Leadership

Susie Fiorello
  • Facilities
  • | Leadership
  • | Membership

Unsung Hero: Susie Fiorello, Paideia School

Fiorello led major capital projects, sustained annual surpluses and helped Paideia School expand without incurring debt.
2 min read
Jennifer Cookston
  • Compensation Strategies
  • | Leadership
  • | Membership

Unsung Hero: Jennifer Cookston, Webb School of Knoxville

Cookston advanced strategic talent initiatives through compensation analysis, performance-based rewards and investment in professional development across the business office.
3 min read
2026 Unsung Hero: Cindy Stadulis, St. Stephen's Episcopal School
  • Leadership
  • | Membership

Unsung Hero: Cindy Stadulis, St. Stephen's Episcopal School

Stadulis strengthened budgeting practices, facilities strategy and financial aid programs while building alignment across school leadership.
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Culture
  • | Leadership

Humor Me, Really: Using Laughter To Lead Better

As the school year comes to a close, it’s good to know that laughter can be great medicine for leaders.
4 min read
Japanese kintsugi bowl
  • Communication
  • | Culture
  • | Leadership

Practical Steps for Rebuilding School Trust This item is protected.

Sudden leadership changes, faculty departures, and a unionization effort left one school community unsettled. This is how they recovered their equilibrium.
8 min read
puzzle pieces
  • Leadership
  • | Technology

Securing the Future of Independent Schools: Tools and Frameworks This item is protected.

The NBOA Leadership Academy conducted research and developed practical tools to support stronger decision-making in school business
5 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Culture
  • | Leadership
  • | Planning

What a School Merger Looks Like 15 Years Later

Longtime independent school leader Frank Aloise reflects on the pressures, decisions and outcomes that defined a landmark school merger.
5 min read
Hand interacting with virtual system warning icon surrounded by AI and data graphics

Risk & Compliance  

  • Legal
  • | Risk Management
  • | Technology

What Lawyers Want You To Know About AI Use Across the School This item is protected.

Be aware of the risks when school employees use AI in the academic program, admissions, enrollment, finance, operations, HR and governance.
8 min read
Illustration of a scale balancing AI and documents, surrounded by icons of tech, law, and governance, symbolizing AI ethics and regulation.
  • Governance
  • | Technology

Governing AI Integration: An Inventory Tool for Leaders This item is protected.

A structured inventory and heat map can help school leaders see where AI is creating value, raising risks and needs clearer guidance.
6 min read
Stock illustration of a businessman standing behind several glass columns
  • Leadership
  • | Planning

6 Steps to Future-Proofing Independent Schools This item is protected.

This six-pillar framework, developed by a cohort of the NBOA Leadership Academy, helps independent schools shift from reactive decision-making to intentional, long-term sustainability.
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Change Management
  • | Technology

Seizing the AI Opportunity

Distinguished business officer and long-time innovator Nancy Greene explains how to turn curiosity about AI into real operational gains.
6 min read
Spotting Opportunity for Innovation
  • Accounting
  • | Leadership
  • | Technology

Spotting Opportunity for Innovation: Leadership Tools and AI Workflows This item is protected.

Studying accounts payable and student attendance tracking revealed opportunities for larger systems integrations and efficiencies, using AI workflows.
4 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Communication
  • | Leadership

When Trust Needs Rebuilding, Reset the Story

What a high‑profile reset reveals about letting go of what no longer works — and why that matters for schools.
4 min read
Red wolves in captivity at the Millbrook School Zoo.

Other Duties As Assigned  

  • Leadership

Working with the Wolf Pack

Handling school zoo insurance and staffing is one thing—helping handle wild animals is definitely another.
9 min read
Illustration of a hand holding a cracked lightbulb from which a rocket launches.
  • Human Resources
  • | Leadership
  • | Technology

6 Ways to Advance School Business Operations, from the 2025 NBOA Professional Achievement Award Recipients

By investing in systems, people and relationships, these independent school leaders strengthen both the bottom line and their school’s culture.
6 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Leadership
  • | Membership
  • | Technology

My Top 3 Takeaways from the 2026 NBOA Annual Meeting

Tucker Bryant and Heather McGowan shared how we can seize the moment in this time of technological change and move our schools forward.
7 min read
Attendees gather at the NBOA Annual Meeting opening reception.
  • Leadership
  • | Membership

Everything Under the Sun: New Ideas and Learning Pathways at the 2026 NBOA Annual Meeting

From live podcast conversations to dynamic keynotes, this Annual Meeting brought fresh ideas and renewed community connections.
5 min read
Colorful, abstract figures are interconnected by lines on a grid, symbolizing a network of leadership.

Projections  

  • Accounting
  • | Human Resources
  • | Leadership

Leadership Throughout the Business Office

Controllers and HR Directors have strategic roles to play — if we commit to making space for their voices.
5 min read
Three students wearing safety goggles collect water samples from a lake's edge.
  • Change Management
  • | Environmental Sustainability
  • | Facilities

Sharing a Director of Sustainability This item is protected.

Two schools jointly hired for this single position, which has propelled both schools’ sustainability goals.
5 min read
  • Culture
  • | Leadership

What Disney’s New CEO Can Teach Us About Beloved Leadership

His focus on not just the customer but also the employee experience may resonate with independent schools looking to retain faculty and staff.
5 min read