2027 Off-Site Faculty
Jan Abernathy
Jan Abernathy is the chief communications and strategy officer at The Browning School, in New York City.
She is also president of NYC Independent Schools Communications Professionals and a member of the board of trustees of both the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and Grace Church School in New York. She served previously on the boards of two other independent schools.
Abernathy serves on the faculty of the CASE Academy, providing professional development to emerging and mid-career advancement professionals. She was recently awarded the organization’s Crystal Apple Award for Teaching Excellence, based on ratings from participants in her workshops. Abernathy chaired the 2022 CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference.
Her consulting firm, Jan Abernathy Strategic Communications, provides communications strategy for educational institutions and nonprofits. A graduate of Northwestern University, she lives in Hoboken, N.J.
Session title and time: “Elevating the Profession: A Conversation With Jan Abernathy,” 2:00 p.m.
Deb Baum
Deb Baum is the senior director of communications and strategic institutional marketing at The Bryn Mawr School, an all-girls PK-12 school in Baltimore.
During her tenure, Bryn Mawr has twice won Gold honors in the annual CASE Circle of Excellence Awards, a rare feat for independent schools.
Baum previously worked in communications and media relations roles at Gilman School, the Rhode Island Foundation, and Brown University. She has a background in journalism, as well, having written news for Boston’s WBZ-TV and served on the staff of CBS News’s “60 Minutes II” and “The Early Show.”
A graduate of Colgate University, she lives in Baltimore.
Session title and time: “The Kid Factor: Engaging the Audience Who Actually Chooses Your School,” 1:00 p.m.
Jon DeNunzio
Jon DeNunzio leads Squarely Digital, a digital marketing agency that helps organizations reach their goals with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
DeNunzio founded Squarely Digital in 2013 and has led it through several stages, including the offering of search-engine optimization, content marketing and digital strategy services before narrowing the scope to PPC.
Prior to Squarely Digital, DeNunzio worked for nearly 20 years at The Washington Post, with a primary focus on sports. His favorite journalism memories include leading coverage of a men’s World Cup and being asked by columnist Tony Kornheiser, “You’re young and poor — how do you spell ‘Cheez Whiz?’ ”
A graduate of the University of Virginia, he lives in Alexandria, Va.
Session title and time: “The Dashboard, Deciphered: Making Sense of Google and Meta Analytics,” 10:00 a.m.
Moderator
Scott Butterworth
Scott Butterworth is principal of Fine Point Communications, a consultancy that has served independent schools since 2020.
Butterworth writes a monthly newsletter, Refill, that contributes to understanding and advancement of educational marketing and communications. His firm also manages the Private School MarCom Survey, a biennial examination of department practices at independent and parochial K-12 schools.
Before founding Fine Point, Butterworth directed communications at National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C., and was an editor at The Washington Post for 14 years. A graduate of the University of Houston, he lives in Rockville, Md.
