District 204’s Board of Education announced the appointment of Benjamin White to fill the vacancy created by Curt Bradshaw’s recent departure to serve on the Illinois State Board of Education. White will be formally seated at the October 29 meeting and will serve until the April 2013 election.
White is a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served 22 years in the Army as a Field Artillery Officer, leading and mentoring soldiers throughout his military career before retiring from active duty in 2008. Over the years, White’s leadership skills and strong commitment to teaching and learning helped to develop future leaders. He taught at the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as Professor of Military Science/Battalion Commander of the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Wheaton College. He continues to inspire and motivate students by working with the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Joliet West High School.
Closer to home, White has volunteered his time and talent as a mentor, parent volunteer, and guest speaker at several District 204 schools.
In a press release, President Susan Rasmus said White’s leadership skills impressed the board. “We look forward to welcoming Benny to the team. He will bring a wealth of executive level experience and a strong educational background to the table.”
White has a bachelor’s degree in Management Studies from West Point. He also earned a master’s degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University and a MBA from Webster University. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Values Driven Leadership from Benedictine University.
Twenty-one community members applied to fill the open board position. The board narrowed the candidates to five before selecting White.
Rasmus said the board was fortunate to have a strong talent pool of candidates. “The board was impressed with all five candidates that were brought in for interviews. Each possessed strong skill sets that offered positives for the board and district.”
