Ian Symmonds

ISA Founder, Chief Strategist

Ian started ISA with a notebook computer, cell phone, and a dream of using his skills to transform the education landscape. After serving a decade and a half at the cabinet level for several private schools, colleges, and universities, turning around enrollment and strategy in the process, he launched Ian Symmonds & Associates Inc. in 2003. 20 years, 1200 clients, and four million air miles traveled later, Ian has seen more schools, colleges, universities and non-profits than any other consultant in America.

Ian is an author, speaker, ed-activist, and strategist. His global professional practice as a senior officer, executive director, and dean spanned Pacific University, Culver-Stockton College, Saint Mary's Hall, and Trinity University. He is a global citizen and has traveled the world for boarding schools and colleges and engineered dramatic turnarounds for multiple private institutions during his career. He has lived in several major American cultural centers, including Boston, San Antonio, Portland, Chicago and San Diego, as well as traveled extensively for schools, colleges, and clients to England, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Emirates, Dubai, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Netherlands, France, Italy, and Greece.

Occasionally dubbed an "ed-activist", Ian holds a high opinion of the role of education in building communities and solving social issues. He launched the #JustCause campaign in 2011 to strategically connect ISA with organizations that are addressing structural poverty through education. He speaks and writes on the issue and devotes a portion of time consulting with organizations through the Just Cause campaign.

Very early in his consulting, writing, and speaking career, Ian earned the role of one of America’s best thought leaders in educational circles, defined by a culturally relevant approach and progressive delivery of thinking. He is fascinated by culture and the future role of nonprofits and educational organizations as they attempt to shape our world for the common good. Not prone to educational fads, clients consistently remark that Ian’s counsel is both durable and innovative, a balance that reflects timeless experience and cultural relevance.

Ian has published in numerous professional journals and has presented at just about every national and regional educational conference. He is in high demand as a conference speaker at regional, national and global venues. Ian holds a BS and MS degree from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.

Ian loves the journey. When he is not leading organizations, you will find Ian on a tennis court (he was a competitive tennis professional in a previous life), a hiking trail, boating in the San Diego Bay or on his motorcycle, navigating the less-explored highways of the desert. He is fascinated by travel and culture and never misses an opportunity to unplug and connect with environments unlike his own. Ian lives and offices in Southern California with his wife and lifelong partner, Lisa. He has two daughters, both who graduated from Loyola Marymount University and work in music management, marketing and digital media: Makayla, who lives in Nashville and Julianna, who lives in the Bay area.

Kelly Laboe

Project Manager, Consulting Associate

Kelly has been working with Ian Symmonds in a multitude of capacities over the past 20 years. She was the first employee hired when Ian started the firm in 2004 and worked as a leader in Ian’s strategic enrollment management team at Pacific University (Oregon) from 2000 to 2004.

Kelly brings tremendous energy, high-level professional capability, and a contagious "can-do" attitude to all the ISA Team. She has led research projects, utilized her strategic enrollment management expertise to engage, coach, and direct teams, consulted with schools on implementing industry best practice strategies on retention, marketing, financial aid, admission, recruitment, and information management, and conducted initial exploratory campus visits.

As ISA’s project manager, Kelly serves as the first point of contact for prospective client inquiries. She is your initial point of contact for client portal setup and administrative needs. She also manages ISA's invoicing system and also coordinates Ian's calendar.

Kelly attended The University of Connecticut and received a BA in Political Theory and was deeply involved with student leadership, having served on multiple governing boards.

She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Edward and two daughters Emma and Madeline. She is a prolific curator of groan - worthy puns, a trivia enthusiast, and a die hard Portland Thorns and Timbers fan. In her spare time, she is an active community volunteer and enjoys exploring Portland’s vibrant food scene.

Kelly can be reached by email here.

Sara Schelinski

Research Associate, Geodemographic and Market Analysis

Sara Schelinski is a research associate who works throughout the community to bring spatial data to life. In the past five years, she has completed projects focusing on community development and sustainability and has completed degrees in Environmental Systems Science and Sustainability with focuses in Political Science and Geography. As a standout at her university, Sara is a Robert G. Bone Scholar, the highest student award presented to high achieving leaders, and has also received recognition for Excellence in Sustainability.

Sara’s key skills revolve around utilizing data to drive decision making, primarily through information visualization. Specializing in ESRI ArcGIS Systems, Sara remains on the cutting edge of geospatial technology. Her most recent projects include identifying rural communities unserved by broadband access while qualifying financial gains of increased precision agriculture, completing a market feasibility study for a major engineering agency, and creating interactive dashboards to identify grant fund allocations across the state of Illinois.

Likewise, Sara has strong ties with Illinois State University, and has been invited back to her alma mater to participate in departmental innovative design sprints, to advise upon upcoming university projects, as well as to be a mentor for exceptional students throughout their undergraduate careers. She has led programs focused on personal development in the areas of academic achievement, health and wellness, and is a trailblazer for diversity, equity and inclusion in many of the organizations she has been involved in.

Sara performs demographic and market analysis for our school, college and non-profit clients, building a body of data helping them better understand the communities in which they operate and seek to transform. She has a distinct connection to Ian in that they both attended Illinois State University.

Gary Daynes

Strategic Partner, Back Porch Consulting

Dr. Gary Daynes is a key partner is our strategic network. Like ISA, he is committed to helping small schools and colleges thrive. He founded Back Porch Consulting to do just that.

In his over 25 years in higher education, Gary has been a professor, writer, entrepreneur, and school leader. He has served as a C-level officer to five presidents at three different colleges. He has been the board chair of five non-profits. And he has consulted with dozens of schools, colleges, churches, and non-profit organizations.

And, just like Ian, Gary writes. A lot. He is committed to drawing attention to the opportunities for small schools and communities, and advocating for the policies that can help them flourish.

Gary Daynes holds a PhD in American History from the University of Delaware. He has led civic engagement, learning community, and assessment initiatives, and has served as Provost, Vice President for Enrollment Management, and Vice President for Student Affairs. He has chaired the boards of charter schools, humanities councils, community development corporations, and congregations. And he has led economic development and entrepreneurship efforts in neighborhoods and small towns.

Kevin Yaley

Consulting Associate

Kevin Yaley, PhD., has served as Head of Francis Parker School since 2010, having held previous leadership and teaching positions since joining the school in 2001. Prior to joining Parker, he taught history, ethics, and philosophy for a decade at the University of San Diego High School. He also coached cross country, track and field, and soccer.

Kevin has chaired multiple California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) accreditation visits, and served on the CAIS Board of Standards from 2008 to 2016. He was a fellow of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Edward E. Ford Fellowship for Aspiring Heads and was awarded a fellowship to the Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership’s Heads of Schools Program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Kevin received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Notre Dame, an additional master's degree from San Diego State University, and his doctorate in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego. He recently received his executive coaching and leadership (IECL) certification, and in 2023 was awarded the CASE District VII CEO Leadership Award. Kevin is the proud parent of three Parker graduates—Solia ’13, Indiana, ’16, and Ansel ’17.

Lisa Symmonds

Of Counsel, Co-Founder, Chief Social Conscience

Over two decades in existence, Lisa Symmonds has literally performed nearly every job at Ian Symmonds & Associates. She has completed qualitative research, conducted surveys, managed our records, completed invoicing and accounts management, and integrated our client communication systems.

More importantly, Lisa was the co-founder of our company in 2003 and has been a chief architect in ISA’s ongoing commitment to social causes. In fact, you might consider her our resident-in-chief social conscience.

Lisa has been part of Ian’s life long before the beginning of ISA.  As Ian’s partner and confidant, she has spent the last nearly four decades years by his side.  They met at Illinois State University, where she received her BA and MA in Audiology.

Lisa served in the medical industry for more than 11 years, which included starting her own medical consulting business that spanned the nation. Lisa’s consulting practice helped pioneer the practice in the early stages of intraoperative monitoring during neurodiagnostic surgery.

Lisa resides in Southern California with Ian and considers raising two amazing daughters her proudest achievement.  Lisa has a heart for serving others in her community and has been a Big Sister in the Big Brother/Big Sister program for more than16 years. She recently went back to school in interior design and has spent the last 5 years learning about and creating inviting spaces in both the workplace and homes.

When she is not serving ISA or designing spaces, you will find Lisa on a tennis court, hiking, walking and/or running on the trails of the desert, or on the strand by the ocean. Staying active and healthy is a priority for her.