Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

EDUCATION: 
BS Degree in Economics, North Carolina A&T State University
MA Degree in Education, Pepperdine University
Masters of Business Administration, Western New England College

MILITARY EXPERIENCE: 
Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force, Retired.
Served 21 years in the United States Air Force where he held several leadership and management positions in education and training, systems engineering, and acquisition program management. 

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: 
Senior Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Retired.
As a senior management consultant, provided consulting services to public sector clients in developing and implementing strategies for improving their technical and functional business processes.

ELECTED OFFICE:
Elected to the New Hanover County Board of Education in 2006 for a four year term.  During this term Mr. Rhodes has served as chairman of the finance committee where his leadership was key in preparing a school budget that avoided any impact to classroom instruction or eliminating staff despite a reduction in state and county funding.  He served also as a member of the curriculum committee where the focus is on raising student achievement, reducing the dropout rate, eliminating the achievement gap, and revising the academically/intellectually gifted program.  He has served on the strategic planning committee were he is the co-chairperson of the academic achievement action team.

Mr. Rhodes' vision for the future is to complete the strategic planning process and develop and implement a plan with long range objectives that are vital for providing a high quality education for every student in New Hanover County.

COMMUNITY SERVICE:
Member of the Cameron Executive Network in the Cameron School of Business at UNCW
Board Member for:
The Partnership for Children (Smart Start)
The African-American Heritage Foundation of Wilmington

• Kids Making It
• 100 Black Men of Coastal North Carolina.

PERSONAL:
Married to Deloris Hassell Rhodes, they have two children and three grandchildren

I am a candidate for re-election to the New Hanover County Board of Education because I believe the citizens of New Hanover deserve a school system where every child is provided a quality education regardless of where that child lives, goes to school or his or her socioeconomic status.  As a member of the school board I will continue to be a voice for parents and teachers to ensure that every child in New Hanover County has access to a high quality education. 

I believe strongly that in order to have a high quality school system with high achieving students everyone within the system must be accountable.  Every member of the school system, including administrators at all levels, teachers, administrative assistants, guidance counselors, and support personnel must be committed to providing a high quality education for every child.  Therefore, the school board, as the head of the leadership team, must ensure that the application of all policies, regulations, and procedures are directed toward that goal.

Important changes are  needed in New Hanover County Schools to prepare students to compete in the 21st century.  I have been the driving force in getting the school system to engage in the development of a strategic plan for the system.  The development of the strategic plan will include participation by key stakeholders from the senior staff, principals, teachers, industry partners, the PTA, and community volunteers.  A strategic plan is necessary for setting long term objectives and measuring academic progress against those objectives.

My vision for the future is to complete the strategic planning process and develop and implement a plan with long range objectives that are vital to providing a high quality education for every student.  The strategic plan, when fully implemented, will enable New Hanover County students to compete in the 21st century global society.