- Alumni to Watch
Chris Drummond ’98, Ellen Mann O’Connor ’98 and Paxton Badham ’01 explore the roots of their community service and why supporting Diaper Train means so much to them.
With Ravenscroft’s long history of encouraging community service and engagement, it’s no surprise that many alumni today serve, lead and even found nonprofits and service organizations that are working to change their world. Even so, it’s notable that the Diaper Train — a Raleigh nonprofit that’s based out of the same building where the school’s original Tucker Street primary school was located — has three Ravenscroft peers on its board: Chris Drummond ’98, Ellen Mann O’Connor ’98 and Paxton Badham ’01. Catch up with them now and learn more about the organization they (and many other Ravens) feel passionate about supporting.
- Tell us about what you’ve been up to since graduating from Ravenscroft (education, career, family — whatever you’d like to share).
- What was your first significant experience in serving a nonprofit organization? What motivated you to get involved in this way?
- How did you learn about the important work of the Diaper Train? Why did you choose to serve on its board?
Tell us about what you’ve been up to since graduating from Ravenscroft (education, career, family — whatever you’d like to share).
Chris Drummond ’98: I am very lucky on the family front — my wonderful wife, Wurth, and I have a delightfully curious 4-year-old named Mary Douglas that keeps us on our toes. After graduation from UNC-Wilmington in 2003, I ended up going to law school in Colorado before coming back to Raleigh (for good!) in 2007. I spent nine years as an attorney, and while I enjoyed the work, in 2016 I made the decision to leave the practice of law to help clients with their real estate needs full-time and show off all that Raleigh has to offer.
Ellen Mann O’Connor ’98: After graduating from UNC-CH in 2002, I spent the following years in the New York City and Connecticut area working in marketing and communications for GE Capital. I moved back to Raleigh in 2011, where I met my husband, Patrick, and I’ve been here ever since! We are fortunate enough to have two children – Jack ’35, who is almost 7 and loving first grade at Ravenscroft, and Libby, who is 4 and hopefully a future Raven!
Paxton Badham ’01: Family is most important and most exciting, so I’ll start there. My wife, Jennifer, and I have two amazing kids, Lizzie (9) and Paxton (7).
I graduated from Duke in 2005 and Harvard Business School in 2011. I spent the first half of my career in finance, working in investment banking and then in private equity. In 2015, I left the finance world and moved back to Raleigh when I joined Etix, a ticketing and venue management software business for live entertainment venues.
What was your first significant experience in serving a nonprofit organization? What motivated you to get involved in this way?
How did you learn about the important work of the Diaper Train? Why did you choose to serve on its board?
It must have been a welcome surprise to learn you were serving with two fellow Ravens — and for an organization run out of the school’s original campus! Explore your thoughts about how similar experiences at Ravenscroft may have influenced your shared path to this opportunity and how you are living out the school’s longtime emphasis on giving back to the community.
Chris Drummond ’98
Ellen Mann O’Connor ’98
Paxton Badham ’01