So Lead. | A Women in Leadership Program by ADVIS & The Heads Network

AGENDA

8:30-9:00 AM | CHECK IN & BREAKFAST

9:00-9:30 AM | WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS

9:30-10:45 AM |NEXT-LEVEL STORYTELLING: PART I

Katherine Dinh
Executive Coach, Consultant, Experienced Independent School Leader 

10:45-11:00 AM | BREAK

11:00 AM-12:00 PM |NEXT-LEVEL STORYTELLING: PART II

Katherine Dinh
Executive Coach, Consultant, Experienced Independent School Leader 

12:00-1:00 PM | LUNCH

1:00-2:00 PM | BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM: PART I

Ayanna Hill-Gill
ADVIS President, Board Governance Expert, Educational Leadership Consultant

2:00-2:10 PM | BREAK

2:10-3:00 PM | BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM: PART II

Ayanna Hill-Gill
ADVIS President, Board Governance Expert, Educational Leadership Consultant

Next-Level Storytelling:

Crafting Your Leadership Narrative 

Katherine Dinh
Executive Coach, Consultant, Experienced Independent School Leader 

Own your story and lead with authority. This session explores how identity—specifically as women and women of color—shapes leadership style in environments where expectations are high and margins for error are slim.

• Identity & Personal Style: Map your core identity and values to define an authentic, resilient leadership approach.

• Interactive Narrative Storytelling: Draft, refine, and practice your leadership narrative in real time with peer and facilitator feedback.

About the Presenter

Katherine Dinh is an executive coach, consultant, and presenter with over 30 years’ experience in independent schools. She was the Head of Marin Country Day School in Corte Madera, California from July 2019 to 2025. Prior to that, she was the Head of Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito, California from 2007 to 2019. 

Katherine started her career in independent schools as an English teacher and later became a division head at two separate schools. As a resident of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, Katherine evacuated to Houston, and was Founder and Director of a temporary PK-8 School in Houston for displaced students and staff.

Katherine has presented extensively at local and national conferences as a keynote speaker and panelist on a variety of topics related to leadership. She has served on numerous school and educational boards, including as past Chair of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Board. She has also served as Chair of The Principals’ Center at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, President of the Heads Collegiate Forum, Governance Committee Chair of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) Board, and Vice Chair of the California Teachers Development Collaborative (CATDC) Board. 

Katherine received her B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, and M.Ed. in International Education from Harvard. She received her coaching certification from the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute (BECI) at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. 

Building & Strengthening

Your Administrative Team

Ayanna Hill-Gill
ADVIS President, Board Governance Expert, Educational Leadership Consultant

Deepen your leadership bench by creating stronger, more effective administrative teams. This expanded, interactive session dives into strategies for crafting agenda-driven meetings, fostering trust, and providing feedback that grows leaders.

• Team Composition & Trust: Evaluate who is at the table, rethink team structure, and build psychological safety.

• Strategic Execution: Balance operational demands with big-picture strategic priorities.

• Feedback & Action Planning: Practice feedback conversations through peer scenarios and case studies.

About the Presenter

Ayanna Hill-Gill, affectionately known as Yanni, is an accomplished educator and leader with extensive experience in independent schools. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Dickinson College, where she majored in Biology and Chemistry with a concentration in Ecology and Sustainable Development. She also holds an Ed.M. from Teachers College, Columbia University, with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. 

Yanni has held several leadership positions in independent schools, including serving as Head of School at Purnell School in New Jersey and Atlanta Girls' School in Georgia- where she was actively involved in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in education, having integrated anti-bias work into school culture and curriculum and increasing the diversity of student and staff populations. Yanni has received numerous honors and awards throughout her career, including being named an EE FORD NAIS Aspiring Heads Fellow and a Joseph Klingenstein Fellow.

Yanni works with individual school leaders as an executive coach and, as President of ADVIS, works with Boards of schools on governance and best practices. Yanni has served on various national and local boards, including the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools, The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), and the Emory University Visiting Board of Trustees. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum and an active member of Kiwanis International.