NBOA online courses are taught by content experts from NBOA, independent schools and business partners. Instructors lead discussions, provide guidance and resources for learners throughout the course period, and facilitate learning in other ways.
Please note that the instructor assignment for each course offering is subject to change.
Jennifer Osland Hillen, CPA, CGMA, is NBOA's chief learning officer. She serves as a strategic partner to the president and CEO and leads the staff team charged with delivering the association’s broad and diverse portfolio of programs, industry guidance and resources to members and constituents across multiple delivery channels, including many partnerships with other associations serving independent schools. She serves on the NBOA Board of Directors’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion task force and leads NBOA’s volunteer Business Officers Council, in addition to providing content expertise on finance, accounting, tax and other independent school business, operations, governance and legal matters of import to independent school practitioners and leaders. Hillen also serves on the teaching faculty for the Master of Education in Independent School Leadership program at Vanderbilt University’s Department of Leadership, Policy & Organizations at Peabody College. She came to NBOA in early 2017 after eight years at Harpeth Hall School, where she served as the associate director of finance and operations, following prior service as controller and manager of accounting. Before joining Harpeth Hall, Hillen was a lead senior auditor with Ernst & Young, LLP, a Big 4 public accounting firm. She is involved in governance, fiduciary leadership, donor stewardship and strategic financial planning and analysis in her role as a board member for several nonprofit organizations, including the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Renewal House and the Junior League of Nashville, of which she is immediate past president.
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Liz Maher holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Marquette University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University. She has worked in public accounting, corporate accounting and independent schools, including four years at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, Illinois, most recently as their chief finance and resource officer. Maher brings over 15 years of experience in accounting, finance and tax compliance to her role as NBOA’s director, accounting and tax programs.
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Mary Kay Markunas is NBOA's director, member resources and programs. She supports NBOA's full line of professional development offerings including the NBOA Annual Meeting, Business Officer Institute, webinars and online courses, as well as partnering with other associations serving independent schools. A former independent school business officer, she develops and delivers programs and content related to independent school business operations, leadership and governance, and nonprofit accounting practices. She also directly assists member schools in answering questions and maintaining NBOA’s collection of tools and resources. Markunas joined NBOA in early 2015 after serving as the director of finance and operations at The Avery Coonley School for 12 years. Before joining the independent school community, she worked in corporate finance at a global corporation and in engineering consulting.
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James Palmieri is the executive vice president at NBOA. In this role, Palmieri serves as a partner to the President and CEO in carrying out strategic initiatives as directed by the NBOA strategic plan, and he supports program and product expansion in partnership with members of the senior staff. He supervises the Communications and Research team, which produces Net Assets Magazine and manages the Business Intelligence for Independent Schools (BIIS) data platform. Prior to NBOA, Palmieri served as assistant head of school at Trinity Hall, where he began his work as a founding consultant and the school's first employee, and had primary responsibility for school finance, facilities and business operations. Previously, Palmieri served as director of strategic initiatives and faculty at Kent Place School. Additionally, Palmieri is currently president of the One Schoolhouse board of trustees.
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Jeff Shields has been NBOA's president and CEO since March 2010, during which time the association has grown to more than 1,425 U.S. member schools as well as member schools in Mexico, Canada and 23 other countries around the globe. Prior to joining NBOA, he spent almost 10 years at the National Association of College and University Business Officers, serving most recently as senior vice president and chief planning officer. Shields is active in his professional association, the American Society of Association Executives, and currently serves as a member of the ASAE board and the ASAE Foundation board of directors. In addition, he is a member of the 2008 Class of ASAE Fellows (FASAE) and he earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 2002. Shields has held numerous leadership positions serving independent schools and independent school associations. He previously served as a trustee for the Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC, as well as, One Schoolhouse, an innovative online school that partners with independent schools throughout the country. Shields recently joined the board of the Enrollment Management Association.
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Amber Stockham holds bachelor of arts degrees in social sciences and psychology from Bard College and worked in a variety of industries, including social services and manufacturing, before serving as the Director of Human Resources at Miss Hall’s School, an independent boarding/day school for girls in grades 9-12 for six years. With more than 15 years of human resources experience, Amber brings expertise in regulatory compliance, talent acquisition and management, organizational planning, and compensation and benefits design to her role as Director, Human Resources Programs at NBOA.
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Alisa Evans is founder and managing partner at Mission Enrollment, which works with more than 45 independent schools across the U.S. to process financial aid applications. With more than 20 years of experience in independent schools and higher education institutions, she helps schools deliver aid programs and use financial aid tools that provide every child with an equal opportunity to receive an excellent education. She resides in Redlands, California.
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Grace H. Lee is a partner with Venable, LLP in the Labor and Employment Practice. Lee is an independent school law attorney whose practice focuses on employment law, risk management and other compliance and regulatory matters that impact independent schools and nonprofit organizations. She has significant experience formulating and implementing policies and procedures that assist her clients in complying with applicable state and federal laws, and provides them with proactive and preventive strategies. Lee has defended schools against claims regarding employment discrimination, harassment, retaliatory discharge, and wage and hour violations before administrative agencies and federal and state courts. She previously served as NBOA’s vice president, legal affairs, where she developed or oversaw resources and programs for independent schools in the areas of employment law, risk management and other compliance matters. Lee holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and a B.A. from Northwestern University.
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Brad Rathgeber is the head of school/chief executive officer of One Schoolhouse, a nonprofit consortium of independent schools, which he helped found in 2009. Previously, Rathgeber worked as the director of technology at Holton-Arms School. He has presented at many national and international conferences on online learning, including the Virtual School Symposium and the NAIS Annual Conference, and has been quoted on the topic of online learning by the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and PBS.
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Tom has over 25 years of audit and accounting experience, specializing in nonprofit organizations. His responsibilities include directing engagements, preparing financial statements, composing management letters and advising clients on accounting and internal control policies. Tom’s clients include 501(c)(3) organizations, colleges and universities, independent schools and national associations. In addition, he has extensive experience performing Uniform Guidance compliance audits and engagements in accordance with Yellow Book requirements. He frequently conducts seminars for clients, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Greater Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants, National Business Officers Association and other organizations on key issues facing nonprofit organizations. Tom is one of the firm experts on the COSO Framework, especially as it applied to nonprofit organizations, and one of the first in the country to complete the COSO Internal Control Certificate.
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