Fortunately for Germantown Academy, the numbers have always added up. Accounting Manager Pat Terefenko, who has announced that she will retire at the end of the school year, has made sure of just that for the past 24 years and GA will be hard pressed to find someone as meticulous and tenacious.

“Pat Terefenko is absolutely one of the very best, most impactful Patriots, and yet most people wouldn’t recognize her – and that’s how she prefers it!” said Head of School Rich Schellhas 1760. “Our amazing accountant for 24 years skillfully manages every dollar and cent of GA’s annual $40M+ budget like the wizard behind the curtain of our very real Oz, and she does so with a profound work ethic, an unyielding attention to detail, and genuine humility and kindness. Year after year, Pat’s scrupulous service to our school has resulted in perfect audits, outstanding budget management, and caring, hands-on management of the day-to-day operations of the Business Office. Her dedication to GA is more impressive than even the best-kept ledger, her legacy farther reaching than the longest spreadsheet.”

Terefenko, who in 2021 received the National Business Officer’s Association's  Professional Achievement Award, makes sure the school’s accounting is correct. Each year, an outside auditing firm spends weeks going over every transaction, and every year, they are hard pressed to find something to complain about. It is a true gift that she gives to GA.

“I am not sure it is memorable to anyone but me,” said Terefenko, “but each year when the firm finishes their review of our financials and reports that they found ‘no material deficiencies,’ I breathe a huge sigh of relief.”

If you can’t find Terefenko sitting on the bouncy yoga ball chair in her office on the second floor of the Administration Building, you can usually find her cruising the high seas. It is a pastime she enjoys with her husband, Joel, and one that she looks forward to spending more time doing.

“I am looking forward to cooking more with my husband and cruising to the Caribbean,” said Terefenko. “Our rescue dog, George, will also get some more attention and longer walks.”

Some memories Terefenko will be taking with her on those long walks will be GA’s Opening of School Meetings, the delightful Halloween parades, and watching the snow fall from the windows in the Roberts Family Library. None of which would have been possible without former COO Tom Taft 1760. Terefenko will be forever grateful for the opportunity and friendships he gave her when he hired her at GA.

Terefenko’s adding machine, which she uses to double-check her Excel work, and her well-cared for annual ledgers will be getting attention from a new person very soon. And while she may not miss the long commutes or making sure all the school’s bills are paid, Terefenko will truly miss the Business Office team, the generous souls who bring in treats, and the overall camaraderie that made GA a fabulous place to work for more than two decades.

“Germantown Academy is such an incredible place to work,” Terefenko stated. “There is so much positivity and energy. I work with amazing, smart, and caring people, and I love seeing all the kids every day. I love my job, which has always been challenging and never, ever boring! I will miss seeing everyone every day.”