Penny Abrahams, IAP-L

ISM Executive Director of Advisory Services and Senior Consultant
Focus: Advancement
Penny Abrahams
Penny Abrahams

Work with Penny to strengthen your school’s strategies in:

  • Advancement Planning
  • Creative Staffing
  • Crisis Communication
  • Development
  • Enrollment Management
  • Marketing Communications
  • Marketing Message Frameworks

In her roles at ISM, Penny:

  • leads ISM’s advisory practice, ensuring effective service delivery and content development across all areas of consulting, learning events, and publications;
  • consults in marketing communications, and development consulting services;
  • co-leads the Advancement Academy, an annual premier professional development conference from ISM for School Heads, Board members, and development, enrollment management, and marketing communications professionals;
  • leads workshops and webinars for ISM related to marketing communications, enrollment management, and advancement;
  • speaks frequently at regional and national education conferences; and
  • contributes regularly to ISM’s flagship publication, Ideas & Perspectives.

Learn more about Penny—

Penny joined Independent School Management in 2010 as a member of the Advancement Academy’s founding faculty.

Penny began her career in schools in 2001 at Ravenscroft, a Pre-K through grade 12 school in North Carolina. As the Annual Fund Director, she managed all aspects of the school’s annual giving program. Penny later became Ravenscroft’s Director of Communications and was charged with building the school’s communications program from the ground up.

From 2013–17, Penny served as the Director of Admissions & Marketing at Academy at the Lakes, a Pre–K3 through grade 12 school in Florida, where she helped the school reach record application and enrollment numbers.

Penny graduated with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Digital Marketing Certificate from the University of Vermont. She attained ISM’s International Advancement Program—Leader certification (IAP-L) in 2012.

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Penny was extremely responsive to all of our questions and made a genuine effort to get to know our school and our school’s culture. Having Penny come to campus and spend a few hours talking with me about the difficulties I face in our current market was perhaps the best professional development that I’ve ever received in my five years in this role. I remain extraordinarily grateful for her compassion, time, and attention to detail. All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend her services and that of her team at ISM to all independent school professionals."

Julee LaPorte, Director of Enrollment Management
Louise S. McGehee School, LA

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