Chief Advancement Officer Erika McMahon’s experience as a student spanned several cities—Boston, Dallas, Nashville, and Seattle—and exposed her to public, parochial, and independent schools. She credits her experience in smaller school environments with the most growth in her confidence and development as a person, and developed a keen interest in the empowerment of girls and women through education. As a result, she has devoted her advancement career specifically to girls’ and women’s education.

After an early career as a high school history teacher and then as the founder and principal of an agency specializing in childcare and tutor placement, Erika blended her commitment to service in education and entrepreneurial mindset when she entered the advancement industry. She spent several years growing in various advancement roles at Simmons College, beginning with alumnae relations, then donor relations and stewardship, and was ultimately tasked with building transformational donor strategy. From there, she shifted from higher education to secondary when she became chief advancement officer at Notre Dame Academy in Hingham.

Erika came to Winsor in 2021 as the director of campaign and major gifts, focusing her sharp attention on the Winsor Leads Campaign, still in its nascent stages at the time. In 2022, she was named director of advancement, and in 2024, chief advancement officer. She currently leads the advancement team and oversees all elements of advancement work, including the development and public launch of the campaign—at $100 million, the most ambitious in the school’s 138-year history.

Erika’s work is fueled by her “deep belief in the power of a Winsor education and the importance of securing this special school for generations.” She is grateful each day for the opportunity to engage in such meaningful work with the rest of the advancement team.