digital program

Attendee Resource Page

Welcome!

We’re thrilled to have you join us for what promises to be an inspiring few days! This year, we’re streamlining the experience. Everything you need—from schedules to speaker info, session details, attendee lists, and updates on our amazing sponsors—is right here on this site. Plus, check your materials for a sleek notebook with the schedule right at the front.

Get ready to connect, learn, and have a fantastic time in one of the South’s most charming cities. The Mayor of Greenville is excited to welcome us and has sent a letter to share his warm wishes.

Let’s make this conference one for the books—digitally, of course!

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Schedule

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024

8:00 - 9:00
Pre-Conference Registration

9:00 - 1:00
Pre-Conference Workshop (separate registration)
Removing Roadblocks to Remarkable Relationships | Redbud

1:00 - 4:00
Board Meeting | Crepe Myrtle

3:00 - 4:15
Registration Open

4:00 - 4:25
New Attendee Welcome | Collaborative Commons | Sponsored by METEOR Education

4:00 - 4:25
Sponsor Meeting | Regency Ballroom A, B, C

4:15 - 6:30
Opening Reception | Regency Ballroom A, B, C

5:00 - 6:00
General Session
Power & Impact: The Head/CFO Relationship | Regency Ballroom A, B, C

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2024

8:00 - 8:45
Buffet Breakfast | Regency Ballroom Pre-function

8:00 - 3:30
Exhibit Hall Open | Regency Ballroom Pre-function

8:45 - 9:00
Chair’s Welcome | Regency Ballroom

9:00 - 10:00
Keynote Session | Regency Ballroom

10:00 - 10:30Break with Sponsors | Regency Ballroom Pre-function

10:30 - 11:25
Breakout Sessions
Best Practices to Mitigate Fraud and Cyber Threats within Your Treasury Platform | Regency D, E
Unleash the Power of Hybrid Learning | Crepe Myrtle
Uncovering the Truth: Employee and Student Misconduct Investigations | Regency G, F
Mind, Body, & Spirit | Redbud

11:30 - 12:45
Lunch & President’s Address | Regency Ballroom A, B, C

12:45 - 1:45
General Session | Sourcing Solutions | Studio 220 at Noma A

1:45 - 2:00
Break with Sponsors | Regency Pre-function

2:00 - 3:00
Breakout Sessions
Stacking My Capital: Equity, Gift and Debt - How to Decide? | Regency D, E
Vigilant and Secure: Cybersecurity Best Practices for K12 Schools | Crepe Myrtle
Top 10 Benefit Plan Errors and Prevention Strategies | Regency G, F
HR Roundtable - Effective Strategies and Best Practices | Redbud

3:00 - 3:30
Break with Sponsors | Regency Ballroom Pre-Function

3:30 - 4:30
General Session | Regency Ballroom A, B, C

4:45 - 6:15
MISBO On Tap | Beer Tasting Event | Ticketed Event | Studio 220 at Noma A

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2024

8:30 - 9:00
Buffet Breakfast | Regency Ballroom Pre-function

9:00 - 9:15
Chair Elect’s Address | Regency Ballroom Pre-function

9:15 - 10:15
General Session | Regency Ballroom Pre-function

10:15 - 10:30
Break

10:30 - 11:30
Breakout Sessions
The Making of the CFO and HOS Team | Regency D, E
Enterprise Risk Management for Independent Schools | Crepe Myrtle
Effective Communication Strategies for CFOs and Facilities Directors | Regency G, F
Navigating Toxic People in the Workplace | Redbud

11:30 - 11: 45
Break

11:45 - 12:45
Breakout Sessions
Strategic Insights: Harnessing Data to Navigate Your School’s Success | Regency D, E
Money Matters to Health and Well-being | Crepe Myrtle
Abuse Risk Prevention - A Cultural Change | Regency G, F

12:45
Grab & Go Lunch | Regency Ballroom Pre-function

Speakers

Erik Brown
IT Director - Cybersecurity, FACTS

Erik Brown is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with 25 years of experience in IT operations, network administration, and cybersecurity. At FACTS, he directs a team overseeing network, infrastructure, and code security. His career spans domestic and international roles, driven by a passion for continuous learning and process improvement. Based in Texas with his wife and three children, Erik has completed 10 marathons and an ultra-marathon, including the NYC Marathon in 2022.

Jennifer Carroll
Partner, Fisher Phillips

Jennifer Carroll is a partner in the firm's Fort Lauderdale office and a co-ch

air of the Education Industry group. Jennifer counsels independent and private educational institutions on employee, student, and board matters, in addition to litigating on behalf of school clients. Jennifer frequently presents at local and national conferences for various industry groups on employment issues and regularly conducts school trainings.

Brian Clark

Senior Vice President, OneDigital Retirement + Wealth

Brian Clark serves as a Senior Vice President of the Retirement + Wealth division and brings over 36 years of experience in ERISA 403(b) plan consulting to his role as Practice Leader. His team advises close to 6 billion in retirement plan assets covering over 100,000 employees.

William Dillard
Director of Partner Awareness, Building Solutions

William Dillard brings over 25 years of experience in marketing and business development in a myriad of industries including over 20 years within the A/E/C and Real Estate industries. His focus the past 15 years has been with independent schools and colleges/universities. William has spoken to varying groups including MISBO, PAISBOA, Cal-ISBOA, NWAIS, TCSA, and NBOA. As the Director of Partner Awareness and member of the Executive Leadership Team for Building Solutions, he drives the firm’s strategies and tactics in all marketing-related activities.

Ilanit Fischler
Partner, Fisher Phillips

Ilanit Fischler is an employment and education attorney with Fisher Phillips. She represents schools in a broad range of matters relating to the workplace, including claims of unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, and contract disputes before federal and state courts, and administrative agencies. A significant portion of Ilanit’s practice is also devoted to counseling schools on preventive measures they may take to avoid or reduce legal claims, including counseling on day-to-day issues. Ilanit also provides employee training, conducts audits, prepares and reviews policies (such as handbooks), and drafts of contracts.

Tom Franz
Senior Associate of Partner Development, Building Solutions

Tom served a variety of schools during his thirty-nine years as a teacher, coach, mentor, division head, assistant head for academic affairs, head of school, and interim head of school. He served a variety of schools including Woodward Academy, St. Christopher’s School, Ravenscroft School, Trinity Episcopal School and High Point Friends School. Tom currently serves the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools Board, and for the past twenty years, he has served many schools as part of the VAIS, SAIS and SACS accreditation and re-accreditation processes. Tom loves working to help organizations grow and improve in support of their missions.

Joaquin Infante
Director of Technology, Jewish Leadership Academy

Joaquin Infante is a visionary technology leader with over 15 years of experience in leading and directing technology initiatives. Throughout his career, Joaquin has demonstrated an exceptional ability to leverage cutting-edge technologies to deliver innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of the schools. As an expert in education technology, Joaquin has a deep understanding of best practices for edtech integrations. His mission is to empower students with tools they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Committed to transforming education, Joaquin focuses on delivering solutions that enable students to achieve their academic goals and fully engage in learning.

Dallas Joseph Picture Dallas Joseph
COO/CFO, Baylor School

Dallas Joseph is COO/CFO at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN. Joseph entered the independent school sector after serving in financial leadership positions at three higher education institutions. In 2000, he joined the Baylor School as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer,

where he oversees accounting, dining operations, spirit store, summer programs, swim club, technology, security, transportation, and physical plant operations. His career in education includes 10 years in higher education administration. Dallas is the former Vice President of Finance at Fisk University in Nashville, Suomi College in Hancock, Michigan and Shaw University, Raleigh North Carolina.

Mr. Joseph holds Bachelor of Accounting Systems degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Business Administration from Campbell University. He is a member of several professional organizations. On the national level, he has held leadership roles in the areas of finance and enrollment management and served as board chair of the National Business Officers Association and the Enrollment Management Association. He serves on numerous boards, including RockPoint Bank, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Hunter Museum of American Art, and Shaw University.

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Peter Kaihani
Solutions Consultant/SVP, Truist Bank

Pete Kaihani is a seasoned Solutions Consultant, with over 20 years of experience, on Truist’s Wholesale Payments Solutions Consulting team. He specializes in healthcare payments, practice management integrations, information reporting, and fraud prevention measures. Pete leverages his extensive expertise to deliver strategic solutions that optimize working capital and enhance operational efficiency for clients. His career spans various roles in the financial sector, where he’s worked in Consumer Lending, Bank Operations, Commercial and Business Banking, and Treasury & Payment Solutions. Pete holds a strong track record of understanding payment complexities and a commitment to driving impactful outcomes for clients.

Veronique Kessler
CFOO, San Francisco Friends School

Veronique Kessler has been working in the independent school space for more than 10 years. She started her career at Deloitte where she obtained her CPA license and has since worked in both corporate and non-profit settings. She holds a Master's degree in Education and Human Development and is the current CFOO of San Francisco Friends School.

David Lee
Partner, Smith + Howard

David joined Smith + Howard in 2005, is now a partner in the Assurance practice and leads the firm's independent school practice. He oversees audits of many of the firm’s employee benefit plan and nonprofit engagements, as well as engagements that service various other industries. David has participated in MISBO’s CFO Thursday Roundtable discussions, where he has been a featured speaker on the Paycheck Protection Program and related legislation, as well as best practices for capital campaigns and regularly takes part in discussions involving the independent school community. David, his wife and their twins live in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Beth Lucas
Director of Human Resources, Charlotte Latin Day School

A native North Carolinian, Beth Cox Lucas attended an independent school in Winston-Salem. She is a product of the UNC system as a student in Greensboro, and much of her career before joining Charlotte Latin in 2014 was spent working in the UNC system.

She taught a master’s level Human Resources Management course at UNCSA and now manages a team of nearly 300 faculty and staff at Charlotte Latin.

John Lynch
Education Industry Manager, Truist Bank

John Lynch brings over 28 years of banking experience to his role as head of Truist Bank’s Education Industry Specialty practice. John partners with teammates to provide tailored solutions to organizations operating in this critical and dynamic industry. John’s efforts focus on delivering commercial and capital markets banking solutions to the public and private higher education sector and the K-12 independent school sector across the Truist Bank coverage markets. Prior to joining Truist's Industry Specialty Team, John held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility and leadership including roles in Equipment Finance, Specialized Industries and Business Banking.

Charles Maumus
Director of Finance, Oak Hill School

Charles Maumus, after answering an ad for part-time accounting clerk at St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Metairie, LA, 30 years ago, has spent his career in independent school administration as an accountant, human resource manager, director of annual fund, director of admissions, and currently director of finance at Oak Hill School in Nashville, TN. An avid sports fan who loves U.K. basketball, Charles has coached high school softball and middle school baseball. He and his wife, Sharon, have a high school and college student. In his free time, Charles makes hot sauce and can always be found with a bottle of it wherever he goes.

Nishant Mehta
Founder & President, MEHTA Cognition

After seven impactful years as head of The Children’s School in midtown Atlanta, Nishant founded MehtaCognition in spring 2020 as a leadership and management consultancy to better serve our educational and non-profit leaders and boards on their journey of innovation, inclusion, and strategic transformation.

Over a career spanning two decades, Nishant has worked in or consulted nationwide with schools and other organizations, big and small, on issues of leadership, culture, strategy and change management, and equity and justice. He has lived in four countries and is fluent in several languages. He is a sought-after writer, speaker, and presenter on advancing cultures of inclusion, learning, and leadership in organizations.

Nishant has served on many national, regional, and local boards. He shares his thoughts on leadership in inclusive communities, identity, and belonging at https://still-day-one.ghost.io. You can follow him on LinkedIn.

Cheryl McDowell
Senior Vice President, Education Practice Group, IMA

Cheryl McDowell has over 35 years of experience in insurance and risk management. She has served clients in industries ranging from aviation to technology, with a specialized focus on educational institutions. She holds Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Certified Insurance Services Representative (CISR), and Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM) designations, and has served as a national faculty member for the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research.

Cheryl works with an array of both non-profit and for-profit organizations, including educational institutions, to provide strategic risk management and insurance solutions through a forensic audit process that she developed.

Amber McKeen
Risk Consultant, Praesidium

Amber McKeen, MSW, MPH, specializes in working with independent K-12 schools. She has worked for 15 years to prevent child abuse in various capacities. Most recently, she led a team of CDC scientists to develop a publication on preventing child sexual abuse in youth-serving organizations.

As the Child Abuse Prevention Trainer at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, she delivered training, engaged in research, forged community relationships, and informed policy change. Amber truly believes in Praesidium’s mission to prevent abuse and enjoys working with schools to find dynamic solutions to foster a culture of safety.

Kevin Melvin
Risk Management Advisor, IMA

Kevin Melvin has over 18 years of industry experience as it pertains to insurance and risk management. Kevin has developed a passion for working with school business officers and has exclusively been working with schools for the last 12 years of his career.

Kevin holds a Certified School Risk Management designation and is ALICE certified. He also works closely with state associations as it pertains to educational risk.

Dave Michelman
President, Michelman Consulting

Dave Michelman crafted a career in independent schools, serving as a teacher, administrator, and head of school for 21 years. He now partners with senior leaders and their teams to ensure they are serving themselves and their schools at the highest levels.

Claudia Perez
Senior Manager, Assurance Services Group, Smith + Howard

Claudia Perez joined Smith + Howard in 2017 and is a Senior Manager in their Assurance Practice. She serves clients in a variety of industries, including nonprofit, independent schools, real estate, manufacturing, and distribution. Claudia is also a member of Smith + Howard's employee benefit plan audit practice.

Claudia earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from The Ohio State University. She is a member of the Pension Education Council of Atlanta, Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Anita Pittman
Director of Human Resources, Carrollwood Day School

Anita Pittman is the Director of Human Resources at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Florida. She has a BA in Business Administration from Baldwin-Wallace University and she has a diverse business background, including managing finances and human resources for a number of small businesses. Before joining CDS in January 2021, she was at Oak Hall School in Gainesville for 9 1/2 years, and at Maclay School in Tallahassee for 3 ½ years.

Jeff Shields
President & CEO, NBOA

Jeff Shields, FASAE, CAE, has served as president and CEO of NBOA since March 2010. Shields is a sought-after speaker delivering keynotes and educational sessions to numerous independent school audiences that include business officers and business operations staff, heads of school, trustees and other school leaders on the state, regional and national levels. Prior to his current role, Shields was employed by the National Association of College and University Business Officers for 10 years, where he served as senior vice president and chief planning officer. He holds a BA from Shippensburg University and an MA from The Ohio State University. He resides in DC and is the proud father of his 17-year-old daughter Samantha.

Amy Todd
Retirement Plan Consultant, OneDigital

Amy Todd joined OneDigital as a Retirement Plan Consultant in July 2022 after spending 11 years supporting institutional clients at Vanguard. In her current role, Amy acts as a co-fiduciary for several 403(b) and 401(k) clients in which she consults with plan sponsors and investment committees, monitors investment lineups, and provides employee education. Amy holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designation and holds FINRA Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses.

Mark Vosskamp
CFO/COO, Girls Preparatory School, Inc.

Mark Vosskamp holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Duke University and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill. His professional experience in independent schools began as a high school math teacher throughout the ’90s. He has worked in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors, executing mergers and acquisitions, developing solutions in the publishing industry, and managing finance and operations for a human services organization. Mark is on the Board of Directors of MISBO and serves as treasurer of a couple of other boards.

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Russ Webb
Executive Director, Bay Area Apartment Association

Russ Webb is the Executive Director of the Bay Area Apartment Association, moving to the Tampa Bay Area in 2020 after 21 years managing the Atlanta & Georgia Apartment Associations. A tech junkie and speaker extraordinaire, Webb has more than two decades of experience with over 2000 member companies. Russ is known for his unique approach to education, using "edu-tainment" to make learning fun. He has facilitated strategic planning for more than 30 associations.

Peter Winebrenner
Principal, Hord Coplan Macht

Peter Winebrenner is a Principal in Hord Coplan Macht’s Education Studio and the Independent School practice leader. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has designed independent K12 campuses and buildings, focusing on creating transformative learning environments. Peter frequently shares his expertise in independent school planning and design. Having grown up at Mercersburg Academy, he brings a deep understanding of independent schools to his work.

Debra Wilson
President, NAIS

Debra P. Wilson began her tenure as president of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) in August 2023. Previously, she led the Southern Association of Independent Schools through a period of growth and supported school leaders during the pandemic. Debra spent 19 years at NAIS, starting as assistant director of regulatory affairs and later serving as general counsel. She holds a B.A. in English from Sewanee and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina at Columbia. She enjoys reading, photography, and spending time outdoors.

Scott Wilson
Consultant & Executive Coach, ISM

Scott Wilson, a 40-year leader in independent schools, joined ISM in 2021 after serving as President and Headmaster of Baylor School from 2009 to 2021. He understands the demands of independent school leadership, from strategic planning to working with school constituencies. Scott remains passionate about independent schools and serves as the leader of ISM’s Boarding School Cohort.

Kaitlin Windle
CEO & Founder, Apte

Kaitlin Windle, a former professional ballerina turned Wall Street investment banker, later entered the nonprofit sector as a Development Director and CFO. Her success in standardizing board reports led her to found Apte, a company that empowers independent schools with data-driven strategic decision-making. Kaitlin is a proud Hathaway Brown School alum and passionate about helping organizations achieve financial success.

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Attendees

We hope you connect with both new friends and old during the conference! If you're having trouble remembering faces or names, be sure to check out our attendee directory. It's a fantastic resource to enhance your conference experience and help you make meaningful connections!

Attendee Directory

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Exhibit Hall Sponsors

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BRONZE SPONSORS

FRIEND SPONSORS

Apte

Campus Services Group

Checkwriters

FMX

Hord Coplan Macht

IMA Financial Group, Inc.

Meriwether Godsey

New Pinnacle Consulting Group, a division of Pentegra Financial Partners

Pinnacle Financial Partners

Revolution Office

SouthState Bank

ST Search & Consulting

CPE

To comply with the NASBA standards for program evaluation and to obtain CPE CREDIT, each attendee is required to complete the following:

Access and complete each session survey.
CPE Certificates of Credit will be emailed directly to each attendee upon verification.

In accordance with the standards of the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, CPE credits have been granted based on a 50-minute hour. For more information regarding administrative policies such as complaint, refund, and cancellation, call Dianne Sagaas at MISBO at 404.921.3812.

Complete Your CPE Survey

Removing Roadblocks to Remarkable Relationships

Wednesday, October 23rd
9:00am – 1:00pm