NBOA President and CEO
Last month, I had the pleasure of meeting the latest cohort of the NBOA Leadership Academy, which will convene throughout this school year. This cohort is the largest the program has yielded to date, due to the high number of nominations received, and it is also one of the most diverse and impressive groups of business leaders I’ve met.
For those who haven’t experienced the magic, the NBOA Leadership Academy is designed to elevate the leadership capabilities of accomplished independent school business professionals. Not to overstate the case, but I truly believe the opportunity for business leaders to grow beyond their financial acumen, in their ability to develop and present innovative ideas, drive strategy and build partnerships is critical for the viability of independent schools into the future. In its fifth offering, this unique program is intentionally designed to facilitate virtual and face-to-face connections aided by a world-class academic faculty and accomplished leaders from the NBOA community.
The 2025-26 cohort includes individuals from 20 states, Canada and Cameroon, at different types of independent schools (boarding, day, religious, secular, learning differences, etc.). They also serve in a range of roles; while most are chief business officers at their schools, the cohort also includes controllers, directors of human resources and heads. This mix of perspectives propels discussions and makes ideas from the cohort all the richer. I’m personally thrilled to welcome back returning mentors Nancy Green, Alex Heiberger and Dallas Joseph, and bring Rose Neubert and Sandi Pierce onboard. This mentor roster boasts not just decades of experience in independent school business leadership, but also past NBOA Board Chairs and Directors, as well as NBOA Ken White and Will Hancock Award recipients.
If you plan to attend the 2026 NBOA Annual Meeting — and I hope you do — you’ll have a chance to hear directly from your participating colleagues offering their 'big ideas' during the meeting for the betterment of the independent school community.
This group will has the opportunity to hear from trusted academics in the field of independent school leadership, including Patrick Schuermann, and also well-known leaders in the independent school community, such as Donna Orem, Tim Fish and Howard Teibel. The capstone for the program is the development of research-based recommendations on a trending area in independent school business operations. These will be presented at the 2026 NBOA Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, March 1-4, 2026. If you plan to attend the 2026 NBOA Annual Meeting — and I hope you do — you’ll have a chance to hear directly from your participating colleagues offering their “big ideas” during the meeting for the betterment of the independent school community. (You can read reports from past NBOA Leadership Academy cohorts on the NBOA website.) Many thanks to Blackbaud for generously sponsoring this impactful program.
Congratulations to this group of talented professionals beginning this important professional journey. I’m looking forward to getting to know each of them and hearing what insights they develop for themselves and for our community at large.
Without further ado, the 2025-26 cohort of the NBOA Leadership Academy:
Jennifer Adamcik, Director of Finance/Human Resources
Bishop Lynch High School, Dallas, TX
Heather Auerbach, Director of Human Resources
Kent Place School, Summit, NJ
Shruti Beckmann, Chief Financial Officer
Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School, Omaha, NE
Marlon Bernard, Director of Finance & Controller
The Kinkaid School, Houston, TX
Jonathan Cameron, Chief Financial Officer
Southwest Christian School, Fort Worth, TX
MaryKay Coyle, Chief Financial Officer
The Churchill School and Center, New York, NY
Bobbi Elliott, Controller
Pembroke Hill School, Kansas City, MO
Caroline Ewing, Director of Finance and Operations
The Key School, Annapolis, MD
Jennifer Fabry, Director of Finance/Chief Financial Officer
Stephen T. Badin High School, Hamilton, OH
Annie Feeley, Chief Finance and Operations Officer
Lab School of Washington, Washington, DC
Frank Gallagher, Controller
Concord Academy, Concord, MA
Jeff Hamilton, Director of Finance & Operations
Walden School, Louisville, KY
Jaclyn Hasenfus, Controller
Collegiate School, New York, NY
Ari Hausman, Director of Finance and Operations
The Fletcher School, Charlotte, NC
Christy Horn, Director of Business Services
Milwaukee Jewish Day School, Milwaukee, WI
Ross Hurst, Chief Financial Officer
Presbyterian Day School, Memphis, TN
Clint Jones, Director of Financial Planning
Atlanta International School, Atlanta, GA
Arjuna Kadawathage, Chief Financial Officer
Crescent School, Toronto, ON
Stacy Kilty, Executive Director of Business and Operations Support
Le Jardin Academy, Kailua, HI
Michelle LaMarre, Director of Finance and Operations
The Bement School, Deerfield, MA
Christopher Lapp, Chief Operating Officer
Georgetown Preparatory School, North Bethesda, MD
Harriet Nabatesa, Director of Finance
Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, Philadelphia, PA
Kouamen Narcisse, Business Manager
American School of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
Stephen Neill, Chief Operating Officer
Gonzaga College High School, Washington, DC
Lindsey Smith, Chief Operating Officer
The Wellington School, Columbus, OH
Stephen Valentine, Associate Head of School
Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ
Kelly Van Den Handel, Chief Financial Officer
Shelton School, Dallas, TX
Kevin Whitney, President
Academy of the Holy Names, Tampa, FL
Gillian Wilson, Chief Finance & Operating Officer
Presidio Knolls School, San Francisco, CA
Kori Yipp, Director of Finance
West Island College, Calgary, AB
Let the learning and leading commence!
Follow NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields on LinkedIn.
