The 2016 NBOA Ken White Distinguished Business Officer Award recipient is Bobbi Whiting, chief financial officer at Shore Country Day School in Beverly, Massachusetts. Bobbi has the distinction of being one of NBOA's 23 founding members and served on the NBOA Board of Directors for 12 years over two terms. During her 30-year career as a business officer, she has been a leader and mentor to colleagues on a regional and national level. As one of her nominators said, "When Bobbi speaks, people listen."
I met Bobbi in 2009, when she co-chaired the search committee for the NBOA executive director. My first in-person interview with the committee was early in the morning, and I kept drinking coffee—making me warmer and warmer as the discussion continued. To this day, I remember Bobbi's reassuring face despite her possible concern that I would sweat right through my interview suit. (My interview tip now: No matter how much you love coffee, drink ice water instead!) Bobbi was professional, attentive, smart and supportive during that first meeting and has remained so every day since. I'm looking forward to celebrating with her in Los Angeles.
The 2016 NBOA Sarah Daignault Outstanding Support of Independent Schools Award recipient is Caryn Pass, a partner at Venable, LLC. Caryn developed one of the country's first practices—if not the first—in independent school law. As early as 2005, she has supported NBOA consistently by presenting seminars and webinars, contributing to Net Assets and recruiting NBOA member schools. Her contracts, enrollment agreements, handbooks and other documents have become the foundations for many schools' business and human resource practices.
I remember my initial meeting with Caryn, too. Shortly after I joined the staff of NBOA, Caryn was one of the first members of the community to invite me to lunch and to offer support. In fact, she basically brokered my face-to-face introduction to Pat Bassett, then the NAIS president. The support that she has provided to so many independent school business officers makes her an excellent choice for this important award in 2016.
Join me in congratulating Bobbi and Caryn for the 2016 NBOA Awards. I also look forward to seeing many of you as we honor these remarkable colleagues (and hear from the equally remarkable Alison Levine) at the NBOA Leadership Awards Lunch on Tuesday, February 23, at the 2016 NBOA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
