Bob Clothier

Bob Clothier is an experienced advisor on governance practices for independent schools and nonprofit organizations. His work spans a wide array of topics, including board roles and fiduciary duties, governance modes (fiduciary, strategic, generative), board/head of school dynamics, trustee recruitment and evaluation, committee structures, and leadership succession planning. He also advises on strategic planning, DEI engagement, fundraising oversight, and enterprise risk management.

Bob designs customized governance workshops that include review of institutional documents, leadership interviews, and interactive sessions tailored to each client. He also supports the revision of bylaws and governance documents to align with best practices.

His school clients include The Haverford School, The Shipley School, The Agnes Irwin School, and Chester Charter Scholars Academy. He has also worked with nonprofits such as Philabundance, The Rock School for Dance, Merion Cricket Club, and Radnor Hunt Club.

For ten years, Bob was as Vice President and General Counsel at Ursinus College, where he was the College’s first in-house counsel and primary advisor to the Board of Trustees and its key committees. Previously, he was a partner at Saul Ewing LLP, where he represented institutions of higher education and led the firm’s media law practice. He also served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA).

Bob brings two decades of independent school governance experience, including service on The Haverford School’s Board of Trustees, where he chaired the Trusteeship Committee for 10 years. He is a graduate of The Haverford School, Princeton University, and the University of Chicago Law School.