KMS plans to expand campus, hires development director

Killington Mountain School’s (KMS) acquisition of Moguls Sports Pub July 31 will allow it to expand its campus footprint and enhancing the living and learning experience for its student-athletes, program participants, families, and the greater community, according to a news relelase Aug. 12. 

“We have exceptional programs. Our expert faculty, coaches, and staff across all departments are delivering an extraordinary KMS experience every day,” stated Claire Butler, KMS’ Head of School. “We are on a mission to ensure that the quality of our facilities matches the high quality of those programs.”

The additional 1.9 acres and accompanying 5,780 square foot building present a unique opportunity for the school to expand and modernize its physical space, as well as provide a site for further campus development. 

Butler said, “We are excited to think bigger about the bounds of our campus. This extra acreage and building space have unlocked the ability to bolster the KMS experience with improved facilities, while leaving room for future campus expansion.”

The school plans to begin using the new property soon and has engaged Vermont Integrated Architects (VIA) to assess various uses that align with the vision for KMS’ campus. 

Butler and KMS’ Assistant Head of School, Chris Bianchi, expressed gratitude for Robert “Sal” Salmeri, former owner of Moguls Sports Pub. 

“Helping the community has always been important to Sal. He wanted to see Moguls go to KMS because, as he said to me, ‘the children are the future’,” recalled Bianchi. 

Butler echoed Bianchi’s sentiments stating, “We intend to honor the Moguls legacy by investing further in the property to ensure that Sal’s wishes to support our student-athletes, their dreams, and this local center of excellence that we call Killington Mountain School, are maximized.”

Fundaising

KMS also continues its partnership with CCS Fundraising as they design together the path to achieving the school’s vision. The school’s new Director of Development Robin Debiase, will also be integral in driving this exciting work alongside Butler and the KMS Board.

Debiase is no stranger to KMS or Killington, having taught a very successful business, marketing and management course at the school this past year and skiing at the resort for decades. She and her husband are active members of the Killington Ski Club and live in town with their daughter who is a U10 Alpine athlete in our Development Program.

Beyond her connection to the Killington community, her professional experiences are extensive and centered around global human resources; communication; sales and marketing; organizational development and strategy; and corporate foundation work. She has served in senior leader and executive roles within a number of large companies including Weight Watchers, Delta Galil Industries, Maidenform Brands, Inc. (HanesBrands, Inc.), and Duane Reade by Walgreens. Most notably, she served as president of the Maidenform Charitable Foundation and was integral in the fundraising behind the Duane Reade Charitable Foundation, each raising a large amount of money for mission aligned causes such as women’s breast cancer research and the American Diabetes Association. Robin holds a masters in business administration from Johns Hopkins University.