2026 Institute for Administrative Assistants

This session introduces you to practical, high-impact AI tools designed to save time and reduce repetition. We’ll look at real use cases relevant to day-to-day work, exploring ways to streamline processes. But the goal isn’t just efficiency. We’ll also talk through safety concerns - what you need to know about data privacy, bias, and AI-generated content -and then shift toward the skills you’ll need to navigate what’s coming next. As AI becomes more autonomous, the most valuable users will be the ones who can clearly describe the problem they’re trying to solve. This session helps you build that vocabulary and start to see what kinds of tasks are actually automatable, what aren’t, and how to think more like an AI collaborator.

SESSION HOST: Leigh Hill

Executive assistants and support staff are the backbone of independent schools, often juggling multiple priorities, last-minute requests, and competing demands from various stakeholders. This interactive workshop will equip you with practical strategies to take control of your day rather than letting your day control you. You'll explore proven techniques for prioritizing tasks, managing interruptions, and creating systems that help you stay organized, even amongst the chaos. Leave with actionable strategies you can implement to reduce stress, increase efficiency, and feel more confident navigating the daily demands of your role.

SESSION HOST: Lori Nolan

As a trusted partner to your school’s leadership team, you manage sensitive information; coordinate financial transactions; and often serve as a point of contact for families, vendors, and other outside stakeholders. That central role makes you a likely target for AI-powered scams and deepfake deception, but it also puts you in a powerful position to be your school’s first line of defense. In this session, you’ll move through real-time simulations that reveal how these threats unfold. You’ll hear a voicemail that sounds exactly like your head of school asking you to authorize a financial transaction. You’ll analyze messages designed to hijack your emotions, pressure your judgment, and bypass your critical thinking. You’ll see how images from your school's own website can be weaponized to attack reputations, endanger safety, or manipulate thinking. Alongside these simulations, you’ll build practical habits of cognitive defense: learning how to slow down, verify sources, and recognize manipulation before it takes hold.

SESSION HOST: Jenna Pirani

In independent schools, much of the visible leadership happens from the front of the room. But just behind every successful head of school or principal is a trusted assistant or operational partner ensuring the mission moves forward with excellence and grace. This session explores the often-overlooked role of executive and administrative assistants—not just as support staff, but as culture carriers, project managers, and vital contributors to school leadership. Drawing from over a decade in Christian education and hands-on experience supporting both the head of school and upper school principal, I’ll share practical strategies for building high-trust, high-impact partnerships between school leaders and their assistants. We'll discuss how assistants can be trained and empowered to manage communication and scheduling in ways that reflect the school’s mission; lead from behind by owning logistics, follow-through, and team culture; support leadership transitions and growth seasons with clarity and stability; and implement operational systems that reduce friction and improve school-wide communication.

SESSION HOST: Tabatha Oneill