Marcia Novatney

Making Everything Work: Upper School 

After a difficult year in which Marcia Novatney and her husband Steve endured some traumatic family events, they both decided to make some changes. Out went their demanding careers (she was a project manager in the distribution pyramid for Target Corporation; he owned a thriving irrigation business). In came an overwhelming desire to focus on what was important: having more time to spend with family and, for Marcia, a job that involved working either with the elderly or with kids.

The job search led her to Breck, where she worked in the bookstore before moving to the Upper School office. “I absolutely love my job,” she says, smiling. “The kids can be challenging sometimes, but they’re always fun. I adore Linda [Tapsak, the Upper School director]. And the environment here is so stimulating. I got to meet the U.S. poet laureate, and every day I hear different languages spoken in the halls, talk to interesting people about good books and spend time with such bright, caring people.”

Linda Tapsak says she thinks the two of them make a remarkable team. “I think it’s because we know our own strengths and weaknesses – and they really don’t overlap. I truly enjoy her company and appreciate our deep friendship. You know, if we were one person, we would rule the world!”

When she’s not at Breck, Marcia treasures time with her family: Steve, her husband, grown children Justin and Alisha and grandchildren James and Avery. “The grandchildren are truly the light of our life,” she says. She also enjoys bike riding (a favorite route is along the Mississippi River near downtown, including the Stone Arch bridge, the new Gopher stadium and St. Anthony Main), reading and walking with her sister Sue.

“As important as it is to make sure Target stores are stocked with toilet paper,” she reflects, “I really wanted to find a place where I might be able to make a difference in someone else’s life, and I’ve found such happiness here at Breck.”