About
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The InspirED Brilliance Awards exist to recognize, celebrate, and elevate excellence in private and independent school marketing.
We honor the creativity, strategy, innovation, and dedication of the professionals whose work helps schools communicate their missions, tell meaningful stories, engage their communities, and move their institutions forward. Through an accessible awards program and an independent judging process, we recognize exceptional work from schools and teams of every size, location, and resource level.
By showcasing outstanding campaigns, ideas, and leadership, we give school marketers meaningful recognition while creating opportunities to learn from one another, discover best practices, and strengthen their work.
Guided by integrity, fairness, and transparency, the Brilliance Awards foster a culture of generosity, collaboration, inspiration, and continuous growth across the global school marketing community.
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We envision the InspirED Brilliance Awards as more than an awards program—a global school marketing community that celebrates excellence, sparks new ideas, and inspires what comes next.
Building on the trusted legacy created by Rob and Liza Norman, the awards will preserve the integrity, accessibility, and spirit that have defined them for more than a decade while continuing to evolve alongside the profession. As school marketing changes, the awards will reflect emerging strategies, new platforms, and the increasingly important role marketers play in strengthening schools and connecting communities.
Our vision is to make exceptional work visible across schools of every size, location, and resource level—and to turn that recognition into ongoing learning, encouragement, and professional growth. By sharing the ideas, strategies, and stories behind outstanding work, the Brilliance Awards will help school marketers learn from one another, think more boldly, and raise the standard of the profession together.
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“Find a hole and fill it” perfectly captures the story behind the Brilliance Awards.
In 2013, Liza Fisher Norman and Rob Norman launched InspirED School Marketers, a free professional development community for private school marketers. Three years later, they created the Brilliance Awards — the only competition dedicated exclusively to celebrating the creative, mission-driven work of private school marketers worldwide. Today, the awards attract entries from schools and partners across the globe.
↓ See The Brilliant School Marketers Behind The Awards ↓
Aubrey Bursch
Executive Director
Aubrey Bursch serves as the Executive Director of the InspirED Brilliance Awards, bringing deep school-based experience, industry leadership, and a longstanding commitment to supporting the people responsible for advancing school missions.
Over more than two decades, Aubrey has worked across school marketing, enrollment, advancement, communications, community engagement, and leadership. Through Easy School Marketing, the Small School Leaders Conference, and the Mindful School Marketing podcast, she has become a trusted educator, speaker, facilitator, and connector for professionals navigating increasingly complex responsibilities often with limited time, staffing, and resources.
Aubrey also served as a Brilliance Awards judge before assuming leadership of the program. As Executive Director, she is committed to honoring Rob and Liza Norman’s legacy, safeguarding the awards’ independent process, and expanding their reach, relevance, and value without compromising the integrity that has earned the community’s trust.
Advisory Board
Jan Abernathy is the Chief Communications & Strategy Officer at The Browning School, a K–12 boys' school in New York City, and presents regularly at conferences sponsored by regional, national and international independent school associations. She is also president of New York City Independent Schools Communications Professionals and a member of the board of trustees of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), as well as a trustee at Grace Church School in Manhattan. She is on the faculty of the CASE Academy, providing professional development to emerging and mid-career advancement professionals. Her consulting firm, Jan Abernathy Strategic Communications, provides communications and DEI counsel for educational institutions and non-profits. Jan is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
Jan Abernathy
Angela Brown is head of marketing at Halda, an AI enrollment platform serving higher education and K-12 institutions. She leads Halda's marketing team, building the systems and content that help enrollment and marketing leaders reach families more effectively. Before Halda, Angela spent seven years as director of marketing and communications at Flint Hill School, a JK-12 independent day school, where she managed enrollment marketing, communications and community engagement for the school. That experience on the school side shapes how she thinks about marketing for private schools today: practical, resource-conscious and grounded in what moves families to enroll. Angela has served as a Brilliance Awards judge since 2020, and currently sits on the program's advisory board. She's spent more than a decade on both sides of the desk, from the school office to ed-tech, and brings that perspective to her work with the Brilliance Awards.
Angela Brown
Nija Majmudar Meyer is a strategic enrollment, marketing, and communications leader who spent the past decade at Woodward Academy, a PK–12 independent school with the largest enrollment in the continental United States. She oversaw admissions, financial aid, strategic marketing, and communications, advancing institutional positioning, strengthening the family experience, and supporting long-term financial sustainability within an $85 million operating budget. A respected voice in independent school education, Nija frequently presents at conferences and webinars. Her 2025 “Marketing Magic” workshop was named one of the Top Five “Best of Thrive” sessions at the NAIS Annual Conference. She is a recipient of the Enrollment Management Association’s Rising Star Award and serves on the board of trustees of E3n, formed through the merger of EMA and ERB. Previously, Nija held marketing and consulting roles with Fortune 500 companies. She graduated summa cum laude from Emory University and earned her MBA from Harvard Business School.
Nija Meyer
Kara Lysne-Paris brings 15 years of communications management experience in independent schools, informed by earlier leadership in not-for-profit educational program management. At UTS, Kara leads strategic communications, ensuring inclusive, consistent and transparent communication. She serves on the Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) Peer Review Team and led UTS's accreditation in 2025. Prior to UTS, Kara held communications management roles at The York School and Robbins Hebrew Academy. She has volunteered in governance roles for nearly 20 years, including a decade as Chair and Vice Chair of the High Park Nature Centre, where she received the Province of Ontario's 10 Year Volunteer Service Award. She also serves as Treasurer and Trustee of the Saluki Club of Canada Rescue and Education Trust. Kara has served as a judge for the InspirED Brilliance Awards since 2019 and is a member of its Advisory Board. Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Communications and a Master of Arts in Japanese Studies. Having studied in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and taught in Japan, she brings an international perspective and a commitment to educational excellence.
Kara Lysne-Paris
Dr David Willows is Co-founder and Strategic Director at [YELLOW CAR], the world's leading experience strategy training and consultancy firm for schools. Between 2005 and 2022, he was Director of Advancement at the International School of Brussels, Belgium. During this time, he grew to be widely regarded as one of the most innovative practitioners in the field, helping to shape and define the future of Advancement (admissions, marketing & communications, fundraising & alumni relations) in schools. He was recently listed as one of the world’s Top 10 Global Educational Influencers. An author and regular keynote speaker & trainer at international events around the world, David is passionate about helping schools advance in ways that are relevant for today’s educational landscape.
David Willows