February 10, 2023
When Peter Swank moved back to St. Louis from Chicago 12 years ago, he was looking for a way to get involved in something outside of his work and family life. That’s when a former high school classmate, Chip Hiemenz, told him about City Academy.
“I went on a tour and was blown away and thought this was 100% something I wanted to dedicate time and energy to,” Peter said. “What really resonated was the fact that you’re building young leaders here. I love St. Louis. This is our home for the foreseeable future and we want to invest in a place that is building our city up in a really great way.”
Peter, President of Swank Motion Pictures, joined City Academy’s Friends Committee in 2012 and later served as the committee’s president. He then joined the school’s Board of Trustees in 2017 and currently serves as Chair of the Development Committee. His wife, Diane, now serves as Chair of the Friends Board (formerly committee). Diane works at World Wide Technology as the Manager of Executive and Strategic Initiatives. She got involved with City Academy through Peter in 2017.
“I said tell me next time you’re going to a City Academy thing, I want to come up and join,” Diane said. “I took part in one of the Buddy Mornings. It was just amazing driving up and seeing this oasis of a school and connecting with the students and being so blown away not just by the curriculum that they shared, but their involvement in other activities and how they presented themselves.”
One of Diane’s other favorite volunteer opportunities is being a Pen Pal. “I’ve really developed a relationship with [6th Grader] Kaylee over the last couple of years and have had so much fun getting to learn more about her and her family,” Diane said.
As the son of an art teacher, Peter feels a particular connection to the STEAM program at City Academy. Diane has been impressed by the extra opportunities afforded students — including violin, Spanish, and robotics — that are often not taught until high school.
“You’re really opening up the world and the possibilities for these young kids to understand that the world is so much bigger than the bubble of home and the bubble of school,” Diane said.
In her role as Friends Board Chair, Diane hopes the team can tap into their networks to spread the word about City Academy, citing how Peter learned about the school from a friend and then “fell in love.”
What Peter has most enjoyed about serving on the Board of Trustees is the opportunity to focus on the future of the school.
“It’s a testament to Don [Danforth] and the leadership and the staff that the school is so well run that it allows us to work on the vision and direction of the school moving forward,” Peter said. “It’s a lot of how can we take what’s going well and spread it, as opposed to how can we take what’s going wrong and stop it.”
In addition to their generous gift of so much time and talent to the school, Peter and Diane have also been strong financial supporters. When asked why others should invest in City Academy, Peter said, “It’s a great investment in a child’s life that can have a real impact on not just their life and their family’s life, but on the community and the city. Your dollar is multiplied by the value that it brings and the leadership that is cultivated for our city.”