Coaches' Corner

Have an issue you’re grappling with? Ready to reflect on your personal and professional journey? Working with a certified coach can help you build your tool kit. NAIS is offering you a complimentary session with a certified coach in our Coaches' Corner, located in The Quad, so you can talk through your individual issue and reflect on your own journey.

Registered attendees can sign up for a free 45-minute session with an educator-focused coach trained to listen, ask powerful questions, and create a space for reflection. Visit the conference app* to sign up. Whether you have a school-based dilemma or have reached a personal or professional crossroads, take advantage of the opportunity to use a fully trained, certified coach as a sounding board during your time at Thrive.

*The conference mobile app will launch by early February.

2026 Coaches' Corner Schedule

All times listed in Pacific Time.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Session 1: 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Session 2: 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Session 3: 3:15 – 4:15 PM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Session 4: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Session 5: 12:15 – 1:15 PM
Session 6: 1:15 – 2:15 PM

Registrants may attend only one coaching session at the conference to ensure that as many attendees as possible can participate.

2026 Coaches

Davida Arnold

Davida Arnold is a board-certified coach, lower school teacher, and diversity practitioner. She focuses on helping teachers and school leaders reduce stress and enhance their well-being both in and out of school.
Specialized areas: work-life balance, diversity, equity, and inclusion

Emily W. Bracchitta

A Columbia certified executive coach, Emily Bracchitta is an experienced senior leader, having served as middle school head, director of admissions and financial aid N-12, alumni director, and coordinator of associate teachers. She coaches leaders, emerging leaders, early career teachers, and those wearing multiple hats.
Specialized areas: career growth, work-life balance, communication skills, team building

Susan Cook

Susan Cook is the director of institutional research at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (MA). She has an international coaching practice specializing in supporting peoples' personal and professional transitions using a range of tools and techniques, including mindfulness, visioning exercises, and goal setting.
Specialized areas: work-life balance, eiversity, equity, and inclusion, communication skills, career growth

Adam Fischer

With nearly 30 years of experience working in independent schools, from faculty to head, and a coaching certification from University of California, Berkeley, Adam Rischer has proven experience to support you in your growth or transition.
Specialized areas: coming soon

Aimee Giles

Aimee Giles empowers bold, adventurous heads of school and school leaders to stay "in the arena" and lead with integrity, power, and impact. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, including as head of school, she coaches leaders to courageously tackle the big challenges that lie ahead— in education, schooling, and life— with grace, dignity, and joy.
Specialized areas: career growth, work-life balance, diversity, equity, and inclusion, communication skills

Michael D. Hanas

Mike Hanas has worked as a teacher and leader in six different independent schools (two boarding and four day), including serving 20 years as a head of school. His sincere belief in the power of reflection to catalyze wisdom and the deep potential of others led him to launch Furthering in 2018 to advance learning, leadership, and service through work with heads of school, board chairs, boards of trustees, and senior leadership teams.
Specialized areas: team building, career growth, work-life balance, communication skills

Meredith Herrera

Meredith Herrera is a certified executive coach and board-certified coach with over 15 years of experience in senior leadership roles at independent schools. She partners with educational leaders— particularly leaders of color— to build resilience, align with their values, and thrive in demanding roles.
Specialized areas: team building, communication skills, diversity, equity, and inclusion, work-life balance

Edward Hollinger

Edward Hollinger is a certified leadership coach credentialed through Northwestern University's Leadership and Organizational Change program. He has 20 years of transitional leadership experience in independent schools and 10 years of experience as a leadership coach working with current and aspiring school leaders.
Specialized areas: career growth, communication skills, team building

Pat Kearney

Pat Kearney is a leadership coach and facilitator with over 20 years of experience in education, including a decade in independent schools. Through Eddyline Coaching & Facilitation, he supports purpose-driven leaders navigating growth, complexity, and meaningful impact.
Specialized areas: career growth, work-life balance, communication skills, team building

Shelley Lawrence

Shelley Lawrence is a lifelong educator who helps new and aspiring educational leaders create vision, articulate goals, and identify the actions steps needed and the potential barriers to achieving their vision and goals.
Specialized areas: work-life balance, career growth, communication skills

Mark McKee

Mark McKee is in his 10th year as head of Viewpoint School (CA). Previously, he served eight years as head of Episcopal Day School of St. Matthew (CA). He holds a certificate in coaching from Fielding Graduate University and an associate certified coach (ACC) credential from the International Coaching Federation. He has served on the boards of several independent schools and educational nonprofit organizations.

Mary Menacho

Mary Menacho has been supporting educational leaders in independent schools as a head of school, association executive director, and executive coach for donkey’s years (a long time), learning and growing with each interaction. Let's talk.
Specialized areas: team building, career growth, communication skills, diversity, equity, and inclusion, work-life balance

Kisha Xiomara Palmer

Kisha Xiomara Palmer is an ICF certified executive coach and educator with over 15 years of leading and teaching in K-12 and university. She believes coaching provides a way to elevate our impact. She is on a mission to expand our collective definitions of leadership by supporting people to uncover ways to work with others from a place of power sharing and authentic connection.
Specialized areas: communication skills, team building, diversity, equity, and inclusion

Renee Prillaman

Renee Prillaman is a certified Satir coach and trainer with over 10 years of experience supporting school leaders, entrepreneurs, individuals, and groups seeking to live purposefully, authentically, and sustainably. She has more than 40 years of experience as a teacher, school leader, and teacher educator and holds an M.Ed from the University of Louisville and a Ph.D in curriculum and instruction from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Specialized areas: career growth, work-life balance, communication skills, team building, diversity, equity, and inclusion

Adrienne Reid

Adrienne Reid has been teaching high school math and science for 22 years. In 2017, she earned her M. Ed. in curriculum and instruction and, in 2020, she completed her coaching certification program and received her certified professional career coach (CPCC) credentials.
Specialized areas: career growth, work-life balance, diversity, equity, and inclusion, communication skills, team building

Imana Sherrill

Imana Sherrill is in her fourth year as head of school at Trinity Episcopal School (NC), having previously served as a division head, director of diversity, and technology coordinator. She also serves on several boards and is the founder of Pearls of Wisdom Coaching, where she shares her passion for helping others thrive.
Specialized areas: career growth, work-life balance, diversity, equity, and inclusion, communication skills, team building

Alan Sparrow

Alan Sparrow retired after 28 years as a head of school and now loves coaching fellow educators, particularly early career administrators— heads, division heads, deans, etc. He strives to help each client reach their potential while enjoying the journey.
Specialized areas: communication skills, team building, career growth, work-life balance

Michael Walker

Throughout his 30 years in independent schools, Mike Walker has been a teacher, athletic coach, division head, and head of school. He is a certified executive coach whose doctoral research focused on individual and organizational decision-making. Walker grew up in Mexico City, raised his family in Hawaii, and has lived in San Francisco, Denver, and Nashville. He brings this life experience, training, and professional background to his coaching to help leaders see possibilities, navigate transitions, and make decisions with intention and confidence.
Specialized areas: career growth, work-life balance, diversity, equity, and inclusion, communication skills, team building

Terri Webb

Terri Webb is a certified personal and executive coach who believes in the power of brave coaching spaces to spark insight, build skills, and ignite transformative change. A lifelong educator with a cross-section of experiences spanning teaching and administration, Webb is uniquely suited to empower emerging leaders, teaching faculty, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) individuals to reach their fullest potential for leadership, skillfulness, confidence and well-being.
Specialized areas: career growth, work-life balance, diversity, equity, and inclusion, communication skills, team building

Lukie Wells

Lukie Wells is a senior design partner at Design Group International, where she supports school leaders, senior administrative teams, and boards. She has spent 35 –years working in a variety of independent schools, including as a head of school and director of accreditation for the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools.
Specialized areas: career growth, communication skills, team building