Sara Shulman is Practice Leader for the Development & Communications and Finance & Operations practices at Carney Sandoe & Associates, where she leads executive searches for advancement and financial leadership roles at independent schools nationwide.

Prior to joining Carney Sandoe, Sara served seven years as Director of Development at The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn’s oldest independent school, and a PK–12 community of more than 1,000 students. In this role, she oversaw all philanthropic programs, provided strategic counsel on schoolwide initiatives, and designed and managed the school’s capital campaign.

Earlier in her career, Sara served as Director of Development at Collegiate School (NY) from 2011 to 2015, leading all fundraising operations and playing a vital role in the school’s multi-year campus relocation process. During her tenure at Collegiate, she held progressively senior roles, including Director of Major Gifts, Associate Director of Development, and Assistant Alumni Director.

Before her work in independent schools, Sara held development roles at New York University, Weill Cornell Medical College, and New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, building a foundation in major gifts, campaign fundraising, and donor relations across higher education and academic medicine.

At Carney Sandoe, Sara has partnered with independent schools of varied size, mission, and geography on advancement, finance, and communications leadership appointments, including Choate Rosemary Hall, The Spence School, The Chapin School, Head-Royce School, The Browning School, The Nueva School, Seoul Foreign School, and the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA).

Sara is a frequent speaker at conferences including CASE-NAIS and NYSAIS. She leads board workshops on the role of philanthropy in independent schools and coaches advancement leaders as they navigate the complexities of the profession. She recently joined the Board of George Jackson Academy.

Sara received her B.A. in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (go Badgers) and her M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She has served as leader of the New York City Independent Schools Directors of Development Group and is a board member of Penn’s Nonprofit Leadership Alumni Association. Sara resides in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters and is a certified yoga instructor.