Newsroom

Eastern Bank Honors Peter Gilmore, Executive Director of Seacoast Community School, with Community Advocacy Award for Outstanding Work in Early Childhood Development

Long-Time Educator Recognized For Leadership in Helping Seacoast Young Children Develop Into Confident, Caring, School-Ready People

PORTSMOUTH, NH, November 5, 2019 – Eastern Bank, America’s oldest and largest mutual bank, is pleased to announce it has awarded Peter Gilmore, Executive Director of Seacoast Community School, with a Community Advocacy Award, in recognition of his leadership in providing nurturing care and exceptional education for all children of the Seacoast.

Since 2016, Peter has been the Executive Director of Seacoast Community School, a nonprofit which is the third largest licensed early learning center in New Hampshire. It serves over 260 children ages eight weeks to 12 years, and offers diverse educational and enrichment programs. Founded more than 50 years ago by local members of the community whose efforts in establishing the school have been called “an outstanding example of Community Action,” Seacoast Community School is committed to excellence in early learning care. Full-time and part-time programs are available as are scholarships for families in need.

In his role as Executive Director of Seacoast Community School, Peter oversees programming, finance, and fundraising and is responsible for a staff of 50 employees in addition to the hundreds of children served each day. Over the years, Peter has worked in many types of independent schools, in a variety of capacities. These include traditional boarding and day, single sex and coed, and religious and nonsectarian schools, as well as schools specializing in children with learning differences. Prior to joining Seacoast Community School, he was Head of School at Vermont Commons School, and also served on the Board of Directors for the Vermont Independent Schools Association (VISA). 

“Peter comes from a long line of educators and idealists who firmly believe in quality education, service to others, and improving the common good, and we are proud to honor him for his work in leading one of the largest early learning centers in New Hampshire,” said Bob Rivers, Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank. “For decades, Seacoast Community School has served as a model of excellence for how a community comes together to create positive early childhood development experiences and learning outcomes for its children.”

This celebration of Eastern's Community Advocacy Award coincides with the Bank's focus on enriching early childhood development in its philanthropy and advocacy, and is part of Eastern's broader strategy to address income inequality and workforce issues by supporting efforts that assist parents and caregivers and prepare children to be ready to learn and succeed. The Community Advocacy Award celebrates local community leaders who give their time and talent to address vital needs throughout Eastern’s New England footprint.  

Peter Gilmore commented, “Seacoast Community School’s commitment to excellence is core to who we are—we are passionate about surrounding children, families and working parents with deep, diverse, high quality programs that help to positively impact young developing lives. On behalf of our entire community, thank you for this honor.”

About Eastern Bank
Founded in 1818, Boston-based Eastern Bank is America’s oldest and largest mutual bank, with over $11 billion in assets and more than 115 locations serving communities in eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Eastern provides exceptional access to fairly priced banking, investment and insurance products and services for consumers and businesses of all sizes. Eastern Bank, which includes Eastern Wealth Management and Eastern Insurance, is known for its outspoken advocacy and community support that has exceeded more than $140 million in charitable giving since 1999. An inclusive company, Eastern employs 1,900+ deeply committed professionals who value relationships with their customers, colleagues, and communities. Join us for good at www.easternbank.com and follow Eastern on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Press contact:
Andrea Goodman
[email protected]
781-598-7847

###