Thoughtful Leadership and a Lifetime of Dedication

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2022 Dana Hall Bulletin.

It was not exactly serendipity that brought 2022 Distinguished Alumna Award honoree Marcia Teng Ishizuka ’77 to Dana Hall from her childhood home in Singapore. She was the only girl in her family, and she was jealous that her brothers got to go to boarding school in Australia. When her parents went to visit her brothers at their school, Ishizuka took matters into her own hands. “I wanted a school in a place that was far enough away from home so my parents would have to really think about it before they could visit me,” she admitted. “I had a strategy to find a school based on what I thought would get my parents to allow me to leave. I focused on Massachusetts, because Harvard was there.” Ishizuka went to the U.S. Embassy on her own to learn how to apply to schools, and a librarian there helped her research towns and schools within a certain radius of Boston. Dana Hall had a rolling admission policy at the time, and accepted her.

When her parents returned from Australia, her father initially said no to Dana Hall, but two weeks later he came around. Ishizuka arrived on campus and found herself living in the Johnston dormitories with a very strict parental permissions form; she was only allowed to leave campus for school-sponsored events and chaperoned activities. These limitations resulted in two fortuitous outcomes. First, Ishizuka signed up for every possible outing and cultural opportunity, soaking in plays, concerts, museums and sporting events. “Dana Hall was not just a great academic experience but a great cultural experience, as I learned so much about the United States,” explained Ishizuka. Second, in addition to becoming friends with girls who had similarly limited permissions forms, she became very close to many of the adults who lived and worked on campus. One of those people was Rosanna Kazanjian, whose office was located in Johnston Main, where Ishizuka would frequently hang out. “She was the nicest possible person, and she invited me to her home several times over the course of my three years at Dana,” said Ishizuka. “That’s how I met [her daughter] Hélène, who was a day student and a year behind me.” It was a connection that would prove to be very important many years later.

After Dana Hall, Ishizuka went on to Wellesley College and graduated in the height of a recession. She ultimately landed a job in finance with a commercial bank in New York City, where she rose through the ranks and was promoted quickly, becoming a managing director just before her 32nd birthday. Her promotion provoked a bit of anxiety among her older, male colleagues, and she was told her title would change but that the accompanying benefits would be delayed for a year. “It was my age, then it was my gender, then it was my ethnicity,” said Ishizuka, who notes that her story was not unusual. “That combination didn’t work for them at the time, but I focused on the long term and eventually enjoyed a successful career at the same institution that hired me out of college.”

Years later Ishizuka moved to Japan as her husband’s work took him there. She was able to line up a new position and ended up implementing and managing the credit and lending platform for the same bank in the Asia Pacific region. At the time of the move to Tokyo, her daughters were heading into first grade and fourth grade, and Ishizuka and her husband were excited to have their girls experience living internationally. Ishizuka traveled extensively for work, and ultimately, she decided to stop working when her older daughter was heading into her early teen years to spend more time with them.

Staying Connected

Ishizuka had always stayed connected with Dana Hall, attending events in New York and meeting with representatives from Admission and Advancement when they would visit Tokyo. It was an email from her friend Hélène Kazanjian ’78 that helped to elevate her involvement with the School. “I happened to be picking up one of my daughters at the end of the school term, when I received an email from Hélène that said the Dana Hall was looking to add some new Board members,” she recalled. “I told her I would love to be reconnected with the School in a more tangible way. I was already coming back to the U.S. fairly often because my girls were in school there, and I realized I could probably time my trips so I could attend most, if not all, of the Board meetings.”

In her 11 years serving on the Board of Trustees, Ishizuka only missed one meeting, because it occurred right after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

When Ishizuka joined the Board in 2010, she made an immediate impact as a member of the Advancement, Finance and Investment Committees. She additionally served on the Committee on Trustees and Executive, Executive Compensation and Facilities Committees and led the Head of School Search Committee before succeeding Kazanjian as Chair of the Board in 2017.

As Board chair, Ishizuka oversaw the strategic plan process that culminated in the Vision 2025: Enriching and Extending The Dana Difference plan. “Throughout that process we had the opportunity to think creatively about how we can achieve our goals, and it was clear that the School needed to be more ambitious about fundraising. “We asked the question, ‘How ambitious can Dana Hall be (with our fundraising), to elevate our school in a truly meaningful way?’ This was a critical step for laying the foundation to realize what we all want for Dana Hall.”

Leadership in the Time of COVID

Ishizuka also led the Board during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “At the outset, this pandemic was a significant challenge that seriously disrupted the rhythm of Dana Hall and its community. However, what comes to my mind when thinking of those early days is not necessarily about the uncertainty and disruption, but more importantly, the understanding, compassion and care exhibited by many in the community who clearly wanted to help the School. The pandemic brought out the best of Dana’s virtues and strengths,” she said. Under her leadership, the Board demonstrated its commitment to community, equity and inclusion (CEI) by instituting annual CEI training for all Board members and creating a Board-level CEI committee. Ishizuka is excited about all that is happening at Dana Hall now, and is eager to see the Classroom Building project and related fundraising efforts come to fruition. She is still an active volunteer and a member of the Steering Committee for the School’s capital campaign.

“The amount of time and thought that Marcia put into all aspects of leading the Board was astounding,” said Head of School Katherine Bradley. “She was always very conscientious about soliciting and including all voices. She understands the importance of policy and procedure, and she instituted consistent systems for a number of board responsibilities. I am so grateful for her leadership, partnership and friendship.”

With her Board commitments now behind her, Ishizuka is looking toward resetting, regrouping and reenergizing. “I am focusing my attention on what I want to do and how I want to do it. I’m trying to take time out for myself. I’m actually pretty bad at it,” she admitted. “It’s not easy for me to sit still and not do much. So I am working on improving my new skill of taking time for myself.” She now dotes on her grandson and spends most of her time in Connecticut.