The College Crusade of Rhode Island Names Todd D. Flaherty, Ed.D., As Interim President & CEO

Seasoned educator combines a background in RI school leadership with expertise in educational policymaking at the local and national levels

Providence, R.I., August 19, 2009 – The College Crusade of Rhode Island today announced it has named Todd D. Flaherty, Ed.D., a resident of Wakefield, R.I., to the post of Interim President & CEO. A member of The College Crusade board of directors, Dr. Flaherty begins his new position immediately and will provide interim leadership for the organization through June 30, 2010.

“It is a great pleasure for me to welcome Todd Flaherty as our Interim President & CEO,” said Paul E. Moran, CPA, chair of the board of directors for The College Crusade. “In addition to his exemplary service as a board member, Todd has been a passionate advocate of our organization’s mission for many years. He brings a vast amount of educational and leadership experience to the cause of college readiness in Rhode Island. We look forward to benefiting from his expert guidance as we work to increase academic success for our state’s low-income urban students.”

“I am deeply honored to serve The College Crusade,” said Dr. Flaherty. “Over the years, this organization has distinguished itself nationally in the college access field and has become a great asset to our state. As an educator, I have dedicated my entire career to the belief that all children deserve a high-quality education and that all young people can succeed when adults care about and support them as individuals. The College Crusade puts this belief into practice every day, and the remarkable high school graduation and college-going rates it achieves are proof that its approach is effective.”

“The College Crusade has made an excellent choice in selecting Todd Flaherty as Interim President & CEO,” said Robert G. Flanders, Jr., Esq., chairman of the RI Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education. “Todd has been a leader in Rhode Island’s educational community for many years. He has a thorough understanding of the challenges faced by students in our urban schools, and he takes the helm at a time when high-quality education is increasingly pivotal for young people to succeed in our competitive economy. Under his competent leadership, The College Crusade will continue to be an important part of the solution in Rhode Island education.”

Between 1995 and 2007, Todd Flaherty served as RI Deputy Commissioner of Education, where he played a vital role in developing and implementing the state’s systemic school reform initiatives. Previously he was president of the RI Superintendents Association and principal of two award-winning high schools – Governor James B. Hunt (Jr.) High School, in North Carolina, and Narragansett High School, in Rhode Island. He has also served as a visiting Associate Professor at Brown University focusing on educational leadership in urban and diverse settings.

During his interim position with The College Crusade, Dr. Flaherty will be involved part-time in his roles as Senior Policy Consultant for the National High School Center and Deputy in Residence for the Council of Chief State School Officers, both based in Washington, D.C. In these positions he collaborates with other national policymaking organizations and state education agencies on secondary school redesign, addressing policy development and comprehensive implementation strategies. He holds a B.A. from Syracuse University and an Ed.D. from Boston University.

About The College Crusade of Rhode Island

The College Crusade of Rhode Island is the state’s most comprehensive college-readiness and scholarship program for middle school and high school students in low-income urban school districts. It serves approximately 3,700 students per year and rewards the efforts and achievements of financially eligible students with up to four years of college scholarships. From grade 6 through grade 12, Crusaders experience the steady, nurturing presence of caring adults and participate in activities that focus on academic enrichment, social and personal development, career awareness and exploration, and readiness for college. Students who are members of The College Crusade graduate and go right on to college at much higher rates than their peers in the state’s urban school districts. Since 2001, The College Crusade has awarded over $20 million in college scholarships to more than 2,700 graduates from Rhode Island high schools. For more information, please visit www.thecollegecrusade.org.

The College Crusade is a nonprofit organization funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR UP program, by the State of Rhode Island, and by private corporations, foundations, and individuals.

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