2025 Small School Leaders Conference

Penny joined Independent School Management in 2010 as a member of the Advancement Academy’s founding faculty.

Penny began her career in schools in 2001 at Ravenscroft, a Pre-K through grade 12 school in North Carolina. As the Annual Fund Director, she managed all aspects of the school’s annual giving program. Penny later became Ravenscroft’s Director of Communications and was charged with building the school’s communications program from the ground up.

From 2013–17, Penny served as the Director of Admissions & Marketing at Academy at the Lakes, a Pre–K3 through grade 12 school in Florida, where she helped the school reach record application and enrollment numbers.

Penny graduated with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Digital Marketing Certificate from the University of Vermont. She attained ISM’s International Advancement Program—Leader certification (IAP-L) in 2012.

Contact Info:

Email [email protected]

Kate brings over 20 years of experience in admissions, enrollment management, and school leadership, helping independent schools achieve their strategic goals. As Executive Director of Sales & Marketing at ISM, she aligns products and services with the needs of school leaders. Before joining ISM in 2023, Kate worked with school leaders at Finalsite and EMA, focusing on professional development for admissions and marketing. She has also held leadership roles at several independent schools and holds a BA in English and a Certificate in Leadership in Enrollment Management from USC.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.isminc.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/independentschoolmanagement

Peter Baron is a dedicated and seasoned advocate for independent schools. His journey began with a personal transformational experience as a boarding student, which profoundly shaped his future and set him on a path of over twenty years of service to schools.

Peter is the founder of MoonshotOS, a professional learning community empowering leaders to reimagine the independent school business model.

He served as the Chief Member Relations Officer for the Enrollment Management Association, directing EMA's marketing and communications, member recruitment and retention, outreach functions,  leadership training programs, research, and other related strategic initiatives.

With a career in association management, product development, sales, relationship development, marketing, entrepreneurship, and hosting more than 300 podcasts focused on leadership and independent school growth, Peter's success has been built on listening to schools' and families' needs — rooted in a deep commitment to the transformational experience that independent schools can have for students.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://www.moonshotos.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbaron/

For over twenty-five years Barbara has overseen advancement and development programs, raising significant funds for independent schools in the role of Director. 

In her career, she managed successful capital campaigns, annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and alumni relations programs, ran record-breaking events, and supervised multiple teams of professional staff. Her work has involved training of hundreds of professionals and volunteers in the art of the ask and the work needed to build a culture of philanthropy. She has presented sessions at four national NAIS-CASE conferences. She served on a Head Search Committee and Transition Committee and oversaw the successful rebranding of a school. 

Now as an independent advancement consultant for eight years, she provides strategic fundraising counsel to independent schools across the country on a wide variety of successful projects. Barbara’s passion for philanthropy and its powerful impact on quality educational programs is unlimited. She believes deeply in independent schools and their inspiring missions. Her consulting practice centers building leadership giving programs and growing the capacity of professional and volunteer teams by increasing competence, confidence, and joy. Specific descriptions of projects she’s managed, positions she’s held, and endorsements from former colleagues, supervisors, current and former clients, and Board members can be found on her website.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

barbarabarron.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-barron

Casey first joined ISM as an adjunct faculty member for Advancement Academy, Summer Institute, and school-year workshops in 2019. She became a full-time Admission and Enrollment Management Consultant in 2023. She specializes in marketing communications, enrollment management, scheduling, and organizational structures within schools.

Casey most recently served as the Director of Enrollment Management at All Saints’ Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas. Prior, she served as the Director of Admission and Enrollment Management at Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina. From 2005 through 2018, Casey filled several roles at Linfield Christian School in California, including Chief Advancement Officer, Director of Admissions, and Director of College Counseling.

Casey has provided leadership for domestic and international admission, college counseling, development, marketing, enrollment, financial aid, scheduling, testing, and student services. In each of her roles, Casey focused on using data to develop and inform strategic enrollment management processes; breaking down silos to engage all school constituents in the enrollment process; and enhancing faculty culture as a part of the enrollment management process.

Casey graduated from Azusa Pacific University in California with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. Casey pursued master’s coursework in both business and learning design and technology. She completed her Ed.D. in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California.

She holds Leader Certification through ISM’s International Advancement Program (IAP−L).

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Karl Boehm is an Enrollment Marketing Strategist who has been helping private schools grow for over 15 years. He runs several organizations dedicated to independent education including Everest Private School Growth Group and Help One Hundred Schools under the Spiral Marketing for Schools company umbrella. He is passionate about using his skills to help admissions professionals and school leaders grow their enrollment and in their careers.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://spiralmarketing.com/industries/private-school-marketing/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlboehm/

Peggy Campbell-Rush is a nationally and internationally recognized education expert who has presented her keynotes, professional development, mentoring and workshops at schools and conferences around the world for over 37 years. Peggy is an educational consultant in the US and abroad with teacher coaching, new administrator mentoring, parenting programs and instructional support for administrators, teachers and students. 

Peggy has been appointed by the US government as a US Fulbright Education Specialist helping over 150 countries with educational issues and needs. Peggy is the author of 7 books on educational topics.

Peggy has been Head of the Lower School in New Jersey and Florida. She has been in education for 49 years and has and has been an administrator and teacher in both the United States and England. Peggy has sailed around the world twice studying global education on the Semester at Sea Program. Peggy has been honored as a Fulbright Specialist, Fulbright Fellow and two-time National Teachers Hall of Fame, USA Today All-American Teacher Team award, and two-time finalist New Jersey Teacher of the Year.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected] 

Links:

https://peggycampbell-rush.weebly.com/

Terry is responsible for ensuring the most efficient operations in Orr Group’s office-wide workflows, technology, and infrastructure. In his role, Terry maintains safe, compliant, and effective day-to-day operations and implements projects to continually improve organizational systems. Prior to joining Orr Group, Terry built up a resume with more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit operations, facilities, and IT. Most recently, Terry served as the Director of Operations at Americans for the Arts. In this role, Terry implemented and standardized organizational practices and procedures, introduced new systems, and helped advance the organization’s IT infrastructure, office services, contracting, HR, and meetings & events. Before that, Terry worked at Imagination Stage, serving as the Facilities Manager and Assistant General Manager.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected] 

https://orrgroup.com/

Susanne Carpenter is the principal and founder of Carpenter Leadership Consulting- a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm focused on helping leaders and leadership teams become high-performing and strategy-focused. Channeling her own experience as a leader, Susanne empowers leaders to unlock their full potential, fostering confidence, effectiveness, and success. Her goal is to help her clients reach their fullest potential and lead with impact. She believes that when leaders are at their best, their organizations thrive.

Before starting her firm, Susanne was the Assistant Head of School at Walnut Hill School for the Arts. She has also served as Director of Admission at Nashoba Brooks School and Worcester Academy. 

She is a graduate of Westover School and received her B.A. from Wheaton College. She is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation and is also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. She is currently the treasurer for the board of trustees at Westover School. Susanne lives with her family in the Boston area.

Contact Info: 

Email: 

[email protected] 

Links:

https://www.carpenterleadership.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-carpenter/

Madison is a both-sides-of-the-brain kind of thinker. She’s always had a passion for making things look better and work better. It’s a knack she funneled first into design and then into brand strategy. Over hundreds of hours and numerous projects, Madison has been elbow-deep in strategic thinking for many brands, small and large.

She has refined her craft of branding design, and has years of experience in creating the kind of collateral that sends the right message to the right people. With care and quality, she’s handled a wide breadth of projects and brings a deep attention to detail and a creative problem-solving mind.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://www.creativechameleonstudio.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madisoncarr/

Tara Claeys of Design TLC is a nonprofit and school website designer, developer, marketer, nonprofit and educational champion and WordPress wizard with over 25 years of experience. She and her team provide custom website and graphic design services with a focus on creating effective, customized, user-friendly communication platforms for small schools, camps, and nonprofits. 

She prides herself on listening deeply to her clients, crafting their digital identities with care and creating designs and website solutions that fit her clients' brands and organizational personalities.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://designtlc.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/taraclaeys/ 

John J. F. Corrigan is the Headmaster of St. Anselm’s Abbey School in Washington D.C. The school, founded by Benedictine monks in 1924, educates boys with demonstrated academic ability from grade 6 through 12 with a traditional classical education. John has been involved in the school in many ways having been a student, class of 1983, a mathematics teacher, department chair, and many other roles on his way to being named headmaster in 2022. While running the school, John still finds time to teach a couple of AP Calculus BC classes thanks to his dedicated administrative staff.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Marc Cousins is a seasoned consultant with the Compass Group, providing strategic counsel to advance campaigns and build capacity across nonprofit sectors. Among his recent successes, Marc guided two nonprofits to complete their campaigns during the global pandemic and surpass their initial campaign goals.

Marc is a collaborative and dedicated teacher, partnering with fundraising professionals to build and educate strong fundraising teams, facilitate effective strategic planning, and train and inspire board and volunteer leadership. As an experienced campaign leader, Marc has managed all efforts of campaign planning and management, including data collection and analysis, leadership training, and development of major gifts programs.

Before joining Compass Group, Marc worked in independent schools for more than 20 years. Most recently, he served at St. James Academy as an educator, athletic director, and administrator. During his 16-year tenure at St. James, he participated in two campaigns that brought a new science wing to campus, renovated their theater space, and enhanced professional development for athletics staff.

Marc is a proud graduate of Goucher College, currently serving on the Board of Trustees and the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors and volunteering his time to coach students and alumni. A former three-sport college athlete, Marc develops engagement programs for alumni athletes as a member of the Blue and Gold Society, an Athletic Advisory Board of Goucher College. Marc regularly serves as a guest speaker and panelist, sharing insights with students as they prepare to launch their careers. Marc holds a Master’s in Education Athletic Program Leadership.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

compassgroup.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-compass-group-inc-/mycompany/

The owner of Cursive Content, Emily Cretella is a strategic storyteller and content marketer who helps schools tell powerful stories that attract dream families, increase inquiries and enrollment, strengthen communities, and grow school influence. 

Emily has partnered with more than 60 schools in 20 states and four countries to create and share stories their audiences love. Prior to founding Cursive in 2012, Emily was the director of strategy at a Connecticut marketing agency, where she managed the execution of large-scale traditional and online marketing campaigns for clients ranging from schools and nonprofits to Fortune 500s. She now works solely with private schools, colleges, universities, and educational organizations. 

Emily would love to hear YOUR school story. Are you ready to tell it? Get in touch at www.cursivecontent.com.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.cursivecontent.com

linkedin.com/in/emilycretella

facebook.com/cursivecontent

instagram.com/cursivecontent

Prior to becoming EMA’s National Director of Membership & Business Development, Jim was the Dean of Admission at McCallie School in Chattanooga (TN), where he also served in a variety of roles on the school’s admission, development, and residential life teams. He transitioned to the independent school world in 2010 after spending the first year of his career as an investment banking analyst in Atlanta (GA).

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

enrollment.org https://www.linkedin.com/company/enrollment-management-association/mycompany 

https://www.facebook.com/EnrollmentORG 

https://www.instagram.com/enrollmentorg/

Allison joined EMA’s Membership & Business Development team in 2022. Before EMA, she was the Director of Upper School Admission at Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, TN, where she also advised Upper School students, collaborated with the Marketing & Communications team on Upper School-specific marketing initiatives, and led the implementation of the school’s first CRM, HubSpot. Prior to her role in independent schools, Allison served as a Foreign Military Sales Case Analyst for the United States Navy and as a Business Analyst at the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga.

Contact Info: 

Email: [email protected] 

Links:

enrollment.org

https://www.linkedin.com/company/enrollment-management-association/mycompany 

https://www.facebook.com/EnrollmentORG 

https://www.instagram.com/enrollmentorg/

Rob DiMartino, Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist at Finalsite, has presented globally on effective use of strategic web communications for independent schools.  Rob brings 25 years of experience working with the internet in the education arena.  For the past two decades, Rob has been a thought leader at Finalsite guiding their way through web strategy, marketing, communications, data integration and most importantly digital engagement. 

Rob brings experience, trends, and real world “takeaways” to audiences about maximizing technology to increase efficiencies in the independent school environment.  Prior to Finalsite, Rob led innovative efforts in digital engagement for Athletics and Alumni Relations at his alma mater, The University of Connecticut.  Rob resides in Connecticut with his wife, Liza and their four children, Skylar, Jackson, Tristan, and Lucas.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Social Links:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robdimartino    

Twitter: @robdimartino

Laurie is a master storyteller and strategist, excelling at creating and implementing campaigns that compel people to act. She brings to the table a data-driven mindset combined with multi-channel marketing strategy and planning, content creation, cross-team collaboration, corporate communications, and digital media expertise.

She loves sharing her passion for marketing with others. Laurie is a seven-time judge for the annual InspiredSM Brilliance Awards, participates on multiple marketing and communications lay committees, and her speaking resume includes the Niche K12 Enrollment Summit, American Camp Association’s Tri-State Conference, Finalsite University user conference, Prizmah Annual Conference + multiple masterclasses, and many others. 

Laurie holds an M.B.A. in Management + Corporate Communication from Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business in New York City and a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Maryland, College Park. She and her husband live in the D.C. ‘burbs with their two boys who have boundless energy and are begging for a dog.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.thrivehive.group

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriebehrlich/

https://www.instagram.com/elevatemarketingstrategy/

Chuck English partners with independent schools to achieve enrollment and other goals by strategically developing and creatively honing messaging and brand identity. Through his firm, English Marketing Works, he has successfully worked with dozens of schools in the U.S. and Canada. Chuck is an accomplished speaker, delivering keynote and workshop presentations at numerous national and regional conferences. He is the author of multiple e-books on independent school marketing and has researched and written many independent school industry reports. He is also the co-author of The Philanthropic Mind, a book based on interviews with Canada’s top philanthropists. Most importantly, each of Chuck’s four daughters attended independent schools.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

englishmarketingworks.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckenglishmarketing/

Siri Fiske championed the micro school movement, opening the first self- proclaimed micro school in the USA - Mysa School. Frustrated by how little the research on learning was shaping the ways schools teach, Siri decided to create a model of schooling based on what we know about how people learn. 

In her pioneering moments of delight, challenge and exasperation Siri realized that the work of founding a small school was filled with many tasks best suited not to educators but rather to entrepreneurs and people with business backgrounds. She wanted to find a way to connect school leaders to support each other and share resources while simultaneously providing a site to help parents find small schools for their children which led her to starting Micro Schools Network. 

The Micro Schools Network is a growing community to bring aspirational micro school leaders together so that by driving successful educational innovation we can make unconventional learning environments conventional.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected] 

Links:

https://microschools.com/  

 https://www.linkedin.com/company/microschools-com/

https://www.facebook.com/microschoolnearme

https://www.instagram.com/microschoolsnearme/

https://www.facebook.com/mysaschool.org/

https://www.instagram.com/mysaschool/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mysa-school/

Andrea Gribble is an author, podcast host, and founder of #SocialSchool4EDU. Her mission is to help schools celebrate their students and staff, and connect to their communities through social media. She is the author of “Social Media for Schools: Proven Storytelling Strategies & Ideas for Celebrating Your Students & Staff - While Keeping Your Sanity” and hosts a weekly podcast, “Mastering Social Media for Schools.”

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

socialschool4edu.com

https://www.facebook.com/SocialSchool4EDU/

https://www.instagram.com/socialschool4edu/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreagribble/

https://x.com/andreagribble

https://www.youtube.com/socialschool4edu

Edward Hollinger, founder of Hollinger Group Consulting, is an educational leader and consultant specializing in transitional leadership, team development and professional coaching. Ed holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Temple University and is certified in Organizational Change and Leadership Coaching from Northwestern University.  His work guides individuals and organizations to discover and develop their best professional selves.  He is currently serving as Interim Head of The Orchard School in Indianapolis, IN.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.hollingergroupconsulting.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-hollinger-a133b421/

Adam Hotchkiss is a school database consultant and the founder and principal at LeadershipOne Technologies, LLC. His passion is helping schools get the most from their database solutions across their various departments, bringing efficiencies and streamlined experiences for all stakeholders. He balances a big-picture data management view with specific departmental needs.

Since founding his company in 2020, he has partnered with schools across the country to assess their current database solutions, migrate to new solutions, improve configuration and design, train staff, and much more. He has worked with most major market-leading software including Blackbaud, Veracross, and FACTS, and holds various certifications from these companies in a variety of different modules.

Prior to consulting, he spent 15 years in school technology leadership at small and large schools, developing strategic technology plans, leading 1-to-1 program rollouts, and implementing database solutions, amongst others. Additionally, he holds a Master's in Educational Technology.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

leadershiponetech.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahotchkiss/

Bridget Johnson is the founder of the Deans' Roundtable, a professional development community for student life professionals, and Bridget Johnson Coaching and Consulting, where she works with organizations on conflict resolution, difficult conversations, and strategic change.

The Deans' Roundtable was created in 2012 after Bridget identified a significant void in professional support for those in student life roles. Since its inception, the Roundtable has hosted an annual conference that attracts student life professionals from across the country, providing them with opportunities to connect, learn, and share best practices. Although Bridget has not served as a dean in many years, this group of professionals remains close to her heart as the Roundtable continues to foster growth, collaboration, and support within the field.

Bridget's leadership extends beyond the Roundtable. She previously served as the Dean of Students at Milton Academy, where she implemented innovative discipline procedures, reorganized health services, and led the creation of a comprehensive residential curriculum and emergency response program. She also contributed to the affective education program, focusing on character education and life skills.

After her tenure at Milton Academy, Bridget became the Associate Executive Director at Prep for Prep, an educational leadership development program that prepares high-achieving students of color in New York City for success in independent schools. In this role, she was instrumental in supporting students and driving community engagement.

In 2018, Bridget transitioned to consulting, working with public and private schools and nonprofit organizations. Through her consulting practice, she specializes in helping organizations navigate challenging conversations, develop conflict resolution strategies, and implement sustainable change. She continues to provide strategic guidance and leadership development for educational institutions. She is pursuing her Master's in Restorative Practices at the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), furthering her commitment to creating positive change in education and leadership.

Email: [email protected]

Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-johnson510/

https://bridgetjohnsoncc.com/  

Lisa Leidy is an agency principal at Square Spot Design—a creative agency focused on working solely with clients in the non-profit sector—where she has been developing creative strategies for non-profits since 2003. Her expertise is in helping mission-driven organizations find their authentic voice as a foundation for impactful communications.

Prior to Square Spot, she was a graphic designer at Danilo Black in San Francisco and was instrumental in the redesign of several large publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle.

Most recently, Lisa was a presenter at the 2023 CASE-NAIS Conference in NYC, and the 2023 EMA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

She serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Small Boarding School Association. Lisa’s open and informative nature provides clients with the guidance they need to make informed decisions regarding brand strategy and design.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Rebecca Malotke-Meslin is the founder of Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching & Consulting. Through one-on-one coaching, leadership cohorts, and speaking engagements, she helps early and mid-career women leaders working in schools and non-profits gain valuable leadership skills, rediscover their authentic voice, and build the confidence they need to achieve their goals. In her role as a consultant, she works with organizations to provide inclusive leadership training to reduce biases and eliminate barriers for all employees. Rebecca combines her background in social research with 20 years of sales, marketing, communications, and school leadership to create an in-depth and engaging experience for her clients. Rebecca also co-hosts the Confidently You: Women in Leadership Podcast.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://www.pleasantlyaggressive.com/

Instagram @pleasantlyaggressive

Facebook @pleasantlyaggressive

TikTok @pleasantlyaggressive

Karen McCann McClelland is a thought leader and seasoned expert in the business of independent school auxiliary programming. With over 30 years as a consultant and an independent school administrator at both boarding and day schools, Karen has a proven track record of designing and implementing innovative programming to meet the needs of both school and community families. As an entrepreneur and innovator, she has a keen ability to identify and solve pain points for schools by developing strategies that enhance the overall learning experience for students, increase non-tuition revenue streams, and bring diverse stakeholders together to achieve common goals.

Throughout her career, Karen has successfully leveraged partnerships within the community to create mutually beneficial relationships that enrich the experience for all involved. She is skilled at identifying opportunities for collaboration, while her passion for education combined with her entrepreneurial spirit make her a valuable asset to any school seeking to enhance its auxiliary programs and community engagement efforts. With a strong foundation in program development and a sharp eye for detail, Karen is committed to helping schools create innovative solutions that benefit students, families, and the larger community.

A certified executive leadership coach, Karen is enthusiastic about bringing out the best in young and seasoned professionals and teams. Through her advisory work over the past decade, she has worked closely with several independent schools to develop strategic plans, assess current programs, design efficient staffing models, and create innovative new initiatives. As a Senior Advisor for SPARC, she assists with professional development activities such as the Leadership Institute, Spring Training, roundtables, and the seasonal webinar series. She frequently leads workshops, webinars and other presentations at the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Business Officers Association, and American Camp Association’s National and Tri-State conferences.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected] 

Links:

www.sparcnational.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparc-summer-programs-and-auxiliary-revenue-collaborative/?viewAsMember=true

As a school leader and innovator, Dave Michelman understands both the importance of teamwork and how to create structures to allow excellent teamwork to thrive. 

Dave led Independent Schools education for 35 years. He headed two schools, most recently Duke School, which he led for 14 years. He was both a lower and middle school division director for 10 years prior to becoming a Head. He served on SAIS' board as well as AIMS' accreditation committee. Dave has been the Chair of two nonprofit boards and currently serves on MISBO's board. 

Dave is also an attorney, and parent of two, a grandparent of three, and a husband for 40 years to one.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

davemichelman.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-michelman-15874a4/

Josiah Mokelu, founder of Lucidity Media Group, is a dedicated video producer from Southern California. He transforms educational institutions' identities into compelling narratives that engage and inspire students, parents, and faculty. With a focus on creativity, empathy, and attention to detail, Josiah ensures every project reflects the true essence of the institution. His collaborative approach and commitment to excellence make him a valuable partner for schools looking to enhance their communication and marketing efforts through video.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://www.luciditymedia.group/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/josiah-mokelu-89bb4023b/

https://www.facebook.com/josiah.mokelu99/

https://www.instagram.com/josiahmokelu_/?hl=en

Joe Monzo is the owner and creative director of Monzo Media Productions, a video strategy and production company that specializes in crafting compelling videos for private schools, non-profits, and brands.

But to take that a step further, he and his team pride themselves in delivering content that engages, educates, and ultimately converts using smart video marketing best practices to help achieve your goals. 

Joe and his team of videographers and editors strive to create compelling videos for your organization, and they have a ton of fun along the way.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.monzomediaproductions.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/monzojoe/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/monzo-media-productions/?viewAsMember=true

Dana has twenty-five years of experience working within and between all levels of administration and faculty, parents, students, board members, and other community stakeholders regarding a range of topics including enrollment management, communication, marketing, and parent and student satisfaction. 

In addition to on-the-ground experience working within schools in various admission and marketing roles at four different institutions, Dana is an expert in market research, enrollment feasibility studies, and strategic enrollment management projects. Additionally, she has led projects as a consultant in areas including parent satisfaction, admission office efficiencies, staff coaching, curriculum planning, and exit interviewing. 

As a facilitator and coach, Dana leads her signature mastermind program, "The Assembly," for a select group of school leaders each year and provides executive coaching services one-on-one.

Dana recently completed ten years as the inaugural coordinator of the Bay Area Directors of Admission consortium, consisting of approximately 110 schools. Among a variety of tasks to keep the group up and running, she was responsible for professional development planning and other organizational leadership. Additionally, she sits on the Board of Trustees at Prospect Sierra School, the advisory board of the MarCom Society, and serves as a judge for the annual marketing Brilliance Awards.

Dana holds a BA in Psychology and an MS in Counseling Psychology. She lives in Northern California with her husband, an author, speaker, and physics teacher, and their high school-aged daughter, who literally and figuratively dances through life.

Contact Info:

Email: 

Links:

www.dniconsulting.biz  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnisaacs/

Jonathan is the founder and President of Kalix Marketing Group, which provides high-level, strategic integrated marketing counsel to independent schools and educational organizations throughout the United States. 

Jonathan’s experience in and understanding of the independent school world is deep, offering him a unique ability to connect with and counsel heads of school, admissions directors and marketing and communications leaders. Jonathan was an on-campus faculty spouse at Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills, Maryland for over 30 years, while his wife Debbie taught Upper School Science, was a Dorm Parent and Department Chair. Jonathan and Debbie raised two daughters on campus who both attended Garrison. 

He has participated fully in the life of a boarding community as an on-campus family member, and as such, has a strong understanding of the unique ecosystems that provide the foundation for an excellent independent school.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

kalixmarketing.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/kalix-marketing-group/

Having served as a trusted partner to clients for over 10 years, CJ Orr has broad experience in fundraising and development, executive leadership, strategic planning, campaigns, and event management. He has launched funds, designed and led strategic initiatives, and driven fundraising for large galas and campaigns ranging from $10M to $1B+ in revenue. As an expert project and relationship manager, he executes on the development of strategies and tactics to drive effective fundraising plans that meet or exceed targets.

Internally, CJ is responsible for setting and driving achievement of Orr Group’s financial targets and overseeing efficient operations within the firm. Additionally, CJ supports the efforts of Orr Group’s Growth team to identify and cultivate new business opportunities and build relationships with nonprofit partners, ensuring that the services offered are best aligned with our partners’ needs. 

CJ’s background in finance provides him with a strong foundation in analytics, metrics and ROI. Prior to working at Orr Group, CJ worked in Institutional Fixed Income Trading at Alliance Bernstein, where he was responsible for funds trading, account management, and reviewing analytical research. He also spent several years in municipal bonds sales and trading at Oppenheimer & Co.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://orrgroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjorr/

Suzette Parlevliet is Co-founder and Experience Director at [YELLOW CAR], the world's leading experience strategy training and consultancy firm for schools. With a background in hospitality management, she worked at the International School of Brussels for nearly a decade, where she oversaw the school’s brand development, communication strategy, web design, content production, and, ultimately, the schools' family experience. Today, Suzette brings expert insight and supports school leaders to design and implement experience strategy in ways that demonstrate impact across the organization.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected] 

Links:

www.yellowcar.io

www.linkedin.com/in/suzetteparlevliet/

Chris Pryor brings over 20+ years of experience in the independent school sector to LeadTeam Partners. Chris understands what school leaders face because he’s been one. He is the former Assistant Head of School for Advancement and External Affairs for Congressional School and the former Director of Admission and Financial Aid for Flint Hill School.

Chris also speaks the language of professional service firms, because he’s been there, too, most recently as the Director for Business Development at Independent School Management.

In founding LeadTeam Partners, Chris blends both of these worlds together. He connects school leaders with the industry’s leading experts, all so that leaders have support getting their big projects done.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.leadteampartners.com

www.linkedin.com/company/leadteampartners/?viewAsMember=true

Whitney Retzer leads engagement, outreach and membership within the Micro School Network at microschools.com. She also supports communication and enrollment at Mysa School. 

She is a longtime supporter of inclusive, experiential education with a global background from working in education in eight countries (USA, Japan, Thailand, UAE, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, India, and Honduras). She migrated from being a teacher to an administrator and consultant and is delighted with the dynamic evolution within global education in micro-schools.

A few career highlights include launching a veterinary school and new medical school graduate program, as well as leading a ministerial consulting project impacting more than 3 million public school students in Azerbaijan.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://microschools.com/ 

https://mysaschool.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/microschools-com/

https://www.facebook.com/microschoolnearme

https://www.instagram.com/microschoolsnearme/

https://www.facebook.com/mysaschool.org/

https://www.instagram.com/mysaschool/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mysa-school/

Nat Saltonstall is recognized as a leading expert in the field of independent school summer and auxiliary programming. Over the past 30+ years, Nat has developed and directed multiple high-performing summer programs at several independent schools while providing targeted guidance to others through his consulting services.

Currently, Nat serves as the Executive Director of SPARC, the Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative. SPARC is the premier national organization serving independent school auxiliary program leaders. Offering professional development experiences throughout the year, current benchmarking data and best practices, and a community of supportive peers, SPARC supports schools in maximizing their auxiliary program potential. Nat founded the organization in 2016 as a national conference, and has since grown SPARC into a year-round membership collaborative.

From 1999 to 2019, Nat served as Director of Summer Programs at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill, MA. Over 20 summers, Nat grew Beaver’s programs to an annual enrollment of over 1400 campers with a seasonal staff of more than 250. Generating over $4 million in gross revenue each year, Beaver offers high-quality programs in athletics, the arts, travel, and traditional camps. Nat’s professional background includes 25 years of work administrating and teaching in both boarding and day schools as well as 20 years leading both day and residential summer programs.

As a consultant, Nat has worked closely with numerous independent schools to design high-impact, revenue-generating auxiliary programs that achieve each school’s specific goals. Nat is a frequent presenter at conferences across the country, including recent workshops and presentations for the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Business Officers Association, and the Association of Independent Schools of New England.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.sparcnational.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparc-summer-programs-and-auxiliary-revenue-collaborative/?viewAsMember=true

Brendan Schneider is the founder and CEO of SchneiderB Media, a digital marketing agency for schools that focuses on increasing inquiries through his Fractional Digital Marketing program and his marketing automation software designed for schools called SchoolMarketingCRM.

He is one of the leaders in the field of teaching and knowledge about inbound marketing for schools and the use of AI in school marketing. Brendan is also the founder of The MarCom Society, a community created exclusively for Marketing and Communication (MarCom) Professionals at schools.

Contact Info: 

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://schneiderb.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanschneider/

Dale Seabury has spent over 17 years in the independent school space. Thirteen were spent at The Pingry School, a K-12 of over 1,100 students in NJ. At Pingry, Dale served as Assistant Director of Admission, Director of Financial Aid, and, most recently, Director of Communications and Marketing.

Now, as a consultant, she helps schools of all sizes and cultures take their marketing and communications practices to the next level—everything from vision and strategy to day-to-day, detailed support—to enroll more mission-aligned students and maximize retention and engagement of their current community. 

A seasoned former advisor to Upper Schoolers, Dale continues to enjoy working with students by supporting an admission counseling firm that serves independent school and college applicants. These conversations offer her valuable insight into prospective families' perspectives, and she uses that insight to help schools connect with the students whose lives they are best poised to transform.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

seabury-consulting.com

https://www.instagram.com/seabury_consulting/

www.linkedin.com/in/dale-vecere-seabury-65b72337

Jennifer Sherman is a seasoned marketer specializing in driving and delivering goal-oriented marketing tactics - similar to our small school marketers.

She has worked with private and independent K-12 schools for the past 4.5 years and is also a private school parent to a third grader.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.veracross.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/veracross

Miriam Stein is a graduate of an independent day school and believes in the importance of day school education to our future. After working in education and in strategic enrollment for more than 20 years, she co-founded Thrive Hive with her former Director of Marketing and Communications, a boutique consulting service that offers marketing and enrollment strategy schools and camps. She lives outside Washington, DC with her family (and dog), and loves working with school leaders to help them do what they do, better.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.thrivehive.group

linkedin.com/in/miriamstein

@SaddlerockStrategies

With the proven approach of establishing focused, measurable goals and priorities to meet objectives, Ms. van den Beemt has built a career delivering personalized fundraising solutions to organizations in need of strategic direction.

Cindy has held leadership roles in advancement for a variety of nonprofit organizations and independent schools. She has guided capital campaigns to reach or exceed goals, ushered institutions from feasibility study to campaign celebration. She has developed protocols for major giving and annual fund programs, assisted organizations with governance structure development, and successfully engaged foundations and corporations in supporting client mission driven fundraising endeavors.

Ms. van den Beemt’s extensive experience is the foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the tools necessary to build a donor-centered and best practice approach to creating long-term relationships for philanthropic commitment to giving.

Ms. van den Beemt holds a M.Ed. from The College of William & Mary and a B.A. from Bucknell University.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://capitalfundraisinggroup.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-van-den-beemt-87b50698/

Crystal serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications at Wayland Academy, a boarding and day school for grades 9-12 in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. With nearly 20 years of experience in education marketing across both higher education and secondary schools, she is passionate about storytelling and connecting with audiences through diverse media platforms.

Crystal thrives on the unique opportunities education marketing offers to showcase the transformative power of learning and community. A dedicated lifelong learner herself, she embraces every opportunity to discover something new and meaningful.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

https://www.wayland.org/

Cathy Voeks joined Compass with extensive experience in fundraising and strategic planning in the independent school sector. Before transitioning to consulting, Cathy spent 17 years in leadership roles for private schools, executing all facets of multimillion-dollar fundraising cycles; overseeing annual fund, comprehensive, and capital campaigns; and implementing strategic plan objectives.

Most recently, Cathy served as Director of Development for Norwood School where she excelled in strategic communications, Board of Trustee relations, volunteer management, and prospect identification to exceed fundraising goals and foster a culture of philanthropy within the community. Prior to Norwood, Cathy gained results-oriented fundraising experience as the Director of Institutional Advancement for Green Hedges School, leading all development activities including a capital campaign for new facilities, and as Director of Special Projects for The Potomac School, overseeing the implementation of a $50 million campaign. Her volunteer leadership experience includes the development committee for the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, as well as participation on two boards—one designated for student affairs and one for the Maryland/DC region—for Clemson University.

Cathy earned a Master of Education degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from American University.

Contact Info: 

Email: [email protected]

Links:

compassgroup.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-compass-group-inc-/mycompany/

Julia Volkman has been teaching children and mentoring teachers in private and public schools since 1997. She is a Faculty Member of the Brain Health Initiative, guest lecturer for Harvard University’s Neuroscience of Learning course, an educational researcher, a teacher mentor, and the founder and president of the educational project Maitri Learning. Ms. Volkman earned her AMI 3 to 6+ diploma from the Montreal Montessori Training Centre and her master’s degree from Harvard. Julia first studied cognitive neuroscience at Harvard with Dr. Kurt Fisher, the founder of the field of Mind, Brain, and Education. Her graduate research on the Montessori movable alphabet won the Harvard Dean’s Prize for outstanding research. Her work focuses on transforming education into a transdisciplinary, scientific pedagogy grounded in mind, brain, and education.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.maitrilearning.com

http://www.instagram.com/maitrilearning

Trevor Waddington is the Principal and Founder of Truth Tree, a leading digital marketing agency that specializes in providing tailored marketing solutions for private, independent, and charter schools. His career began as a social studies teacher before transitioning into school administration, where he held key roles in admissions, marketing, communications, enrollment management, and financial aid.

Trevor is a trusted voice for school leaders, admissions professionals, and marketing teams, focusing on the changing dynamics of parent-school interactions, highlighting the critical role that data and digital platforms play in in the rapidly changing, global market.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.truthtree.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-waddington/  

https://www.linkedin.com/company/truth-tree/ 

https://www.tiktok.com/@truth_tree

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQkgAIJHNg1g-_uGTju4AUg 

https://www.facebook.com/TruthTreeConsulting/ 

https://www.instagram.com/truth_tree_school_marketing/

Angie has spent the last 12 years helping schools identify their enrollment marketing challenges to develop a strategic digital campaign to achieve their goals. With a knack for marketing strategy and analytics, Angie has helped over 300 colleges, universities, K-12 schools, and camps with result-driven marketing solutions. She Co-Founded Enroll Media in 2018 with the goal of creating an agency dedicated to the unique challenges of digital marketing for enrollment. When not working with schools and staying up to date on the latest Google changes, Angie can be found spending time with her friends and family (especially her kids and chickens!) and enjoying all that her wonderful home state of Massachusetts has to offer.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

enrollmediagroup.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/enrollmediagroup

Head of School, Jason Warnick, has been working at independent schools for more than 20 wonderful years, serving as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, and dean. He earned a B.A. from Wheaton College in Massachusetts and an M.A. in Communications with a concentration on New Media and Marketing from the University of Southern New Hampshire. Prior to Wayland, he served in administrative roles at schools in Maine, Connecticut, and New York.

Mr. Warnick enjoys reading, cycling, and fly fishing. Most of all, he enjoys spending time with his wife Colleen, and their sons, Rowen, Max, Emmet, and Mitchell.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected] 

Links:

https://www.wayland.org/

Dr David Willows is Co-founder and Strategic Director at [YELLOW CAR], the world's leading experience strategy training and consultancy firm for schools. Between 2005 and 2022, he was Director of Advancement at the International School of Brussels, Belgium. During this time, he grew to be widely regarded as one of the most innovative practitioners in the field, helping to shape and define the future of Advancement (admissions, marketing & communications, fundraising & alumni relations) in schools. He was recently listed as one of the world’s Top 10 Global Educational Influencers. An author and regular keynote speaker & trainer at international events around the world, David is passionate about helping schools advance in ways that are relevant for today’s educational landscape.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

www.yellowcar.io

www.linkedin.com/in/davidwillows/

Dr. Shamawn Wright sought to use his experience as a youth growing up in East Oakland, California surrounded by drugs, gun violence, and poverty, to engage students with school and their community through an approach grounded in Blackness and culture first. As a Black male, former foster youth who got kicked out of school districts due to educational experiences that were not affirming to his identity and lived experiences; as a formerly incarcerated youth at the Contra Costa County Juvenile “Justice” center; as a youth who navigated these experiences.

Dr. Shamawn turned it around, he graduated from Antioch High School in 2011 and received a full-ride football scholarship to the University of California, Davis. He majored in Sociology Organizational Studies and received his B.S. in 2015 as well as a Master of Art from the University of San Francisco in Higher Education and Student Affairs in 2021. He received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University in May 2024

In July 2019, Dr. Shamawn founded Bridge Builders to the New Generation, Inc. to bridge students from underserved communities in Antioch, California to higher education through access to college, leadership, and life skills. Through enriching programs, Bridge Builders seeks to keep students engaged in school and build a support network of family, validation, and support for a younger generation of Black youth from similar backgrounds. By assisting youth to become self-sufficient adults, Bridge Builders seeks to help students to create a plan post-high school either in higher education, vocational school, or a career path.

Contact Info:

Email: [email protected]

Links:

shamawnwright.com

@s._wright