Strong governance creates the conditions for effective leadership
Governance establishes the framework within which the school is led, decisions are made, and responsibilities are carried out.
It clarifies purpose, authority, oversight, and accountability while creating the expectations and boundaries that allow the Board to govern and the Head of School to lead.
I help boards and school leaders in international and independent schools strengthen the knowledge, documents, relationships, and practices needed to protect the school’s mission, exercise responsible oversight, and lead with clarity and confidence.
Clear Roles | Usable Frameworks | Responsible Oversight
How I Support Schools
Customized Governance Training and Board Development
Customized governance learning designed around the Board’s experience, composition, governance model, school context, and current priorities. Engagements may combine focused instruction, practical frameworks, realistic scenarios, facilitated discussion, and application to the school’s own governance practices.
Training may be delivered through an in-person retreat, virtual series, focused module, trustee orientation, or a series of sessions across the board year.
Training content can draw from foundational Governance 101 areas, more advanced Governance 201 areas, or be customized around a Board’s specific priorities and challenges.
Governance 101: Strong Foundations
Foundational learning that helps trustees and Heads of School develop a shared understanding of effective governance, including roles and responsibilities, the Board–Head partnership, governance frameworks, and strategic oversight.
Governance 201: Advanced Practice
Deeper development for experienced boards seeking to strengthen effectiveness, strategic contribution, and their ability to govern through complexity, including areas such as board culture, Chair leadership, succession, risk, change, and difficult decisions.
Featured Training: Safeguarding Training for Boards
Focused training that helps trustees understand their safeguarding oversight and assurance responsibilities, the information the Board should receive, the questions trustees should ask, and the distinction between governance oversight and operational safeguarding.
The session may be delivered independently or incorporated into a broader board-development engagement.
Governance Reviews and Document Development
Structured reviews and focused projects that strengthen the documents, policies, structures, and practices supporting effective governance.
Core Governance Framework Review
A structured review of the school’s essential governance documents to assess whether they form a clear, complete, current, and usable governance framework.
Governance Effectiveness Review
A structured assessment of whether the school’s governance framework, structures, roles, Board–Head partnership, oversight, culture, and practices work together effectively.
The Core Governance Framework Review focuses primarily on the school’s governance documents and tools. The Governance Effectiveness Review examines how the wider governance system works in practice. The document development may include foundational documents, governing policies, Board Handbooks, codes of conduct, conflict-of-interest policies, committee terms of reference, board calendars, evaluation tools, and related governance resources.
Governance Advisory Support
Focused or ongoing guidance for Board Chairs, Heads of School, and boards navigating governance questions, transitions, or evolving school needs.
Advisory support is tailored to the need and may be provided as part of a wider engagement or through a separately scoped relationship.
Governance Policy and Document Development
Development or revision of the documents and tools that support clear, consistent, and accountable governance.
Support may include:
Board Chair and Head check-ins , including relationship support
Annual board-development planning
Review of selected agendas or board materials
Board structure, composition, and succession
Governance and leadership transitions
Guidance during sensitive or high-stakes situations
“Kristi took on the Herculean task of making sense of a complex set of policies. She proposed a comprehensive revision and much-needed restructure, and within weeks had transformed our bloated policy manual into distinct, targeted, user-friendly tools. What emerged was a much clearer, more functional, and mission-aligned set of board policies. She was highly self-sufficient, required minimal guidance, and consistently delivered high-quality work ahead of schedule - including a bonus deliverable we hadn’t even included in the original scope of work.
As a board trainer, Kristi was not only insightful and practical but also incredibly accessible and supportive long after the training ended. Her willingness to be available as a sounding board in the months that followed was a great comfort to me personally. Kristi’s work has had a lasting impact on our board’s effectiveness, and I would recommend her wholeheartedly to any organization seeking to strengthen its governance.
Aylin Karahan, Board Chair, International School of Dakar
Strengthen governance with greater clarity
Whether the need is board development, a governance review, updated documents, or ongoing guidance, I can help you determine the right next step.