About NMH Northfield

NSC Update

July 19, 2004

On July 14, Richard Mueller, president of NMH, and Carol Ramsey, an NMH trustee and chair of the Northfield Stewardship Committee (NSC) of the board, met with members of the Town of Northfield ’s NMH Transition Committee. The purpose of the meeting was to update town members on the school’s progress finding a use for the Northfield campus, as well as to ensure good communication between the two groups.

Mueller began the meeting by restating his confidence that NMH is moving in the right direction, his commitment to finding appropriate uses for the Northfield campus, and his desire to keep an open dialogue with officials and residents both in Northfield and other Pioneer Valley towns as the school makes plans.

Ramsey explained that although the board of trustees did extensive research over a number of years before its recent decision to reduce the size of the student body and become a one-campus school, the 18 board members are not experts in land use and development. Thus, she explained, they will need to go through an education process as a first step. She said that the trustees’ responsibility is first to the school, but that they are committed to considering what will be in the best interests of all stakeholders.

As phase one of the project, Dennis Bidwell of Bidwell Advisors (Northampton), a real estate consulting service to non-profit organizations, and David Rosen of LandVest (Boston), a group that offers land planning and appraisal services, are working together to assemble an information package for NMH trustees. As part of their research, they intend to talk to members of the NMH Transition Committee as well as experts in a variety of fields. In early fall, they will present a list of feasible reuse options to the NSC.

Ramsey emphasized again that the school will retain ownership and maintenance responsibilities for the Moody legacy buildings and property (Auditorium, Homestead, Birthplace, and Roundtop), and NMH CFO Rick Wood explained that the school is in good financial condition and that budget planning has taken into consideration the maintenance costs of the Northfield campus for the foreseeable future.

Ramsey assured meeting members that the planning process will be thorough and deliberate, and that she is confident the trustees will arrive at a dignified decision that will honor both the town’s character and the Moody legacy.

The NSC will meet with the town’s NMH Transition Committee again in the fall, after Bidwell and LandVest submit their suggestions to the school. In the meantime, Mueller encourages residents to call the school with questions, concerns, and ideas. In particular, he would like to help squelch rumors as they arise, and he invites people to call his office to check on the accuracy of information they may hear. For more information, please call Carol Lebo, executive assistant to Richard Mueller, at 498-3344, or write to her at clebo@nmhschool.org.

In addition, the school’s director of communications, Deb Holman, welcomes questions and ideas about how the school can best communicate NMH news to the residents of Northfield. She can be reached at 498-3376 or dholman@nmhschool.org. Another source of information is the NMH website. Visit www.nmhschool.org.

Top of Page