As business officers know too well, there really is no such thing as downtime anymore in independent schools. The summer is busy with wrapping up the prior school year and preparing for the one ahead. NBOA is no differen
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Riding bicycles to raise money and save rides.
4 min read
CEO Notebook
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Boards and Trustees
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Governance
With the busiest part of the school year behind most of us, I invite you to consider your school's Board of Trustees in the context of the NBOA Board of Directors. Our Board is probably similar to yours in some ways, yet
3 min read
As your school year winds down, your professional association's planning for next year is already ramping up. Last week, members of the NBOA staff assembled in Washington, D.C., to identify and plan the vast array of NBO
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Why one business officer trained to be a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg.
4 min read
CEO Notebook
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Culture
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Human Resources
For more than 15 years I've been thinking about the role of the CFO, especially as it relates to educational institutions, vis-à-vis my professional positions at NBOA and NACUBO. Is it just me or is the CFO gettin
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Without shame or apology I admit that I'm a change addict. I firmly believe that any organization, program or resource can be made better. "No status quo," in fact, is a mantra I developed with my friend and colleague Gr
3 min read
CEO Notebook
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Boards and Trustees
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Leadership
Last year during the NBOA Business Officer Institute, a business officer approached me and said, "My head of school does not want me to attend trustee meetings." My stunned response: "That's a problem." I would conjectur
2 min read
Awesome, simply awesome. Days after the 2015 NBOA Annual Meeting, I'm still feeling the energy of the 1,000-plus independent school leaders who joined us in Boston, and especially the hundreds who heard "Excellence by De
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Cash Management
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Culture
A California independent school teaches real-world business and investing skills through a hands-on business curriculum.
9 min read
CEO Notebook
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Cash Management
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Leadership
One of my favorite programs during the NBOA Annual Meeting is the NBOA Awards Lunch. The only national recognition program of its kind, this wonderful event doesn't just recognize individual achievement in independent sc
3 min read
CEO Notebook
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Boards and Trustees
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Planning
I was recently asked to share the biggest change I’ve observed in the business officer profession since 2010, when I became NBOA’s chief executive. My immediate thought was how your role has been elevated wel
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From the archives: Aging head of school population hastens search timelines, inspires more thoughtful transitions.
15 min read
I've always enjoyed end-of-the-year lists of the top songs, most fascinating people and major news events that will be forever associated with the last 12 months. For my final CEO Notebook of the year, I've decided to re
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One of the compelling ideas to come out of NBOA's Spectrum Project Report is that leadership, plain and simple, quite often makes the difference between a high-performing independent school and all others. The report, wh
3 min read
Here's a litmus test on online and blended learning in independent schools: Do you consider technology a tool that brings individuals together or keeps them apart?
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CEO Notebook
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Culture
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Risk Management
Sometimes our busiest times are also our best times for breaking out of routines. This is apparent to me now, as I (like all of you) merge into the jam-packed agenda of the new school year. Two weeks ago, while speaking
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I have been surprisingly moved by the loss of Robin Williams. While my personal favorite performance was the Genie in Aladdin, I was most inspired by his 1989 role in Dead Poets Society. His character, English teacher Jo
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CEO Notebook
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Culture
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Risk Management
Last month I attended the NACUBO Annual Meeting in Seattle. It was a coming home of sorts, as I worked for the association for nearly a decade before joining NBOA. Besides re-connecting with former colleagues and friends
3 min read
It takes a village ... you can’t go it alone ... swim with a buddy ... the list goes on and on. If we know we are stronger as a group than individually, why do we so often insist on keeping key information in the hands o
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