2026 Strategic Stewardship: Aligning Mission, Money, and Management Finance Series

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM

Mission Meets Margin — Balancing Vision with Financial Sustainability

How do you honor your school’s mission while making decisions that keep the enterprise healthy? This session offers a practical framework for values-driven decision-making that is fiscally responsible and clearly communicated. We’ll examine how to connect strategic priorities to budget choices, assess trade-offs, and build scenarios that preserve program quality and long-term stability.

What we’ll cover:

• A simple model for aligning strategic goals, resource allocation, and measurable outcomes
• Value-based budgeting: defining what matters most and funding it first
• Case examples of trade-offs (program, people, facilities, tuition/aid) and how leaders navigated them
• Communicating decisions with clarity—to boards, faculties, and families 

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM

Optimizing Resources for Enrollment, Staffing, and Program Impact

This session focuses on using data to align the core drivers of sustainability: enrollment strategy, compensation models, and program delivery. We’ll connect market realities and enrollment pipelines to staffing structures, schedule design, and cost-per-student analysis—so you can ensure every dollar advances student experience and institutional priorities.

What we’ll cover:

• Enrollment diagnostics: demand analysis, yield, tuition/aid positioning, and capacity utilization
• Staffing alignment: right-sizing roles, schedule optimization, and workload balance tied to student impact
• Cost and impact mapping: understanding unit costs, program ROI, and quality indicators
• Practical dashboards and metrics leadership teams can use together to monitor progress

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 12:00 - 1:30 PM

Governance, Transparency & Strategic Planning — Working Together with Your Board

Strong head–CFO/Business Officer partnerships shine when engaging the board around financial strategy, risk, and growth. This session outlines governance best practices and shared routines that build trust, reduce surprises, and keep strategic planning on track. We’ll focus on what information the board needs (and when), how to frame choices, and how to cultivate a culture of shared accountability.

What we’ll cover:

• Clarifying roles: management vs. governance in strategy, finance, and risk oversight
• Designing effective board materials: concise narratives, key indicators, and scenario options
• Building a cadence: annual planning calendars, committee charters, and decision gates
• Communicating uncertainty and risk appetite: how to discuss trade-offs and prepare for different futures

Chris Harper is a seasoned educational leader and finance expert who began his transition into education as a classroom teacher and coach, bringing a foundational understanding of school culture to his current roles as CEO/Co-founder of Roosevelt Solutions Inc. and Adjunct Professor of Finance at Columbia Teachers College.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics while serving as track co-captain and setting school records, Harper later completed his MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management—combining rigorous business training with a passion for education.

Harper spent nearly a decade as a faculty member at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, where he co-taught AP Economics and coached cross country and track. He understands the daily realities of school life from the ground up.

That educational foundation, enhanced by elite business preparation, proved invaluable as he moved into school administration, serving as CFO/COO at respected institutions such as Landon School and Ethical Culture Fieldston School. In these roles, he brought both a teacher’s perspective and sophisticated financial expertise to complex decisions. Harper’s approach to school finance emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and dignity—building systems that support student success and the educators who serve them. His unique journey from classroom to C-suite allows him to bridge the gap between mission and financial sustainability, helping school leaders see that sound business practices ultimately serve learning.