CAIS 2021 Trustee/School Head
Online Conference

Shaun Harper is one of the nation’s most highly respected racial equity experts. He is a Provost Professor in the Rossier School of Education and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He also is the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership, founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, president of the American Educational Research Association, a past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, and editor-at-large of TIME magazine.

Dr. Harper’s research focuses primarily on race, gender, and other dimensions of equity in an array of organizational contexts, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporations. He has published 12 books about education and over 100 other academic publications. His research has been cited in nearly 15,000 published studies across a vast array of academic fields and disciplines. Atlantic Philanthropies and the Bill & Melinda Gates, Lumina, Ford, Kellogg, College Futures, Kresge, and Open Society Foundations have awarded him more than $16 million in grants.

The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, and several thousand other news outlets have quoted Professor Harper and featured his research. He has interviewed on CNN, ESPN, and NPR. He also has testified twice to the United States House of Representatives and spoken at numerous White House convenings. Dr. Harper served on President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Advisory Council. California Governor Gavin Newsome recently appointed him to a task force on racial equity and COVID-19 recovery.

The recipient of dozens of top honors in his field and one honorary doctorate, Professor Harper has been recognized in Education Week as one of the 10 most influential scholars in the field of education. He spent a decade at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a tenured full professor. His Ph.D. is from Indiana University.

Shaun Harper is one of the nation’s most highly respected racial equity experts. He is a Provost Professor in the Rossier School of Education and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He also is the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership, founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, president of the American Educational Research Association, a past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, and editor-at-large of TIME magazine.

Dr. Harper’s research focuses primarily on race, gender, and other dimensions of equity in an array of organizational contexts, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporations. He has published 12 books about education and over 100 other academic publications. His research has been cited in nearly 15,000 published studies across a vast array of academic fields and disciplines. Atlantic Philanthropies and the Bill & Melinda Gates, Lumina, Ford, Kellogg, College Futures, Kresge, and Open Society Foundations have awarded him more than $16 million in grants.

The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, and several thousand other news outlets have quoted Professor Harper and featured his research. He has interviewed on CNN, ESPN, and NPR. He also has testified twice to the United States House of Representatives and spoken at numerous White House convenings. Dr. Harper served on President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Advisory Council. California Governor Gavin Newsome recently appointed him to a task force on racial equity and COVID-19 recovery.

The recipient of dozens of top honors in his field and one honorary doctorate, Professor Harper has been recognized in Education Week as one of the 10 most influential scholars in the field of education. He spent a decade at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a tenured full professor. His Ph.D. is from Indiana University.

Amada Torres is the Vice President of Studies, Insights, and Research at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). In this capacity, she conducts original research and produces reports on national studies of interest to NAIS schools. As a permanent contributor of the NAIS TrendBook, she regularly speaks on issues related to independent education, trends affecting independent schools, financial sustainability, admissions and marketing, and advocacy. Prior to joining NAIS, Amada worked as Senior Manager for the Latin American and Iberian Peninsula Group in the American market at the Corporate Executive Board, a membership-based provider of best practices research and analysis. Prior to this, she worked as an economic consultant in the Office of External Debt with the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Peru, where she assisted in the management and negotiation of Peru’s external debt obligations as part of the Paris Club. Amada holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Universidad del Pacífico in Lima, Peru. She was awarded the prestigious Chevening Scholarship to attend graduate school at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom, were she earned a master’s degree in Finance and Business Economics, graduating with the highest honors.

Grace focuses her practice on education law, employment law, and risk management and represents independent and private schools. Grace serves as a trusted advisor to boards, heads of school, business officers and human resources professionals, and works with clients to mitigate risk and develop best practices, while supporting the advancement of each client’s operational needs and mission.

Grace advises schools in all aspects of employment matters, such as negotiating and drafting employment and executive agreements, preparing employee handbooks and employment policies, addressing claims of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, and advising on disability accommodation issues, leaves, wage and hour compliance and employee misconduct and discipline.

Grace also advises schools on all aspects of student and parent issues, including preparing enrollment agreements and student handbooks, managing effective student and parent relationships, addressing concerns of harassment, bullying and student misconduct, as well as advising on student discipline, privacy, disability accommodations, mandated reporting, tuition disputes and breach of contract claims. Grace regularly advises on legal considerations pertaining to diversity, equity and inclusion, including how to engage in such work while mitigating risk.

Brad Weaver, Ed.D, is an independent school leader focused on creativity, challenging academics, ethical development, experiential education, service learning, and culturally responsive teaching.

Dr. Weaver has a doctorate of educational administration from Boston College, a master of arts in curriculum and instruction in the natural sciences from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a bachelor of arts in English and music performance from Wake Forest University. He studied classical guitar at the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music and holds a certificate of advanced study in educational leadership and cultural studies from the University of Houston.

He has participated in school accreditation and program evaluations, working with the Association of Independent Schools in New England, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Houston Independent School District. Dr. Weaver has published numerous children’s nonfiction books (with coauthor Jeanne Wallace-Weaver), written professional guides and articles, and presented at educators’ conferences.

Scott Schadlich joined the board in 2014. His daughter is a member of the Class of 2010 and his son a member of the Class of 2014. Mr. Schadlich has over 25 years experience in real estate and business management. In 2010 he founded Next Investments, which specializes in acquiring and repositioning undervalued commercial real estate assets. Previously he was the chief operating officer of the Airport Business Center in Santa Rosa.

Chad Tew is an education entrepreneur and founder of LearnCollab®, which provides learning communities with a platform and tools to explore program collaboration, co-ventures, and mergers and acquisitions.

Chad is a life-long educator and former independent school CFO, who has also held college leadership positions in admission and marketing. He has taught courses at UCLA in Marketing and Business Plan Development, is a co-founder of the K-8 Wesley School in North Hollywood, and early in his career customized enrollment marketing software for the MIT Sloan School and Georgetown University. Chad also has deep experience in school financial aid and pricing, bond financing and campus construction, and demographic market analysis.

Chad earned his MBA in entrepreneurship at the USC Marshall School of Business, where he serves as a Senior Fellow, a member of the Social Enterprise Lab Advisory Board, and the New Venture Seed Competition judge. In 2019 Chad earned the designation of Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor from the Alliance of Merger and Acquisition Advisors. He holds a BA in English from the University of Utah and has done post grad studies in Economics at Harvard Business School. Chad consults, writes, and speaks widely on topics including education sector disruption, financial and enrollment sustainability, and school collaboration.

Dr. Mary Antón is the co-chair of POCIS NorCal, People of Color in Northern California. In her role with POCIS, Mary provides programming for Independent Schools and facilitates the Bay Area DEI practitioners group and the upcoming Equity Teams PLCs as well as co-facilitating upcoming Heads of Schools discussions. Mary has a doctorate from Harvard Graduate School of Education and currently works as a Coach for RIDES (Reimagining Integration for Diverse and Equitable Schools) out of Harvard. In this capacity and through her own firm, Mary leads teams in implementing equity improvement cycles, equity instructional rounds and systemic change visioning. She coaches school leaders in strategic planning for equity improvement across the country. A national presenter and writer, Mary has over 40 years experience in public and independent school education and believes that mentoring and supporting our aspiring leaders of color is a critical step in bringing about stronger and more equitable schools for all.

Olivia Brown is the founder and Executive Director of Southern California People of Color in Independent Schools (SoCal POCIS).Olivia has led the organization to become one of the forerunners in the Southern California independent school community. Olivia has been on various boards as well as being a mentor and moderator at national conferences. After retiring, Olivia returned to independent schools five years ago; she is currently a Teaching Assistant at the Wesley School in Los Angeles, where she also serves as a SEED Facilitator and is involved in building cross-cultural communication for faculty and staff. Olivia earned her Master’s degree at Pacific Oaks College. She believes that through partnership, meaningful conversations and action, change is possible.

Rob currently serves as the Executive Director of the Independent School Alliance (the “Alliance”). Rob currently sits on the advisory board for the National Partnerships for Educational Access where he serves as co-chair, the board of Southern California People of Color in Independent Schools, and is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Area African American Chamber of Commerce. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Rob earned a Bachelor’s degree in history from Lane College, a Master’s degree in International Relations from Webster University, and a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University. In his free time, he enjoys riding bikes with his wife and children, watching Jeopardy, reading textbooks, mentoring students and young professionals, and listening to and sharing his favorite podcasts.

Rob is also an independent school parent—his youngest children attend an independent school on the Westside of Los Angeles, where his wife is also an elementary school teacher.”

A lifelong educator of youth and adults, Lisa Haney believes deeply in the transformative power of education. She began her career focused on international and multicultural education, teaching in Japan, Mexico and Martinique before landing at the Athenian School in Danville, California where she served in many roles, including international program director, literature teacher, humanities department chair, dean of faculty development and a member of the upper school leadership team. Beyond Athenian and before taking on her current role as Executive Director of CATDC, Lisa engaged in teacher education through UC Berkeley Extension, as well as the Berkeley and San Francisco Unified School Districts, and was selected for a year-long fellowship by the US State Department in 2006 to support teacher development in Tanzania. She has been a conference presenter with NAIS and TESOL. Lisa holds a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.A.T. from the School for International Training, Vermont.

Taylor B. Stockdale is currently serving as the sixth Head of Schools of The Webb Schools, a private boarding/day high school of 400 students located in Claremont, California. Stockdale is a leading American educator with more than 35 years of experience in independent schools in the United States. He is a noted authority on educational leadership, strategic planning, school governance and financing, and building a culture of philanthropy. Stockdale graduated from Colorado College with a B.A. in history and political science, received advanced degrees in economics and non-profit management from the University of Delaware and The Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.

Martha joined Marts & Lundy as a senior consultant in 2007 and has served a wide variety of clients, with particular focus on independent schools and higher education.

Martha came to Marts & Lundy from Scripps College in Claremont, California. There, she served as Vice President for College Advancement from 2001-2007 and oversaw all aspects of fundraising, alumnae relations and public relations activities for the college. During her tenure as vice president the college’s most successful campaign was completed a year ahead of schedule and 19 percent over goal.

Prior to her years at Scripps, Martha was a senior consultant for Donald A. Campbell and Company, Inc. In that role, she provided fundraising and marketing consulting services to a wide range of nonprofit clients. Martha was with The Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University) for five years and began her development career at the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business.”””

Lynn Wendell has worked as a consultant at more than 50 independent schools and nonprofits. She served as a trustee at three independent schools and as Board Chair at San Francisco University High School. In addition, she has served on an impressive number of nonprofit boards, board committees, and advisory councils. Lynn has co-lead the CAIS Board Chair/School Head Workshop for the past three years.

Sara Goldsmith Schwartz is the Founder and President of Schwartz Hannum PC, a law firm based in Andover, MA, that specializes in education, employment and labor law. In the course of representing more than 250 educational institutions across the United States, Sara has become a trusted advisor to Heads of Schools, Presidents, Chairmen of the Board, Deans, Business Officers and others as independent school and higher education leaders tackle and resolve matters of school governance, student and employee disciplinary matters, risk management, sexual abuse allegations, and the myriad compliance documents such as enrollment agreements, school bylaws, student/parent handbooks and more. Sara is a cum laude graduate of both Yale College and Harvard Law School. She began her legal career at the law firm of Ropes & Gray in Boston, after completing a federal court clerkship with The Honorable William Young in Boston. In 2013, Sara was selected by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a Top Woman of Law. Sara has also been selected for inclusion in Massachusetts Super Lawyers® as a top Labor and Employment attorney for over ten years.

Please see the Firm’s Website, at http://www.shpclaw.com/, for more information regarding the Firm, its attorneys, and the scope of the Firm’s practice.

Mark J. Mitchell is a vice president at the National Association of Independent Schools, managing special projects on the topics of tuition pricing, affordability, demographic and income trends, socio-economic diversity and inclusion, and school financial aid policy and practices. Mark also serves as part of the NAIS Innovation Team, designing and delivering resources to assist schools in making innovation happen. Prior to joining NAIS in 1998, Mark worked in financial aid administration at Northwestern University, Lake Forest College, and Access Group, Inc., a graduate student education financing nonprofit. An alumnus and past trustee of Moorestown Friends School (New Jersey), he serves as a trustee of the Enrollment Management Association and is a member of the Advisory Board for the National Partnership for Educational Access. Mark earned his BS in communication studies from Northwestern University.

Jim Hulbert, J.D., is a partner and CEO at The Jane Group and a labor and employment lawyer by training. Jim manages the firm’s ongoing caseload, and he is the lead consultant on governance and board matters and complex legal matters in the U.S. and throughout the world. In his role with boards, Jim works closely with chairs and executive committees and advises boards on complex issues involving leadership transitions, sexual misconduct investigations, and best practices in governance. Jim also oversees the firm’s international business. Since 2015, the firm has worked with schools in 27 countries and five continents. He has presented at numerous international education conferences. Jim works with international school leadership in all aspects of crisis management and is a member of the Child Protection Response Team for the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

Jim graduated from Culver Academies (IN). He was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a degree in American Studies. Jim earned his law degree at Boston College, cum laude.

Linda Adler, Partner in LCW’s San Francisco Office, represents clients in all matters pertaining to education, labor, and employment law. Well versed in the litigation process, Linda has successfully represented colleges and universities throughout California in disputes regarding employment and student matters. Prior to joining LCW, Linda represented colleges and universities before administrative agencies and in mediations, arbitrations, jury and bench trials. In addition, Linda has served as general counsel for colleges without in-house legal departments.

Linda has advised officers of institutions on business and risk management practices and policies in the areas of preventing harassment claims, student discipline and expulsion, faculty and staff discipline and termination, equal employment opportunity law compliance, and contracts. She has also prepared faculty, staff and academic policy manuals and conducted training classes for faculty, staff and administrators on sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and disability accommodations.

A graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law, Linda was the recipient of an American Jurisprudence Award in Legal Writing and also received the Best Written American Brief Award in Moot Court Competition. Prior to law school Linda received her Bachelor of Arts in English (with a minor in anthropology) from Occidental College in Los Angeles, where she was a member of Sigma Tau Delta honor society. Linda is admitted to the California State Bar in addition to the United States District Court for the Northern and Eastern Districts.

Dr. Dan Glass is head of school at The Brandeis School of San Francisco, and has previously held leadership roles at Wildwood School in Los Angeles and The Girls’ Middle School in Palo Alto. He has written extensively on progressive education, Jewish spirituality and ethics, and contemporary poetry. He holds a Ph.D. and B.A. in English, has published four collections of poetry, and has taught elementary schoolers through undergraduates as well as adults on topics ranging from Ethics and Design to Poetics and Rap Music.

Anne-Marie Balzano is the director of leadership and governance at NAIS. She designs and implements learning opportunities for school administrators and trustees, conducts research on issues facing independent schools, and collaborates with other NAIS teams engaged in these endeavors. She hosts The Trustee Table, an NAIS podcast that provides insights and information for trustees, board chairs, and school administrators on critical governance and leadership topics. She collaborated with Jack Creeden on the NAIS book The Board Chair Handbook and is now leading several governance projects, including the development of board assessment tools and resources. She has delivered presentations on building leadership capacity across teams, managing school change, and workshops for trustees and heads of school at the NAIS Annual Conference and other events. A former head of school and associate professor of education leadership, Anne-Marie is deeply committed to supporting independent school leaders and the children they serve.

Barb Rosston is a consultant to independent schools and nonprofits focussing on governance, board development, advancement, and strategic planning. She has presented at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and participated in new trustee orientations for the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). She is a former board chair at two independent schools, has spent more than 20 years serving on independent school boards, and serves on several nonprofit boards. Barb is a member of both the California Bar and the District of Columbia Bar.

Heather became our executive director in 2011. Working with the leadership team, she sets a clear direction for the staff, inspiring gold-standard service for our constituents and pushing for us to continuously innovate. Externally, in her work with schools and the wider education sector, she aims to advance the profession of enrollment management and empower individual professionals.
Since taking the helm of The Enrollment Management Association, she has led us through several steps to modernize the organization itself and professionalize the admission and enrollment industry. In that time, we have restructured our management, rebuilt our IT infrastructure, enhanced our SSAT test development processes and procedures, launched an elementary level SSAT, grown the use of the Standard Application Online to bring more families to the independent school community, and published groundbreaking research in the field of enrollment management.

A thought leader in enrollment management, Heather commissioned our first special committee on the future of assessment and personally led the charge to reposition the work of enrollment management as both strategic and foundational to institutional success.Heather’s career began in independent schools as an administrator, student advisor, and teacher at George School (Pennsylvania) and Westtown School (Pennsylvania).

She then embarked on a successful 23-year tenure in leadership roles with two of the world’s largest nonprofit independent school associations: first as associate director of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), then as director of admission and marketing services for The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), leading to a vice presidency at NAIS overseeing membership, corporate affiliations, customer service, and the annual NAIS Conference.

Heather holds a BA in art history from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s of education in educational administration from Harvard University. She has been a board member for Westtown School (her alma mater) and is presently a trustee for the National Business Officers Association, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, and New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.

Rosetta Lee serves Seattle Girls’ School in dual roles. SGS is an innovative school for Junior High School girls, aiming to empower women leaders and change agents and dedicating its energies to a diverse community of students and faculty, an anti-bias mission, and an integrated curriculum. As a faculty member, Rosetta teaches subjects such as science, math, technology, art, ethics, social justice, and more. As a professional outreach specialist, she designs and delivers trainings for all constituencies of the school community, as well as the local and national educational and nonprofit sectors.

Since 2004, Rosetta has been a diversity speaker and trainer on a variety of topics, including cross cultural communication, identity development, implicit and unconscious bias, gender and sexuality diversity, facilitation skills, and bullying in schools. Rosetta has presented at numerous conferences and nonprofit organizations such as the White Privilege Conference, Junior League, and City Year. She has also worked with over 250 K-12 public and independent schools throughout the country, as well as a number of colleges and universities. She has served several years on the faculty of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Diversity Leadership Institute, as well as NAIS’ diversity think-tank cadre, Call to Action.

Rosetta has served as President on the Board of Directors of SMARTgirls, a Director on the Board of the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR), Chair of the 2006 Seattle Expanding Your Horizons Conference, Co-Chair of the 2006 NAIS People of Color Conference, Think Tank Member of the 2012 NAIS Annual Conference, and as a trainer/facilitator with the National Coalition Building Institute. Rosetta is the recipient of the 2007 Outstanding Partner in Education Award from the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research and recipient of the 2005 Distinguished Teacher Award for the Washington Federation of Independent Schools.

Michael Blacher is the Chair of the firm’s Private Education Practice Group. He represents educational institutions in all aspects of labor, employment, and education law. Michael has successfully defended claims involving alleged harassment, discrimination and retaliation, disability accommodation, First Amendment, and alleged violation of wage and hour laws. Michael also advises educational institutions in Office of Civil Rights investigations and has handled a number of Title IX cases. Michael often advises boards on governance and other issues, including updates to bylaws. He works extensively on contractual matters such as employment and enrollment agreements as well as employee and student handbooks. Michael also represents clients during arbitrations and administrative hearings.

Robbie Kellman Baxter is a consultant, author and speaker. She is also the author of The Membership Economy and The Forever Transaction, and hosts the podcast Subscription Stories. Robbie has more than 20 years of experience providing strategic business advice to major organizations, including Netflix, Fitbit, Microsoft and Consumer Reports. She has been focused on subscription and growth strategies for the past decade. Baxter has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on CNN. She earned her MBA from the Stanford GSB, and graduated with honors from Harvard College. You can find more about Robbie on her website https://robbiekellmanbaxter.com/ Additional resources are available here: https://robbiekellmanbaxter.com/audience

Robbie Kellman Baxter is a consultant, author and speaker. She is also the author of The Membership Economy and The Forever Transaction, and hosts the podcast Subscription Stories. Robbie has more than 20 years of experience providing strategic business advice to major organizations, including Netflix, Fitbit, Microsoft and Consumer Reports. She has been focused on subscription and growth strategies for the past decade. Baxter has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on CNN. She earned her MBA from the Stanford GSB, and graduated with honors from Harvard College. You can find more about Robbie on her website https://robbiekellmanbaxter.com/ Additional resources are available here: https://robbiekellmanbaxter.com/audience

Mike Riera, Ph.D., is one of the country’s foremost authorities on understanding children and teenagers in Los Angeles, CA. The San Francisco Chronicle described Mike as “the Dr. Spock for teenagers and their parents.” The cornerstone of his philosophy for parents with teenagers is teaching parents to make the shift from being managers in their teenagers’ lives to becoming their consultants.

Mike has written or co-written five books related to teenagers and their parents. Several have been bestsellers and award winners. Two were also featured on Oprah–Uncommon Sense for Parents With Teenagers and Staying Connected To Your Teenager. In 2013 he also wrote a short book for the National Association of Independent Schools entitled Making the Most of Difficult Conversations in Independent Schools.

From 1999-2004 Mike took a break from education and worked in television and radio as a host and guest addressing his favorite subject: teenagers and their parents. During this time, he was the parenting correspondent for the CBS Saturday Early Show for seven years as well as hosting the award-winning show, Life in Progress, on Oxygen cable network. He also hosted a two-hour, daily radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio–Family Talk With Dr. Mike.

Mike is a highly sought-after speaker, nationally and internationally. He has spoken to a wide range of audiences–over 100 independent schools, Young President Organizations worldwide, as well as top universities and corporations–that all have one trait in common: they are the parents of teenagers!

In 2011, Mike accepted the position as Head of School at the Brentwood School in Los Angeles, where he currently resides with his wife and two children. He received his BA in economics from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, his Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Antioch University, his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from San Francisco’s California Institute of Integral Studies and he was a CORO Fellow in St. Louis, Missouri.

Baudelia Chavez Taylor is in her seventh year as Head of School at Crestview Preparatory School in La Canada, CA. Prior to her headship, she was the Director of Early Childhood Programs at The Center for Early Education in West Hollywood, CA. She spent the early years of her career as a teacher at Bellagio Road Newcomer School, a lab school for LAUSD that beta-tested second language programs. She is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor of Arts in History with a Minor in Education. After receiving her certification in early childhood from UCLA, she completed an elementary credentialing program from National University where she earned her M.A. in Education specializing in Teaching and Learning in a Global Society.

She compliments her work as an educator by serving as a member of the Los Angeles Advisory Board for Common Sense Media. Previously, she served as a trustee at the Maggy Haves School, where she focused her efforts on the Head’s Evaluation and Audit committees. Also, she served as a trustee for a religious organization, helping spearhead its education and social action committees.

Elizabeth J. McGregor is head of school at Westridge School, an independent school for girls in grades 4-12 in Pasadena, CA. She has spent her 40-year career in teaching and school administration, serving as associate head of school at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks before joining Westridge in 2009. She currently serves on the board of the California Association of Independent Schools, the National Coalition of Girls Schools, and is the chair of the Advisory Board of Partnership for Success!, a partnership between the Pasadena Unified School District and four local independent schools.

Rosetta Lee serves Seattle Girls’ School in dual roles. SGS is an innovative school for Junior High School girls, aiming to empower women leaders and change agents and dedicating its energies to a diverse community of students and faculty, an anti-bias mission, and an integrated curriculum. As a faculty member, Rosetta teaches subjects such as science, math, technology, art, ethics, social justice, and more. As a professional outreach specialist, she designs and delivers trainings for all constituencies of the school community, as well as the local and national educational and nonprofit sectors.

Since 2004, Rosetta has been a diversity speaker and trainer on a variety of topics, including cross cultural communication, identity development, implicit and unconscious bias, gender and sexuality diversity, facilitation skills, and bullying in schools. Rosetta has presented at numerous conferences and nonprofit organizations such as the White Privilege Conference, Junior League, and City Year. She has also worked with over 250 K-12 public and independent schools throughout the country, as well as a number of colleges and universities. She has served several years on the faculty of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Diversity Leadership Institute, as well as NAIS’ diversity think-tank cadre, Call to Action.

Rosetta has served as President on the Board of Directors of SMARTgirls, a Director on the Board of the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR), Chair of the 2006 Seattle Expanding Your Horizons Conference, Co-Chair of the 2006 NAIS People of Color Conference, Think Tank Member of the 2012 NAIS Annual Conference, and as a trainer/facilitator with the National Coalition Building Institute. Rosetta is the recipient of the 2007 Outstanding Partner in Education Award from the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research and recipient of the 2005 Distinguished Teacher Award for the Washington Federation of Independent Schools.

Michael Blacher is the Chair of the firm’s Private Education Practice Group. He represents educational institutions in all aspects of labor, employment, and education law. Michael has successfully defended claims involving alleged harassment, discrimination and retaliation, disability accommodation, First Amendment, and alleged violation of wage and hour laws. Michael also advises educational institutions in Office of Civil Rights investigations and has handled a number of Title IX cases. Michael often advises boards on governance and other issues, including updates to bylaws. He works extensively on contractual matters such as employment and enrollment agreements as well as employee and student handbooks. Michael also represents clients during arbitrations and administrative hearings.

ACIES Strategies Brooke Carroll, Ph.D. is the Principal Consultant and Coach at Acies Strategies, supporting small schools and nonprofits in leadership development, Board development, strategic thinking and planning, and head search. Dr. Carroll holds a doctorate in educational psychology and has over 25 years of experience leading schools and nonprofits. She has served on six school and non-profit Boards in various roles. Prior to consulting and coaching, Dr. Carroll was Head of School for nine years at Seneca Academy, an International Baccalaureate World School.

Dr. Valaida L. Wise (Val) is the principal consultant at her firm, Dr. Valaida Wise Consulting, LLC. The firm supports organizations in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion, governance and leadership. She is also a faculty member in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md where she teaches diversity, equity, inclusion and issues of social justice. An educator for more than 25 years, Dr. Wise has served as the Head of School of several independent schools in the Washington DC region. Her most recent headship was at the National Child Research Center, one of the oldest inclusion model preschools in Washington DC. During her tenure, NCRC was named one of the top preschools in the nation by Town and Country magazine.

Dr. Wise received a Bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York; a Masters of Art in Teaching in Early Childhood Education with a specialty in Montessori from Trinity College, Washington D.C., and earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership from George Washington University.

Dr. Wise is a sought after public speaker and has lectured nationally and internationally, most recently on the topics of governance, leadership and diversity, equity and inclusion. A qualitative researcher, Dr. Wise has written several articles on educational leadership, early childhood education and equity in education. Her current research interest lies in the area of diversity and inclusion in independent schools. Dr. Wise is the chair of the board at Creative Minds International Public Charter School, Chair of the board at McLean School in Potomac Maryland and also serves on the board of several professional organizations and independent schools.

Donna Orem was named President of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) in November 2016. NAIS provides services to more than 1,800 schools and associations of schools in the United States and abroad, including 1,500 nonprofit, private K-12 schools in the U.S. Orem served as the Chief Operating Officer for NAIS for 11 years before becoming president. She joined NAIS in 1998 as the Vice President for Educational Leadership, later becoming the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Research. Prior to joining NAIS, she served as the Vice President for Products and Services Development at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). She also served as Associate Director for The American Association of University Women (AAUW). Orem speaks frequently about leadership, governance, trends in independent education, and workforce development and is the author of numerous books and articles.

Warren Isaak Reid is the Founder and CEO of NEMNET Minority Recruitment. Established in 1994, NEMNET is a national resource organization committed to helping schools in the identification, recruitment and employment of teachers and administrators of Color. Today serves over 350 member schools [public and private k-12], and assists over 2000 job seekers annually. The NEMNET brand has grown to now include; NEMNET.com, NEMNET Diversity Career Fairs and NEMNET Consulting Group.

In his capacity as CEO, Warren has worked with hundreds of public and private schools in an effort to promote workplace diversity, equity and inclusion. Much of his work focuses on the recruitment and retention of diverse pools, cultivating communities of color and educating and training school boards and HR teams. He has served as a consultant to Harvard College, the National Association of Independent Schools [NAIS], STAPLES, Inc., and the NAACP. He regularly advises public and private school boards.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Mr. Reid is a graduate of Middlebury College, Columbia University Institute for Urban Education and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. At the age of 20, Warren began his independent school career as a Dewitt Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund Teaching Fellow at the Pomfret School where he taught History, served as a three sport coach, student advisor, dormitory parent and Director of Multicultural Affairs.

Mr. Reid is married and a proud parent of two teenagers: Langston [15] & Lena [13]. He has spent the last 8 years living abroad and currently lives in Zurich, Switzerland.

Joel Sohn is a highly effective, experienced independent school leader and diversity practitioner who fosters inclusive classroom practices and develops equity literacy in schools. A presenter and facilitator at the PoCC, NAIS Annual, Race Amity Conference, WPC, VAIS and ISEEN, Joel Sohn has been recognized as a NAIS Teacher of the Future, serves as a PoCC Affinity Group convener, and currently serves as the Director of Upper School at University Prep in Seattle building an intentional community of socially responsible and intellectually courageous leaders for an ever-changing global landscape.

Kynan Robinson (BA, BMus, Grad Dip Ed, MA, Ph.D) is the founder and CEO of EnRusk a global consultancy firm that helps organizations change, grow, and bring lasting and meaningful impact for our world. A dynamic, innovative and outcome-focused leader with a Ph.D. in Education and over 20 years’ experience from the classroom to the boardroom he represents EnRusk across the globe, working directly with schools, colleges, universities, government agencies, corporates startups, helping them with complex problems including how to innovate and change. In the education field, he is an expert in technology, specifically digital pedagogies, student agency, self-directed learning, and schooling that embraces connectivity.

An enigmatic, renowned public speaker and a highly sought after visionary presenter and thought leader, Kynan Robinson regularly keynotes and delivers workshops and conferences all over the world. As a facilitator he is considered one of the best for his knowledge, ability to read the room and be agile in his approach, committing to the team he is working with, guiding and challenging them when needed, and always supporting them to helping them collectively learn, change and create. He is considered an expert in many processes linked to change management including Design Thinking as well as processes he
has created from his own experiences and research.

Kynan has led organisations through processes of change including, developing Values, unique value propositions, innovation, strategy and future direction, leadership development, designing spaces for learning, and deigning deep learning.

For Kynan, every day is a performance. Not only is he an eightalbum award-winning musician trombonist and record-label owner (he has won three ARIAs – Australia’s highest musical award) but from his ten years as a classroom teacher, and school leader, and a further decade developing multi-million dollar businesses, he brings a unique perspective to clients.

Prior to starting EnRusk he has driven some of Australia’s fastest-growing education technology firms. and global consultancy firms. He is masterful at valuing the individual voice within the collective and pushing teams to put their most important user at the centre of their thinking.

“Kynan is a game changer. One of the best.”
James Whitehouse, Head of School, Elmwood School

“Through Kynan Robinson’s leadership and expertise, we are beginning to question long-held assumptions about our school and its future. Administrators and faculty are thinking differently in order to make our school a more caring and well place. Kynan is a skilled facilitator who will not settle for the status quo. He is fittingly provocative and has pushed our faculty to dream big about the future. If you are considering any form of change management in your organization, Kynan is essential.”
Mara Koetke, Head of Innovation Bronxville Union Public School NY

“The process was very clear, support was available at the drop of a hat, and Kynan was dedicated and committed to designing and delivering the work and deliver the best outcomes possible.”
Cheryl Boughton OC Head of School St. Johns Kilmarnock Canada – Queens University Top 50 Most Influential Alumni

Roslyn is the current President of the VBS Day School Board of Trustees. As a 1985 graduate of the Day School and a lifelong member of the synagogue, she is still inspired by her 6th grade hero, Golda Meir. She earned her bachelor’s degree at U.C. San Diego and later completed her master’s degree in public policy at the University of Southern California. Her career began in Atlanta, Georgia where she worked on a state initiative to reform long term care policy. She eventually moved into the private health care sector at Cohn & Wolfe and then Edelman Public Relations, in New York City, where she led corporate communications initiatives for health care clients. A few years after Roslyn and David were married they decided to move closer to her family in Los Angeles, where she furthered her career in health care communications at Fischer Healthcare Communications and eventually in house at Amgen. Roslyn has served on the Board of Trustees in various capacities for the past seven years. For the past 4 years she served as the Administrative Vice President. She played an active role in taking the school to new heights while helping lead the Head of School search in 2018, but she still thinks her job has just begun! Roslyn and David have three children: Ily is a 2016 graduate, Shayna is a 2019 graduate and Maya is in 5th grade at VBS Day School.

Rabbi Deborah Schuldenfrei is Head of School at Valley Beth Shalom Harold M. Schulweis Day School a K-6 Jewish elementary in Encino, California. A Midwest native and day school graduate who loves that Judaism cultivates the art of asking questions, she graduated Washington University in St. Louis with honors and dual degrees in Social Thought and Analysis and Jewish and Near Eastern Studies. She then spent a year in Jerusalem at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC), the most delicious year of her life. There, she studied the Torah (five books of Moses) and volunteered in an Israeli absorption center with Ethiopian immigrants, and was granted the Jason Huebsch prize for leadership excellence. Schuldenfrei received a joint M.A. in Jewish Education and Jewish Communal Service from HUC-JIR. She was ordained rabbi at HUC in Los Angeles and served as the Education Director in the inaugural year of IKAR. Her rabbinic thesis taught teens about sex and Jewish values. Following ordination, she served as Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Shir Ha’Ma-alot in Irvine. Participation in the Institute for Jewish Spirituality Cohort was the most transformative practice of her professional and personal life. Schuldenfrei is featured in Morgan Freeman’s National Geographic special “The Story of God” in the web content, “A rabbi, priest and imam”. She engaged her passion for immersive Jewish learning by leading the DeLeT (Day School Leadership through Teaching) fellowship of the HUC as Education Director. Often, she leads high holiday services at the Sanctuary at Pico Union Project with Craig Taubman. She is a Zionist, loves California beaches, her three young feminist sons, and her rabbi husband. Yoga, Israeli poetry and radical inclusivity are also pretty cool.

In five positions as Head of School and multiple administrative and teaching positions in a career devoted to education, Kate has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to education, teaching, learning, and children.

Most recently, Kate was the Head of School of Westside School in Seattle, WA. She holds a BA in English from Dartmouth College, and an Ed.M. in Teaching Curriculum and Learning Environments from Harvard University. She brings to Chartwell a strong record of research-based program and curriculum development, particularly regarding 21st Century Skills, student-centered and project-based learning, and arts integration.

Katrina Maestri spent 15 years in an international corporate career with General Motors and has a wide range of Marketing, Strategy, and New Business Development experience. While at GM, she specialized in working with start-up operations, including entering new geographic markets as well as launching new technology ventures. Since leaving the corporate world, Katrina has applied her experience to non-profits in both the U.S. and abroad. Katrina and her family moved to the U.S. in 2010 so that her daughter could receive the specialized support she needs to thrive with her dyslexia. Katrina is passionate about fostering educational opportunities for students with learning differences and raising awareness regarding the high potential of this creative, dynamic population. In addition to leading the board of trustees for Chartwell School in Seaside, California, which focuses on students with language-based learning differences, Katrina is also on the advisory board for the UCSF Dyslexia and Cognitive Diversity Center and is a dedicated advocate for the overall needs of kids that learn differently.

Former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise has spent his career advancing education opportunities for our nation’s students. He recently completed 14 years as president of the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), a Washington, DC–based national nonprofit that has become a national leader in advocating the policies and practices necessary for secondary school students to be ready for postsecondary education and careers.

Gov. Wise’s accomplishments include leading the development of Future Ready Schools®, a network of 3300 school districts committed to the effective use of digital learning to assist teachers and improve student learning outcomes. He chaired the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards for six years and now serves as interim coordinator of the Global Science of Learning Education Network. He works closely with school district, state, and national leaders for evidence-based systems-change that advances 21st century learning that meets each student’s needs.

After serving twenty-four years as governor, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and state legislator, Gov. Wise has become a prominent speaker and advisor on education issues and trends. He has advised the U.S. Department of Education, White House, and key state and federal policymakers. As governor and U.S. congressman, he focused on improving financial aid for college and early childhood development.

Gov. Wise authored Raising the Grade: How High School Reform Can Save Our Youth and Our Nation. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University, a Juris Doctor degree from Tulane University, and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Working from Washington, D.C. and California, Gov. Wise constantly strives to improve education opportunities for America’s youth through the Bob Wise LLC

Ron is Chairman of the Board of Bolton & Company and oversees the company’s Education Practice Group. Ron received his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and did his graduate work at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. He holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM) designations and is a past president of the Independent Insurance Agents Association, Santa Monica Chapter.

Ron has served on the agency advisory councils for ACE, AIG, Berkshire Hathaway, Hartford, Royal/Sunalliance, St. Paul/Travelers and United Educators Insurance Company and has been a frequent speaker on a variety of insurance
topics ranging from risk management for schools to intellectual property insurance.

Ron is also a past board member for the National Business Officers Association (NBOA) and is the 2020 recipient of the Sarah Daignault Outstanding Support of Independent Schools Award. In addition, he has served as a past director of the National Alliance Research Academy, a leading provider of education to the insurance industry, and Assurex Global, an exclusive network of the world’s leading independent brokers. Ron is also a Trustee Emeritus of The Buckley School, is a past Chairman of the American Red Cross (West District, Los Angeles), a past President of the Westwood Village Rotary Club, and has also been honored as Rotarian of the Year.

Jamie has over 16 years of experience in the insurance industry and opened Bolton’s Santa Clara office in 2014 with a focus to support and grow Bolton’s Social Service and Education Practice. Jamie is responsible for the overall strategy, long-term goals, initiatives, and innovation as the leader of the Education and Social Services Practice Group. The Education and Social Service Practice Group consists of both for profit and not for profit independent, charter, and Higher Education institutions. Hi passion for education and social services lead him to design and implement insurance and risk management programs to help clients protect and their organizations while fulfilling their mission and vision. He does this through a process of strategic thinking and collaboration to create proactive solutions for each client’s needs. Jamie is a frequent speaker on various risk management topics for the social service and education sector. He has achieved the Certified Schools Risk Manager and Accredited Advisor in Insurance designations, and he holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Michael Blacher is the Chair of the firm’s Private Education Practice Group. He represents educational institutions in all aspects of labor, employment, and education law. Michael has successfully defended claims involving alleged harassment, discrimination and retaliation, disability accommodation, First Amendment, and alleged violation of wage and hour laws. Michael also advises educational institutions in Office of Civil Rights investigations and has handled a number of Title IX cases. Michael often advises boards on governance and other issues, including updates to bylaws. He works extensively on contractual matters such as employment and enrollment agreements as well as employee and student handbooks. Michael also represents clients during arbitrations and administrative hearings.

Elizabeth J. McGregor is head of school at Westridge School, an independent school for girls in grades 4-12 in Pasadena, CA. She has spent her 40-year career in teaching and school administration, serving as associate head of school at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks before joining Westridge in 2009. She currently serves on the board of the California Association of Independent Schools, the National Coalition of Girls Schools, and is the chair of the Advisory Board of Partnership for Success!, a partnership between the Pasadena Unified School District and four local independent schools.

Mark Orchison is Founder and Managing Director of 9ine. He is an experienced management consultant with expertise in data protection, cyber security, technology, project and programme management in education. Mark began his career with Sun Microsystems before moving into management consultancy, where he was the technical consultancy lead for overseeing technology systems for new build schools. Since 2009, Mark has led 9ine in becoming the leading independent K-12 technology and compliance consultancy in the UK. Mark now leads a team of twenty multi-disciplinary and specialist consultants in-house, with a client base expanding across Africa, Middle-East, Russia, India, Asia and the Americas.