About our Executive Director

As a strategy consultant and process facilitator, Drouin supports independent school trustees, heads, and administrative leadership teams in their commitment to building sustainable schools with local and global impact. She is known for her innovative work in adapting business models, principles, and practices to school settings and as a pioneer of social marketing in the 1980s. Over the past three decades she has facilitated hundreds of strategic planning, strategic marketing, and change initiatives for health, education and faith-based nonprofits.

Drouin is co-author of three books published by the National Association of Independent Schools: The Strategic Process: 10 Steps for Planning Your Independent School’s Future (2007), NAIS’s Marketing Independent Schools in the 21st Century (2001), and A Trustee’s Primer on the Strategic Process, the newest addition to the NAIS Independent School Trustee Series (2008). She is also a Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Gold Medal Award Winner and has earned CASE’s Stellar Speaker Award multiple times.

Drouin’s independent school projects have involved the design and facilitation of the following: inclusive strategic planning processes; board, administrative team, and faculty retreats; strategic plan launches; strategic thinking sessions; vision casting; scenario development; root cause analysis; Appreciative Inquiry; open space technology; values identification workshops; goal setting sessions; strategy sessions; community-wide symposia; outcome-based objective writing workshops; strategic plan implementation design and oversight; and strategic marketing planning and consultation.

A former classroom teacher, Drouin has also been an independent school administrator, served on nonprofit boards, and is co-founder of I Want to Learn English Language Labs, a global educational nonprofit that brings English language learning to children in developing nations and newcomer population centers in the U.S. Her education includes a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Secondary Education from Framingham State College and post graduate work at Boston University’s School of Public Communication.

National Conference Speaking Engagements

A familiar face at national conferences, Christina is an experienced session leader and speaker on Board development, educational marketing, and strategic planning. Workshop and national conference session presentations have included:

• Following a Long-Time Head: Stabilizing Leadership in Times of Change, NAIS 2009 Annual Conference
• The Wise Board Ensures Its Future Sustainability through Its Own Strategic Plan, NAIS 2009 Annual Conference
• Take a Break from Traditional Problem-solving, Discover AI, NAIS 2008 Annual Conference
• Strategic Marketing for Your Independent School, Association of Independent Schools of Maryland (2007)
• Chait and Collins…You’ve Read the Books, Now What? NAIS 2007 Annual Conference
• Strategic Steps to Success, NAIS 2007 Annual Conference
• Values-based Strategic Planning, 3-hour workshop at RAVSAK (The Jewish Community Day School Network) Annual Leadership Conference (2006)
• Strategic Thinking Session on School Governance for Sustainability, National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) 2005 Annual Conference
• Beyond Strategic Planning: Strategic Thinking for Sustainable Development, at the NAIS Annual Conference (2005)
• Crisis Communication Planning at the Elementary School Heads Association’s annual international conference (2003)
• Crisis Planning and Communications at the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) Annual Heads’ retreat (2003)
• Values-Driven Partnerships for National Associations at the 2003 NAIS Annual Independent School Conference
• Values-Driven Partnerships for International Associations at the 2003 NAIS Annual Independent School Conference
• Strategic Planning in Times of Change (for school heads and trustees) at the NAIS 2002 Annual Conference and 2003 conferences
• Becoming a Strategic Board at NAIS Leadership through Partnership Conference for Heads and Board Chairs (2002)
• Valuing and Owning Mission at the North American Association of Mennonite Schools’ Biennial Conference (2002)
• Improving Meeting Effectiveness at the FCIS Administrators’ Retreat (2002)
• VAIS Annual Marketing Institute, lead faculty member 2000 and 2002
• Strategic Planning in Times of Change (for school heads and trustees) at the National Association of Episcopal Schools 2000 Biennial Conference
• Leading Together: Issues and Trends in School Governance (for association executives and board chairs) at the NAIS 2002 Annual Conference
• Marketing Communications, CASE/NAIS 1999 and 2000 Annual Conferences
• Writing the Institutional Marketing Plan, CASE/NAIS 1999 Annual Conference
• To Market We Go, CASE/NAIS 1998 Annual Conference

Appointments and Awards

• International award recipient of the 1998 Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Gold Medal for Print Advertising
• Member of the NAIS Admission and Marketing Committee (1999-2000)
• Appointment as Communications Track Chair for the 1999 CASE/NAIS Annual Conference
• Three-time recipient of CASE's "stellar speaker" designation, awarded to the top ten percent of annual conference speakers on the basis of expert knowledge

Board Development and Board Strategic Planning Projects have included:

• Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (DC) – Board-based strategic plan
• The Cushman School (FL) – Becoming a Strategic Board
• Worcester Academy (Board development)
• Miss Hall’s School (MA) – Three Board retreats on core values, mission, strategic issues, vision, goals and strategy, and plan implementation
• Kamehameha Schools (HI) – Core Values and Executive Goal Setting
• The International Community School (located in Decatur GA and serving only refugee children) – Core values, orientation to strategic planning
• The Lamplighter School (TX) – Board core values, mission, strategic issues, vision, goals and strategy
• St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School Board of Trustees (FL) – Board Core Values, Board Strategic Plan
• Nashoba Brooks School (MA) - Becoming a Strategic Board
• Monsignor Pace High School (FL) – Becoming a Strategic Board
• Cheshire Academy (CT) – Board core values, mission, strategic issues
• Donna Klein Jewish Academy (FL) Becoming a Strategic Board - Board core values, mission, vision, goals and strategy
• Bancroft School (MA) – Board retreat on Becoming a Generative Board
• Academy at the Lakes (FL) – Board Strategic Plan

Administration and Faculty Workshops have included:

• Miss Hall’s School (Core Values, Mission, Vision, Goals, and Strategy)
• The McLean School (Strategic Plan Implementation Team training; Market Positioning; Leadership Development)
• Kamehameha Schools (Strategic Communications in Times of Change)
• Saint Andrew’s School (Writing Initiatives; Strategic Thinking Session)
• Donna Klein Jewish Academy (Writing Initiatives; Marketing Positioning)
• The Lamplighter School (Leadership Development)
• Charlotte Latin School (Crafting Strategy; Writing Initiatives; Training for Strategic Plan Implementation Team)(NC)
• Academy at the Lakes (Strategic Thinking Session)
• Donna Klein Jewish Academy Administrative Team Leadership Retreat
• McLean School Administrative Team Leadership Retreat

Strategic Planning Projects have included:

• Academy at the Lakes (FL)
• Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE)
• Berkshire Country Day School (MA)
• Charlotte Latin School (NC)
• Chesapeake Academy (MD)
• Cheshire Academy (CT)
• Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, Quakertown Christian School, Penn View Christian (Tri-School Strategic Plan) (PA)
• Donna Klein Jewish Academy (FL)
• Eastern Mennonite High School (VA)
• International Community School (GA)
• McLean School of Maryland (MD)
• Miss Hall’s School (MA)
• Rossman School (MO)
• Saint Andrew’s School (FL)
• Saint Mary’s School (NC)
• St. Mark’s Episcopal School (FL)
• St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School (FL)
• Sarasota Christian School (FL)
• Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (DC)
• Worcester Academy (MA)

Marketing and Communications Consultations have included:

• Kamehameha Schools (HI)
• McLean School (MD)
• The Lovett School (GA)
• Donna Klein Jewish Academy (FL)
• The Country School (MD)

Publications

• Co-author of NAIS’s strategic planning booklet for trustees: The Strategic Planning Process: A New Framework for Trustees (© 2008 by the National Association of Independent Schools)
• Co-author of NAIS’s strategic planning book for independent schools, The Strategic Process: 10 Steps for Planning Your Independent School’s Future (© 2007 by the National Association of Independent Schools)
• Co-author of NAIS’s marketing book for independent schools: Marketing Independent Schools in the 21st Century (© 2001 by the National Association of Independent Schools)

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