Milton Hershey School President Pete Gurt ’85 Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

At the 2024 Coalition of Residential Excellence (CORE) conference, Milton Hershey School President Pete Gurt ’85 was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals from CORE member schools whose work has changed the narrative for the families they serve. Past recipients include Mike Tyrell, president of St. Joseph’s Indian School and Bill Fyre, president of Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranch.

CORE members represent boarding schools, residential charter schools, children’s homes, youth ranches, and other residential education-based programs. Since 1994, the organization has promoted and strengthened programs for children and equipped members with resources and training. At this year’s conference, CORE celebrated its 30th anniversary.

President Gurt has served MHS for 30 years in a variety of roles, including vice president of administration, vice president of education and student life, and senior vice president and chief operating officer. Since 2014, he has served as president. In 2009, President Gurt received CORE’s Catherine Hershey Award for Administrator of the Year.

CORE’s board of directors selected President Gurt to receive this award for his execution and vision in bringing Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) to life.

“This award is a reflection of the incredible impact that Milton Hershey School and Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning have on the children and families we serve,” said President Gurt. “This wouldn’t be possible without the commitment of our teams at MHS and CHS, which is something I know our founders, Mr. and Mrs. Hershey, would be proud of.”

In 2020, MHS announced the creation of CHS to expand the impact of Milton and Catherine Hershey’s vision to serve more children from under-resourced and over-burdened backgrounds through education. Through CHS, created in honor of Catherine Hershey, six early childhood education centers will open in central Pennsylvania, serving children from six weeks to age 5, with all costs covered for qualifying families. The first center, CHS Hershey, opened in 2023 and the second, CHS Harrisburg, opened in September 2024. Over the next several years, CHS will open four additional centers, including CHS Middletown and three locations in Lancaster County. President Gurt also serves as president of CHS.

James Turner, MHS Middle Division Home Life associate director and president of the Board of Directors for CORE presented President Gurt with the award during the conference.

“His adoration of and commitment to MHS and now CHS is evident through his words and actions,” said Turner. “He works tirelessly every day to ensure that every child enrolled at our schools has the resources they need to succeed.”

At the conference, MHS Teacher Emily Gallo received the 2024 Catherine Hershey Award for Educator of the Year. MHS Custodian Braden Maines ’80 also was honored with the 2024 Catherine Hershey Award for Alumnus of the Year.