Mike is co-author of the National Association of Independent Schools’ (NAIS) book, Marketing Independent Schools in the 21st Century. His white paper, It’s What’s Inside That Counts: Maximizing Internal Marketing, has been digitally published by the National Association of Independent Schools and many state, regional, provincial, and international school associations.

With an M.A. in Political Behaviour from the University of Essex, England, Connor has experienced 26 years in public, charter, and independent K-12 schools and colleges. He has a 360° perspective from a variety of positions. He has been a history, world cultures, and study skills teacher, resident counselor, academic dean, admission director, development director, director of communications, director of advancement, and education marketing and advancement consultant. From this broad perspective, several themes of his work have emerged: the importance of communicating value, research-based marketing, and everyone's role in advancing the mission and securing the future.

In January 2009 he contributed to the NAIS Leadership Series article, Enrollment and Marketing Considerations in a Tight Financial Market. In June 2010 he and Finance and Administration Affiliate Vanessa Wassenar led sessions for the NAIS Leadership Forum: Managing Enrollment in a Downturn Economy in Washington, DC. In November 2010, both completed a full-day workshop for Trustees and Senior Administrators for ISACS Schools in Chicago. Together, they conducted a workshop on Creating Resilient Schools for the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) Heads / Trustees Conference in January 2011, and for the NAIS Annual Conference in February 2011.

Mike presented to the California Charter Schools Association Annual Conference in March 2011, to New York State Advancement Directors in June 2011, and to the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education in August 2011.

In 2011-12 Connor will be speaking at the ERB Conference (New York) in October, the East Asia Regional Conference of International Schools (Bangkok) in October, the ISACS Annual Conference (Detroit) in November, and at the NAIS National Conference (Seattle) in February, once again teaming with Finance and Administration Affiliate Vanessa Wassenar.

His sessions and workshops have been featured at conferences for the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), and at conferences and meetings of various Associations of Independent Schools, including those in South Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Northwest, Central States, California, New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware Valley, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Southwest, Maryland, and St. Louis.

His articles on strategic planning, integrated marketing, and international programs have appeared in CASE Currents and Independent School magazine. His work with creating the first private school educational partnership in China earned the attention of The Washington Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Education Week.

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Massachusetts resident Vanessa Wassenar, CEO of Creating Resilient Schools, teamed with Connor Associates in 2009. Vanessa brings more than twenty-five years of educational administrative experience and trusteeship in college, university, independent schools, and various non-profit enterprises. Her expertise includes finance, administrative structure, and governance, with detailed experience in financial analysis and planning, triage, modeling, facilities planning and construction, and strategic planning.

 

Their shared mission is to work with Heads, Trustees, senior administrators, and teachers to create resilient schools that are responsive to today’s competitive marketplace.

 

For over two years, Vanessa was the Director of Resource Management and Strategic Planning at Emma Willard School. Earlier, she was the Chief of Staff to the President of Bennington College and held various CFO-related positions at Pine Cobble School, including Director of Advancement and Business Services and Acting Head.

 

Other educational institutions she has served as a consultant include The Archer School for Girls, St. Johnsbury Academy, St. George’s, Hilton College-University of Houston, Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, and many others.

 

Soon after graduating from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, Vanessa worked at the University of California-San Diego for nearly 20 years in various capacities. As Director of Research Administration for two divisions at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, she managed contracts and logistics for coastal research oceanographers world-wide. As founding Director of the Office of Sports Facilities and Programs, she was responsible for about $90MM of facilities construction and the “out of classroom” programming for 14,000 students in five colleges.

 

She has presented to the University of California, NACUBO, WACUBO, EACUBO, and NAIS on financial modeling and the strategic deployment of resources, and is a charter member of the Society of Research Administrators.

 

Vanessa continues to enhance her education with courses from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

 

 

Working with Vanessa allowed our School to move ahead to clearer and better understanding, management, and, ultimately, conservation of funds. Her work brought trustees, Division Heads, and other school leaders on to the same page quickly and effectively. Vanessa is highly-skilled in a complicated and complex area of school life and functions as a team builder as well as a CFO.

 

Arlene Hogan, Head of Bentley School, CA

 

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Founder, President, and Creative Director of Cherry + Company (Tampa, FL) Liz brings three decades of institutional brand marketing experience to Connor Associates. Her expertise is nationally and internationally recognized for delivering award-winning, results-generating work. Her creative spirit blends art with Connor Associates' strategy to produce visually compelling brands that stand the test of time.

 

In the last two years alone, Cherry + Company has garnered fifty Admissions Advertising Awards. Honors also include numerous national and regional awards from the American Advertising Federation, American Communications Professionals, Print Industries of America, and the National Marketing and Communications Awards.

 

Today, her educational client list includes more than 250 schools and universities across the United States, as well as schools in Dubai, the Bahamas, and Haiti. Clients also include both national and international educational associations.

 

Ms. Cherry is a featured speaker at national and regional conferences sharing her expertise and experiences on Brand and Education Marketing.

 

Cherry + Company Clients, Awards, and Print Media

 

Virtual Viewbook for University of Tampa, FL Graduate Programs
viewer.zmags.com/publication/342e4ae2#/342e4ae2/1

 

Admissions Brochure for Fusion Academy, CA
fusionacademy.com/brochures/general

 

Recent website for Palm Beach Day Academy, FL
pbday.org

 

cherryandcompany.com

 

 

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Based in New York City, Carolyn has worked with CONNOR ASSOCIATES since 2005 conducting constituent and community market research for independent elementary, middle and high schools across the United States. She assists Mike Connor in assessing perceptions of the client school’s identity and messaging as well as its admission, communication, development, and marketing practices through telephone interviews with a variety of constituencies. Carolyn has conducted over 1,100 confidential qualitative interviews to date.

 

In addition to research, Carolyn has provided auxiliary support for the development, marketing and communications offices at schools during leadership transitions, produced collateral materials for capital campaigns, and edited written and video material for websites.

 

Prior to CONNOR ASSOCIATES, Carolyn was Director of Development and Community Relations at Hillbrook School (K-8) in Los Gatos, CA; Senior Development Officer at The Children’s Hospital Foundation in Denver, CO; Associate Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at Lake Forest Country Day School in Lake Forest, IL; and Media Supervisor and Associate with Leo Burnett Company/Starcom Worldwide in Chicago. Carolyn earned a B.S from Richard T. Farmer School of Business Administration, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

 

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Based in Irvine, California, Kate Rader joined CONNOR ASSOCIATES in 2007. She has conducted over 500 Image Audit interviews to date.

Prior to CONNOR ASSOCIATES, Kate served as the Director of Business Development at Noelle Marketing Group in Santa Ana where she oversaw the firm's educational and non-profit clients. While at Noelle, Kate helped organizations establish their identity and brand in the community by enhancing their marketing, admission, and fundraising collateral. Clients included St. Margaret's Episcopal School (P-12), Santa Margarita Catholic High School (9-12), St. John's Episcopal School (P-8), St. Mary's School (P-8), the University of California, Irvine, and Chapman University.

 

Kate has also served as a Sales Executive with Coca-Cola North America and worked as a Media Associate with Leo Burnett Company.

 

Kate earned a BA from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and graduated from the Tuck Business Bridge Program at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire.

 

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Based in Chicago, Karen joined CONNOR ASSOCIATES IN 2009. She has worked in Educational Publishing as a writer and editor for a variety of developers and publishers including Loyola Press, Corwin Press, Creative Teaching Press, and Rainbow Educational Concepts, Inc. She has authored, co-authored, and edited an assortment of classroom materials in various subjects and grade levels.

 

Karen taught second grade at Sacred Heart School in Winnetka, IL and first grade at Saint Thomas of Canterbury in Chicago, IL. She is a member of the National Education Association, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the International Reading Association among other local volunteer organizations.

 

Karen earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

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Jon teams with Connor Associates as their interactive design affiliate and brings over 10 years of professional experience planning, designing, developing and launching websites for a wide range of industries including educational organizations.

 

Jon earned a B.A. in Art History from Vassar College in 2000. He is an accomplished illustrator and unites his appreciation for the arts with a background in computer science and programing to form a rare and effective combination of talent in the world of interactive design. Jon's curiosity about art, design and marketing drives his creative spirit to discover refreshing perspectives in his approach to website and interactivity. Beyond achieving the creative and visual impact of any website project, Jon values the often overlooked fundamental aspects that bring strength and success to a website: usability, effectiveness, results-oriented design and overall user experience.

 

Jon primarily works with small to mid-sized organizations and has collaborated with Mike Connor and his client schools to create unique websites that are highly differentiated from the template packages of the major website design companies.  He most recently completed the website redesign for the Chicago Academy for the Arts, a school that was in need of a new website but not a package solution or expensive budget that often characterizes larger firms.
 

Please visit jonkuta.com/work to view some of Jon's recently completed website and interactive design projects.

We love our new website! Jon has captured the culture, energy and history of our school in a concise and user-friendly package for our families. His detail-oriented nature and creative expertise allowed us to craft a site that moves us forward as a school yet maintains the unique education our school offers. Jon is truly wonderful to work with, listens well and collaborates effectively. We couldn't be happier with the final product and certainly look forward to continuing our work together to bring our website into its next great phase.

- Melissa Brookes
Director of Admissions, Chicago Academy for the Arts
 

 

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