4 Kentucky School Advocate | November 2025
Kerri Schelling, CAE
KSBA Executive Director
EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS
I love coffee. As soon as I wake up, I am on a mission to brew my first cup. A minimum of 20 ounces
later, I am ready to start my day.
If I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you in person, there’s a good chance I had a coffee in my hand
or somewhere close by. And you might have seen me spending quality time working and meeting in
coffee shops. When you’re anywhere long enough, you start to pick up on things. As a trainer at heart,
I can’t help but “brew” a few lessons from my experience.
Learn to tune out the noise. The average Starbucks is not a quiet spot. Espresso machines hiss,
dishes clink, people chat, music blares. For some, that chaos makes it hard to focus. School board
members face a similar challenge: learning to tune out the distractions and zero in on the real issues
that matter for their district.
That doesn’t mean you stop listening altogether. Instead, it’s about investing less of your energy
in the insignificant, and more in conversations that are meaningful, productive and civil. Maybe
that means staying out of the Facebook comment threads, steering clear of neighborhood gossip
or focusing more on urgent board priorities and less on the style in which a fellow team member
disagreed with you.
Service with a smile goes a long way. There is something special about walking into your local
coffee shop and the staff greeting you by name. And, if you’re a frequent flyer like me, they’ll know
your order by heart. (For the record, it’s a large black coffee in the A.M., a large sugar free vanilla latte
in the P.M.) Sometimes my cup even comes with an encouraging note written on it. And as I head out,
a barista says loudly, “Have a great day, Kerri. Thanks for coming in!”
School board members, with potentially thousands of constituents, can’t possibly know everyone
by name. But helping your community members (and not just the ones who voted for you) feel seen,
heard and valued is an essential part of your role as an elected official. That can be as simple as
thanking those who speak during public comment or showing appreciation to anyone who takes the
time to attend a board meeting. Small gestures go a long way in building trust and connection
Be cautious with your conversations. One drawback of working in a crowded coffee shop? You
sometimes hear conversations that are definitely not intended for you. I’ve been an unintentional
witness to job interviews, heated arguments, graphic medical stories (yikes!) and even gossip about
people I know. When you don’t realize how loud you are or just don’t care, it’s surprisingly easy to
share sensitive details without realizing it.
As an elected official, the stakes are even higher. Confidential matters and information such as
student discipline, pending litigation and superintendent personnel decisions must stay private.
You’re legally and ethically bound to protect that information, even from your closest friends and
family. A moment of frustration or a careless comment – even unintentionally – can break trust and
undermine your leadership.
Change takes time and good communication. Recently, the Starbucks around the corner from
KSBA headquarters made a change when they swapped out three identical trash bins for one trash
bin and two recycling bins. The staff put up colorful signs to explain what items go in each container.
Simple enough, right? Yet weeks later, all three bins are still full of trash.
That’s the challenge: even small, mindless habits are hard to break, let alone shifting an organiza
tion – or school, or district’s – culture, or implementing major policy changes. Real change requires
more than a new system – it needs buy-in at every level, consistent recognition and reinforcement
through clear, ongoing communication. Without that, people will default to what they’ve always done.
Until our paths cross again, here’s to great leadership and great coffee!
Venti, vidi, vici?
Leadership lessons from a coffee shop