Susan B. Lair
CONSULTANT, EXECUTIVE COACH
READ SUSAN’s BLOG -
This WILL ONLY TAKE A MINUTE
It is called “This Will Only Take a Minute” because that is what Heads of School are told all day!
Susan Lair, PhD, is a senior consultant and executive coach with The Education Group, specializing in Head of School searches, leadership transition, and executive coaching for independent and Episcopal schools. With more than four decades in education and 28 years in independent school leadership, Susan brings a rare blend of operational expertise, governance fluency, and pastoral sensitivity to her work with boards and school leaders.
Susan has led or co-led successful Head of School and senior leadership searches for a wide range of independent and Episcopal schools, including:
Head of School & Senior Leadership Searches
Westview School – Houston, TX
Briarwood School – Houston, TX
Veritas School – Houston, TX
Houston Christian – Houston, TX
All Saints’ Episcopal School – Tyler, TX
St. Mark’s Cathedral School – Shreveport, LA
Bishop Noland Episcopal School – Lake Charles, LA
Trinity Valley School – Fort Worth, TX
Saint Paul’s Episcopal School – Waco, TX
Director of Learning Support – All Saints’ Episcopal School, Tyler, TX
In addition to search work, Susan provides executive coaching to Heads of School and senior administrators navigating leadership transitions, strategic growth, board relationships, and organizational change. Her executive coaching clients have included:
Executive Coaching Clients
The Vine School – Victoria, TX
St. David’s Episcopal School – San Antonio, TX
Veritas School – Houston, TX
Saint Paul’s Episcopal School – Waco, TX
The Key Center – Fort Worth, TX
The Clariden School – Southlake, TX
All Saints Episcopal, Amarillo, Texas
Bishop Noland Episcopal School – Lake Charles, LA
Forsyth Country Day School – Lewisville, NC
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School – Coconut Grove, FL
da Vinci School – Dallas, TX
Areas of Specialized Practice
Leadership Transition Planning
Interim Headship
Board-Head-Rector Partnership Development
Episcopal School Governance Training
Independent School Governance Training
Strategic and Long-Range Plan Training
Before joining The Education Group, Susan served as Head of School at St. Francis Episcopal Day School in Houston for 17 years, where she led a period of transformational growth. During her tenure, she improved faculty and student retention, oversaw record annual giving, added a second 24-acre campus, built a state-of-the-art primary school facility, and led a capital campaign that culminated in the launch of a new high school filling a long-standing strategic vision for the school.
Earlier in her career, Susan served as Head of Upper School at Saint Mary’s Hall in San Antonio and held leadership roles as an Upper School dean and curriculum coordinator at Fort Worth Country Day School. She began her professional journey as a middle and high school mathematics teacher, math specialist, and district administrator in Fort Worth ISD and Bryan ISD.
Susan holds a doctorate in Educational Administration and Finance from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in educational administration and mathematics education from Texas Christian University.
A respected voice in independent and Episcopal school leadership, Susan has served as President of the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools (SAES), as a board member of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), and on the Episcopal Diocese of Texas Education Commission. She has chaired and served on multiple accreditations, nominating, and standards committees and has taught the New Heads Workshop for Independent School Management (ISM). Her professional honors include being named Teacher of the Year and receiving the Tandy Teacher-Scholar Award.
Susan is known for her steady leadership presence, strategic clarity, and deep commitment to helping boards, rectors and Heads of School build healthy, mission-aligned schools that thrive well beyond a leadership transition.
