Featured Speakers

Monday, March 2

"Strategy in a World of Disruption"

Tucker Bryant

Poet, Entrepreneur and Keynote Speaker

After years at Stanford and Google, Tucker Bryant uncovered a surprising truth: the skills that fuel world-class innovation aren’t confined to the boardroom — they’re also found in the mindset of a poet.

Bryant worked at Google as a product marketing manager, where he focused on building go-to-market strategies for some of the company’s major products. His work involved helping launch and position tools for businesses, contributing to cross-functional leadership, and driving innovation initiatives — skills that now inform his insights on creativity, communication and leadership in the corporate world.

Once a teenager who thought poetry and business had nothing in common, Bryant came to realize that the creative practices he once set aside were the very tools that helped him thrive in Silicon Valley. Today, as a nationally recognized poet and speaker, he bridges the gap between creativity and corporate strategy, helping leaders embrace discomfort, challenge assumptions and unlock bold, transformative ideas. Bryant equips audiences with a powerful, poetic posture that drives innovation.

Tuesday, March 3

"Partnering for Success: NBOA’s Role in Advancing Your School"

Jeff Shields, FASAE, CAE

NBOA President and Chief Executive Officer

Jeff Shields, FASAE, CAE, has served as president and CEO of NBOA for more than 15 years. Under his leadership, the association has grown tremendously and now includes more than 1,200 U.S. member schools as well as member schools in Mexico, Canada and 20 other countries around the globe. Shields serves as a trustee for the Enrollment Management Association (EMA) and on the board of AMHIC, a self-governing insurance company for nonprofit organizations in Washington, DC. Previously, he served on the board of directors of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); as a trustee for One Schoolhouse, an innovative online school offering supplemental education to independent schools; and as a trustee for Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC.

Beth Pollard

NBOA Board Chair, Chief Financial and Operational Officer, Ensworth School

Beth Pollard is currently the Chief Financial and Operational Officer at Ensworth School in Nashville, Tennessee. Pollard is also the chair of the NBOA Board of Directors. As chair, Pollard guides initiatives to strengthen financial and operational excellence, foster collaboration, and support the evolving needs of independent schools nationwide. Previously, Pollard served as assistant head of school for finance and operations at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia, where she worked for 16 years. Her previous experience includes public accounting, banking and insurance.

Wednesday, March 4

"The Curiosity Advantage"

Heather E. McGowan

Futurist, Thought Leader and Keynote Speaker

One of Forbes' Top Futurists, Heather E. McGowan is a globally recognized future-of-work strategist, keynote speaker and 2x bestselling author who equips leaders and organizations to navigate relentless change by activating their most critical resource: their people. By teaching people to ask better questions, she empowers them to adapt at the speed of possibility to solve tomorrow's problems.

McGowan’s audiences range from startups and government organizations to publicly traded Fortune 500 companies, including Google, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, Mastercard, FedEx, AT&T and Kaiser Permanente. Whether she's engaging in intimate conversations with senior executives or delivering keynotes to thousands, she transforms perspectives through data-driven insights, powerful visual frameworks and practical optimism. Her approach helps organizations turn their distinctly human capabilities — adaptability, empathy and curiosity — into strategic advantages in times of rapid change.