DCD Chief Financial Officer, Bob Santry, presented at the 2020 NBOA (National Business Officers Association) Annual Meeting, Envisioning the Future, February 23-26, in Orlando, Florida. The conference is designed to help CFOs and other business and operational leaders in PreK–12 education share best practices for independent schools, and it attracts professionals from across the country.

Bob presented “Comprehensive Financial Strategy for Independent Schools,” a 90-minute session derived in part from the financial strategy that he and the Finance Committee have developed and presented to the DCD Board. Bob was joined by former NAIS President and revered educational leader, Pat Bassett, who shared his views on the independent school financial landscape and value proposition.
 
The session was the closing session of the conference, and it was very well attended. It was designed to help participants recognize and scrutinize each interrelated element of their school’s financial structure and develop a comprehensive and integrated financial plan to support their school’s enduring mission.
 
Bob commented, “It was an honor and a pleasure to close the 2020 NBOA Annual Meeting alongside Pat Bassett. It also felt good to represent DCD on a big stage and share thinking that has been developed here over the last couple of years (thanks to the Finance Committee for its support in shaping our strategic direction). We think about our operating budget often, but our school’s financial well-being really hinges on so many things that do not show up on a spreadsheet, i.e. elevating brand, understanding price elasticity, building revenue diversification, lengthening governance perspective, etc. The room was crowded, and ours has been the most downloaded deep dive presentation of the conference.”
 
Bob is in his fifth year as CFO at DCD, where he develops and oversees financial strategy, operational and capital budgeting, risk management, and compliance in addition to serving on six committees and coaching ice hockey and lacrosse. A graduate of Williams College, he taught math at Westminster School and DCD before earning his MBA and working in investment management at Goldman Sachs. He and his wife, Molly, live in Newton with their three children, Julia (DCD grade 7), Jack (age 11), and Rose (age 7). They are all very active in youth sports and coaching.