Wednesday

Effective Financial Governance for Independent School Trustees

Wednesday, 11:30 am - 12:45 pm

Every independent school trustee must effectively steward the school by fulfilling their fiduciary role, and the board’s partnerships with the head of school and business officer are critical. This session, supported by a new publication from NBOA and its authors, Ron Salluzzo and Phil Tahey, will foster a deeper level of fiduciary stewardship and financial governance. Trustees will enhance their understanding of the multi-faceted independent school business model and complex drivers impacting it, and ask the right questions to inform more strategic discussion. School leaders will learn how best to report information to ensure financial stewardship and long-term sustainability.

Linda Dennison, MS Ed, CPA, Director of Finance and Comptroller, Phillips Academy
Jennifer O. Hillen, CPA, CGMA, Chief Learning Officer, NBOA
Mary Kay Markunas, Director, Member Resources and Programs, NBOA
Ron Salluzzo, Partner Emeritus, Attain’s Education, Nonprofits and Commercial Services
Phil Tahey, CPA, Owner, P. Tahey, CPA

Structuring Meaningful Educational Partnerships

Wednesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

Successful schools have long utilized partnerships with vendors and contractors to achieve savings and expertise. Walnut Hill has a long standing partnership with the New England Conservatory and last year rolled out a new partnership with the Boston Ballet School with the goal of advancing its mission as an arts provider and educator, driving enrollment and increasing brand awareness. The session will talk about the process of developing the new partnership and how it has increased awareness of and enrollment in, not only the dance department, but the School as a whole.

Susanne Carpenter, Assistant Head of School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Jane Segale, MBA, CFO, Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Antonio Viva, Head of School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts

Auxiliary Programs Reinvented To Stay Relevant

Wednesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

In spring 2020, not only classroom learning but also auxiliary programs, including extended day, summer programs, and other key services, had to pivot using new platforms and formats. This session explores how auxiliary programs can continue to provide much-needed revenue streams, build community and goodwill, and strengthen partnerships across your school. Learn strategies for budgeting, staffing, managing new health regulations and risk management practices, and glean insights from data collected from more than 100 schools around the U.S. and world as well as case studies.

Karen McCann McClelland, MEd MBA, Director of Auxiliary Programs, Sidwell Friends School

Stewarding the Endowment: Lessons and Strategies for Tumultuous Times

Wednesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

Investment experts will review the tumultuous past year, share the findings from the Commonfund Study of Independent Schools, which looks at school endowments and offer strategies that institutions can employ to succeed. The session will share lessons learned and provide innovative and actionable insights for stewarding endowments successfully.

Susan Durrell, Managing Director, Commonfund Institute
George Suttles, Executive Director, Commonfund Institute

Maximizing Your ROI: 11 Strategies Whitby School Uses to Get 100% User Adoption of Software

Wednesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

If the software you have invested heavily in to run your school is not being used effectively then you are missing opportunities for growth, stymieing innovation, perpetuating inefficiencies, and wasting money. This presentation will provide an overview of 11 strategies Whitby School uses to increase user adoption of software to maximize the ROI for your school. Attendees will get more than just insight into real-world success stories– they'll also walk away with actionable strategies, helpful resources, and a collection of best practices.

Keith L. Krass, Director of Marketing, Veracross
Tim Schwartz, Director of Innovation, Whitby School

A New Model for Evaluating Faculty Performance

Wednesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

Independent schools often struggle with implementing an effective performance management system for faculty. Frustrated with the approach to faculty reviews that had been in place for years, the dean of faculty and the HR director of Governor's Academy teamed up to design a new system. With input from a task force, they worked together to create a whole new approach to faculty evaluations. Learn how this team overcame the fear of change among faculty and implemented a new way of doing things.

Yvonne Abenante, HR Director, The Governor's Academy
Suzanne W. King, JD, Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP
Monica Palmer, Dean of Faculty, The Governor's Academy

Legal, Risk and Insurance Considerations in the Age of COVID-19

Wednesday, Noon - 12:50 pm

Predicting the top legal, risk management and insurance challenges that schools will face in the year ahead is nearly impossible. An experienced school CFO/COO, lawyer and insurance broker will address current priorities for safely managing the risk facing schools today. What have we learned? Where are we now? What do we need to focus on in the future?

Michael J. Bergin, Chief Financial and Operating Officer, Miss Porter's School
Samuel D. Daume, CPCU, ARM, Senior Vice President, Fred C. Church
James M. Sconzo, Esq., Shareholder, Carlton Fields

Advancing Business Excellence in Independent Schools

Wednesday, 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm

The business officer’s job is multifaceted, so no one knows it all, but a smart independent school leader knows where to find answers. Learn about the powerful resources NBOA offers to support schools as well as the latest analysis from our custom data collection and analysis platform: Business Intelligence for Independent Schools (BIIS, pronounced “biz”), including the just-released 2020 Financial State of the Industry report. Additional recently released or updated tools available to support your school’s operational performance and financial position will be shared, including: the new and interactive Practical Guidance for Independent School Business Operations; The NBOA Financial Dashboard for Independent Schools; and the Composite Financial Index (CFI) Calculator. This session will also feature an opportunity to hear from NBOA in-house content experts and connect with peers from across the industry.

Elizabeth Dabney, Director, Research and Data Analysis, NBOA
James Palmieri, Ed.D, Executive Vice President, NBOA

International Student Programs: Can We Afford Them Any Longer?

Wednesday, 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm

Offering international students a robust educational program in the midst of a global pandemic required an extreme number of adjustments and pivots in 2020. Most schools rose to the occasion and responded in a student-centric manner. But going forward, will a robust international student program still be viable? How much institutional bandwidth and how many resources are required to prepare and respond to international students returning to our country and our campuses? And how will you determine risk versus reward for your school?

Jacqui Yamada, Consultant, International Advisory, Independent School Management

Bond Financing in a “New Normal” World

Wednesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

The session will address key considerations regarding debt financing for nonprofit independent schools, and the integration of fundraising and debt efforts into a cohesive plan of finance. It will address important new factors to consider to assure a successful financing effort. The focus will be on tax-exempt financing and key drivers relevant to project planning and implementation.

Susan Lansverk, Director of Finance, University Prep
Avani Parikh, MBA, Director and Lead Analyst, S&P Global Ratings
Kevin G. Quinn, JD, MBA, President, Wye River Group Incorporated

Never Waste a Good Crisis: Your Financial Reserves, Built Right!

Wednesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

While many schools were anticipating an economic downturn, none were preparing for the severity of the impacts of COVID-19. Your financial reserves are more important now than ever, to support families, maintain facilities, right-size expenses and pay debt service. There is no time like the present to build your reserves the right way. Learn how to take control of your funds, define your reserves, establish funding targets and develop sound policies.

David M. Adams, Director, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.

Ideas To Continue School Transformation

Wednesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

Our recent instantaneous transition to remote teaching, learning and working has shown us we no longer have the luxury of ignoring systemic innovation in our schools. Learn about eight changes to the school business model: some you saw coming and are now curious about, and others that are radical and will change the way you think. Schools are resilient institutions because mission and purpose are genuine. A lot might change, but our purpose will not.

Damian Kavanagh, Ed.S., CAE, President, MISBO
Aggie Malter, EdD, President and CEO, PAISBOA

Protecting Your School Against Cyber Hackers

Wednesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

The business office is Ground Zero for cyber safety efforts, but truly managing risk is a whole-school effort. What can you do to address the risks? Learn how to build a plan for implementing post-COVID cyber safety and data protection standards at your school. Learn how to apply the "ATLIS Cybersecurity Recommendations" and explore how to implement critical programs and policies. Whether you are starting with multi-factor authentication, beginning a cybersecurity audit or reviewing cyber insurance, this session will guide you through the process of developing a strategic plan for cyber safety.

Alex Inman, President, Educational Collaborators
Christina Lewellen, Executive Director, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools

Hot Off the Presses: Legal Update for Independent Schools

Wednesday, 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm

Hear from NBOA Legal Counsel about legal trends and updates including changes to discrimination laws, evolving marijuana laws, force majeure clauses, reasonable accommodations and leave laws and proactive considerations in school contracts.

Grace Lee, JD, Attorney, Venable LLP

Closing Keynote: It’s "All In" My Mind

Wednesday, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks