Nurturing Healthy, High-Performing Institutions
With more than 25 years of independent school leadership experience, Gardner Barrier helps schools create thriving cultures, unified leadership teams, and meaningful outcomes. A seasoned school head and trusted advisor, Gardner’s deep empathy and talent for aligning strategic priorities with practical solutions enhance his work with school leaders.
Areas of Focus
- Leadership development and executive coaching
- School culture and organizational health
- Strategic planning and performance analysis
- Clarity mapping and decision-making frameworks
- Consultant team leadership and service delivery
A Lifelong Educator Leading at Every Level
Gardner joined ISM’s leadership team in 2025 as Executive Director of Advisory Services, where he leads a dynamic team of consultants and executive coaches serving schools, associations, and mission-driven organizations. He oversees the evolution and delivery of ISM’s consulting services, ensuring every partnership is grounded in mission, strategy, and sustainable impact.
Gardner’s career includes leadership roles as Head of School at Forsyth Country Day School and Assistant Head at both Summit School and Westchester Country Day School. He also served over a decade as a Division Director and began his career teaching middle and upper school students and coaching athletics. His leadership style is rooted in service, integrity, and relationship-building.
Today, Gardner partners with school leaders to implement frameworks like ISM’s Circle, helping align structure and function in ways that support mission-driven results. His goal is always the same: to help schools become places where students, faculty, and communities truly thrive.
Gardner holds an MBA from Wake Forest University, an M.Ed. in Middle Grades Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a B.S. from Virginia Tech. He considers it a privilege to support the independent school community through ISM’s mission.
