Mike Cobb to Join Mission & Data as Senior Innovation and Organizational Excellence Strategist

Mission & Data is delighted to announce the appointment of Mike Cobb as our Senior Innovation and Organizational Excellence Strategist, effective June 2024.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mike Cobb to Mission & Data.” said Kelsey Vrooman, co-founder of Mission & Data. “For a decade now, I have followed Mike’s career as a data-minded independent school admission professional, an exceptional head of school, and an international education futurist. I couldn’t be more pleased that he is now joining the team at Mission & Data. His boundless energy, his dedication to cultivating a dynamic community of innovators, and his strategic insight are incredible assets to the firm.”

Mike Cobb is a visionary and results-oriented educational leader with a track record of successfully steering schools towards organizational excellence. With over 34 years of experience, he has served as an accomplished classroom teacher, division head, enrollment management leader, and head of school. A sought-after international speaker on educational innovation, Mike is the co-founder of the Sandbox, a collaborative futurist think tank where thought leaders share visions in a grown-up sandbox setting.

Most recently, he served as the Interim Head of NEOM Community Schools and Senior Manager of NEOM Baccalaureate in Saudi Arabia, where he led the NEOM Education, Research, and Innovation sector through strategic visioning work, created and implemented professional development programs, and launched programs for the Centers of Excellence, including AI & Robotics, Sustainability, NEOM X, Entrepreneurship & Leadership, Oceanographic Studies, and Teaching & Learning.

Previously, Mike served as the Head of School at All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler, Texas. Under his leadership, the school underwent strategic vision work resulting in new North Star documents and achieved unprecedented growth and sustainability. Mike also successfully spearheaded a capital campaign and led over 30 construction projects, including nationally recognized learning spaces. His experience in integrating school leadership, program design, and campus master planning will be advantageous for client schools looking to create learning environments that are impactful and lasting.

Mike has been a driving force in shaping school experiences, including academic and enrollment management efforts that embrace innovation and an Agile development process. His expertise in branding and marketing will be instrumental in enhancing the visibility and reputation of Mission & Data clients. Mike’s unique style of fusing action with Agile methodologies will support transformative changes in the schools with which he partners, aligning perfectly with Mission & Data’s commitment to data-informed operations and organizational effectiveness.

In addition to his role as Senior Innovation and Organizational Excellence Strategist at Mission & Data, Mike will be joining Forsyth Country Day School near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as Futurist in Residence, where he will contribute to the school’s forward-thinking initiatives and innovative approaches. Pairing his consulting practice with an on-campus innovation thought leadership role is an exciting opportunity to leverage his insights and expertise to create transformative experiences for students and educators.

“Mike’s wealth of experience in diverse areas of school administration, paired with his commitment to mission-driven, data-informed innovation makes him a valuable addition to our team. We are confident in the value he will bring to our clients in strategic planning, organizational transformation and effectiveness projects, enrollment management and marketing engagements, and innovation initiatives.” shared Ari Betof, co-founder of Mission & Data.

Mike Cobb will officially join Mission & Data in June 2024, and you can connect with him at mcobb@missionanddata.com.

Mission & Data is a firm dedicated to the effectiveness, health, and vitality of educational institutions and other organizations that make the world a better place. We are committed to enhancing mission-driven, data-informed leadership and governance by:

• Consulting to promote financial sustainability, improve organizational effectiveness, and facilitate organizational transformation.
• Developing custom data products, visualizations, and dashboards to highlight progress, identify trends, and leverage actionable insights.
• Auditing current practices and analyzing organizational data to recommend process efficiencies and strategic improvements.
• Coaching leaders and boards of trustees to enact institutional vision and build a culture of inquiry-based decision making practices.

If you would like to know more about how Mission & Data can help your organization, please contact us at contact@missionanddata.com.