Debra P. Wilson
President, National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
In 2023, Debra P. Wilson became the ninth president of NAIS. In addition to leading the organization in partnership with the NAIS Board of Trustees, she provides support and education to member schools. Wilson speaks frequently on topics such as leadership and governance, school operations and financial sustainability, community health and well-being, and the future of schools. She also serves as a key spokesperson, representing the independent school voice in broader educational conversations.
Before becoming president of NAIS, from 2019 until 2023, Wilson served as president of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), where she led the organization through a period of growth and supported school leaders in her region through the COVID-19 pandemic. Her SAIS role followed 19 years at NAIS as general counsel. In that capacity, she oversaw advocacy work for the organization, supported schools in crises, advanced best practices in governance, and created legal advisories along with other informational resources. Before joining the NAIS staff, Debra was a tax litigator at the Department of Justice.
In addition to serving on the boards of several independent schools, Debra’s current board service includes The Enrollment Management Association (EMA), the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA), and the Council for the Advancement of Private Education (CAPE), of which NAIS is a founding member. Wilson is also co-author of the NAIS Trustee Handbook (10th and 11th editions) and regularly contributes to the NAIS Trendbook, Independent School magazine, and other industry publications.
Wilson received a B.A. in English from Sewanee: The University of the South and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina. She is a proud graduate of the Williams School, an independent school located on the campus of Connecticut College. She is an avid reader, photographer, and cook who loves to be outdoors.
NAIS Head Space
Wilson writes Head Space, a monthly communication for NAIS heads of school that provides resources from inside and outside of the education world on trends and topics that may impact independent schools. Read recent issues here.