The Will J. Hancock Unsung Hero Award is given to business officers who have made extraordinary contributions to their schools and exemplify exceptional integrity, knowledge and motivation. At the end of each school year, new Unsung Heroes receive their award from their head of school, often at a significant school occasion such as a board meeting or an all-school ceremony. What makes these Unsung Heroes so special? The highlights below come straight from their colleagues' nominations.
Title: Chief Financial Officer
School: The Madeira School, McLean, Virginia
Years in Position: 7
Years in an independent school business office: 7
Superpower: Fiduciary rock star: “Simply put, Alex is a rock star,” said Madeira Head of School Gretchen Warner. “He thinks generatively and strategically about both the short and long term. He is strategic yet tactical and is a true mission-driven leader. While Alex has revolutionary ideas — regarding, for example, our boarding program — he also strategizes ways to fund them. The independent school landscape is better and stronger because of Alex’s leadership.”
Community voice: A creative and collaborative leader, Heiberger is always willing to talk with other business officers from across the country to bring together both like-minded and divergent communities for collaborative and strategic conversations around best practices in independent schools. Within his own school, he "takes his role as a mentor seriously and is also a strong advocate for interdisciplinary connections among senior administrators.”
Other duties as assigned: Heiberger serves on the finance committee of the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington and is a former member of the NBOA Board. He is a regular presenter at NBOA Annual Meetings and the Enrollment Management Association.
See a full list of the 2021 recipients and read more about the Will J. Hancock Unsung Hero Award. NetAssets.org will post additional profiles of Unsung Heroes throughout the fall — check in to learn more about other recipients.
