Jack Creeden has spent his entire professional career in education, first at the university level and for the last 25 years in independent schools. His experience includes head of school positions at a boarding/day school, two large coeducational K-12 day schools, and as president of an organization that has schools in France, Spain, Italy and China. His fundraising experience includes successfully completing a $24 million capital campaign. At the university level, he had campus-wide responsibility for student academic affairs, planning and faculty personnel.

 For three years Creeden chaired the board of trustees of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and has recently authored a Handbook for Board Chairs (2019).

Jack’s experience has given him insights into the skills required to effectively lead schools. He has directed workshops and conducted board retreats on trustee governance, developed research studies on cross cultural competencies, and assisted schools with their strategic planning processes. His leadership of accreditation teams has brought him into contact with schools with diverse mission statements in different parts of the country.

Services Offered

Board Governance Training

Trustees are responsible for safeguarding the future health and well-being of schools. In today’s highly competitive environments, boards are challenged to avoid being drawn into operational issues and instead stay focused on the future viability of the school.  Given the complex and multiple challenges facing schools today, Jack has developed several governance workshops designed to help trustees advance the future interests of the school while carrying out their proper responsibilities in partnership with the head of school. Board Governance 101 offers an introductory review of roles and responsibilities, fundamental tasks in the fiduciary, strategic and generative modes, and characteristics of a positive board culture.  Board Governance 201 presents models for diversifying the board, encouraging dissenting views and building consensus, creating a trusting relationship with the head of school, and moving to genuine leadership roles as part of effective governance.  

Governance Workshop Experience: NAIS Leadership Through Partnership since 2010 Winchester Thurston School (Pittsburg, PA. Desert Academy (Santa Fe, NM). Villa Duchesne & Oak Hill School (St. Louis, MO). Rio Grande School (Santa Fe, NM). Hutchison School (Memphis, TN). Sheridan School (Washington, DC) Watkinson School (Hartford, CT) Denver Center for Jewish Education (Denver, CO) The Logan School (Denver, CO) St. Anne’s School (Denver, CO) Virginia Association of Independent Schools Independent Schools Association of the Southwest Independent Schools Association of Northern New England

Strategic Thinking

Schools are challenged to plan ahead in increasingly unpredictable environments. Changing demographics, enrollment volatility, pressures for tuition income, classroom innovation and student safety and wellness require that schools be both thoughtful and bold in their strategic thinking. Jack believes that the best plans are developed through an inclusive process that collects readily available data and feedback from major school constituencies. After “making sense” of the data, Jack works with schools to link aspirational thinking with the latest trends in independent schools. Guidelines for program implementation and scheduled updates hold boards, school leadership and the school community accountable within a two to three year period.

Strategic Planning Consultation: Sacred Heart High School (Yonkers, NY) Sage Hill School (Newport Coast, CA)
Desert Academy (Santa Fe, NM)
Bishops College School (Sherbrooke, Canada) Gulliver Schools (Miami, FL) Cardinal Spellman High School (Bronx, NY) Vail Mountain School (Vail, CO)

Global Initiatives/Cross Cultural Competencies

Global studies have become an important part of the curriculum at all grade levels. Schools must prepare students to thrive in an interconnected and interdependent world. Jack will work with faculty and school leadership to create curricular options that promote cross cultural competencies and foster interdisciplinary study. He will suggest strategies to assess cross cultural growth, avoid academic tourism, and promote critical thinking across boundaries.