Barbara Chase
Barbara is a Senior Consultant doing consulting work. Her search clients are diverse, including the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women (MD), Belmont Hill School (MA), Esperanza Academy (MA), Northfield Mount Hermon (MA), Packer Collegiate Institute (NY), Collegiate School (NY), The Spence School (NY), Convent of the Sacred Heart (NY), Bryn Mawr School (MD), and Dwight Englewood (NJ).
Barbara also works with board chairs, school heads, and senior administrators — advising on governance and leadership transition and serving as a Coach in our Coaching Practice.
With a particular interest in advancing the careers of underrepresented candidates for head of school positions, Barbara led the first networking event for aspiring female head of school candidates hosted by Carney Sandoe in 2019 and has been an active participant in the Women’s* Institute and FOURM/DEIB over the years. In 2021, TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools) awarded Barbara the Ruzicka Compass premier Leadership Award, which recognizes “extraordinary contributions to the excellence, advancement, and success of boarding Schools.”
Previous Experience
From 1994 to 2012, Barbara served as head of school and instructor in history at Phillips Academy (MA). Prior to that, she led the Bryn Mawr School for 14 years. Barbara started her professional life as a third grade teacher at Moses Brown School (RI). Then she worked at the Wheeler School (RI) where she taught music, English, and history, and served as Director of Admission before becoming Head of School.
Education & Interests
A graduate of Brown University where she earned her B.A. with a major in History, she also holds a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Barbara has served on numerous boards over the years, including Brown University (trustee and fellow of the corporation; chair, committee on admission & financial aid; overseer, Annenberg Institute of School Reform), NAIS (board of directors), BEST (Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust; trustee), AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland Schools, president of the board of trustees), School Year Abroad (president of the board of trustees), Tower Hill School (trustee), Pike School (trustee), Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, MA (board of governors), and York Public Library Association (trustee).
In addition, Barbara has chaired several visiting committees for accreditation formed under the auspices of the Middle States’ Association of Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Barbara is fond of spending time with her family and friends, traveling, reading (especially history), making jewelry, cooking, and enjoying nature.