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National Business Officers Association
Boulder, Colorado

has appointed

Jeffrey N. Shields

as

Executive Director

Jeff Shields, CAE, served as Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer of the National Association of College & University Business Officers for eight years including two years as Director of Strategic Initiatives. Prior postings include Senior Consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton and Director of Leadership Training & Development with the National Association of Home Builders. Mr. Shields holds a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/Public Relations from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

The Organization

Founded in 1998, The National Business Officers Association (NBOA) provides operations and financial management information training and resources to the entire independent school community and specifically to business officers, Heads of School and partners in the sustaining of independent schools. By anticipating emerging needs, issues, and opportunities, NBOA seeks to help member schools streamline business and strategic operations through education, consortia, and research, thus allowing them to learn from one another, to identify best practices, to establish benchmarks for quality performance, and to create an ongoing community of discourse. The mission statement of NBOA is as follows:

NBOA is the definitive professional resource and leading advocate for independent school business officers. Through programs, online tools, and research on emerging issues, NBOA helps to develop solutions for effective and sustainable operations in independent schools.

The National Business Officers Association was begun by 23 independent school business officers to provide business officers with quality professional development, nimble solutions to the ever changing business climate and a collegial atmosphere for sharing best practices. Moreover, NBOA was born to recognize the major changes taking place within the business officer profession and operations of schools. As recently as a few decades ago, most independent schools had business offices that provided only basic services such as accounting and reporting. Over the years, the role has been upgraded, and business officers now typically require a sophisticated knowledge of financial management and forecasting; deal with issues such as benefits, debts, and investments; have oversight of physical facilities, security, transportation, and food service; serve as the first line of contact on legal and community matters; and, more recently, at some schools, act as an income-generating resource by leveraging campus facilities and creating auxiliary programs that bring revenue and recognition to their schools. Increasingly, the business officer has become the chief operating officer of an independent school with responsibility for many, if not most, non-academic functions. Thus information-sharing opportunities and continuing education are vital necessities for professional business officers who wish to be at the leading edge of independent school management and to be strategic partners within the executive management team.

In order to reach as many people and schools as possible and to remain nimble in responding to emerging issues, the National Business Officers Association was founded as a virtual organization that relies on technology to deliver its mission and connect its staff and members. Consistent with a growth rate of 15 percent in recent years, membership today has grown to over 700, and the organization boasts an annual budget of $1.75 million. Member schools’ combined enrollment is approximately 334,000 students, with combined budgets of more than $7.6 billion. Staff has grown from one part-time volunteer to ten professionals, including the Executive Director and three Associate Directors in charge of professional development, programs and events, and web presence and library resources respectively. NBOA is currently headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, but its staff members are spread among that city, Connecticut, and Maryland. The 22 members of the Board of Directors are located from coast to coast.

Approximately 11 years after its start-up, the National Business Officers Association is known as the premier organization serving the independent school business officer. While the organization was initially founded in response to a specific need, NBOA has become more proactive within the past several years about its goals and services. The current vision of the organization reflects this shift and, along with the Association’s mission, guides the staff and the Board as they consider both the strategic direction of the organization and how that direction is realized in programs and other resources. That vision is as follows:

NBOA provides the resources, tools, and forums through which heads of independent schools, boards, and financial teams collaborate to develop powerful solutions to the complex challenges of business operations in schools. As part of this vision, NBOA is:

Forward-looking. NBOA anticipates emerging issues and illuminates developing trends while also meeting current and ongoing needs of membership.

Collaborative. NBOA fosters opportunities for sharing knowledge and building collective expertise among its members; NBOA also works to deliver streamlined, effective support through partnerships with related associations, vendors, and service organizations.

Committed to useful outcomes. NBOA consistently follows through to ensure that all activities lead to useful products and next steps.

NBOA provides a number of tools, resources, and programs that help the organization in living out its mission and vision. The Association has an active listserv through which more than 900 member business officers carry on robust discussions about topics of interest; holds frequent webcasts on topics of interest to business officers and their schools in such areas as financial reporting, fiduciary responsibility, facility issues, benefits, and investment strategies; maintains a professional development library from which members can secure documents and forms; provides a national purchasing program with vendors who provide goods and services at significantly reduced prices; and develops partnerships and collaborations with other associations, institutions, and educational organizations in order to raise continually the level of quality among members. NBOA also hosts a number of conferences and programs, including the annual Symposium, a 3-day meeting with a variety of speakers, workshops and seminars; the Summer Institute, a 5-day residential program for both experienced and new business officers; and the Institute for Advanced Financial Management, a 2-day seminar for veteran business officers. Net Assets, NBOA’s quarterly magazine, helps both business officers and heads of school stay abreast of the latest developments in the field, and 2009 marked the publication of the organization’s first book, Welcome to the Jungle: A Business Officer’s Guide to Independent School Finance & Operations, which offers guidance to all the key components of the business office. The Association, over the past five years, has also been providing a variety of consulting services to independent schools.

The Future of NBOA

Looking forward, there is a great deal of optimism about both how far NBOA has come since its inception and the myriad opportunities that remain for the organization to continue its growth in both outreach and quality. A recent strategic plan identified key goals for the next several years, including the following:

Expanding membership among both school and corporate members.
Enhancing professional development programs, including increased specialization and more opportunities for heads of school and boards of trustees.
Anticipating and responding to emerging trends in the business operations of schools and developing tools to help schools address challenges.
Building and strengthening partnerships with other associations and companies serving independent schools.
Continuing to solidify the board structure and maintaining positive relationships between the board and staff.
Hiring and retaining a highly competent and well-directed professional staff.

In 2009, NBOA’s founding Executive Director, Sarah Daignault, will retire from the Association to begin the next chapter of her career. In light of this change, the Board of Directors has launched a national search for her successor, who will serve as the public face of NBOA, be an advocate for independent school business officers, and lead the organization in refining and achieving its current goals.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will be responsible for the continued success and growth of the National Business Officers Association. Specific duties will include the following:

Working closely with the Board of Directors to determine and refine the strategic direction of the Association.
Serving as the public face of the organization and speaking compellingly on its behalf to members, partners, and external constituents.
Acting as an advocate for business officers in independent schools.
Strengthening NBOA’s reputation as the leading authority on independent school business matters.
Understanding current needs and anticipating future challenges for independent school business offices.
Creating and delivering programs that serve the members of NBOA, and generally assuring that the needs of members are met.
Leading the continued growth of NBOA, including increasing membership and expanding programs.
Developing and nurturing partnerships with other associations and organizations that support independent schools.
Traveling nationally to promote NBOA and deliver its services to members.
Directing a “virtual” staff, currently consisting of nine individuals, nationwide, including overall management of hiring and mentoring employees; planning and budgeting for annual fiscal requirements as well as those of special projects; and generally assuring that the Association operates in a professional and disciplined way.

Candidate Qualities

Leadership

A persuasive communicator who gains support and commitment from both current and prospective stakeholders and who inspires people with his or her energy, enthusiasm, and dedication.

One who leads by force of intellect, commitment to mission, passion for the organization and its members, and a genuine concern for future success of independent schools.

A dynamic visionary who sees the “big picture” and can identify future needs, develop strategies, establish priorities, and proactively address complex issues.

A catalyst who engenders a sense of creativity, innovation and willingness to take prudent risks with new initiatives.

A fair and personable leader who takes an open and collaborative approach to staff and board members, but who also has the discipline and tough-mindedness to ensure that organizational goals are consistently met.
Experience

There is a strong preference among NBOA membership that the next Executive Director have independent school business officer experience. Nonetheless, the Search Committee wishes to maintain an open mind throughout the search process, and, while recognizing the desires of membership at large, places the highest premium on background as a senior executive in the nonprofit world. General sets of desired experience include:

At least 5 years as a senior level executive that have allowed one to develop exceptional interpersonal and management skills.

Playing a key leadership role in the overall operations of an organization, including strategic planning, budgeting and fiscal oversight, hiring and training of staff, and managing administrative systems.

Working successfully with a board of trustees, as either a professional or a volunteer.

Speaking publicly, generating supporters, and creating alliances with key groups and individuals.

Using technology as a tool both to streamline administrative functions and to deliver programs and services.

Leading organizations undergoing growth and developing and executing plans to meet short- and long-term goals.

Establishing, evaluating, and refining programs while maintaining a focus on mission.
Skills and Knowledge

Superior communications skills that allow one to speak articulately and compellingly on behalf of an organization and to sustain effective external relations with current and prospective members and partner organizations.

Adept at managing and leading change while staying faithful to the mission and vision of an organization.

The ability to act as an advocate for the role of business officers in independent schools.

Able to anticipate emerging issues in the field of independent school financial and operations management and to work with staff and board members to devise resources and programs to assist members in meeting future challenges.

Capable of assimilating key industry data and disseminating it to staff and members while bringing clarity to complex issues.

Skilled in networking, building partnerships with other organizations, and forging cooperative efforts between and among staff, members, and other organizations.

Awareness of current developments in technology, an understanding of the ways in which they can assist independent school operations and broaden the reach of NBOA, and the ability to use such advancements effectively on both an administrative and programmatic basis.

A talent for hiring, mentoring, motivating, and leading a staff of committed professionals based across the country, and comfort delegating to competent second-line leadership while still retaining ultimate accountability.

Well-developed knowledge of strategic planning, budgeting, human resources, and marketing, including the ability ultimately to increase earned revenue for the Association.

An understanding of the dynamics of complex nonprofit organizations and, preferably, familiarity with independent schools.

A clear and well-grounded knowledge of financial management issues as well as the communications and social skills necessary to relate information to other professionals.
Personal Attributes

A person of honesty and integrity who honors commitments and deals with others in an open and straightforward fashion.

A charismatic, articulate, energetic, and dynamic leader who inspires confidence in others, engenders enthusiasm, and relates well with a wide range of constituents.

A thoughtful and empathetic listener who takes input from a variety of quarters but is comfortable making difficult decisions.

A forward-thinking, innovative risk-taker who is both loyal to the organization’s core mission and excited about the continued transformation of NBOA.

A self-aware leader who is confident yet appropriately humble.

One who enjoys serving as a mentor and educator for staff and members alike.

An executive who is intelligent, intuitive, resourceful, organized, and industrious.

A positive person with a good sense of humor.

Other Considerations

Location: NBOA is currently headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Because of the virtual nature of the Association, it is conceivable that the central office would be moved during the forthcoming leadership transition. The ultimate decision about the headquarters’ location will be determined by consultation between the next Executive Director and the Board of Directors.
Compensation: Competitive for a national-level association and commensurate with experience and cost of living.

Travel: Moderate to heavy.

Education: Bachelor’s degree required.

Candidates May Now Be: A business officer of an independent school, college or university, or other nonprofit organization.

A senior executive with an independent school or nonprofit organization who has knowledge of current issues surrounding nonprofit financial management.

A financial executive in the for-profit sector who has a solid understanding of independent schools and who has been deeply involved as a volunteer with nonprofit organizations.
A senior executive with a national or regional association who displays the knowledge and skill set required for the position.

Updated: Jul 23, 2010