Launch of NBOA.org. As most of you know, the launch of a new website takes enormous planning and financial resources. Each decision must be carefully considered with the user experience in mind. When NBOA was created in 1998, the association was ONLY a website and a listserv. These tools are the foundation of who NBOA was, and they remain the foundation of who NBOA is today, which is why they should be the very best they can be. In 2014, we achieved that and much more with a best-in-class website at NBOA.org and through the NBOA Connect online communities.
Opening Welcome Reception at the 2014 NBOA Annual Meeting. This was the association's largest-ever meeting and our first in a warm climate for many years, and I don't think I'll ever forget the opening reception in the courtyard of the Gaylord Palms resort. The weather was perfect and the palm-lined lawn was filled with nearly 1,000 business officers, business office staff and business partners enjoying fantastic fish tacos, a steel drum band and each other's company. We even immortalized this magnificent sight with an aerial view in the NBOA headquarters office. For me, this memory says "community"—which is one of NBOA's most important hallmarks.
Head of School & Business Officer Partnership Program. 2014 afforded me a tremendous opportunity to speak with the heads of independent schools, and their business officers and trustees, about the importance of the relationship between the head of school and the chief business officer. Heads of schools were incredibly engaged as they posed insightful questions and demonstrated a strong desire to ensure that this relationship serves them and their schools as well as possible. Thank you to all of the heads of school who attended these events and who support the business officer role!
Business Office NOW. This fall, we travelled coast to coast to assemble business officers at nearby schools to discuss the issues of greatest importance to them and their colleagues. Our goal was to offer a program that was more intimate than our other face-to-face programs, but also relevant, engaging and accessible. It worked, thanks to your support in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Oakland and Seattle. Thanks also to the host organizations/schools—Holton-Arms School, ISACS, Head-Royce School and Lakeside School—and to our "A Team" of speakers: Nick Mirisis of SchoolDude, Brad Rathgeber of the Online School for Girls, and Genevieve Madigan and Grace Lee of the NBOA staff.
Looking ahead to 2015, Business Office NOW heads to Atlanta (March 13, Woodward Academy), Charleston (April 17, Charleston Country Day) and Dallas (May 13, Greenhill School). Please save the dates and join us! Registration information will be available soon.
The National Independent School Business Officer Community. I'm so appreciative of the work the NBOA staff has the opportunity to do every year and the privilege of who we get to do it for: you. Together, business officers, business office staff and the business partner community commit to making independent schools the most outstanding preK–12 educational organizations they can be. You are committed to doing the right thing, the right way, and it's a pleasure to serve you.
Rest assured that the NBOA board of directors and the NBOA professional staff are equally committed to supporting the work you do every day, every week and every year, in 2015 and well beyond. We all wish you an enjoyable holiday season and a very happy new year!
Thank you for a great 2014!
