Focus for you
Focus to Elevate Consulting partners with schools and organizations to cultivate thriving cultures where people feel valued, connected, and inspired to grow. Through purposeful coaching, strategic development, and joyful professional learning, we help leaders focus on what matters most so their teams can elevate their impact.
At our core, I believe in:
1. People First: Thriving schools and organizations begin with thriving adults. We center people, purpose, and relationships.
2. Clarity & Alignment: Organizations transform when teams understand the mission, see the path forward, and know how their strengths contribute.
3. Joyful Learning & Growth: Professional learning should energize educators, not exhaust them. We create spaces that spark curiosity, creativity, and connection.
4. Strategic Support, Practical Tools: I help schools bridge vision with implementation — helping leaders execute well and sustain momentum.
5. Coaching That Elevates Leadership: Leadership is both skill and identity. I help leaders grow self-awareness, reflect deeply, and lead with intention.
Nancy Barkan
Nancy Barkan is an educational leader, coach, and consultant committed to helping schools create cultures where educators thrive and students soar. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Education Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her studies focus on mission alignment, adult learning, and organizational culture.
Nancy began her career as a high school English teacher before transitioning into school leadership, ultimately serving as the Assistant Head of School at Cardinal Gibbons High School, Raleigh, NC. During her tenure, she led significant academic transformation, expanding Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment offerings, strengthening instructional practices across departments, and elevating the overall academic program to ensure more rigorous, accessible, and mission-driven learning experiences for all students. She also designed and facilitated high-impact professional learning that energized educators, fostered collaboration, and deepened alignment with the school’s values.
A certified leadership coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation, Nancy brings more than 25 years of experience helping educators and leaders grow with clarity, confidence, and purpose. She specializes in leadership development, strategic planning, mission-driven culture building, and joyful professional learning. Through her company, Focus to Elevate Consulting, she partners with schools and organizations to center people, strengthen systems, and create environments where adults feel valued, connected, and inspired to lead.
