Professional Endorsements

Gemma Halfi

Associate Director of Equity and Inclusion at Emma Willard School.

For two years, Christine Gilmore was my direct supervisor at Emma Willard School as the Head of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Christine’s work skillfully combines big-picture visionary initiatives and small-scale day-to-day operations, always through the lens of increasing institutional equity and placing the needs of the students at the heart of her work. She has a sharp eye for identifying institutional inequities embedded in decades of systems, policies, and programs, as well as in the larger school culture of an educational institution. Her skill doesn’t stop at the mere identification of the inequities; Christine will call on community members to co-own the work of examining, addressing, and sometimes re-creating the elements of a school community that are disproportionately perpetuating inequity to historically marginalized individuals and communities.

Christine takes the time and care to truly see and hear every member of the community in which she is leading. In Christine’s presence, students and adults alike always knew that she was approaching her interactions directly from her heart. She embodies the idea that DEI work is “heart” work. With an incredible depth of understanding of the way independent schools operate, Christine was absolutely vital and groundbreaking as the inaugural Head of Institutional Equity and Inclusion at Emma Willard. She created two DEI working groups: one for students and one for adults, and shepherded both groups in the necessary work of uplifting historically unheard voices and bringing an equity lens to the places within our institution where deeply-rooted inequities resided.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have worked with and learned from an extraordinary leader such as Christine Gilmore. I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen and been inspired by her fearlessness, her grace, her joyfulness, and her ability to empower others. It is with utmost confidence that I recommend Christine as a candidate for any leadership position in the field of DEI.

Charise R. Richards, Ph.D.

Educator | Consultant | Coach

I am writing to wholeheartedly recommend Christine Gilmore as an educator and consultant for Equity and Inclusion work. As an alumnus of Oldfields School in Glencoe, Maryland, I can speak to her passion and expertise in these fields. Christine has a commitment to equity and excellence that inspires those around her to strive for constructive self-reflection and genuine change. She not only upholds high standards for authentic community engagement and collaboration, but she is also results-driven, adaptable, and holds a keen problem-solving ability that enables her to tackle even the most complex challenges with ease. Christine’s unwavering dedication to improving organizations and systems for equity has left a valuable mark on many of us who have been fortunate to cross her path. One successful program that Christine founded was the Oldfields School alumni of color mentoring program. Within this program, alumni of color from Oldfields were paired with current students of color who attended the school. The collaboration was an innovative program, and many of us alumni who participated remained in touch with the younger generation long after they completed their secondary school education.

In addition to fostering effective intergenerational relationships, Christine has also invited me back personally as a guest speaker on several occasions to speak to the former student body. I recently completed one of these guest lectures, where I conducted a youth leadership workshop with the students at Oldfield’s School. While there, Christine was a wonderful host! She ensured that I felt appreciated the entire weekend. There were also past panels for Martin Luther King Memorial Day, where other former alumni were asked to share their success and advice to those coming behind them. Christine is brilliant at creating numerous opportunities for alumni students to remain involved and updated on community developments and initiatives.

Lastly, I have known Christine to also coordinate Freedom Ride tours during Oldfields School's May program. During these two weeklong experiential enrichment programs, students were able to participate in a historical tour of the Civil Rights Movement in the southern hemisphere of the United States. These tours were life-changing, and those who attended returned with a renewed perspective on many freedom fighters during the civil rights era in our country. Overall, I am grateful for Christine’s contributions to supporting the upliftment of alumni and students in secondary school education. I admire her calm tenacity and authentic leadership style, which invites her network to be introspective of our personal and professional blind spots. She embraces innovation, diversity, and a commitment to continuous improvement—qualities that are integral to any organization’s mission. Again, I am confident that Christine would be an asset to any endeavor she undertakes, and I wholeheartedly endorse her for any new position or community she seeks to join.

Pace Cooke Emmons

Mental health ambassador, editor, community relations, advocacy, suicide awareness and prevention,

Christine Gilmore is an authentic, creative, and collaborative leader and educator. She listens to constituents, be they students, alumni, colleagues, or others. She is adept at helping stakeholders make connections that generate ongoing support and relationships. She is skilled at facilitating difficult discussions, including those around diversity, equity and inclusion. Her cumulative experience as a teacher, administrator, director of DEI, alumnae and parent relations director, plus her work with nonprofits, has combined to make her an effective, innovative team member in a variety of settings. She adapts quickly to new situations and environments.

I worked closely with Christine when I was the president of the Chatham Hall Alumnae Council. Christine immediately made connections, patiently listened to our concerns, and worked with us to improve morale and our effectiveness as an organization. We increased the membership of the Alumnae Council and also increased racial and age diversity. During the pandemic, Christine created new programs, including “Alumnae Illuminated” Zoom programs in which alums discussed books they had written or shared their expertise. She also initiated “Classroom Connect,” in which alums connected with current classes to share their professional experiences. The first year featured three entrepreneurs. She facilitated Reunion during the pandemic via Zoom with engaging sessions, including a Talent Show.

I have also seen how skillfully Christine handles difficult and even potentially divisive situations with tact and a focus on consensus and also equitable solutions. Christine retains genuine curiosity about the people with whom she works and the communities in which she is engaged. She is an excellent communicator across multiple platforms, from social media to phone calls to in-person. I can confidently recommend Christine Gilmore.

Danielle DuCré

Development Professional | Relationship Builder | Community Organizer.

It was incredible to see what Christine accomplished at Chatham Hall. She illuminated the alumnae community in unique ways, re-engaging multiple dormant cohorts. As a result of her cultivation strategies, we saw increased participation numbers. Even seemingly difficult relationships were easy for Christine to navigate.

Christine brought polish to programs, including student groups. She empowered dynamic student-leaders, meanwhile holding them to a high standard, which I'm confident has benefited their experience in higher education.

As a skilled leader, Christine was also able to empower an active parent group to stay connected and informed.

Christine is thoughtful, forward-thinking, and patient. She is capable of both refining and building programs that elevate the organization. She knows how to communicate the goal and delegate so that the larger group feels prepared for the task and shares in its success. Equally important, Christine was a joy to work with. Friendly, funny, and willing to lend support to a task.

Ashley L. Bennett, EdD

Lifelong educator, college counselor, administrator, DEI facilitator, and social justice activist.

I was fortunate to work with Christine for two years, and in that time, I knew she and I would be friends for life. Christine is incredibly equity-minded. While we were not in the same department, Christine and I collaborated on several initiatives and served alongside one another on numerous committees. I often found myself struck by her ability to see an issue through several lenses. What I appreciate most about Christine is her ability to be a calming presence in a challenging profession.

Christine has been a teacher and administrator in independent schools over the course of two decades, so I came to rely on her knowledge of boarding schools, parent and alumni engagement, and the competing priorities that all school leaders must consider. I have witnessed Christine revamp programming to engage students of today, and I watched her deepen alumni relationships across generations. Christine is a builder of people and relationships.

While I was sad to see Christine depart our shared institution, I was happy to know she felt fulfilled and her work was complete. I trust that she has many more years to give to her profession. She has a knack for student connection, but I think her talents can take her anywhere she so chooses. Christine is clear about her values, and she is a woman of integrity. Any institution or organization would be lucky to have her.

Margaret Clark

Business Development | Strategic Partnerships | Sales Management | New Business Acquisition

Christine and I worked together on numerous initiatives during her time at Emma Willard School. I can proudly and confidently say that under her leadership as Head of Equity and Inclusion, the school was able to envision and execute a path to create a place that embraces belonging. She is an effective and inspiring team builder. Her ability to articulate her vision and build the team to execute is truly a gift. Three words best describe Christine’s leadership-visionary, collaborator, and authentic.