The 25th annual Crow’s Nest Institute, will be held at the Colony Hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine
June 23 - 25, 2025.

Crow’s Nest seeks admission and enrollment professionals who want to challenge themselves to be a more effective and creative school leader. For 25 years, independent school admission leaders have returned to their campuses from Crow's Nest with a fresh perspective, a clearer sense of their leadership capacity, and the critical insights necessary to develop long-term strategies to sustain school enrollment. Now in its 25th year, the purpose of Crow's Nest remains unchanged: to motivate and enable participants to embrace their role to inspire, collaborate, and lead by meeting challenges with intention, urgency and strength.

We invite you to join us in celebrating 25 years of The Crow’s Nest Institute while embracing your unique personal gifts and strengthening your skills as an enrollment leader and the critical role admissions and enrollment management professionals play at independent schools. In the wake of an unusually uncertain and stressful time for enrollment officers, and in the face of the challenges that lie ahead, we believe these three days of personal and professional growth, rejuvenation, and reconnection will prove invaluable.

Bill Leahy, Consultant at Carney, Sandoe & Associates, brings a wealth of boarding school leadership and enrollment management experience and expertise, having spent more than three decades at both the collegiate and secondary school levels. A native of New Hampshire, Bill returned to the Granite State in 2016 to serve as Dean of Enrollment at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he served in that position for eight years before joining the Carney Sandoe Team in 2024. In addition to his service at Phillips Exeter Academy, Bill served as Director of Admissions at Phillips Academy, Dean of Enrollment at Hotchkiss School, Director of Financial Aid and Senior Associate Director of Admission at St. Paul's School, Global Director of Enrollment Management at Avenues: The World School in New York City.

Jim Ventre, Assistant Head of School for Admission & Financial Aid at Phillips Academy Andover, received his degree in Economics and English from Dartmouth College in 1983. He then joined the Phillips Academy faculty as a teaching fellow in English and was also appointed as an admission officer until 1986. After a brief time on Wall Street, he was appointed director of financial aid in 1990. He was appointed dean of admission in 2012. In addition to his responsibilities in the Office of Admission, Ventre has served as an advisor, coach, and house counselor for close to four decades. Ventre was appointed interim head of school in 2019 and returned to his role in admission and financial aid in the summer of 2020. In 2021, Ventre earned the Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML) through the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School. Ventre has been celebrated for his work with underserved populations, and he has dedicated his professional career to working with students and their families to gain access to Andover.

Polly Fredlund, Head of School at Westover School, holds a B.A. in Comparative Literary Studies from Northwestern University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Vermont. With over 25 years of experience in independent school leadership, Fredlund began her journey in education rooted in the principles of enrollment management, strategic planning, and community engagement. Her career spans leadership roles in admissions and enrollment at independent schools from coast-to-coast, including National Cathedral School (Washington, D.C.), Hathaway Brown School (Shaker Heights, OH), and The Bush School (Seattle, WA). As Assistant Head of School for Community Engagement at The Bush School, she oversaw enrollment and communications, harnessing the power of strategic communications, brand alignment, and data-driven decision-making to elevate institutional positioning and drive meaningful organizational change. As Head of School at Westover, a girls-centered 9-12 boarding and day school in Middlebury, CT, Fredlund combines strategic vision with deep expertise in secondary education, spearheading initiatives such as The Westover Institute, the Oxford Tutorial Model, and the Teaching and Learning Center for Academic Engagement.

Crow’s Nest Institute Curriculum

Because independent schools rely on enrollment for the majority of their annual operating income, it is critical that admission directors educate themselves and their schools about:

• Strengthening self awareness and embracing leadershiip skills and the capacity to initiate change

• The shifts in the educational landscape and the most impactful responses to these challenges

• The “holy triangle of school finance”

• The ever-evolving marketing mix

In addition to timely and informative presentations on the marketing challenges we face, “Scanning the Horizon” sessions offer engaging discussion that inspire participants to think more strategically, more creatively, more energetically, and more intentionally about their school’s response.

At Crow’s Nest, we focus on personal development as much as retooling each participant's admission and enrollment management skill set. During the opening “Tending to Your Inner Captain” session, we’ll create space to reflect on who you are as a person, leader, and community member using the Enneagram, an amazing tool for personal and professional self-awareness.

During the three-day program, participants will be encouraged to think differently about how to navigate the rough waters of the education marketplace to position their school to be a beacon that attracts students and families aligned with their school’s mission. This will include strategizing on big picture thinking, clarifying institutional needs, and identifying strategies that will enhance admission operation and enrollment management practices.

Crow’s Nest Institute Schedule

Monday, June 24, 2024

12:30-1:30 — Registration
1:30-2:00 — Welcome, Introductions, Program Overview
2:00-5:30 — Tending to Your Inner Captain
6:30-8:00 — Cocktails and a Maine Lobster Bake
8:00-9:00 — Blueberry Pie and “What’s Next?” Conversation

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

7:00-8:00 — Gentle yoga
7:30-8:45 — Breakfast
9:00-10:15 — Scanning the Horizon
10:30-12:00 — Discussion by Assigned Small Group
12:15-1:15 — Ocean Breeze Luncheon
1:30-2:30 — Scanning the Horizon
2:45-3:45 — Scanning the Horizon
4:00-5:15 — Small Discussion Groups by Topic
6:00-8:00 — Cocktail Reception
8:00 — Dinner on own (There will be a sign-up for anyone interested in dining as a group)

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

7:00-8:00 — Gentle yoga
7:30-8:45 — Breakfast
9:00-10:15 — Refining Your Charted Course
10:30-11:45 — Refining Your Charted Course
12:00-1:00 — Discussion by Assigned Small Group
1:15-1:45 — Working Lunch and “Shout Outs”
1:45-2:00 — Closing comments