On August 31 at the annual school year opening meeting for all Nobles employees, Head of School Dr. Cathy Hall awarded the 2020 Cora Hidalgo Holland award to Laura Bishop. The Cora Hidalgo Holland Award is given to a member of the school staff whose work has been excellent, whose dedication has been exceptional, and whose character has made this a better place in which to live and work for all of us. The award is named for the caring and loving Nobles parent Cora Hidalgo Holland who was killed in the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
The following is an excerpt of the remarks Dr. Hall read when presenting the award to Laura Bishop.
This year’s recipient of the Cora Holland Award is someone who is as kind as she is hard working, as enormously talented as she is humble.
Her work is exceptional, yet she actively looks for ways to give credit to others and never seeks out the spotlight. She invests as much time in her own stellar work as she does investing in her team, supporting their growth and cheering her colleagues along. Head of School
“Over more than a decade at Nobles, her work and impact has extended far beyond her work in the Business Office. She is a true school person. There can’t be any other controller in the country who teaches personal development, leads mindfulness training and coaches cross country. Her impact as a member of our community is deep and inspiring.
“There may be no other role at a school that has greater importance to the health of an institution yet flies so far under the radar. As the school’s controller, she has overseen the important process of tracking school finances and preparing the essential annual audit, which has had four years in a row with no management letter from the auditors. While most of you likely do not know what a big deal that is, it is unprecedented, and is a testament to her exceptional work. She has built an accounting system that is the gold standard for independent schools.
“Chief Financial and Operating Officer Steve Ginsberg says, ‘From my perspective, I could not be more thankful for how she has supported me. She works incredibly hard and rarely gets credit and I could not be more proud to call her a colleague.’
“I am also proud to call her a colleague, and am enormously grateful for the many ways she impacts our school. She is simply the best.
“It is my honor to present this year’s Cora Holland Award to Laura Bishop.“