Ravenscroft Elects Caryn McNeill of Smith Anderson as First Female Board Chair

Raleigh, N.C. – The Board of Trustees of Ravenscroft School has elected Smith Anderson Partner Caryn Coppedge McNeill as its new board chair. McNeill, who has served on the board since 2010 and has three children who attend Ravenscroft, is the first female board chair in the 156-year history of the school. She began her term July 1.  

Ravenscroft’s Board of Trustees is charged with ensuring the school’s long-term relevance and sustainability. During her tenure on the Board, McNeill has played an integral role in developing and executing the strategic plan that produced Lead From Here, a groundbreaking educational initiative being carried out in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership. 

McNeill leads Smith Anderson’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice group, which has consistently received the highest possible rating from U.S. News-Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” (“metropolitan Tier 1 practice”) since 2010. She regularly advises public and private companies on all aspects of the design, implementation and administration of employee benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements, including stock option plans and other types of equity-based compensation arrangements. A significant part of her practice is devoted to counseling and negotiating on behalf of clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions. Caryn is a graduate of Holton-Arms School, Davidson College and Duke University School of Law. For more information about Caryn, read her biography.

“We are extremely pleased to have Caryn McNeill serve as the chair of the Ravenscroft Board of Trustees,” said Doreen Kelly, Head of School. “Caryn is a long-term supporter of the school’s mission, vision and values. We have seen Caryn's many talents on display as a board member over the years, and we look forward to benefitting from her leadership as our board chair.” 

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve Ravenscroft in this capacity,”said Caryn. “I believe in Ravenscroft, in its strategic goal of teaching students to learn, lead and serve, and in how we go about achieving that goal every day.”

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About Smith Anderson
Founded in 1912, Smith Anderson has grown to become the largest business and litigation law firm headquartered in the Research Triangle region and one of the largest in North Carolina. We provide a full range of legal services to a diverse and dynamic group of regional, national and international companies. Over one hundred years of practicing law has grounded our Firm's culture, informed our perspective and provided us the insight necessary to help our clients succeed. Over time, our core principles have remained unchanged. We remain personally dedicated to the success, prosperity and betterment of our clients, our friends and the communities we serve.  

About Ravenscroft School
Founded in 1862, Ravenscroft is a co-ed, college preparatory day school with more than 1,160 in prekindergarten through grade 12. Ravenscroft’s Lead From Here initiative, created in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership, delivers a first-of-its-kind curriculum that provides citizenship and leadership training in 15 core competencies.  Learn more at www.ravenscroft.org/leadfromhere.