Today, Rainier Scholars announced that Gordon McHenry Jr. will assume leadership of this 9-year old Seattle nonprofit organization.  Rainier Scholars is a comprehensive, long-term educational enrichment program serving promising students of color from 6th grade to college graduation. Through academic excellence, Rainier Scholars develops tomorrow’s leaders.

“After an extensive and thorough search process, the board of Rainier Scholars enthusiastically endorsed Gordon recognizing the experience, skills, and abilities he brings to extend the mission, reach, and success of Rainier Scholars throughout this community”, said Board Chairman, John Snyder.

“A native Seattleite and graduate of Seattle Public schools, his unique blend of private and public sector experience in this community makes him an ideal leader for Rainier Scholars”. 

 “I am excited to join this impactful program with such a powerful mission. This is a great opportunity to make a positive difference in a community I know and love”, McHenry Jr. commented.  “Rainier Scholars has had an incredible amount of success with measurable outcomes in such a short amount of time.  I am confident that by partnering with the talented staff and committed board we will be able to build upon the impressive results to date.”

Mr. McHenry Jr. served in a variety of executive leadership roles in the Boeing Company, most recently as Director of Global Corporate Citizenship in the Northwest Region.  Prior to joining Boeing in 1988, Mr. McHenry Jr. was an attorney with Perkins Coie in Seattle, Washington.  He has served on a variety of boards involved with education, social service and environmental issues.  McHenry Jr. currently serves on the Seattle University Board of Trustees and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust Board of Directors.  He also served the governing boards of the United Way of King County and Seattle Public Library.

Mr. McHenry Jr. holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Seattle University and earned his Juris Doctorate from the Georgetown University Law School in Washington, D.C. He also completed the Executive Education – Program for Management Development at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business in Boston, Massachusetts.

Founded in 2000, Rainier Scholars cultivates the academic potential of talented and motivated young scholars from ethnic minority backgrounds. By offering access to exceptional educational opportunities and ongoing comprehensive support, Rainier Scholars works to increase college graduation rates and to develop new generations of leaders.