About our Executive Director

Speaker, writer and planning consultant Christina Drouin is a former classroom teacher and a twenty-five year practitioner of nonprofit planning and marketing. A former independent school administrator and the recipient of several national awards, she is a frequent session leader and speaker at independent school annual conferences.

As founder and director of the Center for Strategic Planning, Drouin is known for her innovative work in adapting business models, principles and practices to school and faith-based settings. A veteran group process designer and facilitator, she has designed and facilitated more than 400 hundred group processes over the past five years that have included board and faculty retreats, committee reconstitution exercises, strategic plan launches, strategic thinking sessions, vision casting, scenario building, root problem analysis, appreciative inquiry, open space technology, SWOT analyses, core values identification workshops, vision casting, goal setting sessions, strategy sessions, community-wide symposia, and outcome-based objective writing workshops.

Recent writing projects have included the chapter "Building the Campus Marketing System" published in Marketing Independent Schools in the 21st Century, released in 2001 by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Current writing projects include NAIS's next book on contemporary strategic planning.

Award-winning presentations for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) have addressed the topics "Marketing Principles for the Communications Professional," "Defining Your Institutional Image" and "Writing the Institutional Marketing Plan." Drouin is also a CASE Circle of Excellence Gold Medal winner for Print Advertising.

National/Regional Awards, Appointments
Workshops and Sessions
Sample of 2001-02 Strategic Planning Projects, Facilitations and Consultations
New Projects, Workshops and Sessions

National and Regional Awards and Appointments  

• Two-time recipient of CASE "Stellar Speaker" designation in 2000 for sessions on "Marketing Principles for the Communications Professional" and "Defining Your Institutional Image" at CASE/NAIS 2000 Annual Independent School Conference 
• Awarded CASE "Stellar Speaker" designation in 1999 for session on "Writing the Institutional Marketing Plan" CASE/NAIS1999 Annual Independent School Conference 
• Appointed member, NAIS Admission and Marketing Committee 1999-2000
• CASE Circle of Excellence Gold Medal Award Winner for Print Advertising for Independent School Faculty Ad Campaign 1998
• Appointed Conference Planning Committee Member/Communications Track Chair for CASE/NAIS Annual Conference for Independent Schools 1999
• Appointed First Step Conference Design Team Member, Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida 2001

National and Regional Workshops

• Workshop presenter on "Strategic Thinking Session on School Governance for Sustainability" at NAIS 2005 Annual Conference
• Workshop presenter on "Beyond Strategic Planning: Strategic Thinking for Sustainable Development" at NAIS 2005 Annual Conference
• Workshop presenter on "Values-Driven Partnerships for National Associations" at the 2003 NAIS Annual Independent School Conference
• Workshop presenter on "Values-Driven Partnerships for International Associations" at the 2003 NAIS Annual Independent School Conference
• Workshop presenter on "Valuing and Owning Mission" at the North American Association of Mennonite Schools’ Biennial Conference
• Workshop presenter on "Contemporary Crisis Planning & Communication" at Florida Council of Independent Schools 2002 Annual Heads' Retreat
• Workshop presenter on "Improving Meeting Effectiveness" at the Florida Council of Independent Schools 2002 Annual Administrators' Retreat
• Session presenter on "Strategic Planning and Communications in Times of Change" at the NAIS 2002 and 2003 Annual Conferences nais.org
• Session presenter on "Leading Together: Issues and Trends in School Governance" at NAIS 2002 Annual Conference Workshop for Association Executives
• Lead faculty member for the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) 2002 Marketing Institute vais.org
• Session presenter on "Team-Based Strategic Planning" at NAIS 2001 Annual Independent School Conference
• Session presenter on "Strategic Planning: Off the Shelf and into Action" at the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) 2000 Biennial Conference
• Session presenter on "Advancing Marketing, Mission and Management" at NAIS 2000 Annual Conference 
• Session presenter on "Marketing Principles for the Communications Professional" at the CASE/NAIS 2000 Annual Independent School Conference
• Pre-Conference Forum speaker on "Defining Your Institutional Image" at CASE/NAIS 2000 Annual Independent School Conference
• Lead faculty member for VAIS/NAIS 2000 Marketing Institute  
• Session presenter on "Pathways to Vision: Strategic Planning for Your Congregation" for the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida Annual Convention 2000
• Session presenter on "Marketing Your Congregation" for the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida Annual Convention 2000
• Pre-Conference Forum speaker on "Writing the Institutional Marketing Plan" at CASE/NAIS 1999 Annual Conference for Independent Schools
• Session presenter on "To Market We Go" at CASE/NAIS 1998 Annual Conference for Independent Schools

2003-04 Board Development Workshops, Retreats and Strategic Planning Projects for independent schools and other non-profit organizations include:

• Miss Hall’s School (MA) - Core values, mission, vision, goals and strategy
• Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society (VA - 501c3 corporation that funds a residential home for abused, abandoned and orphaned girls, a bi-lingual school, and a free medical clinic in San Pedro Sula, Honduras) – Core values, mission, vision, goals and strategy
• The International Community School (located in Decatur GA and serving only refugee children) – Core values, orientation to strategic planning
• Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) (MA) – Association core values, mission, strategic issues, scenario development, vision, goals, and strategy
• Kamehameha Schools (HI) – School Core Values and Executive Goal Setting
• The Lamplighter School (TX) – Board core values, mission, vision, goals and strategy
• St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School Board of Trustees and St. Stephen’s Church Vestry (FL) – Core values
• Nashoba Brooks School (MA) - Becoming a Strategic Board
• Monsignor Pace High School (FL) – Becoming a Strategic Board
• Workshop in Strategic Planning for the Bishops and provincial senior staff of the Anglican Church of Kenya, Nairobi

2003-2005 Marketing and Communications Consultations include: 

• Kamehameha Schools (HI)
• The McLean School (MD)
• The Lovett School (GA)
• Academy at the Lakes (FL)

    2003-04 Faculty Workshops include:

• Miss Hall’s School (MA) Core Values, Mission, Vision, Goals, and Strategy
• The McLean School (Strategic Plan Implementation)
• Kamehameha Schools (Strategic Communications in Times of Change)

Strategic Plans for Schools include:

• Charlotte Latin School (NC) – 2009 plan
• The McLean School of Maryland – 2007 plan
• Saint Andrew’s School (Boca Raton, FL), 2005 plan and 2009 plan
• Academy at the Lakes (Tampa) – 2007 plan
• Eastern Mennonite High School (VA) - 2007 plan
• International Community School (GA) – 2007 plan
• Donna Klein Jewish Academy (FL) (2005 project)
• Saint Mary’s School (NC) – (2005 project)
• St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School (FL) – (2005 project)

      2001-Current Strategic Planning
      Facilitations for faith-based institutions
      include: 

• Holy Redeemer Episcopal Mission, Lake Worth, FL
• St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church, Pompano, FL
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Delray Beach, FL
• Episcopal Church of the Atonement, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• The Chapel of Saint Andrew, Boca Raton, FL
• Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Port St. Lucie, FL
• Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Miami, FL
• Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Miami, FL
• St. John’s Episcopal Church, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Congregation B’nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Contact the Center for Strategic Planning