The Net Assets Podcast from NBOA

Ann Marie Tidona is the 2026 recipient of NBOA's Ken White Distinguished Business Officer Award. She joins host and NBOA President and CEO Jeff Shields to discuss the power of data in her decision-making over the years and how data-informed projections have proven not only accurate but instrumental over time. Beginning with demographic projections many years ago and moving into all areas of financial and operational data, Tidona dives deep and shares how she finds the sweet spot of sharing just enough data with relevant stakeholders. She also discusses undergoing a major systems transition at Friends Academy, where she has served as director of finance, operations and strategic projects for 27 years. Finally Tidona shares how teaching a popular financial literacy course at Friends is one way she has connected with directly with students and prepared the next generation to take on the mantel of financial management. 

What is The Net Assets Podcast from NBOA?

The Net Assets podcast delves into the most pressing issues in independent school business and operations. Delivered by NBOA, the only national nonprofit membership association focused exclusively on fostering financial and operational excellence among independent PK-12 schools, each episode is based on a popular article in NBOA’s Net Assets magazine. Chief financial and operational officers alongside other leaders of school business share what inspires and challenges them as well as their approaches to problem solving and innovation. In each lively exchange, host Jeff Shields, NBOA president and CEO, teases out the human stories behind the printed story.