The Net Assets Podcast from NBOA

NBOA

The Net Assets podcast delves into the most pressing issues in independent school business and operations. Delivered by NBOA, the only national nonprofit membership association focused exclusively on fostering financial and operational excellence among independent PK-12 schools, each episode is based on a popular article in NBOA’s Net Assets magazine. Chief financial and operational officers alongside other leaders of school business share what inspires and challenges them as well as their approaches to problem solving and innovation. In each lively exchange, host Jeff Shields, NBOA president and CEO, teases out the human stories behind the printed story.

  1. Keys to an Effective Enrollment-Business Office Partnership, with Assistant Head for Enrollment Kathy Gonzalez

    AUG 19

    Keys to an Effective Enrollment-Business Office Partnership, with Assistant Head for Enrollment Kathy Gonzalez

    Assistant Head for Enrollment Kathy Gonzalez leads a team of 12 admissions professionals at Hawken School, which has five campuses around Cleveland, Ohio. But she hasn't always worked in such an expansive program. Gonzalez started out in development at her alma mater, where she built the program from the ground up; moved into teaching and then into enrollment. In previous roles in the Pacific Northwest and now in the Midwest, she has convened enrollment professionals across the independent school community. With NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields, Gonzalez shares how she strengthens her relationship with the business office, her involvement with equity and inclusion in the community, and her leadership of the robust enrollment team at Hawken.

    23 min
  2. Board Tables Turned with past and present NBOA Board Chairs Duncan Booth and Beth Pollard

    JUL 16

    Board Tables Turned with past and present NBOA Board Chairs Duncan Booth and Beth Pollard

    Before joining the NBOA Board of Directors, current NBOA Board Chair Beth Pollard and immediate past Chair Duncan Booth had plenty of experience in the boardroom as independent school business leaders. However, Pollard, who serves as CFO at The Ensworth School in Nashville, and Booth, who serves as COO at The St. Paul’s Schools in Baltimore, gained new perspectives when tasked with governing as opposed to executing board vision and strategy, as they do in their school roles. In this episode, they discuss with host and NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields what they've learned about building trust, moderating honest conversations, and the significant return on volunteer leadership.

    25 min
  3. Strategic Risk-Taking with CFO Olaf Weckesser

    JUN 18

    Strategic Risk-Taking with CFO Olaf Weckesser

    Olaf Weckesser, CFO at The Pingry School in New Jersey, may come up with the best April's Fools jokes on campus, but for him, school strategy is no laughing matter. When Pingry leaders had the opportunity to acquire property from a nearby closing independent school, they seized it, even though they hadn't mapped out all the details. Now the former dorms provide housing for faculty who otherwise would be commuting long distances, while other spaces enrich the day-school and auxiliary program experience, helping Pingry stand out in a competitive market. Weckesser shares the collective efforts to shape the school's value proposition and the business strategy behind it.

    27 min
  4. Creative and Cost-Effective Benefits, with Head of School Josh Abrams

    MAY 20

    Creative and Cost-Effective Benefits, with Head of School Josh Abrams

    Josh Abrams shares his unexpected journey from math teacher to co-founder and head of Meridian Academy in Boston, where he has led both the academic program and school business for 20 years. An intentionally small, financially accessible school, Meridian has launched creative and cost-effective faculty support programs to retain faculty, including a housing assistance grant. "Teachers are easy to spoil," he says. Abrams also stressed the importance of transparency, flexibility and values-based leadership in building a strong school culture. The school has developed an internal succession plan to ensure seamless school leadership.

    26 min
  5. Independent Schools at a Crossroads, with John Gulla

    APR 22

    Independent Schools at a Crossroads, with John Gulla

    In this episode, John Gulla, executive director of the Edward E. Ford Foundation, shares insights from a remarkable career that has taken him to more than 750 independent schools. Gulla discusses his journey from the classroom to foundation leadership, the transformative power of teaching, and how E.E. Ford’s grantmaking supports innovation and adaptability across the independent school landscape. He also shares what his recent sabbatical taught him about the evolving role of education in society. Independent schools play a critical role in preserving educational freedom and leading change in uncertain times, Gulla asserted.

    35 min
  6. Accounting with AI, with Partner Kathy Ferguson, CPA

    MAR 19

    Accounting with AI, with Partner Kathy Ferguson, CPA

    Kathy Ferguson, partner at Armanino, shares her journey from education to auditing and offers insights on AI in the independent school business office. AI can enhance job satisfaction and transform rote processes, she explains. With host Jeff Shields, Ferguson also explores cryptocurrency, transparency and advancing women in leadership. Ferguson has long supported women in the accounting profession and weighs in on the growing gender pay gap in independent school business offices.

    27 min

  7. FEB 18

    Strengthening HR in Education and Supporting School Leaders, with Grace Lee

    In this episode of the Net Assets Podcast, Grace H. Lee, a partner with Venable, LLP, in Washington, DC, and NBOA’s legal counsel, shares why she got into the legal profession and discusses hot topics in independent school legal affairs with host Jeff Shields, NBOA’s president and CEO. They touch on the evolution of the school counselor and guardrails school leaders should consider, the evolution of HR in schools more broadly, and what Lee might be asked at the upcoming 2025 NBOA Annual Meeting – and how she will answer.

    26 min

  8. JAN 21

    Retaining Staff in a Tight Labor Market, with CFO Jerry Walker

    In the season 2 premiere of the Net Assets Podcast, Jerry Walker, associate head of school for finance and operations at Kent Denver School, shares his school’s strategies for retaining staff talent with podcast host, NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields. A transparent staff compensation system and meaningful raises have fostered staff satisfaction and long-term commitment.

    30 min
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About

The Net Assets podcast delves into the most pressing issues in independent school business and operations. Delivered by NBOA, the only national nonprofit membership association focused exclusively on fostering financial and operational excellence among independent PK-12 schools, each episode is based on a popular article in NBOA’s Net Assets magazine. Chief financial and operational officers alongside other leaders of school business share what inspires and challenges them as well as their approaches to problem solving and innovation. In each lively exchange, host Jeff Shields, NBOA president and CEO, teases out the human stories behind the printed story.

Information

  • Creator
    NBOA
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 The National Business Officers Association
  • Show Website
    The Net Assets Podcast from NBOA