Meet Danny Reynolds | Associate Head of School at Palmer Trinity School (Admission, Financial Aid, College Admission, Study Abroad)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danny Reynolds and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danny, what do you attribute your success to?
My first job was in the admission office at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. I traveled all over the world speaking to families about the programs and curriculum at the University. At Georgetown, I learned to be comfortable speaking in front of large crowds and when presenting to big groups how important it was to connect with your audience; who come with different experiences and expectations. The success at Palmer Trinity has come from many different areas, but being able to articulate the school’s mission to large groups of families and to make their experience personal has contributed to the success of the school.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

My career in admission began at Georgetown University as an assistant director. I was responsible for recruiting and reading applications for admission to the University from the Southeastern part of the US. I also chaired the admission committee for the School of Business. During my third year at Georgetown, I became responsible for all applications from students applying from abroad. As the leader of this area I was able to travel to Europe for several weeks at a time. I had never been to Europe before. I managed to plan big events in hotels, visit high schools, manage transportation and the multiple language differences in all the major cities of Europe. It was challenging for a kid from Mississippi with a Southern accent and only 6 years of high school and college French

After 5 years at Georgetown, I took a job with a marketing consultant firm in Miami, however, the company filed Chapter 11 when my U-Haul was driving through North Carolina. I had a choice to turn the U-Haul around and go back to DC or head on to Miami. I kept heading south. Within two weeks of arriving in Miami, Carmen Brown, who was the director of admission at FIU, hired me. Carmen allowed me to help open some of the markets in the northeast for the university and helped me learn how a large research university worked. I was also able to collaborate with the marketing department at the university to create some amazing collateral for recruitment. It was a big change working for a small selective university to a large growing state university.

After 18 months at FIU one of my former colleagues at Georgetown asked me to interview for the admission and financial aid director at Palmer Trinity. I felt working in a secondary school would be a good move for my career. It would be very different from university admission where we admit students as seniors and rarely have any more connection with them. In secondary schools you admit students in 6th grade and watch them grown into amazing young people.

Palmer Trinity is a young school. It is a merged school from Palmer School in the 70s and Trinity Episcopal in the 80s, but Palmer Trinity is only from the early 90s. The merger brought the best parts of the two schools, but it is a different school than either. The great thing about newer schools is that administration and faculty seemed to be more open to new ideas. The school is more organic. At Palmer Trinity, I was the admission director, but also was the college counselor to several students. This allowed me to connect with students and families from different age groupd and make more of an impact on the school. I advised clubs and had daily interactions with students.

The school is always on the cutting edge, we had the first wireless internet covering the campus, even before Harvard. While spending a month in Australia on vacation, I thought what a great idea it would be to start semester high school study abroad program in Sydney for my students just like they did at Georgetown and FIU. A quick call to our head of school and she agreed. I began visiting the top Anglican Schools in Sydney, since Palmer Trinity is Episcopal and felt it would be the best match with similar philosophies. I discovered two schools who were most like Palmer Trinity and got both administrations to agree on the exchange, The following year we had 5 students spend the spring semester in Sydney. The study abroad program is reciprocal so we host Aussies during the fall term and our students go to Sydney in January. With the help of other faculty, Laura Massa, Caroline Goodwin and Manjula Salomon, we began our exchanges in Spain, France, Chile and India. I do not believe there are many high school that have these long standing partnerships that have been ongoing for over a decade. I am so proud to offer this experience to our students. With exception to the Covid years students from those countries and others have come to PTS on exchange and our students have spent a semester away.

We continue to be innovators with membership in the Global Round Square network of schools. I have been able to take students to conferences in India, South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Canada and the UK with other students from over 250 schools in 40 countries. During the pandemic our students were able have conversations with students on a variety of issues through zoom. Many times the students would be up at 4AM to be able to take part in discussions with students from the other side of the world. If our students were engaged, I was happy to get up that early to facilitate the conversation

It is fulfilling to be part of a school that is innovative and student centered. In hindsight I am so happy I did not turn that U-Haul around. I believe that sometimes taking a risk and moving forward will bring you great outcomes. Sometimes you just have to take that risk in your career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
live in South Beach and because I work in Palmetto Bay, during during the weekends, I stay local and do not want to get into a car unless I have to. Since I live right off the Venetian Causeway, taking a walk or riding bikes across the Causeway to the Miami side is a great activity, the view is amazing. It is always good to stop at The Standard to have a cocktail and watch the sunset. The Spa at The Standard is fantastic. Sunset Harbor has great restaurants so you really can not go wrong for a great meal or a cocktail. My absolute favorite restaurant in Miami is Yardbird on 16th and Lennox. If you love bourbon, they have the best cocktails. My favorite is the blackberry bourbon lemonade. The fried chicken is amazing, but I am partial to the shrimp and grits and the fried green tomatoes. The Faena is also a solid venue to people watch and have a good dinner and drinks. They also have an art galley across the street. My friend Iraida loves the Bass Museum so that is a great place to take people. If you are trying to impress your friends take them to dinner at The Surf Club in the Four Seasons. Its been around since the 1930’s and although renovated, it is still spectacular,

During the week near Palmetto Bay, Golden Rule Seafood is an authentic Old Florida restaurant with the best seafood. While we are in the South, go visit the Deering Estate on Biscayne Bay. It not as crowded as Vizcaya. It’s on the historic home register and has canoeing, kayaking and nature tours. On my way back to the Beach, we will make two stops, the first stop in Coconut Grove for shopping and food. My go-to is Strada. It has great food, and is owned by some of my former Palmer Trinity students. The last stop would be for a drink at Lost Boy Dry Goods on Flagler Street downtown. It also owned by a former student. The Gaythering Hotel is close to my house and is a great place for a nightcap or weekday drink after work with your neighbors.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve had some wonderful mentors in my career, Charlie Deacon at Georgetown, Laura Walker and Patrick Roberts at Palmer Trinity. I have also had some amazing colleagues who always make me look good: Giovanna Arrien, Cristina Bennett, Lucia de Sola, Fabi Mathelier and Iraida Robedo, but Judy Andrews who was the Head of School at Palmer Trinity when I was first hired has had the greatest impact on my career. When you have a mentor who has done every job you have done, they give the best advice, constructive criticism and pats on the back. Judy taught me everything I know about independent schools and today is on my speed dial when I need advice.

Website: www.palmertrinity.org

Instagram: fiadh_bullterrier

Linkedin: Danny Reynolds