2025 Heads of School Retreat and Annual Association Meeting
AISNE 2025 Heads of School Retreat | January 28 – 30, 2025
Join us for our 2025 Heads of School Retreat and Annual Association Meeting. We are excited to come together for a few days of community, laughter, learning, and growth. Engage in thought-provoking discussions, hear from world-class speakers, share experiences, and connect with fellow school leaders. Whether you are new to the AISNE community, or a familiar face, you will find this in-person gathering stimulating and reinvigorating.
Pricing and Hotel:
$699/pp. This event is exclusively for AISNE Members.
REGISTER HERE
Hotel Information
Wentworth by the Sea
588 Wentworth Rd
New Castle, NH 03854
Group rate: $209/nt + taxes, based on availability.
Limited discounted rooms remaining! Make your reservation today.
Agenda at a Glance
Tuesday, January 28
- 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Welcome Reception
- 6:00 – 8:00 PM | Dine on Your Own, or “Tables of Connection”
- 8:00 PM – | Cocktails & Conversations
Wednesday, January 29
- 7:45 – 8:45 AM | Breakfast and Focus Group
- 9:00 – 10:15 AM | Collaboration Café: New Heads of School (Years 1 – 3)
- 9:00 – 10:15 AM | Collaboration Café: Veteran Heads of School (Years 4+)
- 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM | Leading with Purpose: Designing Effective Evaluation Systems and Recentered Leadership Practices
- 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Lunch
- 1:15 – 2:30 PM | Leadership Trends and Scenario Collaboration
- 2:30 – 2:45 PM | Break
- 2:45 – 4:00 PM | Cultivating Resilience and Agency: Leading with Strength in Challenging Times
- 4:15 – 5:15 PM | AISNE Annual Meeting
- 5:15 – 6:30 PM | Cocktails, Connection, and Collaboration
- 6:30 – 8:00 PM | Dinner
- 8:00 PM – | Cocktails & Conversations
Thursday, January 30
- 7:45 – 8:45 AM | Breakfast
- 9:00 – 10:00 AM | Topic Sessions 1
- 10:15 – 11:15 AM | Topic Sessions 2
- 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM | Closing Keynote
- 12:45 – 1:30 PM | Lunch & Farewell
Conference Agenda
Tuesday, January 28
5:00 – 6:00 PM | Welcome Reception
Our retreat begins with this relaxed and festive reception, courtesy of TIAA, Fiducient Advisors, and Pentegra Retirement Services. Enjoy delicious cocktails and mocktails, light bites, and say hello to old friends and new. You’ll learn about the new AISNE Multiple Employer Retirement Program (MEP), a new member benefit that can save your school thousands of dollars.
6:00 – 8:00 PM | Dine on Your Own, or “Tables of Connection”
Dinner on Tuesday night is on your own. If you would like to join a small group of your fellow Heads, AISNE helps facilitate groups—we call these Tables of Connection. View the list of different groups here, and sign up by Friday, January 7. We’ll follow up to connect group members so that you can make reservations at the hotel restaurant, or a local Portsmouth favorite, and set up a time and place to meet. This is a wonderful chance to build new connections, foster friendships, and engage in fun and meaningful discussions over dinner.
8:00 PM – | Cocktails & Conversations
Come together for a nightcap and casual conversations at the Wentworth’s Salt Bar in the lobby. (Cash bar)
Wednesday, January 29
7:45 – 8:45 AM | Breakfast and Focus Groups
9:00 – 10:15 AM | Collaboration Café: New Heads of School (Years 1 – 3)
Facilitated by: Allison Gaines Pell, Head of School at The Wheeler School (Providence, RI) & Becky Biggs, Director of Professional Learning & Community Programs at AISNE
Starting your journey as a Head, whether in a new community or transitioning within your career, is both rewarding and challenging. This is a dedicated space for Heads in years 1 – 3 to connect, reflect, and share insights. We will explore strategies for navigating the complexities of headship, from balancing leadership roles to building sustainable practices for long-term success.
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9:00 – 10:15 AM | Collaboration Café: Veteran Heads of School (Years 4+)
Facilitated by: Eric Dustman, Independent Consultant and Author, and Sara Wilson, AISNE’s Executive Director
As an experienced Head, you understand the ongoing challenges and complexities of leadership in today’s educational landscape. This session provides a collaborative space for veteran heads (years 4+) to engage in open dialogue, discover new resources, and exchange best practices. This peer discussion is a great way to kick off a day of learning and sharing.
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM | Leading with Purpose: Designing Effective Evaluation Systems and Recentered Leadership Practices
Presented by: Martha Haakmat, Executive Director at Haakmat Consulting
We will join celebrated education consultant Martha Haakmat for an immersive, reflective, and action-oriented exploration of leadership best practices that integrate equity and data-driven decision-making. Martha will guide us through the creation of effective rubrics and frameworks for employee evaluations that drive meaningful growth and performance. Together, we will reflect on past challenges that evolved into victories, drawing lessons from those experiences to apply to your current leadership practice. There will be dedicated time for deep recentering, and reconnecting with the foundational roots of leadership that guide your school community. Through a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Martha will teach us how to effectively gather and interpret data on school performance, ensuring that your evaluation systems and data collection are not only comprehensive but also equitable. Learn how to build and lead data-driven systems that empower your community, while fostering an inclusive culture that values every voice in the process.
12:00 – 1:00 PM | Lunch and Focus Groups
1:15 – 2:30 PM | Leadership Trends and Scenario Collaboration
Presented by: Darryl Ford, VP of Education Leadership Services, and Susanna Jones, Senior Search Consultant, at Carney Sandoe & Associates
In this interactive session, you will explore current trends and pressing challenges impacting school leadership today. Darryl and Susanna from Carney Sandoe & Associates will open with a brief presentation highlighting national and regional insights, offering valuable context on emerging trends. We will then engage in a hands-on scenario workshop, examining real-world cases and collaborating in small groups to tackle challenges commonly faced by school heads.
2:30 – 2:45 PM | Break
2:45 – 4:00 PM | Cultivating Resilience and Agency: Leading with Strength in Challenging Times
Presented by: Maria Trozzi, Author of Talking with Children About Loss
In this session, you will be guided through a crucial conversation about the importance of fostering agency in our students, both during their typical school day and when a school crisis challenges the community. Heads understand the importance of readiness when their community faces a crisis of loss, both anticipated and unanticipated; crises that challenge both adults and children’s emotional regulation. They may not appreciate the hidden opportunities inherent in crises to further strengthen and reinforce their school’s culture of care and support. At each age and stage, all children are faced with ‘developmental disasters,’ hidden opportunities for developing agency, or not, depending on guidance from the well-meaning adults in their lives. Each experience, however, can build emotional strength and self-efficacy—a foundation for their future resilience. How do leaders create such an environment? You will leave with actionable strategies for cultivating environments where resilience and agency are at the forefront of student development, and where the importance of mental health care and support is woven into the very fabric of the school community. Maria will emphasize that no student (or leader) should have to “worry alone” and that building a culture of care and shared responsibility is key to sustaining both student well-being and adult resilience.
4:15 – 5:15 PM | AISNE Annual Meeting
Sara Wilson, AISNE’s new Executive Director, and Lise Charlier, President of AISNE’s Board of Directors, will lead a session of association updates. We will discuss AISNE’s strategic framework project, the new AISNE Multiple Employer Retirement Program (MEP) benefit, and more.
5:15 – 6:30 PM | Cocktails, Connection, and Collaboration courtesy of Olson Lewis + Architects
Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails and learn how social dance can serve as both a team-building tool and framework for deeper learning with educator and speaker Rodney Eric Lopez. He will lead those who choose to participate in dance and discuss key themes such as scaffolding—gradually building skill and confidence—and the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in fostering a supportive, inclusive environment. Whether you use the time to learn through dance or to hold informal conversations, this is meant to be a fun time to kick off our evening.
6:30 – 8:00 PM | Dinner, courtesy of Blackbaud
8:00 PM – | Cocktails & Conversations
Come together for a nightcap and casual conversations at the Wentworth’s Salt Bar in the lobby. (Cash bar)
Thursday, January 30
7:45 – 8:45 AM | Breakfast (by State)
9:00 – 10:00 AM | Topic Sessions 1
AI Literacy & Essential Tools
Presented by: José Antonio Bowen, Educator and Author
The two largest complaints about AI responses are that they are either wrong or boring, but both are often the result of using the wrong tool and poor or bland prompting. AI prompts need to provide more human context and be more literal than those we use with a search engine. Since AI uses natural human language, it also needs human-level communication precision—asking your AI to slow down and think more carefully can greatly improve results! Using AI is like working with 1,000 smart, but naive, interns. You can’t lead an AI strategy if you don’t understand how to use it. In this interactive workshop, you will learn how to find the right AI tool for your task and get to compare and practice with different AIs.
Leadership, Power, and Sustainability
Presented by: Eric Dustman, Independent Consultant and Author
The sustainability of your work as a Head begins with you. The level of self-actualization you show can directly relate to your success and longevity within the role. Your willingness to be vulnerable, to show humility, and to act in ways that encourage trust from your board and others will afford you leadership power and your sustainability of it. In this session, we’ll see what research says about power and how you gain it. We’ll explore what personal and professional attributes you hold that can help sustain power.
Building Bridges, Not Revolving Doors: Recruiting and Retaining Top Development Talent
Presented by: Rodney Eric Lopez, Educator and Speaker
Development directors are pivotal to independent schools’ financial health and long-term success, yet their average tenure in nonprofits—just 18 months—signals a crisis in recruitment and retention. This session, led by fundraising expert Rodney Eric Lopez, will explore the unique challenges and opportunities for heads of schools to attract, develop, and retain high-performing development professionals. You will uncover strategies to align institutional culture, leadership, and support structures through an engaging discussion to create a more stable and thriving development team. Expect actionable insights, peer-sharing, and tools to strengthen your school’s capacity to sustain its mission.
Proactive Strategies for Managing Employment Issues
Presented by: Samantha Halem, Partner, Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP, and John T. Graff, Partner, Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP
Employment challenges can be complex, but with the right tools and guidance, they don’t have to lead to unnecessary complications. In this session, you will learn practical approaches to addressing employment issues before they arise and creating proactive solutions tailored to your organization’s needs. Learn how to navigate potential pitfalls, foster a legally sound work environment, and minimize the risk of litigation. Gain insights on what to expect and how to prepare for a strong defense should the need for litigation arise.
10:15 – 11:15 AM | Topic Sessions 2
Teaching Change with Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection
Presented by: José Antonio Bowen, Educator and Author
Leading meaningful change in schools requires more than vision; it demands a deep understanding of how people learn, adapt, and grow. Learn the transformative framework of the New 3Rs: Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection in this session. We will explore how these principles can foster engagement, motivation, and lasting change across both student and adult communities. You will gain practical strategies to build supportive relationships that enhance learning and motivation, foster resilience by designing experiences that encourage perseverance through challenges, and incorporate reflective practices that help individuals synthesize ideas and develop lifelong learning habits.
Leading Schools When Everyone Is Exhausted (And the World Is in a Swivet)
Presented by: Jennifer Bryan, PhD, Founder and Principal at Re-Set School
Heads of School have been trained to use leadership models, theories, and practices that assume a healthy, functional work force. We have special strategies to use in a crisis, but what happens when the entire system is compromised—when all of the people who make school happen are drained? The effects of Covid linger, and the social/political attacks on curriculum, teachers, and administrators add to the depletion many educators feel. In this interactive session we apply a holistic model of wellbeing as a framework for understanding the needs of and remedies for exhausted personnel. Bring creativity, humanity, sense of humor, and your own exhaustion to this restorative session. You will come away with a wellbeing model tailored for independent school environments and strategies for teaching, learning, and community life that support flourishing and achievement.
Partnering for Success: Heads of School and Enrollment Management in a Changing Landscape
Presented by: Mike Cobb, Senior Innovation and Organizational Excellence Strategist at Mission & Data
The evolving enrollment landscape in New England requires innovative leadership and strong partnerships between Heads of School and enrollment management teams. In this session, we will share insights and strategies for fostering effective collaboration that drives institutional success. Drawing on his experience as a Head of School, enrollment leader, and futurist, Mike will explore key trends shaping enrollment management in New England and beyond. We will also explore the critical role of the Head in supporting and aligning with enrollment teams and forward-thinking strategies to navigate the intersection of DEIB, mission, and enrollment. Whether you’re addressing immediate enrollment needs or planning for the future, this conversation will equip you to strengthen your school’s mission and enrollment strategy.
You Have a Crisis…Hope Is Not a Strategy
Presented by: Jane and Jim Hulbert, Co-Founders, The Jane Group
Session Description: In this session, presenters will discuss crisis trends, managing responses, communications strategies, and guiding principles. Key points will include the need for advanced preparation, and how to ‘hurry up and slow down’ in developing the crisis response to the community. There will also be a discussion of critical first steps, managing the timing of communicating, and how to work with the media. Real and anonymized case studies based on current issues will be shared.
11:30 AM – 12:45 PM
Closing Keynote: “Leading and Strategy with AI” with José Antonio Bowen
AI is transforming the way we work, think, and lead, offering schools more than just efficiency improvements—it provides opportunities for innovation and enhanced support. In this session, José Antonio Bowen will guide you through a hands-on exploration of how AI can reshape school operations, strategy, and culture. You will learn how AI can streamline tasks to improve quality, speed, and even work satisfaction. We’ll also examine how AI can enhance student support, meeting documentation, and assessments, and generate creative solutions by surpassing human ability in idea generation. The session will also cover creating fine-tuned AI tools for specific needs, such as financial aid processes, and how to strategically decide when “good enough” suffices versus where human expertise is essential.
José Antonio Bowen has been leading innovation and change for over 40 years at Stanford, Georgetown, and the University of Southampton (UK), then as a dean at Miami University and SMU and as President of Goucher College (voted a Top 10 Most Innovative College under his leadership). He now runs Bowen Innovation Group L.L.C., and does innovation, pedagogy and D&I consulting and training in both higher education and for Fortune 500 companies including AT&T, Chevron, Pfizer, Toyota, and Walmart. Bowen has long been a pioneer in education, classroom design and technology, featured in the New York Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Newsweek, PBS News Hour, and on NPR. He was given a Stanford Centennial Award for Undergraduate Teaching in 1990 and he has presented keynotes and workshops at more than 400 campuses and conferences in 46 states and 20 countries around the world. His books on teaching include Teaching Naked, and its sequel, Teaching Naked Techniques: A Practical Guide to Designing Better Classes with C. Edward Watson, and Teaching Change: How to Develop Independent Thinkers using Relationships, Resilience and Reflection. His latest book with C. Edward Watson is Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning.
12:45 – 1:30 PM | Lunch & Farewell
Join Your Peers
Join the following school leaders at the Retreat:
- Martina Albright, Apple Orchard School
- Susan Angelides, Cambridge Montessori School
- Saeed Arida, NuVu High School
- Cady Audette, Charlestown Nursery School
- Jon Bartlett, Brookwood School
- Brad Bates, Dublin School
- Tim Belk, Boston Trinity Academy
- Deanne Benson, Lesley Ellis School
- Beth Black, Wellan Montessori School
- Amber Bock, Shore Country Day School
- Derek Boonisar, The Fenn School
- Michael Bowler, Harborlight Montessori
- Katherine Bradley, Dana Hall School
- Melissa Bride, San Miguel School Providence
- Gabe Burnstein, Charles River School
- Joanne Carruthers, Stanstead College
- Charles Carter Jr., Beacon Academy
- Marshall Carter, Atrium School
- Andy Chappell, The Derryfield School
- Lise Charlier, The Cambridge School of Weston
- Emily Charton, The Rashi School
- Josh Clark, Landmark School
- Lance Conrad, Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall
- Will Crissman, Tenacre Country Day School
- Ryan Dahlem, The Rivers School
- Krista Demas, Tremont School
- Jon Deveaux, Campus School of Smith College
- Marcia Diamond, Bay School
- Margaret Douglas, Odyssey Day School
- Nicole DuFauchard, The Advent School
- Sean Duncan, The Winchendon School
- Todd Eveleth, Tower School
- Henry Fairfax, Concord Academy
- Steve Farley, Kingsley Montessori School
- Nancy Fincke, Lincoln Nursery School
- Gretchen Forsyth, Glen Urquhart School
- arvind grover, Meadowbrook School of Weston
- Judy Guild, Brimmer and May School
- Carla Haith, Mother Caroline Academy
- Justin Hajj, The Learning Project Elementary School
- Jim Hamilton, Berwick Academy
- Brian Hargrove, Northfield Mount Hermon School
- Kari Headington, Hollis Montessori School
- Danielle Heard, Nashoba Brooks School
- Dalia Hochman, Gann Academy
- Jessica Hooper, Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
- Brooke Hopkins, Riverbend School
- Sharon Howell, St. Johnsbury Academy
- Benjamin Jackson, North Yarmouth Academy
- Anna Johnson, The Wolf School
- Tim Johnson, Pingree School
- Tracy Keller, Green Mountain Valley School
- Moira Kelly, Explo
- Kristy Kerin, Brewster Academy
- John Khouri, Lexington Christian Academy
- Lauren Lambert, Stoneleigh-Burleigh School
- Walter Landberg, St. Michael’s Country Day School
- Brendan Largay, Belmont Day School
- Gretchen Larkin, Eagle Hill School (CT)
- Sophie Lau, Lincoln School
- Marie Leary, The Sage School
- Tyler Lewis, Kimball Union Academy
- Donna Milani Luther, Inly School
- Maggie Lyon, Breakwater School
- Molly MacKean, Kents Hill School
- Roderick MacNeal Jr., The Chestnut Hill School
- Alex Magay, The Woodward School
- Dexter Mahaffey, Vermont Commons School
- Rene Menard, Thornton Academy
- Emily Miller, Nantucket Lighthouse School
- Dan Morrissey, Crossroads Academy
- Timothy Newbold, Village School of North Bennington
- Kathleen Nicholson, Wolfeboro Camp School
- Danny O’Brien, The Putney School
- Lauren Obregon, The Center School
- Barbara Orlowitz, Andover School of Montessori
- Garine Palandjian, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School
- Allison Gaines Pell, Wheeler School
- Kelly Pellagrini, Charlestown Nursery School
- Sarah Pelmas, The Winsor School
- David Perry, Falmouth Academy
- Nick Perry, The Grammar School
- Patrick Phillips, Hebron Academy
- Tim Powers, Pinkerton Academy
- Jennifer Price, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
- Grace Cotter Regan, Boston College High School
- Kim Ridley, Fayerweather Street School
- Bekah Riley, Cambridge-Ellis School
- Sessa Salas, Peopleplace Cooperative Preschool
- Rosanna Salcedo, Community Preparatory School
- Julie Salit, Cape Cod Academy
- John Schatz, The Academy at Charlemont
- Margaret Schlachter, The Mountain School at Winhall
- Michael Schloat, The Bement School
- Greg Schneider, Belmont Hill School
- Arnold Shorey, Foxcroft Academy
- Sergio Simunovic, The Greenwood School
- Tao Smith, Gould Academy
- Jamie Soule, Erskine Academy
- C.J. Spirito, Rock Point School
- Mark Stanek, Shady Hill School
- James Steckart, Oak Meadow Montessori School
- Mark Tashjian, Burr and Burton Academy
- Karen Thomson, Red Fox Community School
- David Tinagero, St. Andrew’s School
- Katherine Titus, Moses Brown School
- John Turner, Heronfield Academy
- Jessie Vogel, North Shore Nursery School
- Amy Vorenberg, Nantucket New School
- Geoffrey Wagg, Waynflete School
- Emily Waterfield, The Common School
- Susanna Waters, Fay School
- Allison Webster, Dedham Country Day School
- Scott Young, Park School
- Jennifer Zaccara, Vermont Academy
- Pete Zetlan, The Cornerstone School
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The AISNE 2025 Heads of School Retreat would not be possible without their generous support.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations and transfer requests must be sent via email to info@aisne.org. Cancellations received up to 10 days before the start of the event will receive a 100% refund, less a $150 administrative fee. This fee covers the cost of our minimum commitments with our hotel partners; thank you for your understanding. Transfers of registrations from one person to another are permitted up to 3 business days before the start of the event.
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