Page 42 - Delaware 222 - 2025

EDUCATION
Paul Herdman
The Rodel Foundation of
Delaware
Th e Rodel Foundation of Delaware is
a nonprofi t organization that partners
with Delawareans and educational
innovators from around the world
to transform public education in the
First State. In 2004, Rodel named Paul
Herdman as its president and CEO.
He came to Rodel after a career at
New American Schools and consulted
with the Brookings Institution, RAND,
and Th e World Bank on education
policy. He co-founded an expedition
learning-based school in New York
City and helped Massachusetts on
its public education overhaul. In
Delaware, Herdman has helped leaders
conceptualize public education reform
over several administrations.
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James Ray Rhodes
EastSide Charter School
For years, James Ray Rhodes has been
serving the greater Wilmington area
through many roles, including as past
executive director of the Christina
Cultural Arts Center, a nearly 80-year-
old cultural institution that provides
instruction in art, music, dance and
theater to underserved populations in
Wilmington. In 2024, he transitioned
to serve as the new STEM Hub and
community engagement director of
the EastSide Charter School, which
is a fl ourishing school in northeast
Wilmington that has consistently
worked to beat the odds to graduate
students who are pursuing college
degrees or employment. As the school
is preparing to open its community
STEM hub, Rhodes will be tasked
with solidifying connections with the
Riverside community.
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Colleen Perry Keith
Goldey-Beacom College
Colleen Perry Keith is the 14th
president of Goldey-Beacom College as
well as its fi rst female president. Perry
Keith spent about two decades working
in higher education or education-
focused nonprofi t work in Ohio, and
later transitioned to lead Spartanburg
Methodist University and Pfeiff er
University in the Carolinas. At Goldey-
Beacom, a private four-year university
in Pike Creek, she has led through the
pandemic, opened new online degree
programs and instituted a bottom-up
review of the college and its services.
In 2022, GBC broke into the annual U.S.
News & World Report Best Colleges list
for the fi rst time.
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Levi Thompson
University of Delaware,
College of Engineering
As the University of Delaware’s
Engineering Degree continues to rank
among the top in the country per the
U.S. News & World Report’s annual
rankings, its dean, Levi Th ompson, has
been guiding the program’s success
at a dynamic time. A UD alumni who
has completed research on nanoscale
materials for catalytic and energy
storage applications, Th ompson has
been leading the department since
2018. Th e College of Engineering is at
the heart of UD’s future, as it is involved
with the FinTech Innovation Hub and
the National Institute for Innovation
in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals,
both located on the STAR Campus.
Th ompson recently announced that he
will step down from serving as dean
in 2024 and return to faculty in 2025.
A national search is underway for his
replacement.
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