said, “and it is meaningful to be doing work that is so connected to my family’s home town.”

As Dean of Institutional Advancement, Kris will lead Brewster’s fundraising and parent & alumni engagement efforts in close partnership with the Head of School, Trustees, and colleagues across campus. His work will focus on strengthening a vibrant culture of philanthropy and building the relationships that power Brewster’s future.