This summer, we are hosting the 25th annual Crow's Nest Institute, a 3-day retreat for experienced Deans/Directors of Admission and Enrollment Management. This program will be held at the Colony Hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Crow’s Nest seeks admission and enrollment leaders who want to challenge themselves to be a more effective and creative in all aspects of their work. For years, independent school admission leaders have returned to their campuses from Crow's Nest with a fresh perspective, a clearer sense of their leadership capacity, and the critical insights necessary to develop long-term strategies to sustain school enrollment. We invite you to join us in celebrating 25 years of The Crow’s Nest Institute while embracing your unique personal gifts and strengthening your skills as an enrollment leader and the critical role admissions and enrollment management professionals play at independent schools. If you are interested in attending, please fill out our interest form below and we will be in touch with you with additional information.
*This year, as we gather for the institute, we celebrate a significant transition in leadership. Bill Leahy, will be taking the helm to lead the institute into its next chapter, but not without first honoring the extraordinary legacy of Chris Baker who founded Crow's Nest and has lead, supported and coached enrollment leaders throughout her impressive career.
Bill Leahy, Consultant at Carney, Sandoe & Associates, brings a wealth of boarding school leadership and enrollment management experience and expertise, having spent more than three decades at both the collegiate and secondary school levels. A native of New Hampshire, Bill returned to the Granite State in 2016 to serve as Dean of Enrollment at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he served in that position for eight years before joining the Carney Sandoe Team in 2024. In addition to his service at Phillips Exeter Academy, Bill served as Director of Admissions at Phillips Academy, Dean of Enrollment at Hotchkiss School, Director of Financial Aid and Senior Associate Director of Admission at St. Paul's School, Global Director of Enrollment Management at Avenues: The World School in New York City.
Jim Ventre, Assistant Head of School for Admission & Financial Aid at Phillips Academy Andover, received his degree in Economics and English from Dartmouth College in 1983. He then joined the Phillips Academy faculty as a teaching fellow in English and was also appointed as an admission officer until 1986. After a brief time on Wall Street, he was appointed director of financial aid in 1990. He was appointed dean of admission in 2012. In addition to his responsibilities in the Office of Admission, Ventre has served as an advisor, coach, and house counselor for close to four decades. Ventre was appointed interim head of school in 2019 and returned to his role in admission and financial aid in the summer of 2020. In 2021, Ventre earned the Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML) through the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Business School. Ventre has been celebrated for his work with underserved populations, and he has dedicated his professional career to working with students and their families to gain access to Andover.
Polly Fredlund, Head of School at Westover School, holds a B.A. in Comparative Literary Studies from Northwestern University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Vermont. With over 25 years of experience in independent school leadership, Fredlund began her journey in education rooted in the principles of enrollment management, strategic planning, and community engagement. Her career spans leadership roles in admissions and enrollment at independent schools from coast-to-coast, including National Cathedral School (Washington, D.C.), Hathaway Brown School (Shaker Heights, OH), and The Bush School (Seattle, WA). As Assistant Head of School for Community Engagement at The Bush School, she oversaw enrollment and communications, harnessing the power of strategic communications, brand alignment, and data-driven decision-making to elevate institutional positioning and drive meaningful organizational change. As Head of School at Westover, a girls-centered 9-12 boarding and day school in Middlebury, CT, Fredlund combines strategic vision with deep expertise in secondary education, spearheading initiatives such as The Westover Institute, the Oxford Tutorial Model, and the Teaching and Learning Center for Academic Engagement.