Meet Mike Connor
Mike Connor
Mike Connor began his career in independent schools in the 1980s as a teacher, counselor, and administrator, serving in roles from admission to advancement. These in-school experiences gave him a unique view of how schools could operate collaboratively and what makes them thrive. In 1998, he founded Connor Associates to help schools strengthen their impact by measuring external market perceptions, aligning culture, communications, and strategy as a result. Since then, his firm has guided hundreds of independent, faith-based, and charter schools worldwide, helping them grow enrollment, retention, and philanthropy.
He has since developed a methodology of predictive analytics and five-year enrollment forecasting to inform strategic decisions.
Mike’s work has been widely recognized through books, articles, and presentations that share proven practices with school leaders.
Highlights of Mike’s Work
Co-author of Marketing Independent Schools in the 21st Century (NAIS)
Author of the widely distributed white paper It’s What’s Inside That Counts: Maximizing Internal Marketing
Downloadable eBook that was originally written for US independent schools in 2010 and adapted in 2025 for Australian schools: Pulling in the Same Direction.
Co-host of InspirED School Marketers’ most-downloaded 2021 podcast: Finance and Marketing: Overlooked Alliance for Success
Presenter at 75+ national and international conferences, including NAIS, ECIS, TABS, and AISAP
Articles published in Independent School magazine, CASE Currents, Education Week, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Times
Judge for InspirED’s annual “Brilliance Awards” honoring outstanding school marketing and communications
With four decades of first-hand independent school experience and a proven record of transforming enrollment outcomes, Mike is uniquely equipped to help independent schools cut through complexity, rally their communities, and achieve lasting enrollment success.
“Our process with Connor Associates has been intensive and has truly had an impact on our organization as a whole — well beyond marketing. It has strengthened leadership overall, has insured integral connections for faculty around marketing efforts, and has bolstered Board engagement. Mike and his team have absolutely lived up to his reputation. I can’t say enough about him. Our admission director and I have both worked with a number of consultants through our professional lives — Mike always exceeds expectations by far.”