NAIS Presidential Search Process

NAIS Presidential Search

We are pleased to announce that the NAIS board has named Debra P. Wilson as the next president of NAIS. She will begin her tenure on August 7, 2023.

When Donna Orem announced that she planned to retire in summer 2023, the presidential search committee launched a comprehensive search for the next NAIS president, informed by feedback from the NAIS community. We are excited to have found the ideal leader for this next chapter of NAIS.

We are grateful to Donna for the solid foundation she has laid and for her commitment to working with Debra to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.

Read the full announcement here.


Presidential Search: Goals and Highlights

With the announcement of Donna Orem’s June 2023 retirement, the presidential search committee partnered with the executive search and talent solutions firm Korn Ferry and undertook a seven-month search for the next NAIS president. The search was designed to gather a wide range of feedback, all with the goal of identifying a leader who best serves the mission of NAIS and the diverse needs of all of our schools.

The search involved three phases:
  • Member Feedback: From June to August 2022 we gathered feedback and candidate recommendations from nearly 500 individuals from NAIS member and subscriber schools, as well as NAIS board and staff members.
  • Active Recruitment: Using the feedback we received, in mid-August we finalized a position description. In the eight weeks of the active recruiting phase, the search committee and Korn Ferry recruited and developed a candidate slate, followed by several rounds of interviews throughout the fall. To evaluate candidates, they used a leadership assessment tool customized to NAIS’s needs and organizational culture.
  • Presidential Transition: On February 2, 2023, we announced Debra P. Wilson as the new NAIS president. She will work with Donna Orem to ensure a smooth transition as she retires in the summer of 2023.