2026 Small School Leaders Conference
February 3–6, 2026
Perfect for Independent School Marketing, Development, Admissions, and Head of School Leaders
2026 Conference Registration Opens October 28, 2025
We thank our 2026 Title Sponsors for their support.
Explore Sponsor Options HereI'm loving that I'll have all the recordings to go through at my own speed and take plentiful notes. Great topics too that I'm looking forward to learning about.
~ Nicolina M., 2025 Conference Attendee

Meet The Organizer
Aubrey Bursch is the CEO of Easy School Marketing and the organizer of the Small School Leaders Conference, dedicated to helping small independent schools grow through strategic enrollment, retention, and marketing.
With 20+ years of experience and a deep passion for education, Aubrey provides high-impact strategies that drive school success.
Aubrey also fosters community through the Mindful School Marketing podcast, Small School Leaders, and Small School Solutions programs, empowering schools nationwide.
Aubrey did an amazing job coordinating the conference and was an incredible host throughout all the sessions.
The content is fantastic and I appreciate so much that the recordings are available after the conference ends. There are way too many great pieces of information to capture in one sitting!
~ Lanita N., 2025 Conference Attendee
2026 Full Schedule and List of Topics
Tuesday, February 3, 2026: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST
8:00 AM EST: "Naming and Taming the Feedback Monsters: Building a Culture of Listening in Your School" with David Willows & Suzette Parlevliet, [YELLOW CAR]
9:00 AM EST: "Tooting Your Own Horn: The Art of Self-Promotion" with Rebecca Malotke-Meslin, Pleasantly Aggressive
10:00 am: "How to Use Instagram for Schools in 2026" with Andrea Gribble, #SocialSchool4EDU
11:00 am: "From Hidden Gem to Household Name - Tips to Elevate Your School’s Brand Visibility" with Heather Burchfield, Truth Tree
12:00 pm: Lunch Break
12:20 pm: Heads of School Panel Discussion co-facilitator, Suzanne Carpenter, Carpenter Leadership Consulting
1:00 pm: "School Marketing the Right Way: Your 45-Minute Transformation Guide" with Brendan Schneider, SchneiderB Media
2:00 pm: "Family Perceptions of Value and Affordability: Insights from EMA’s 2025 Report" with Allison Davis & Mark Copestake, Enrollment Management Association (EMA)
3:00 pm: "How to Move to Continuous Enrollment" with Miriam Stein, Thrive Hive
Wednesday, February 4, 2026: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST
8:00 am: "Create Momentum, Purpose, and Clarity with the 'Done in 60' Annual Fund" with Cindy van den Beemt, Capital Fundraising Group
9:00 am: "How to Get Your Small School Ready for a Capital Campaign" with Barbara Barron, Barbara Barron Consulting
10:00 am: "Development: How to Help Your Board Help You" with Jill Goodman, Jill Goodman Consulting
11:00 am: "Here Comes Trouble: Preparing to Communicate in a Crisis" with Scott Butterworth, Fine Point Communications
12:00 pm: Lunch Break
12:20 pm: Fundraising Panel Discussion Facilitators TBD
1:00 pm: “AI 2026: What’s New and How to Make It Work for You” with Terry Cangelosi & Bobby Hunter, Orr Group, Inc.
2:00 pm: "Breaking Silos: Leveraging Cross-Department Collaboration to Strengthen Enrollment and Community Impact" with Karen McCann McClelland & David Sullivan, Summer Programs And Auxiliary Revenue Collaborative, SPARC
3:00 pm: "(Video) Styles, Stretching (Budgets), and (Funnel) Strategy… Oh My!" with Joe Monzo, Monzo Media Productions
Thursday, February 5, 2026: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST
8:00 am: "Proof Positive: Sharing Stories That Build Trust, Credibility, and Enrollment—Without Breaking the Bank" with Dale Seabury, Seabury Consulting
9:00 am: "School Of Design: A Design Crash Course For School Marketers" with Madison Carr, Creative Chameleon Studio
10:00 am: “One Man Band: Systems for Success” with Samantha Pleasant Fleming, Oakwood School
11:00 am: “How Schools Can Boost Brand and Build Enrollment with Search Engine Marketing” with Angie Ward & Kim Hildebrandt, Enroll Media Group
12:00 pm: Lunch Break
12:20 pm: Marketing in Small Schools - Panel with Mindful School Marketing Podcast
1:00 pm: “No Kids, No Dollars: Why Marketing is a Strategic Investment” with Aubrey Bursch, Easy School Marketing, and Laurie Ehrlich, Thrive Hive
2:00 pm: “Voucher Programs: Key Concepts and Considerations” with Steve Salvo, St. Mary's Episcopal Day School (FL), and Michael Christopher, Independent School Management (ISM)
3:00 pm: “Unlock the Power of Cross-Departmental Growth Planning in Independent Schools” with Karl Boehm, Help 100 Schools, & Mattingly Messina, ThroughLine
Friday, February 6, 2026: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM EST
8:00 am: “AI Meets Messaging - Leveraging AI to Enhance Marketing Communication” with Chuck English, English Marketing Works
9:00 am: “Is Your School Website Working for You… or Against You? How to Create an Accessible, User-Friendly School Website” with Tara Claeys, Design TLC
10:00 am: “Deepfakes in Schools: Policy, Crisis Readiness, Prevention” with Evan Harris, Pathos Consulting Group
11:00 am: “Prompts to Projects: A Live Training on GPT Projects Feature” with Jesse Meadow, Schoolcraft Digital
12:00 pm: “Responding to Burnout (or better yet- AVOIDING IT!)” with Brooke Carroll, Acies Strategies
1:00 pm: “Designing Surveys That Drive Enrollment Insights” with Dana Nelson-Isaacs, DNI Consulting
2:00 pm: “Marketing, Enrollment & Development Roundtable & Networking” (Interactive Zoom Meeting)
Day 1 Featured Speakers & Guests
Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Dr David Willows & Suzette Parlevliet — [YELLOW CAR]

Rebecca Malotke-Meslin — Pleasantly Aggressive

Andrea Gribble — #SocialSchool4EDU

Heather Burchfield — Truth Tree

Suzanne Carpenter — Carpenter Leadership Consulting

Brendan Schneider — SchneiderB Media

Allison Davis & Mark Copestake — Enrollment Management Association

Miriam Stein — Thrive Hive
Thank You To Our Sponsors
The Small School Leaders Conference is made possible by the support of the following sponsors.
Explore Sponsorship OptionsTitle Sponsors
Premier Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
NEW THIS YEAR
We thank our 2026 Round Table Sponsors for their support.
This conference is organized and hosted by Easy School Marketing.
Day 1 Featured Speakers & Guests
Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Dr David Willows & Suzette Parlevliet — Co-founders [YELLOW CAR]

Kate Auger-Campbell — Executive Director of Sales & Marketing, ISM

Peter Baron — Founder, MoonshotOS

Barbara Barron — Advancement Consultant, Barbara Barron Consulting

Casey Bell — ISM Consultant

Karl Boehm — Chief Growth Officer, Spiral Marketing for Schools

Peggy Campbell-Rush — Education Specialist

Terry Cangelosi — Senior Director & Head of Operations, Orr Group
Day 1 Featured Speakers & Guests
Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Dr David Willows & Suzette Parlevliet — Co-founders [YELLOW CAR]

Kate Auger-Campbell — Executive Director of Sales & Marketing, ISM

Peter Baron — Founder, MoonshotOS

Barbara Barron — Advancement Consultant, Barbara Barron Consulting

Casey Bell — ISM Consultant

Karl Boehm — Chief Growth Officer, Spiral Marketing for Schools

Peggy Campbell-Rush — Education Specialist

Terry Cangelosi — Senior Director & Head of Operations, Orr Group
Day 1 Featured Speakers & Guests
Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Dr David Willows & Suzette Parlevliet — Co-founders [YELLOW CAR]

Kate Auger-Campbell — Executive Director of Sales & Marketing, ISM

Peter Baron — Founder, MoonshotOS

Barbara Barron — Advancement Consultant, Barbara Barron Consulting

Casey Bell — ISM Consultant

Karl Boehm — Chief Growth Officer, Spiral Marketing for Schools

Peggy Campbell-Rush — Education Specialist
