Tuesday

All times listed are Eastern Time.
Goldmine learning sessions available on-demand throughout the program.

Deep Dive

Tuesday, Noon - 1:15 pm

  • From Gatekeepers to Keymakers: Utilizing our Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention Practices to Build the Communities We Need

    Human Resources
    Tuesday, Noon - 1:15 pm

    How do we utilize equity and inclusion practices as assets and opportunity makers towards reshaping and transforming our schools? Our missions ask us to create and sustain diverse, equitable, and inclusive institutions. This session will explore the role human resources professionals can play in furthering equity work.

    Brandie Melendez, M.S.Ed, SPHR, Director of Equity and Inclusion, The Berkeley Carroll School

Concurrent Sessions

Tuesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

  • Simple Machines: Financial Levers To Lift Your School

    Accounting, Finance and Tax
    Tuesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

    What is your school’s ability to address unexpected scenarios? This session outlines levers available to independent schools to deal with financial challenges, including strategies to address expense management and to increase revenue streams even in challenging economic times. As schools re-tool their educational models, they have an opportunity to re-tool the structure of their operating budgets. This session will address best practices and prudent measures schools can take to better position themselves for the future and the next unknown.

    Chad N. Christoff, Vice President, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.
    John Murphy, Chief Financial Officer, The Awty International School
    Jessica Occhialini, Director of Finance, Academy of Our Lady of Peace

  • Million Dollar Challenge: School-Wide Expense Management

    Business Operations
    Tuesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

    St. Andrew's College ran a "Million Dollar Challenge" to identify $1 million in operational budget savings, on a $30 million total budget. The school provided modest incentives that encouraged employees at all levels to contribute suggestions to increase revenues or reduce expenditures without negatively affecting the student experience. Meeting the $1 million annual savings target resulted in an all-staff payout of 15% of the annual savings, approximately $1,000 per full-time employee.

    Beth Carter, BA CPA, Chief Financial Officer, St. Andrew's College

  • Building a Dashboard To Navigate a Post-COVID Crash

    Executive Leadership
    Tuesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

    COVID-19 has turned the independent school world upside-down. Learn about the key metrics that effective leadership teams should be tracking to ensure the ongoing sustainability of their school. Learn what data to track, how to analyze it and how to use it to inform leadership actions. Examine-in detail key indicators on admissions, staffing, advancement, operations and financial stability and leave with an understanding of how to track your school's trends and apply findings to improve financial sustainability.

    Jim Christopher, MEd, EdD, Head of School, Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School

  • Construction Innovation in a Changing World

    Facilities
    Tuesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

    Campus innovation is more important now than ever, as schools envision new facilities, new designs and master planning for future campuses. Learn about construction planning, timing and logistics for projects, legal contract considerations and incentives, and insurance. Learn about cost savings mechanisms and how to minimize risks of additional costs through insurance and planning.

    Heather DeBlanc, JD, Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
    William S. (Trip) Thomas III, Area Senior Vice President, Arthur J Gallagher & Co. Risk Management & Insurance
    Thanh Tran, CPA, Chief Financial Officer, The College Preparatory School

  • A Royal Flush Healthcare Plan with Just Three Cards

    Human Resources
    Tuesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

    Three very different schools, three different stories, and three not-so-different results. Each are dealt three cards. One says, “Partially self-funded health plans cost less than fully-insured plans 100% of the time.” Another says, “Change your healthcare financing and free up money for other priorities.” The last says, “Create a better quality and cost experience for your health plan enrollees.” Healthcare captive Captivated Health will explain how these three cards can make a winning hand, and share best-in-class plan designs and strategies for enrollee buy-in and understanding.

    Jill Duncan, Chief Financial Officer, New Hampton School
    Vince Quirk, Controller, Shady Hill School
    David Saltzman, Director of Marketing, Borislow Insurance
    Walt Schaeffler, Chief Financial Officer, Holderness School

  • Alleviating Risks From The Past Can Pave The Road Ahead

    Risk Management
    Tuesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

    Administrators and boards at independent schools continually grapple with risks embedded in daily operations. Through live case studies, presented by two school leaders at two distinguished and different institutions, learn how their administration and boards rallied around profound challenges, mitigated, and successfully contained core risks, utilizing dynamic risk management strategies. Apply lessons to cope with emerging risks. Moderated by a rating agency panelist, this session will also provide insights into how enterprise risks are incorporated into a holistic credit assessment.

    Chris Harper, Chief Financial Officer, Ethical Culture Fieldston School
    Shivani Singh, CFA, CAIA, Director and Lead Analyst, S&P Global Ratings
    Ann Visalli, Chief Operating Officer, St. Andrew’s School

Deep Dive

Tuesday, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm

  • Building a Culture That Can Innovate from the Bottom Up

    Executive Leadership
    Tuesday, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm

    Innovation is not about the "new" idea but is about taking a current concern and identifying how to address the issue in a way that genuinely satisfies a customer’s needs. School leaders find it difficult to embrace the principle that everyone can innovate. How do you empower those around you who don’t believe they can innovate? Explore case studies from institutions that have built this inclusive way of operating.

    Howard Teibel, President, Teibel Education Consulting

Concurrent Sessions

Tuesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

  • Managing the Balance Sheet in a Post-COVID Era

    Accounting, Finance and Tax
    Tuesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

    The economic impact of the COVID-19 virus and unprecedented market volatility has left many institutions with questions around daily operations, alternative revenue sources, capital projects, fundraising, and financial forecasting. Learn about cash flow analysis, budgeting, spend rates, capital market, and risk mitigation in new circumstances.

    Janet Dziennik, Finance Director, St. Ignatius Loyola Academy
    Allan D. House, Vice President, Graystone Consulting
    Sean Kriebel, Assistant Headmaster, The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland
    Tim Smith, Business Manager, The Odyssey School

  • Future Proofing Your School with Predictive Analytics

    Business Operations
    Tuesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

    Tuition affordability, local birth rates, housing costs, salaries benefits and endowment draw are just a few of the significant factors impacting the strategy and financial sustainability of your school. Learn how predictive analytics can help you and your board make better decisions about the long term sustainability of your school and, most importantly, determine the actionable steps to future proof the financial health of your school.

    Penny Abrahams, Consultant and Convener, Independent School Management
    Ed DiYanni, CPA, MBA, Chief Financial Officer, Stevenson School
    Alex Gyorffy, Senior Manger, Data & Analytics, Armanino LLP
    Dean Quiambao, CPA, Chief Relationship Builder, Armanino LLP

  • If It’s Not Broken, Why Fix It? Implementing Change When Not Everyone Thinks It’s Necessary

    Executive Leadership
    Tuesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

    Even when school staff and faculty know that making a change will most certainly advance the mission of the school, many are resistant. Change can incite anger, resentment, gossip and challenges to attrition, or alternatively lead to improved student growth, professional satisfaction, school culture and organizational reputation, especially when change incorporates innovation. How do school leaders, and particularly those in the business office, know when it is time to initiate change? What role does school counsel play? Dive deeply into one school’s approach, from identifying the need for change through execution and adoption by the school community.

    Michael Dyson, PsyD, MBA, Chief Financial Officer, Gladwyne Montessori School
    Susan Guerette, JD, Partner, Fisher Phillips
    Carrie Kries, MS, Head of School, Gladwyne Montessori

  • Operating Guidance for Independent School Pandemic Management

    Facilities
    Tuesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

    What lessons were learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that schools may use going forward? The pandemic forced all schools to make many changes to their physical plants and how they conduct class. While we hope the overall changes won't be permanent, the lessons learned and opportunities provided should be incorporated into how independent schools conduct business and risk mitigation overall.

    Will Wade, C.I.H., Principal Consultant, Education & Commercial, Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc.
    Mary Kay Markunas, Director, Member Resources and Programs, NBOA

  • Mitigating Risk Associated with Employee Discipline and Separations

    Human Resources
    Tuesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

    From time to time, all schools need to address underperforming employees. No matter how justified, employee discipline entails potential risks to the school, from legal liability to workforce disruption to media and public relations concerns. Experienced education counsel and a longtime business officer will detail strategies for reducing the institutional risk associated with employee discipline and separations as well as for reducing headcount in an uncertain economy, including reductions in force, furloughs, salary reductions and voluntary retirement programs.

    Matthew D. Batastini, JD, Managing Partner, Schwartz Hannum PC
    Charles B. McCullagh, Chief Financial Officer, The Williston Northampton School

  • Risk Management Resources for Your Independent School

    Risk Management
    Tuesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

    All schools have a fiduciary obligation to manage risk in an effort to protect the whole school community. Historically, risk management has focused on hazard risks, damage to property, injury to others, etc. More recently there has been a call for a more holistic approach to risk called enterprise risk management (ERM). ERM includes strategic, operational and financial risks in addition to hazard risks. This session is an overview of the resources available to schools and how they are best used.

    Moderator: Angie Clinedinst, Agency Executive, McGriff
    Steve Aldrich, Managing Director – National Practices, McGriff Insurance Services
    Kenneth Deane, Assistant Treasurer/Manager of Financial Administration, Woodberry Forest School
    John D. Lynch, Education Industry Manager, SunTrust now Truist

General Session

Tuesday, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

  • State of NBOA & Leadership Awards

    Tuesday, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

    NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields and NBOA Board Chair Chuck McCullagh will update membership on NBOA’s latest offerings and the association’s vision for the future. Then a special presentation will highlight the work of distinguished colleagues. Hear from the winners of NBOA’s highest honors, the Ken White Distinguished Business Officer Award and the Sarah Daignault Outstanding Support of Independent Schools Award, as well as the new Jeffrey Shields Award for Innovation Excellence in School Business Operations.

    Jeff Shields   Jeff Shields
    Chuck McCullagh   Chuck McCullagh