The Will J. Hancock Unsung Hero Award is given to business officers who have made extraordinary contributions to their schools and exemplify exceptional integrity, knowledge and motivation. At the end of each school year, new Unsung Heroes receive their award from their head of school, often at a significant school occasion such as a board meeting or an all-school ceremony. What makes these Unsung Heroes so special? The highlights below come straight from their colleagues' nominations.
See a full list of the 2022 recipients. Stay tuned to Net Assets online for additional profiles.
Title: Director of Finance
School: The Baldwin School of Puerto Rico, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Years in Position: 9
Years in an independent school business office: 9
Superpower: Operational resilience: When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, the damages to the school were so intense that it needed financial assistance to help cover all the expenses of rebuilding the campus and maintain payroll for employees. “Thanks to [Rivera’s] due diligence, the school could find help everywhere and payroll kept going,” surpassing employees’ expectations, said a colleague.
School pride: As director of finance, Rivera “manages the school’s resources and finds [opportunities] for improvement each day, even with the adversities that the island has gone through. He teaches us to be better and be proud of our school. He is a true leader in every sense of the word!”
Integrity: Since joining the school, River has “demonstrated open-mindedness, transparency and diligent listening skills. He has acquired everyone’s respect for his integrity.”
