CEO Notebook

In late February of this year — at where else but the 2024 NBOA Annual Meeting — I announced a new NBOA program, one that I’ve been mulling over for quite some time. That new program I was so proud to announce is the Net Assets Podcast, and I share with particular enthusiasm that the first episode is now available for listening, on the NBOA website or any of your favorite streaming platforms. 

As school business leaders who carefully manage resources to fulfill their school’s educational mission, you may wonder, why a podcast and why now for NBOA? Net Assets magazine continues to be one of the most highly valued benefits of NBOA because it provides timely thought leadership on the business, finance and operational issues facing PK-12 independent schools today and in the future. Even this award-winning publication has its limits, however, and I have always wanted to share the stories of the leaders who are achieving long-term financial health for their schools in a more immediate way, through their actual voices. The Net Assets magazine brand can only be enhanced by expanding the means by which we share stories from our members and leaders in the community. Furthermore, with our recent rebrand to NBOA: Business Leadership for Independent Schools, the time was right to establish our voice in this media space, to share our unique expertise and thought leadership with the broader community in a format that many prefer. 

As podcast co-host, I have the opportunity to directly ask school leaders what they were thinking, what concerns or trepidations they had, and what they have learned from their experiences. It’s my personal goal to provide these leadership insights in the podcast.

Each episode will be inspired by a story or topic in Net Assets magazine, and tell the human story behind the printed story. Sources for or authors of a given article — business leaders at independent schools — will discuss their experiences tackling challenges, making changes, growing and learning to further the missions of their schools through the lens of business operations. As podcast co-host, I have the opportunity to directly ask school leaders what they were thinking, what concerns or trepidations they had, and what they have learned from their experiences. It’s my personal goal to provide these leadership insights in the podcast.

The podcast is co-hosted by yours truly and Howard Teibel, founder and president of Teibel Education Consulting. Many of you know Howard through his presentations at the NBOA Annual Meeting and NBOA Leadership Academy, where he speaks on the topics of innovation, change management and communication among leadership teams. What you may not know is that I have had a professional relationship with Howard for more than 15 years. His insights stemming from his work with independent schools and many higher education institutions provide a unique perspective in our conversations. In short, I always take away something from a conversation I have with Howard, and now you will see why. Beyond that, his podcast, Navigating Change, which is 10 years in the running, probes teams in transition and solutions for the most troubling process challenges at both colleges and universities and K12 schools. We’ve already benefited from his partnership and experience in the podcasting genre.

Independent school business leaders have been so generous sharing stories of both successes and challenges for many years, and now NBOA will have the opportunity to share them with an even larger audience.

The guests on our first episode are two contributors to "Comeback Kids,” our lead feature in the March/April issue, which profiled enrollment turnarounds at two different schools and the leadership decisions behind them. One school is Archbishop Riordan, a single-sex-turned-co-ed day school in California, and the other is Lakefield College School, a boarding/day school in Ontario, Canada. Our outstanding first guests were Anne-Marie Kee, head of school at Lakefield College, who currently serves on NBOA’s Board of Directors, and Tim Rutherford, associate head of school, operations and CFO, who serves on NBOA’s Boarding School Working Group. They shared not only their experiences and insights but also warmth, candor and “productive tension,” their words for their differing but complimentary views of the school that have been essential to its success.

Personally speaking, the podcast is a dream come true. Independent school business leaders have been so generous sharing stories of both successes and challenges for many years, and now NBOA will have the opportunity to share them with an even larger audience. Our goal is to learn about our guests’ particular context and their innovative solutions, from which many other independent schools can learn.

I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed hosting. I’m proud to share this inaugural episode with you and bring NBOA’s thought leadership to our members and community in a new modality. If – and when – you listen, on the road, on a walk, as you take a break in your office, let me know what you think.

Follow NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields on LinkedIn.