The Bertram Group

Camille M. Bertram
Founder and President
Certified Educational Planner, Member IECA/SSATB

Prior to launching her own educational consultancy firm in 2003, Cammie Bertram was a senior associate for eight years with Dunbar Educational Consultants, counseling and assisting students at the junior, secondary school and college levels.

Within the educational community, Cammie is known for the sound, informed advice she provides to students and families evaluating private secondary school options – across diverse backgrounds, abilities and interests. In addition to her broad experience with traditional boarding school programs, she is also a leading consultant in special needs and therapeutic placement.

Cammie’s lifelong interest in private education stems from her family’s involvement with The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where her father, in a variety of roles over a 42-year career, was a teacher, administrator and associate headmaster. Today, Cammie serves on numerous school and association boards and is a sought after speaker at national and regional forums on education and educational directions.

191 Post Road West,
Westport, Connecticut 06880

Office: (203) 255-2577
Fax: (203) 255-4713
Email:cammie@thebertramgroup.com

Junior and Secondary Boarding and Day Schools

Holly McGlennon Treat, M.Ed.
Principal

Holly has been involved with independent schools since 1991 in a variety of roles. Before becoming an educational consultant in 2003, Holly served as the Director of Admission and Dean of Students at Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut, the Associate Director of Admission at both Miss Porter's School and Miss Hall's School, and the Director of Admission at the Salisbury Summer School. Holly was inspired to become an educational advisor full time while she was employed as the Secondary School Advisor at the Indian Mountain School, a junior boarding school in Lakeville, Connecticut. During her time at Indian Mountain, Holly thoroughly enjoyed working directly with the graduating ninth grade class and helping them with their secondary school searches. This experience led her to pursue the role full time as an independent educational advisor.

Holly also serves on the Advisory Board of the Deep Creek Middle School (DCMS) in Deep Creek, Eleuthera, Bahamas. DCMS is a community outreach program of The Island School on Cape Eleuthera, a semester program for high school age students that is centered around ecology and sustainability. Holly's role as a DCMS board member includes advising members of the graduating class in their secondary school search process. Holly also serves on the board of the NorthEast Association of Learning Specialists, an outreach organization of mainstream schools with learning support programs. Holly has a Master's Degree in Education from Harvard University and is a graduate of Bowdoin College and Middlesex School.

Holly's familiarity with secondary schools, experience with various admission operations, and relationships with admission directors throughout New England provides a wealth of information to assist families in the school search process. Holly is dedicated to finding the right academic, social and emotional fit for every student.

Holly is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and serves on the Nominating Committee. She was the recipient of the IECA Foundation Irv Katz Award in 2010 for her “volunteer service to children”.

Office: (860) 788-6114
Fax: (860) 201-1033
Email: holly@thebertramgroup.com

Audrey N. Ludemann, M.S.Ed.
Principal

Audrey has been working in the field of education for 25 years. Prior to becoming an educational consultant in 2003, she held a range of educational positions from classroom teaching to designing and implementing music programs for young children. Classroom experience honed her ability to understand and target the unique talents and abilities of each individual student. Enthusiastic about working with students and families, she is skilled in assessing students and identifying personal ‘best fit’ schools. Families praise Audrey’s ability to communicate, connect and bring out the best in their child. Admission colleagues voice appreciation of the insights she brings to the admission process.

While attending The Madeira School, Audrey interned at an inner city public school and discovered her passion for working with students. Continuing to develop her interest while attending Sarah Lawrence College, she designed, developed and implemented a music program for young children. She went on to earn a Masters in Education and State Certification (grades Pre-K through 8) at The University of Bridgeport. She was employed at a number of independent day schools, including The Day Care Center of New Canaan, New Canaan Country School, First Presbyterian Nursery School and The Children’s Day School of Wilton. After more than 15 years in the classroom, she had the opportunity to move into the field of educational consulting in 2003, where she continues to assess and empower students. She affirms, ‘There is nothing more rewarding than to help a student find the right school or program and to watch them bloom into a more fulfilled version of themselves, ready to embrace the next stage of life and learning.’

Audrey has been a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association since 2007, is the outgoing Schools Committee Chair, current Chair of the Board Development Committee and serves on IECA’s Board of Directors. She is a frequent presenter at IECA National Conferences. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Henry L. Ferguson Museum, and is a past Board member of Eagle Hill School in Southport, CT. She is a member of the Connecticut Association for the Gifted, The Connecticut Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities and the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Audrey is certified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Murphy-Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children (MMTIC).

Office: (203) 762-7401
Fax: (203) 286-1130
Email: audrey@thebertramgroup.com

Therapeutic and Special Needs Placement

Jeremy D. McGeorge
Principal

Jeremy brings over 15 years in admissions, program development, and therapeutic treatment to families looking for advice and guidance when dealing with a child who needs a therapeutic placement to begin the journey to recovery. Having served students in Utah, Arizona, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Costa Rica he brings a broad understanding of the process of guiding families through the complex spectrum of programs available to them. Jeremy began his work in the Deserts of Utah and Arizona working for Aspen Achievement Academy and Adventure Discovery. He then served as a member of the development team for Academy at Swift River as they constructed and managed wilderness intervention programs and study abroad opportunities in Jimenez, Costa Rica. Most recently he has served as the Director of Admissions and Development for the King George School in Sutton, Vermont. With Jeremy's broad experience he provides a unique and empathetic approach with student and families at-risk as they seek to find new family harmony and growth. As a father himself, he is passionate and driven to provide all families with the opportunity and the skills to live, work, and thrive together.

Office: (413) 207-1141
Fax: (888) 693-8271
Email: jeremy@thebertramgroup.com

Operations and Administration

Ellie Powers
Director of Operations

Ellie joined Bertram Educational Consultants in the summer of 2010 and brings a wealth of administrative experience to the firm, from both a professional and volunteer perspective. No stranger to the boarding school world, Ellie graduated from Westover and, after receiving her BA from Hollins College, Ellie joined Bankers Trust Company in New York where she worked in various administrative capacities for five years. Upon moving to Connecticut, Ellie joined Union Trust Company as a commercial loan officer and branch manager. While raising two children, Ellie took on major volunteer responsibilities. During the 1980’s and 1990’s she was Chairman of the Southport/Westport Antiques Show, Chairman of the Near & Far Aid Association, and President of the Fairfield Garden Club. Ellie continues her volunteer activities as Treasurer of the Fairfield Women’s Exchange in Southport, Connecticut. She is a licensed real estate agent and has been associated with Prudential Connecticut Realty as both an agent and office administrator.

Cell: (203) 257-2348
Fax: (203) 254-9297
Email: ellie@thebertramgroup.com

Additional Resources for our Clients

Providing additional resources to clients of Bertram Educational Consultants is a network of experienced independent educational consultants, each of whom has a well established reputation in the industry. These individuals may work with our clients to provide educational consulting services in the following areas:

College and Graduate School

Deborah Grabfield, M.S.Ed

Deborah brings a unique perspective to her work in college advising through her consulting firm, “ApplyYourself”. Through her years of work with the Undergraduate Admissions Offices at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University she has developed an intimate knowledge of how the entire application and decision-making processes work. Her clients benefit from her experience of reading and reviewing applications, sitting on committees and conducting evaluative interviews for two Ivy League schools. The insight she has gained through watching the changes in the decision making and composition of each class over a decade helps her provide her clients with current and accurate advise so that the results achieved are relevant and appropriate.

After earning her undergraduate degree from American University, she worked in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. She later became the Associate Director of Student Programs at the Wharton School, where her responsibilities included teaching interview skills workshops conducted for graduate students. She also ran high-profile programs on Wharton’s campus and on Capitol Hill that brought CEOs and policy makers together with faculty and students. While at the University of Pennsylvania, Deborah earned a Masters in Education.

Her consulting years began in Asia where she worked for the Fulbright Commission, counseling students who were applying for scholarships. She also worked with prospective students of many nationalities applying to colleges and universities in the US and the UK. When she returned to the US, Deborah worked at the undergraduate admissions office at Yale for five years. In addition to reading and evaluating applications, she also sat on an advisory committee with the Dean of Admissions to help develop an online system of reading Early Action applications.

When Deborah founded ApplyYourself in 2004, it was with the goal of bringing her years of experience from both sides of the admissions process to her work, helping clients navigate their college application journey. She applies her experience in university admissions and international consulting to reduce the stress levels of students and their families that can occur during the application process. She also helps each student articulate their strengths and aspirations and identify schools that best match their talents and abilities. In an effort to maintain current knowledge of schools, their programs and their campuses, Deborah travels extensively in the US and the UK to meet with admissions officers, talk to current students and get a feel for the campus cultures.

Deena Maerowitz, J.D., M.S.W.

Prior to becoming a parent herself, Deena was the Associate Director of Admissions at Columbia University Business School. Deena graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College and received her law degree (J.D.) and Master’s Degree in Social Work (M.S.W) from the University of Connecticut.

Deena has worked with private clients in both Manhattan, Brooklyn and Connecticut, helping them throughout the entire college admissions process. Her clients have been admitted to both Ivy League and top tier colleges throughout the United States.

Deena is also a seasoned attorney and social worker with over 15 years of experience as an advocate for children and their families. Deena has held positions as Counsel in the U.S. Congress, where she focused on education issues, as well as in the private sector and for national public interest organizations including the Children’s Defense Fund.

Deena holds Professional Membership in the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and is also a Member of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants. Deena currently splits her time between her office in Brooklyn, NY and Ridgefield, CT. She lives in Ridgefield with her husband, Stephen, and their daughter, Ruby.

Services for Families and Children at Risk

Lisa Schwartz, M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy, specializing in coaching families through educational transitions

Lisa graduated with honors from Wheaton College, Massachusetts, with a B.A. in Sociology and received a Master’s Degree in marriage and family therapy from Fairfield University. She is an associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and a Pre-Clinical Fellow member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). Lisa is also a member of the National Eating Disorders Association and is on the Advisory Board at Fairfield University’s Koslow Center for Marriage and Family Therapy. Prior to beginning studies at Fairfield University, she was the Director of Operations for Bertram Educational Consultants (the predecessor firm to The Bertram Group) in Westport, Connecticut from 2004-2010, working with families looking for educational direction for therapeutic and traditional boarding and day schools, and colleges and graduate schools. Lisa is no stranger to the challenges and concerns facing parents trying to make difficult educational decisions for their children. Lisa’s involvement in multiple organizations has included student enrichment and at-risk youth and educational programs, supporting both young adults and parents. Currently, she volunteers at Silver Hill Hospital in the Eating Disorder program, working with adolescents in group therapy concentrating on body image via creative expression and art therapy. This background, combined with her empathetic people skills, has motivated both parents and students to seek her assistance in working through their educational and emotional issues as a family coach which has resulted in healthier directions and choices for both parents and children. Lisa has been married for 29 years and as a parent of two young adults, has gained an appreciation for the challenges facing families considering the services of The Bertram Group.