How to Advocate for Yourself as a Director of MarCom at a Private School

Penny Abrahams is a senior consultant at Independent School Management, better known as ism.  Penny first joined ism in 2010 as a member of the Advancement Academy’s founding faculty. As a Senior Consultant, she specializes in marketing communications, enrollment management, and development. Her experience in these areas comes from working in private and independent schools and other non-profits for more than 20 years.

Penny also serves as the Advancement Department Head at ism ensuring effective content development and service delivery for ISM’s enrollment, marketing communications, and development consulting. This includes leading ISM’s Advancement Academy, an annual premier professional development conference that educates and mentors School Heads, Board members, and development, enrollment management, and marketing communications professionals.

Penny began her career in schools in 2001 at Ravenscroft, a Pre-K through grade 12 school in Raleigh, N.C. She started as the Annual Fund Director and later became Ravenscroft’s Director of Communications.

From 2013-17, Penny served as the Director of Admissions & Marketing at Academy at the Lakes, in Tampa, Fla.

Before her time in private-independent schools, Penny worked in publications and media relations for the University of Texas, the Memphis Center City Commission, and U.S. Synchronized Swimming.