Stratford Hall

Strategic Alignment: Strengthening Board Leadership at Stratford Hall School

On September 21, 2024, Stratford Hall School conducted a critical Board retreat with the assistance of Berlineaton, focused on setting board priorities for the coming year. The session aimed to strengthen the Board’s effectiveness and clarify roles, with key outcomes centered on fundraising, governance, and aligning the Board with the school’s strategic vision. By gathering input from Board members and engaging in facilitated exercises, Stratford Hall reinforced its commitment to clear goals and actionable plans, ensuring a unified direction moving forward.

Key Team Members
Shelly Berlin
Mackenzie Farrell

A Profound Experience

The retreat provided Stratford Hall’s Board with a unique opportunity to reflect on its role and collectively identify the priorities that will shape the school’s future. Through facilitated exercises, Board members were encouraged to reflect individually and collaboratively, resulting in a greater sense of unity and purpose. The discussions allowed for the identification of both the challenges and opportunities ahead, including the need to strengthen governance, improve fundraising efforts, and clarify roles within the broader school community. This retreat was pivotal in fostering a collaborative environment and aligning the Board with the school’s evolving needs.

Practical Solutions

Facilitated by Berlineaton, the Board prioritization session yielded practical and actionable plans for the year ahead. Key themes that emerged included a strong focus on the capital campaign, improving Board effectiveness, finalizing bylaws and governance structures, and developing a financial plan to support the strategic plan. Specific actions were identified, such as revising the goals for fundraising and creating a comprehensive onboarding package for new Board members. Through these exercises, clear action steps were outlined, including the establishment of sub-committees and a tracking tool to ensure accountability and progress on identified goals.

Bolder Futures

The outcomes of the retreat set the stage for Stratford Hall’s continued success by aligning Board priorities with the school’s long-term vision. With a clear focus on fundraising, governance, and strategic alignment, the Board is now better positioned to support the school’s mission and drive progress toward its goals. By addressing both immediate and long-term priorities, such as the capital campaign and financial planning, Stratford Hall’s leadership is poised to strengthen its operational foundation and continue its legacy of excellence in education. The retreat also laid the groundwork for a more cohesive and effective Board, which will be critical as the school navigates future challenges and opportunities.

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    Shelly Berlin

    BA, MBA, FCMC, ACC
    Strategist, Confidante, Entrepreneur.

    Shelly is a co-founding partner of Berlineaton and has over 25 years’ experience in management consulting in strategy, process improvement and leader development.  

    She’s worked extensively with public and private sector organizations, and she is a professional facilitator, expert in the design, development, and execution of strategy. She is a certified executive coach and a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Management Consultants. 

    Shelly’s passion is to help leaders and their organizations achieve extraordinary success through bold thinking, courageous risk taking and disciplined action planning. Dark chocolate helps too.

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    Mackenzie Farrell

    BSC, MMgmt, CMC
    Collaborator, Community Builder, Go-Getter.

    Mackenzie is a Senior Consultant at Berlineaton, known for her experience in strategy development and execution. She brings an innate sense of curiosity, meticulous attention to detail, and a strong interpersonal focus to all aspects of her work. She works across all practice areas to support leaders in creating stronger, more effective organizations.

    Mackenzie specializes in working with independent schools, helping them to navigate unique challenges and build stronger, more sustainable institutions. She has worked with over 20 schools across Canada.

    With a deep-seated passion in helping organizations foster visionary futures for themselves, Mackenzie excels in guiding organizations through an engagement and people-centric approach on growth and improvement. Her strategic insights and commitment ensure that her clients achieve sustainable success.

    Outside of the office, she can be found taking advantage of all the world-class access to nature that the West Coast of Canada has to offer, including her favourite past times, skiing, surfing, and hiking with her husband and dog Molson.