Search Names CEO

Kent Pekel takes the helm at the Minneapolis-based nonprofit on Aug. 1, succeeding founder Benson, who passed away last year. Pekel is the founding executive director of the University of Minnesota's College Readiness Consortium. He previously served in the Saint Paul Public Schools as chief of staff to the superintendent and executive director of research and development; held several senior staff-level positions in the Clinton administration; and taught at the high school level in Minnesota and at the college level in China. See a brief biography of Pekel here.