Goldmines

Achieving 403(b) Plan Compliance While Reducing Costs and Administrative Tasks

15-min Goldmine

How does a school achieve full 403(b) compliance and deliver a critical benefit without adding to cost or management time requirements, and without having to abandon the investment funds familiar to faculty and staff? Learn more about a solution that can improve the process, reduce school and employee costs, and mitigate risk to the school and the plan fiduciaries - all delivered through a dedicated, multi-disciplined service team for all plan needs, including account management, co-fiduciary investment advisory services and ERISA legal support.

Tyler Hindermann, Vice President, USI Consulting Group

Admission Metrics You Should Watch in 2021

15-min Goldmine

Looking for a key indicator beyond enrollment numbers and yield to track the effectiveness of your admissions office? In this session, we’ll cover the top metrics you should keep your eye on to better understand how your school is performing in the areas of admissions and enrollment. We’ll explain how they’re calculated, why they’re important, and how they can best be improved.

Nate Little, CEO & Founder, SchoolAdmin
Elyn Roberts, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, SchoolAdmin

Being a Leader Without Being an Expert

15-min Goldmine

Leaders are often expected to not only provide expertise in their field but also have all the answers when challenges arise. In order for an institution to thrive in a post-pandemic world, its leaders must embrace leadership skills that emphasize collective responsibility and ownership to identify pressing issues. This shift away from ego and “being in charge” can empower school leaders to embrace ambiguity, acknowledge when they don’t know what to do and practice navigating problems with their teams.

Howard Teibel, President, Teibel Education Consulting

Best Practices in the Stewardship of Donor Assets

15-min Goldmine

Today's donors want to know that their gifts will be managed under the highest standards of prudence and care to achieve desired outcomes at reasonable costs. Important practices such as: independent custody and safekeeping of assets, asset allocation, updating spending policies, UPMIFA, understanding hidden fees, benchmarking and avoiding conflicts of interest will be discussed. The session benefits staff and decision-makers who interact with either donors or asset managers, or those who are involved in the practice of accounting for these assets.

Carol Barbour, MBA, Director, PFM
Bikram Chadha, Director, PFM

Conducting Proper Workplace Investigations in the Era of Viral News

15-min Goldmine

The session will discuss the proper way to conduct an investigation while being fair to both sides using hypothetical cases that are derived from real-life situations. The topic will also cover how to manage media inquiries and parental concerns while an investigation is taking place.

Howard M. Miller, Member, Co-Chair School Law Practice Group, Bond, Schoeneck & King

Demographics of the Independent School Business Office

15-min Goldmine

In support of NBOA’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within our membership, NBOA conducted a study to understand the demographic profile and current workforce trends impacting the independent school business office, including business officers and other business office professionals. In this goldmine, learn the key findings from this research including the demographic, educational and professional profile of business office professionals; business office professionals’ career history and career satisfaction; and insights that will help us chart the path forward regarding diversity, equity and inclusion in the NBOA community.

Elizabeth Dabney, Director, Research and Data Analysis, NBOA

Desperately Seeking Savings: Reducing Retirement Plan Costs

15-min Goldmine

Using client case studies and recent research, and drawing upon the presenter's experience as an expert witness in fiduciary investment responsibilities cases, this presentation will explore the role of fees and their impact on plans. Leave the session with a list of concrete tools to evaluate and reduce retirement plan fees.

Wendy Dominguez, President, Co-Founder, Innovest Portfolio Solutions LLC

Drafting Enrollment And Employee Agreements In The Time Of Coronavirus

15-min Goldmine

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many school leaders to question whether the foundational employee and enrollment agreements provided the school the protections it needed. Did you have flexibility to pivot to remote learning? Was your school’s financial security compromised based on what was - or wasn’t - included in these agreements? Such documents require language that provides schools with flexibility and discretion while still being legally enforceable, regardless of the emergencies you may face. Experienced education attorneys will reflect on the lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic and offer suggestions for how your school can update its enrollment and employment agreements for the next unknown.

Sarah H. Fay, JD, Of Counsel, Schwartz Hannum PC
Brian B. Garrett, JD, Partner, Schwartz Hannum PC

Efficient and Cost-Effective HR: Outsourcing with a PEO

15-min Goldmine

When administrative leaders are asked about the toughest parts of their jobs, recruiting, retaining talent, HR risk mitigation, and the administrative burden always top the list. Learn how thousands of schools nationwide are leveraging professional employer organizations (PEO’s) to help them operate more efficiently and control HR costs.

Jim Lynch, Director of Education, TriNet

Employee Morale and Motivation: Speaker Amber Stockham

15-min Goldmine

In a tough year, it can be difficult to boost morale, and it can be even harder to motivate employees to keep giving their all each day. Faculty and staff are burned out and frightened, and you need to walk a line between supporting them and successfully delivering on your mission. Learn techniques to support and motivate your personnel and lead your team in times of stress.

Amber Stockham, Director, Human Resources Programs, NBOA

Financial Planning Tools for School Leaders

15-min Goldmine

School leaders need to focus on the long term future and financial equilibrium of a school. Review tools you can implement in your school, including Net Tuition Revenue Analysis and Class Size Modeling and Breakeven Calculations.

Palmer D. Ball, MBA, President, Palmer Ball Consulting, LLC

Healthy Investment Dialogue in Times of Uncertainty

15-min Goldmine

Periods of high market volatility and uncertainty, like those of the COVID-19 pandemic, often provoke anxiety and emotional decision-making. It is undeniably difficult to manage unique, short-term demands while trying to plan for future needs and challenges. We will share best practices to help manage this challenge with confidence and communicate with fiduciaries of a school's endowment such as board members, and finance and investment committee members.

Richard Grzymajlo, Managing Director of Institutional Services, FEG Investment Advisors

Implementing an Engaging Sustainability Program that Innovates and Educates

15-min Goldmine

Hunger and climate change are global crises that continue to persist in our communities and across the globe. In the pursuit of a better tomorrow, we must seek ways to not only reduce waste and consciously source food, but to educate our students and instill in them behavior that they will enact throughout their lives. Learn about integrating sustainable technologies to improve processes and measure impact, as well as impart the knowledge students need to become responsible citizens.

Nell Fry, MS, Senior Manager Field Support, Office of Corporate Social
Jude Medeiros, Program Director, WasteWatch by LeanPath, Sodexo
Heather Vaillette, District Manager, Sodexo
Rick Vanzura, CEO, Freight Farms

Is Your School Hitting It Out of the Financial Ballpark?

15-min Goldmine

Financial data is everywhere, and survey fatigue is real. With so much data available to you and your team, how are you prioritizing what matters most to the long-term financial stability of your school? Drawing from an analysis of 200 schools that identifies metrics for operating efficiencies, strategic initiates and long-term stability, this session will share the minimum level of performance for each of our identified metrics and discuss how schools can become best in class in each category.

Matt Gard, Partner, Armanino LLP
Bryan Vencill, Partner, Armanino LLP

Lessons From 2020's Summer Slam: Adapting Facilities for Health & Safety

15-min Goldmine

In Summer 2020, independent schools nationwide found themselves facing uncertainty about how to prepare their campuses for a safe and productive fall. While CDC guidelines and rule-of-thumb mathematical approaches were developed quickly, the discussions failed to focus on the art of how to reconfigure learning environments to accommodate physical distancing while still maintaining pedagogical best practices. The presenters will discuss what was left out, how we can do better, and how the physical environment of schools may be changed permanently.

Jessica Douglass, MS, Teaching and Learning Specialist, Tower Hill School
Robert Douglass, Senior Associate, Voith & Mactavish Architects

Lessons Learned from the Coronavirus Pandemic Response

15-min Goldmine

In 2020, many schools quickly took the unprecedented step of moving their entire operations to a remote platform. An analysis of independent school responses to the coronavirus pandemic provides lessons for administrators. This session will provide new crisis management and business continuity recommendations that come from the industry's pandemic response.

Melanie Bennett, J.D., ARM-E, Risk Management Counsel, United Educators Insurance

Love 'Em or They'll Leave You: Creating Winning Retention Teams

15-min Goldmine

There’s an old adage that says it costs five times more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an old one. The same applies to our students: Keeping them (and their families) happy and connected to your school isn’t an easy task, but it can be done with the right team. In this session, we’ll discuss how to create a specialized, school-wide task force to tackle retention year after year.

Scott Delleville, MSML, Account Director, SchoolAdmin

Managing Energy During Shutdowns

15-min Goldmine

In wake of the COVID-19 crisis, educational institutions quickly shifted to virtual learning as they planned for a safe return to the Clifton Larsen Allenssroom. But for operations professionals and facility managers, “the show must go on” even when students aren’t occupying our buildings. There is still critical work that needs to be completed while you are away from your school buildings. Join us for tips on how to best manage energy while your campus is empty, whether it’s due to a global pandemic, summer break or natural disaster.

Billy Golden, Senior Account Manager, Dude Solutions

NBOA’s Practical Guidance for Independent School Business Operations

15-min Goldmine

For schools to secure their financial health in perpetuity, they must have clearly defined operational policies and procedures as well as sound fiduciary practices. The 60 fully revised guidelines in the second edition of NBOA’s “Practical Guidance” cover four key areas: governance, finance, facilities and operations, and human resources, which combined will help you to achieve compliance and operational success. Each guideline includes a range of evidence of achievement, divided into three categories: baseline practices, exemplary practices, and red flags, which should help schools identify areas of concern. James will present this assessment tool and demonstrate the interactive action-planning worksheet built to help leaders prioritize action items for their own purposes, or in preparation for an upcoming accreditation or reaccreditation visit.

James Palmieri, Ed.D., Executive Vice President, NBOA

Privacy, HIPAA, Unauthorized Disclosures: Who Cares?

15-min Goldmine

Privacy has taken on a large role in today's environment. Employees, parents and students have an expectation of privacy across numerous issues, including student grades, discipline records, medical records, families' financial status and more. While the COVID-19 crisis highlighted the issue of student health data protection, schools must not lose sight of other privacy concerns that can result in Clifton Larsen Allenims against the school or individual employees. Learn the many ways disclosures occur - accidental or otherwise - as well as how to best protect the school, train the community and monitor areas of concern.

Suzanne K. Bogdan, JD, Chair, Education Practice Group, Fisher Phillips LLP
Ria Maxwell, Dean of Faculty/Director of Human Resources, Miami Country Day School

Protecting Your School Against Cyber Hackers

15-min Goldmine

As hackers target schools to defraud and steal information, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the signs and proactively work to keep your school’s network safe and secure. A First Republic cybersecurity expert will discuss the latest threats and scams so schools can stay ahead of hackers to protect their assets. Topics will include why CFO’s are a target, what a lookalike domain is, explanation of the dark web, ransomware and how to protect yourself against it, the evolution of fraud and safe and best online practices.

Christopher Wing, Client Cybersecurity Representative, First Republic Bank

Real and Potential Impact of Tax Credit & Voucher Programs

15-min Goldmine

Thirty-two states currently have some form of voucher, tax credit, or scholarship granting organizations to support tuition at private schools. This session will examine the status and trends of these programs, the legal support and challenges, and how schools and families can benefit.

Robert Enlow, EdChoice
Matt Richardson, Director of Tax Credit & SGO Programs, FACTS

School Contract Yoga: Drafting Contracts to be Strong and Flexible

15-min Goldmine

Contracts abound in independent school enrollment contracts, employee contracts, vendor contracts - and for good reasons. By having different parties bound to the school, schools are better able to budget, plan and forecast their needs. All too often, however, the desire for certainty and security has unintended effects, leaving schools bound to individuals and entities with whom they need to break ties in crisis to ensure the stability of the institution as a whole. In this session, we will review considerations and strategies in drafting contracts to ensure schools are better able to balance the competing needs of certainty and flexibility.

Janice P. Gregerson, Esq, Attorney, Venable LLP
Ashley Sykes, Associate, Venable LLP

Tech Questions You Need to Ask to Make Better Decisions

15-min Goldmine

In a post-pandemic world, schools need to make sure they are asking the right technology-specific questions to get the information you need and make well-informed decisions. This session will discuss the status of today's technology in independent schools and provide a list of the critical questions business officers should be asking their school's technology leaders to ensure the safety of your community.

Christina Lewellen, Executive Director, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools

Technology Trends in Finance: Automating Your Operations

15-min Goldmine

Understand the advantages of cloud systems, visualize how to manage people working remotely effectively, and gain real-time insight into your school's financial operation with dashboards and financial forecasting.

Heidi Grinde, CPA, Principal, Clifton Larsen Allen
Keven Truhler, Principal, Sage Intacct Practice at CLA

The Impact of Remote Work on Security and Compliance Practices

15-min Goldmine

The rapid shift to remote work during the pandemic reinforced the need for solid business practices when handling parent and school financial data. Amid unprecedented circumstances, many schools struggled with maintaining their data security practices in the first months of the pandemic in order to "make do." This session will explain how to learn from the pandemic to ensure secure treatment of sensitive financial data.

Angela Nielson, AAP, Executive Manager of Product Strategy, FACTS

Transforming Leaders Into Spokespersons: Communications Techniques for a New Landscape

15-min Goldmine

Opportunities to shore up goodwill among your school’s families are fleeting, and spokesperson techniques maximize the effectiveness of these micro-exchanges. Becoming a spokesperson means knowing how to navigate today’s social media-driven, emotionally rich, and outrage-driven communications landscape. Spokespersons must be intentional. They must have a goal. They must prepare. And, in a world of shrinking attention spans, they must redefine the concept of “answering” questions.

Christopher J. Lukach, APR, President, AKCG - Public Relations Counselors

Your HR Dashboard: Metric-Driven Staffing Decisions

15-min Goldmine

Analytics drive your financial and admissions decisions, letting leadership know where to invest time and resources for maximum impact, so why aren’t they driving your staffing decisions? Learn which metrics you should be tracking and how your school leadership can use them to implement sound personnel management strategies.

Amber Stockham, Director, Human Resources Programs, NBOA