Sep 5, 2023
Mike Connor
Mike is President of Connor Associates and co-author of the NAIS book, Marketing Independent Schools in the 21st Century. His latest e-Book, Pulling in the Same Direction, emphasizes everyone’s role in recruitment, retention, and fundraising.
Earlier in his 30+ year career Mike worked in nearly every position at independent K-12 schools. Today, Connor Associates has 16 Associates and Partners and has served clients in 28 states and on four continents.
Connor Associates stakes its value on its experience with providing comprehensive marketing and financial services, including ensuring proof of ROI through confidential Image Audits and Surveys, Enrollment Feasibility Studies to identify and map mission-appropriate families, Five-year Enrollment Forecasts, Business Office Evaluations and Plans, Strategic Marketing Plans, and Institutional Strategic Plans.
Connor Associates’ newest offering, Executive Searches, uses a unique approach that finds, trains, and provides coaching and support for members of your leadership team.
Thom Greenlaw
After serving not for profit organizations for over 40 years Thom Greenlaw founded Creative Independents (CI) in 2012. CI serves not-for-profit schools, colleges and other education focused institutions finding creative solutions to strategic issues facing these organizations. Thom joined Connor Associates as a Senior Strategic Partner for Finance, Operations, and Executive Searches in 2018. In addition to coordinating Leadership Searches, he specializes in Compensation Analysis, Tuition Elasticity, and Financial Sustainability Studies.
For over 20 years Thom served in varying senior operational and finance roles in independent schools including thirteen years as Assistant Head for Operation / CFO at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA. Prior to his employment at BB&N, Thom served as Business Manager at the Dana Hall School. A former Board member for NBOA and AISAP, he also served on the Board of Summit Montessori School and was a volunteer mentor, specializing in not for profits for SCORE. He was President of The Independent Schools Compensation Corporation, a self-insurance group for over 170 independent schools, colleges and cultural organizations from 2012 to 2022.