The Work Story

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Professional Experience and Educational Leadership

2019-Present

The Lexington School, Lexington, Kentucky—Coed, Preschool-8 grades, 600 students Principal Consultant for Advancement

  • Advise the Head of School.
  • Member of the Administrative Team.
  • Lead advancement team on marketing, communications, and external affairs.
  • Collaborate on constituent and donor relations and fundraising design.
  • Direct school-wide brand management.
  • Member Strategic Planning Task Force.
  • Consult with faculty on curricular technology integration.
  • Advance community partnerships and entrepreneurial initiatives.     

2016-2019                               

The Lexington School, Lexington, Kentucky—Coed, Preschool-8 grades, 600 students Director of Marketing and Communications

  • Directed brand management and school-wide communications.
  • Oversaw constituent and public relations, community outreach, and facility improvement collaboration.
  • Managed all inbound content for website, social media, blog, advertising, and print collateral.
  • Built the message, brand, and collateral for a successful $15 million Capital Campaign.

2003-2016                               

The Lexington School, Lexington, Kentucky                                                                    Director of Admission, Marketing, and Financial Aid

  • Developed and executed all recruitment and retention goals.
  • Handled financial aid and faculty remission budget including the execution of a net tuition revenue model.
  • Oversaw schoolwide marketing, branding, and communications, public and constituent relations, scholarship programs, community outreach, and facility improvement collaboration.
  • Managed an admission and marketing staff, faculty admission committees, and parent and student ambassadors.
  • Collaborated on developing and sustaining nationally lauded Learning Center at The Lexington School for children with language-based learning differences.
  • Developed and executed an emergency Tuition Assistance Fund resulting from the 2008 recession that positively impacted retention and community culture.
  • Collaborated with the Development Office on integrated marketing, communications, and fundraising initiatives including Annual Fund and 2009 successful capital campaign that increased the endowment to a top 20 K-8 school nationally.
  • Taught classes in English, Journalism, Marketing, Etiquette, and traveled with students to Barrier Islands, Utah, and the Grand Canyon.

2016-Present

Bethinc. (Beth Pride, LLC) Lexington, Kentucky

Advisor for private/independent schools, creatives, and small businesses. Expertise relates directly to advancement: admission, marketing, branding, development, communications, public relations, key position searches, and overall climate and culture.

Recent Projects:

  • Capital campaign consultation, Lexington Catholic High School, Lexington, KY
  • Advancement and strategic planning, Wheeling Country Day School, Wheeling, WV
  • Business and marketing management, Kelly Brewer Fine Art, Lexington, KY
  • Marketing consultation, More Than a Bakery, Versailles, KY.
  • Marketing and operations, Oxford Farm, Lexington, KY
  • Director, Principal Search for Lexington Catholic High School, Lexington, KY
  • Advancement consultation, Grand River Academy, Austinburg, OH
  • Admission, marketing/branding consultation, Peter’s School, Chattanooga, TN
  • Admission and marketing consultation Hammond School, Columbia, SC

Core Accomplishments

  • Achieved #2 Best Private Elementary School in the Nation ranking by BestSchools.org for The Lexington School, a direct correlative to effective inbound marketing/branding and SEO.
  • Increased enrollment at The Lexington School from 488 in 2003 to 596, the largest in history, and reduced attrition to the lowest 16% in 2003 to 3% in 2015.
  • Expanded diversity in new families at The Lexington School by 50%.
  • Developed a trajectory-changing new philosophy statement and for The Lexington School.
  • Strengthened the brand and national reputation of TLS through effective internal and external communications, creative marketing, and entrepreneurial strategies.
  • Created a collaborative admission and recruitment process that positively changed the culture of the school.
  • Worked with donors to develop scholarships for bright, socio-economically disadvantaged girls and boys.
  • Collaborated in developing The Learning Center at The Lexington School for children with language-based learning differences.
  • Developed a system of advancement audit and consultation that positively impacts school climate, culture,

  • and community engagement at client schools.

Relevant Professional Experience

  • Presenter, CASE and NAIS National Leadership Conferences, 2017-2018
  • Presenter, Enrollment Management National Conference, 2018
  • Presenter, KAIS and NAIS Leadership Conferences, 2016
  • Awarded NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring Heads, 2015
  • Member Board of Trustees, Lexington Catholic High School, Lexington, KY 2014-2016
    • Executive Committee, Chair of Academic Committee, 2016
    • Strategic Planning Committee, 2016
  • Member Fayette Alliance Board of Directors, Lexington, KY, 2009-2012
  • Member Good Shepherd Day School Board of Directors, Lexington, KY, 2001-2003
  • Member ISACS Visiting Team, Pathfinder School, Traverse City, MI, 2012
  • Member ISACS Visiting Team, Community School, St. Louis, MO, 2005
  • Marketing Institute, ISACS, SSATB, Independent Schools of St. Louis Conference, 2003

1994-1999

Hammond School, Columbia, South Carolina—Coed, Preschool-12 grades, 850 students

English and Creative Writing Teacher, Head Coach Girls’ Varsity Soccer

  • Taught eleventh-grade British Literature and twelfth-grade Creative Writing.
  • Coached Girls’ Varsity Soccer team and acquired a USSF D-level coaching license.
  • Traveled to Belize and Guatemala with students.
  • Member SACS visiting team

1992-1994

Brentwood High School, Brentwood, Tennessee—Coed, 9-12 grades 1,300 students      11th and 12th English Teacher and Assistant Girls’ Varsity and Junior Varsity Soccer Coach

Education

2015

Aspiring Heads Fellowship, National Association of Independent Schools, Atlanta, Georgia

1992

Master of Education, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

1990

Jesus College, Oxford University, Oxford, England

1990

Bachelor of Arts, English Literature, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

1987

High School Diploma, Darlington School, Rome, Georgia