The daily demands of communications at an independent school tend to elevate the tactical over the strategic. To the overwhelmed communicator, the highest and best use of limited time is often just reaching for the next to-do.

Last month, though, some 20 communications directors made a different choice: stepping away from their project lists to prioritize their professional development.

They came to Seattle for the Fine Point Off-Site: a day of learning about crisis communications, professional bravery, storytelling in video and words, artificial intelligence, strategic leadership and career advancement.

They also connected with directors at other independent schools over the ambitions and worries they had in common. Tips and resources flowed between colleagues, as well as contacts for later follow-up.

A leap of faith affirmed

It shouldn’t be missed that each director’s decision to attend was a bit risky: investing a full day, as well as valuable PD dollars, in a brand-new conference.

Afterward, people said they were pleased by the event and all its takeaways. Here’s a sampling of their feedback:

• “Hearing from communications colleagues across the country and seeing how similar we are — despite our differences in school size, location, programs and markets — was incredibly inspiring.”
• “Directly relevant for my role, with so many ideas I will take home with me. I also had some wonderful conversations that allowed me to feel supported in my work.”
• “The level of thoughtfulness in the room all day was off the charts.”
• “I am so glad that I attended. It reminded me of how beneficial it can be to get off-campus and spend time with people who are thinking about the same opportunities and challenges.”
• “A day of PD that valued us as professionals and cared about our wellness. I felt seen and valued!”

Recapping the sessions

The speaker lineup was the primary draw, and each presenter shared valuable insights:

• Christina Hultholm reminded directors of the varied and unique talents communicators hold and how their role allows a holistic view of a school. These assets, she explained, can open the door to becoming a trusted partner in determining school strategy.
• Nicole McDermott invited each attendee to think about their personal call to courage and what holds one back from adopting new behaviors or advocating for change. Since the subtext of the day was growth and adaptation, the session’s prompts were stirring and helpful.
• Marika Motiwalla and Hultholm reviewed AI’s role in their departments, located on opposite sides of the country. Motiwalla noted that AI can produce generally adequate copy, but she added that schools must allocate time to edit and elevate AI output if they expect their messages to be distinctive. Hultholm added that, currently, AI content tends to sound kind of right, yet typically needs significant improvement.
• Topher Nichols advised how directors can prepare for leadership roles in schools beyond the communications office. One tip was for communicators to advocate for any opportunity to be seen and recognized as an educator, not a technician.
• Brandan Roberts discussed video production. Equipment, he advised, is far less important to success than having the innate ability to tell a story visually. And virality is overrated: It feels good in the moment, but it won’t meaningfully improve admissions or development outcomes.
• Juanita Traughber addressed crisis communications, including the first-mover advantage: Being up-front about a situation takes the air out of rumors and conspiracies while increasing a school’s credibility. She urged directors to think during a crisis not of audiences — which implies one-way communication — but of publics, with whom discussion travels back and forth.
• And keynote speaker Eli Saslow, a two-time Pulitzer winner, offered tips for reporting and feature writing that have served him and his readers well. His foremost advice to get close to one’s subject: Rather than rely on emailed or phone interviews, he’s learned to sit personally with people at length, for observations that can be collected no other way.

(Getting close to others was also the core message, days later, of the NAIS Annual Conference’s keynote speaker, Bryan Stevenson: “In proximity, we find clarity and purpose” — who we are, and what we are meant to do.)

What comes next

After the Off-Site, we asked this inaugural cohort: Now that you’ve experienced the conference, would you recommend it to others?

The answer was an enthusiastic yes: a net promoter score of 9.3 (on a 1-to-10 scale)!

This matched the buzzy vibe we observed through the day, a validation of our belief that communications directors would gain much from such a gathering.

As we noted in Seattle, the work of comms directors is more complex, invisible and isolating than ever. While a one-day conference can’t solely reverse this trend, we believe it can contribute to the solutions.

So we are excited to share that the Off-Site will take place again next year! The date and city are set: Wednesday, March 3, in Baltimore, Md.

We are working to finalize the venue and other details; as with this year, we want a location that’s near the city convention center, allowing people to attend both the Off-Site and the NAIS Annual Conference.

We also want to hear your ideas for what the Off-Site program should tackle. Send us your suggested topics!

To stay updated on our 2027 conference plans, sign up for our Off-Site mailing list. Subscribers will be the first to know when registration opens this summer! This will be a low-volume newsletter, dealing only with Off-Site news. And rest assured: We don’t sell or share our list with anybody.

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