Jan Abernathy presents regularly at conferences sponsored by regional, national and international independent school associations. She is president of New York City Independent Schools Communications Professionals, and the co-founder of Black Advancement Networking Group, which works to gain further representation and greater professional growth of Black professionals in advancement roles in independent schools. She is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Commission on Communications and Marketing, and on the faculty of the CASE Academy, providing professional development to emerging and mid-career advancement professionals. She is also a CASE Laureate, an honor bestowed on the organization's most senior volunteers. 

A Northwestern University graduate, Jan is a trustee at Grace Church School in New York City, and Tessa International School in Hoboken, NJ. Her consulting firm, Jan Abernathy Strategic Communications, provides communications and DEI counsel for educational institutions and non-profits. Jan and her husband Jerome are parents of a daughter, Noe, and a son, Sam, both independent school graduates.