This summer, SAIS welcomed Jill McKenzie to the newly established role of member services manager. With over two decades of experience in the non-profit sector, Jill brings a passion for helping members and connecting them with resources and tools to make their jobs easier.
Jill’s responsibilities encompass vital aspects of membership management, such as supporting new members, meticulously maintaining the SAIS database, promptly addressing inquiries, and ensuring the renewal of existing members. Her overarching goal is to guarantee that all members can fully access the extensive array of benefits offered by SAIS.
In addition to accreditation, SAIS provides a rich spectrum of resources, services, and events tailored to the needs of members. These offerings include professional learning opportunities for heads, school leaders, and board members, delivered through a variety of formats, such as in-person events, webinars, and virtual roundtables. Additionally, SAIS fosters member collaboration through the “SAIS Connect” listserv facilitating the exchange of insights, information, and best practices. Members also receive two monthly epublications, HeadLines and QuickLinks, providing access to the latest news, curated articles, and other pertinent information relevant to independent schools. Surveys and job postings are also available from SAIS.
To ensure that SAIS members receive the latest news and information tailored to their role, please share any leadership or other changes your school has experienced this year via the school update form. This might include a change in head of school or senior leadership, new physical or mailing address, addition of a grade or division, mission change, or major construction.
Jill’s role also extends to management of the national Head of School Database (HSDB), developed by SAIS with support from the E.E. Ford Foundation. This database serves as a comprehensive national repository for tracking head of school placements and tenures. It offers a historical perspective and insights into school leadership trends with records from over 2,700 schools and 6,300 heads of school. Current and former heads, trustees, and school leaders are encouraged to create an account to review and update their information.
Next month, SAIS will be implementing a new back-end system that will streamline event registration while providing member access to historical activity records plus searchable, customizable directories to facilitate more seamless connections among members. Be on the lookout for more details on that and instructions on how to login and access/update your and your school’s information.
For inquiries or assistance, please contact Jill at jill@sais.org or (678) 255-8909. She looks forward to the opportunity to meet and engage with SAIS members and foster valuable connections.
