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DEAN ORTON NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE AMERICAN BOYCHOIR SCHOOL AND PRINCETON CENTER FOR ARTS & EDUCATION

[Princeton, NJ, December 20, 2011]– It was announced today that Dean Orton has been named President / CEO of The American Boychoir School (ABS) and the Princeton Center for Arts & Education (PCAE) by the boards of both institutions. Mr. Orton will begin his new role as head of the two organizations effective Jan. 1, 2012.

Prior to joining ABS and PCAE, Dean Orton was the senior vice president media services and chief development officer for Connecticut Public Broadcasting.  Orton was at the forefront of rebuilding station facilities as it transitioned to digital broadcasting and expanded its educational mission. Orton led a team of 60 in the areas of content, network operations, development, and community engagement. Additionally, he took a leadership role in building the new 20,000-square-foot Journalism and Media Academy for middle- and high-school students in Hartford. He is a graduate of Buena Vista University in Iowa.

“We welcome Dean Orton and his family to The American Boychoir School and look forward to a long and successful collaboration supporting the mission of ABS while advancing the Princeton Center for Arts & Education into a thriving community for students and audiences who value the arts and humanities,” Dr. Chester Douglass, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The American Boychoir School, said. “The boards of both institutions are confident that Dean has the right combination of dynamic leadership, management skill and development experience to lead both ABS and PCAE."

Orton will work with Head of School Lisa Eckstrom and Litton-Lodal Music Director Fernando Malvar-Ruiz to lead The American Boychoir School. The American Boychoir is the only non-sectarian boychoir school in the nation; the choir is regarded as the nation’s premier concert

Boychoir. Boys, in grades 4 through 8, reflecting the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of the

United States come from across the country and around the world to pursue a challenging musical and academic curriculum at the school. The school was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1937, and has been located in Princeton since 1950. 

“This is an exciting time to be joining both of these organizations,” Orton said. “The American Boychoir, a national treasure, will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2012. PCAE, as a new organization, presents untold potential for the greater Princeton community. Together, both organizations, along with a dedicated group of trustees, staff, students and supporters, make this an opportunity for which I am honored to have been chosen.” 

Orton will lead the new Princeton Center for Arts & Education which promotes the growth and sustainability of independent schools and arts organizations. PCAE facilitates the sharing of campus buildings among these organizations, which retain their autonomy and governance. This groundbreaking institution is believed to be the nation’s first such shared campus of independent schools at the elementary and middle school levels.

Robert L. D’Avanzo, Chairman of the PCAE Board, noted that Orton was selected after a nationwide search assisted by the Catherine French Group of Washington, D.C., a premiere arts leadership search firm.  “Dean was chosen from an impressive field of candidates with vast experience in the arts, management and fundraising,” Mr. D’Avanzo said. “From this national field, our search committee believes that Dean brings the perfect mix of experience to lead these two organizations. I know he’s eager to get started and we’re pleased to have him at the helm of PCAE and ABS.”

The American Boychoir School, PCAE's lead resident organization and its only boarding school, will move to the Plainsboro campus in August 2012. PCAE is currently home to The Wilberforce School and the French-American School of Princeton.

Dean Orton will live with his family on the PCAE campus. “My wife, Hilarie, and I along with our three young children are thrilled to making the greater Princeton area our new home,” he said. “And, of course, we also look forward to becoming active members within the community.”