ATLIS Announces 2026 Pillar Award Recipients
ATLIS Announces 2026 Pillar Award Recipients
Anderson, Cobb, Musselwhite recognized with association’s top honor
ATLIS is pleased to announce the recognition of three highly accomplished professionals as 2026 ATLIS Pillar Award winners:
Richard Anderson, Associate Director of Academic Technology, Washington International School
Mike Cobb, Senior Innovation and Organizational Excellence Strategist, Mission & Data
Denise Musselwhite, Founder, Tech & Thrive
Established in 2018, the ATLIS Pillar Award program highlights outstanding professionals who exemplify the association’s mission: empowering schools to thrive through technology leadership. This year's winners were selected for their exceptional thought leadership, impactful mentorship, and unwavering support of the independent school community.
"The ATLIS Pillar Award celebrates the spirit of selfless leadership, the individuals who continue to foster the foundations upon which our entire community stands," said Dr. Aggie Malter, ATLIS Board Chair and president and CEO of PAISBOA. "This year’s honorees, Denise, Mike, and Richard, perfectly embody this ethos through their dedication to mentorship, innovation, and the open exchange of ideas. Their work reminds us that technology leadership isn't just about managing systems; it's about building relationships, fostering a culture of collaboration, and empowering every independent school to thrive in an ever-changing future."
About the honorees:
Richard Anderson
Richard Anderson is a distinguished technologist and educator in the midst of his 20th year at Washington International School (WIS) in Washington D.C. Having served in diverse roles, from librarian to learning and technology coordinator, Anderson currently leads as the associate director of academic technology. An early adopter of Google Apps, he has spent two decades mastering automation and developing bespoke internal solutions to solve the unique data and workflow challenges of the independent school environment.
As one of the early recipients of the Google Certified Trainer credential, he has tackled numerous projects, including irregular repeating schedules, dismissal procedures, collating assessment data into user-friendly dashboards, behavior tracking, unified course evaluations, and event and field trip management. Most recently, he revamped the student-led conference sign-up process. The rapid evolution of generative AI has only further fueled his creativity and appetite to propose and develop sustainable solutions for whole-school initiatives, such as curriculum documentation and professional growth tracking.
Anderson’s contribution to the ATLIS community is defined by what his peers describe as someone who shares resources “freely and with humility." He is a frequent presenter at ATLIS conferences and often provides deep-dive insights into the "bones" of his coding projects. Richard is a graduate of the ATLIS Leadership Institute, and he remains a fierce advocate for small schools, often providing them with the resources and scripts needed to function with the efficiency of a much larger staff.
Known for his willingness to serve quietly without asking for anything in return, Anderson truly embodies what it means to be a member of a community. When he is not developing workspace applications, he is a dedicated baseball fan, cheering on his three bilingual travel baseball players alongside his wife, Elisabeth.
Mike Cobb
Mike Cobb is a visionary educational leader and strategist with over 35 years of experience spanning the globe. Currently serving as the Senior Innovation and Organizational Excellence Strategist at Mission & Data, Mike supports schools in navigating complex futures through strategic alignment and "futurist" methodologies. His current work includes serving as the Futurist-in-Residence at The Landmark School in Massachusetts and previously at Forsyth Country Day School, where he helps communities anticipate emerging shifts and build institutional resilience.
Cobb’s career is distinguished by his ability to lead schools through transformative change. He has served as a teacher, division head, and head of school. Cobb has led schools in the U.S. and abroad, including NEOM Community Schools in Saudi Arabia, as well as All Saints Episcopal School and The Oakridge School in Texas. He is also Futurist-in-Residence at The Landmark School in Massachusetts, where he helps the school anticipate trends and design for preferred futures. He is widely recognized for his expertise in "Third Teacher" learning environments, having spearheaded the creation of nationally recognized spaces.
Cobb is also a co-founder of the Sandbox, an Innovative Think Tank where thought leaders share visions in a grown-up sandbox setting. Inspired by the unstructured nature of playground sandboxes, the Sandbox provides a space for leaders nationwide to engage in spontaneous, fruitful conversations about their passions. This network emphasizes the value of unscripted dialogue among thought leaders, fostering authentic exchanges and innovative ideas in education and leadership.
Cobb’s career reflects a dedication to transformative education, organizational excellence, innovative leadership, and continuous learning with participation in programs such as Dare to Lead Trainer Certification, SAP Certified Associate in Design Thinking, the NAIS Aspiring Heads Fellowship, NAIS New Heads Institute, Vanderbilt University's Peabody Fellow in the Institute for Independent School Leadership, and more.
Cobb has been active in the greater independent school world throughout his career. He has served on several boards, including the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) and Texas Private Schools Association (TPSA), as well as serving on task forces with National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), International Pathways (IP), and others. He has extensive accreditation experience, having led many visiting teams at schools across the world. He has written and presented prolifically, and has advised boards and heads on topics ranging from trendspotting to best practices in governance and leadership. He is also a Fulbright Specialist, part of a prestigious U.S. Department of State program that connects leading experts with institutions around the world to foster international collaboration and advance global knowledge exchange.
A long-time champion of the ATLIS mission, Cobb has been a vital voice in the intersection of school leadership and technology. He frequently shares his expertise on how technology serves as a catalyst for "authentic learning."
Denise Musselwhite
Denise Musselwhite is a Board-Certified Master Executive and Organizational Development Coach and former technology executive with more than two decades of experience spanning independent schools, higher education, nonprofit, legal, and Fortune 500 environments. As the founder of Tech & Thrive, she partners with diverse individuals, teams, and organizations to develop “AI-ready” leaders and high-performing cultures through her T.H.R.I.V.E. Operating System™. She also collaborates with AIIR Consulting and Shore Coaching, expanding her impact across K–12 schools, technology organizations, higher education institutions, and global enterprises. She holds the rare distinction of being one of the few Latina women globally to have served as both a CIO and board chair.
Musselwhite spent more than 22 years at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, Florida, where she served as chief information officer and director of technology. During her tenure, she led an award-winning ed tech program and steered a pandemic-era digital pivot that became a national model for independent schools. Her strategic expertise is grounded in aligning information services infrastructure, leadership capability, and organizational culture to drive sustainable performance.
Musselwhite’s impact on the ATLIS community is profound and multifaceted. She served on the ATLIS Board of Directors for nearly nine years, including as board chair from 2022–2025. She was a trailblazer in the community’s DEI efforts, serving on the committee that created the first ATLIS Community-Building Framework for Technology Professionals. She has contributed to multiple ATLIS publications, including Leadership Principles for Independent School Technologists.
Musselwhite also helped spearhead the creation of the Women in Tech community and continues to facilitate it through ATLIS, leading curated professional development and ongoing peer dialogue. A “tech barrier-breaker,” she leverages her executive experience to coach leaders and teams with clarity, cultural fluency, and practical strategy. Her credentials include an M.S. in Leadership and mastery-level certification in Executive Leadership Coaching from Harvard University. Beyond her professional work, she is a global advocate who spent more than a decade facilitating with PeaceJam, mentoring students alongside Nobel Peace Laureates.
About ATLIS
The Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS) is a growing association of independent schools dedicated to empowering schools to thrive through technology leadership. Founded in 2014 to address the unique challenges of independent school technology directors, the organization has now expanded to support all aspects of technology at schools, ensuring that they are equipped for the future. Across all dimensions of its practice, ATLIS is also dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive association.