Parchman Vaughan's Fifth Morehead Cain Intern

BALTIMORE, MD, June 5, 2014 - Parchman, Vaughan & Company, L.L.C., a leading middle market investment bank focused on the education and training industries,continues its partnership with the Morehead-Cain Foundation by welcoming Brent McKnight to the team. Brent has just finished his second year as a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is pursuing a double-major in History and Global Studies with a minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. During the summer of 2013, Brent worked in Nicaragua for Bless Back Worldwide and Los Rayos de Esperanza, where he led a project focusing on the implementation and monitoring of aquaponics systems. After working in Nicaragua, Brent spent a semester studying in London, UK, where he also held an internship with law firm Philcox Gray.

Parchman Vaughan, has advised over 100 clients on transactions in the education industry. Parchman Vaughan partner and Morehead-Cain alumnus Todd Parchman explained, "We are very fortunate to have a long-standing relationship with the Morehead-Cain Foundation. Brent represents the best of the Morehead-Cain values. His internship comes at a very exciting and busy time for Parchman Vaughan. His efforts will be helpful to us and our clients."

Founded in 1945, the Morehead-Cain Foundation is the United States' oldest and most prestigious merit scholarship program, boasting nearly 3,000 alumni worldwide. Inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, the Morehead-Cainsponsors students for four years of undergraduate study at UNC-Chapel Hill and four unique summer enrichment opportunities, all fully funded. They also have the Discovery Fund, which allows scholars to more deeply explore their own specific interests.

Morehead-Cainselections are based on student achievement in four core areas: leadership,scholarship, moral force of character, and physical vigor. Scholars play aprominent role in Carolina's student community and are active in a wide rangeof student groups and organizations, from student government to social justiceand the performing arts.

Notable Morehead-Cain Alumni include:

  • Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch;

  • U.S. Congressmen Jim Cooper, Mike McIntyre and David Price;

  • Sallie Krawcheck, owner of the Ellevate Network and former executive with Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney;

  • Jonathan Reckford, Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Habitat for Humanity;

  • New York Times columnist Frank Bruni;

  • Tim Sullivan, Chief Executive Officerof Ancestry.com;

  • Ann Livermore, current Board of Directors member and former executive with Hewlett-Packard;

  • Adam Falk, President of Williams College;

  • Peter Henry, Dean of New York University's Stern School of Business;

  • Danae Ringelmann, Co-founder and Chief Development Officer of Indiegogo, the world's largest crowdfunding platform;

  • David Gardner, Co-founder and Co-chairman of the board of the Motley Fool,world-renowned multimedia financial services company

  • Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health.

  • 30 of Carolina's 33 Rhodes Scholars

  • 24 of Carolina's 36 Luce Scholars

  • 19 of Carolina's 32 Truman Scholars

  •  27 Fullbright Fellowship Winners

Parchman Vaughan Continues Relationship With Morehead Cain Foundation

BALTIMORE, MD, June 18th, 2013 - Parchman, Vaughan & Company, L.L.C., www.parchmanvaughan.com, a leading middle market investment banking firm focused on the education and training industries, is pleased to announce that Miss Meghan Herwig, a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will be spending the summer interning at Parchman, Vaughan. Meghan is a Bachelor of Arts candidate (2015) with concentrations in both History and Peace, War and Defense. Meghan spent last summer teaching for the Breakthrough Collaborative, a national organization that, according to its website, www.breakthroughcollaborative.org/learn/about, seeks to "increase academic opportunity for highly motivated, underserved students and put them on the trajectory of a successful college path; and...inspire and develop the next generation of teachers and education leaders."

Lara Vaughan, Partner, stated "We have had three other Morehead-Cain Scholars intern with Parchman, Vaughan and they, like Meghan, are simply outstanding young leaders.  They bring us great energy and fresh thinking about the education industry.  We are grateful to the Morehead-Cain Foundation for the opportunity to learn from these Scholars."

The Morehead-Cain was founded in 1945 as the country's first merit-based scholarship at the country's first public university. The Morehead-Cain features four years of undergraduate study at UNC, completely funded, four distinctive summer enrichment experiences, and a Discovery Fund that encourages deeper exploration of a particular interest. From attending development conferences in Geneva to shadowing emergency room doctors in Boston, Morehead-Cain Scholars are given the resources to pursue educational opportunities wherever they find them.

Morehead-Cain Scholars are selected for their leadership, academic achievement, moral force of character, and physical vigor. They form a select community with a prominent role in Carolina's vibrant student body, from student government to community service to the performing arts.

The nearly 3,000 Morehead-Cain alumni across the world include:

  • Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch

  • U.S. Congressmen Jim Cooper, Mike McIntyre, and David Price

  • Jonathan Reckford, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity International

  • Sallie Krawcheck, Business leader and owner of 85 Broads; Past Head of Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney

  • Karen Stevenson, a Los Angeles attorney and the first black American woman to win a Rhodes Scholarship

  • Tim Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of Ancestry.com

  • Adam Falk, President of Williams College

  • Peter Blair Henry, Dean of New York University's Stern School of Business

  • Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health

  • Thirty of Carolina's 33 Rhodes Scholars; 12 in the past ten years

  • Twenty-three of Carolina's 32 Luce Scholars

  • Nineteen of Carolina's 32 Truman Scholars

  • Thirty Fulbright Fellowship winners

Interview with Parchman Vaughan Client Richard Capezzali

BALTIMORE, M.D. - January 5, 2012 - We hope you enjoy the interview with our former client, Richard Capezzali. Richard has accomplished much since we advised him on the sale of his company and has emerged as one of the national leaders in distance education and marketing.

Interview by Ryan Busch, Todays Campus Magazine  

Richard Capezzali's work has found its way into many of our homes. His creation Education Connection and its catchy commercial jingles have played on television sets across the country--but his career in higher education is fascinating and spans several decades, He has been associated with not only the some of the most successful ventures in higher education (Kaplan University), but some of the most innovative ventures as well (Test Drive College Online). In a recent transaction, Education Connection was acquired by Education Dynamics (a revered higher education marketing organization) and Capezzali is now Executive Vice President and focused on growing the Test Drive College Online program.

You helped grow Kaplan University from a single student to thousands upon thousands over only a six year period--what can traditional colleges and universities learn from your success in marketing Kaplan?

I think it is simple - you must articulate what your value proposition is and it must be personal. Ask your students why they chose your school and what they like about it. What is the culture of the institution? How does your faculty feel about their mission? What sets your school apart? Higher education is a crowded and competitive landscape and colleges and universities need a real identity, not gimmicks. Tell your story truthfully and tell it often.

Speaking of telling a story, you founded Education Connection--the television commercials have garnered a lot of attention-do you ever find yourself singing the jingle?

 No, but my grandkids love them! To be honest, I didn't like the TV spots at first. But we tried other messages and none captured the interest that the jingle did. We're just trying to reach prospective students and the commercials have been a good way to get folks thinking about education. We recently announced Shannen Doherty as our new spokesperson. She is currently earning her Liberal Arts degree online from a university she found through Education Connection. Even though she has a successful career as an actress she wanted to earn her degree. She's a great role model for prospective students because she's showing them that it is possible to earn a college degree despite a challenging schedule and years spent away from school.

Kaplan and Education Connection are only two of your successes, but your career in higher education spans four decades, how do you view the current higher education environment?

It's an incredible time to be involved in higher education. We have an immense opportunity and responsibility to help Americans gain the education and training they need to build sustainable careers. I think the downturn in the economy magnified the importance of a college education and has inspired a new generation of prospective students to earn a degree, many who do not fit a traditional mold. As an industry and a nation, we're realizing that we must innovate and expand access to higher education to produce a more skilled workforce and to be globally competitive. While initially there were some missteps, I believe the result has been greater emphasis on helping students find the right school and the right program for their career goals, which has made the industry stronger and better able to serve future students. 

You left the more formal world of higher education and now lead an innovative program as the creator of Test Drive College--you must see things differently from your current vantage point--what advice would you give current leaders of higher education institutions?

From working at one institution to now helping to fulfill the needs of nearly 1,200 colleges and universities, what has served me well in both capacities is a focus on higher education's shared mission: to help improve people's lives through education. I think it is important for leaders to inspire everyone across their institutions; to work in support of this because if we all assume some responsibility, the students and the institution are better able to realize success.

What is the most important contribution you've made to date in higher education?

I would consider Test Drive College my most important contribution because of its purity of mission.

Why do you consider it so?

It empowers people to make a more educated decision about online education and prevents them from making a costly mistake. It also helps colleges and universities identify students that are academically prepared and can successfully complete a degree program. 

Test Drive College--how does it work?

Test Drive College offers prospective students a risk-free opportunity to try an online college course at no cost and no obligation while earning credits toward a college degree. To assess their college readiness, students must first take and pass a College Competency Exam developed by Test Drive College. The test effectively gauges a student's aptitude through freshman-level English and math questions. Once a student passes the exam, he or she is assigned an advisor who enrolls them in the program and helps them select a Test Drive College online course. Currently, students can choose from five common college courses: Introduction to Business, Criminal Justice, Medical Terminology or Psychology and English Composition I.

Once enrolled, students are given a preview of what they would likely experience in a typical online degree program. Each course is instructor-led, five weeks long and involves about six to eight hours of study a week. Students are required to read assigned materials, complete homework and participate in discussions, revealing if the demands of college coursework fit into their lifestyle. About 50 percent of those that enroll in Test Drive College complete and pass the course and close to 80 percent decide to use their credits toward a degree (the other 20 percent usually learn from the experience that they are not suited for online education). The American Council on Education (ACE) has evaluated and approved all Test Drive College courses, so students who pass their course can apply to transfer those credits to any ACE member school.

The entire process is free to the student and they are under no obligation to matriculate to a partner institution. For students, Test Dive College allows them to experience online education and see if they are prepared for college-level study before committing to a degree program and paying tuition. For colleges and universities, it acts as a tool to qualify prospective students, since those that have completed and passed a Test Drive College Course are more likely to be successful and graduate. Ultimately it results in more qualified students enrolling in degree programs.

Education Connection focused on student recruitment, how are you improving student retention with Test Drive College?

Test Drive College helps improve student retention by helping colleges and universities identify qualified students. Students who successfully complete a Test Drive College course show that they are academically prepared for college-level study and can balance going to school while maintaining their lifestyle. Test Drive College supports increased retention by helping students make an informed decision about enrolling in a degree program, and helps higher education institutions recruit and enroll students more likely to be successful.

Student placement after graduation is of increasing importance, what would you do to better connect graduates with employers following the completion of a degree?

I think a great way to connect graduates and employers is to provide more internship opportunities while students are still earning their degree. Students gain valuable work experience, as well as network with those in their field. It also gives employers a chance to see if that student might be a good addition to their team upon graduation.

Are traditional colleges and universities better at helping students find employment?

I think all colleges and universities should be helping prepare students with an education that is marketable and will help them find employment. While I can think of examples of traditional schools and career schools that offer terrific career services, this isn't an issue to define by institution type. All higher education institutions should make it a priority.

You've had a lot of successes, but I'm sure that there were some missteps along the way--what is your biggest mistake?

I like to see mistakes as blessings, because they provide an opportunity to learn.

What did you learn from that?

One opportunity came as a result of the scrutiny faced by the sector over the last year. While I think we all recognize that there is an education crisis in this country, not everyone seems to understand that if we are to achieve the goal of producing more college graduates, it will take all of us working together. I learned that we need to do a better job of communicating the role career colleges in particular can play in support of that goal.

What's the next big thing for Richard Capezzali?

Education Dynamics will soon be launching a resource website for international students seeking information about educational opportunities in the U.S. While American colleges and universities are often attractive to international students, finding the right school and program can be difficult. In addition to information about available opportunities, we're going to offer tools and resources to help international students understand the American university system and college application process. We're also launching ChristianEducation.com which will help students that are seeking faith based education and we are just getting our online high school, Suncoast ready for launch.

Reproduced with permission.  Please click here for the original article.

Stevenson University A Leader in Career Education

BALTIMORE, M.D. - October 12, 2011 - As a member of the President's Advisory Council for Stevenson University, I have had a front row seat to observe its stunning success. Through academic excellence, job and graduate school placement (95%), and intelligent marketing, Stevenson has doubled its undergraduate enrollment in the last decade.  The following article provides an overview of a case study in effective management.

Building a University by David McKay Wilson.
When Stevenson University built its first University-owned residence halls in Owings Mills in 2004, the project featured four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments that could be converted to market-rate rentals if students didn't want to live there. Yet Stevenson students came in droves, filling all 550 beds that first year. This fall, more than 2,000 students moved into the University's residence halls in Owings Mills, including the 520 who now occupy two new halls that opened late this summer. On Sept. 10, the Stevenson Mustangs football team played its first home game at the University's new stadium, which also houses a fitness center where students are getting in shape behind the glassed-in façade that faces Owings Mills Boulevard.

The commuter school once known as Villa Julie College has transformed itself into the increasingly residential institution called Stevenson University with its two distinctive campuses that are located six miles apart in northwest Baltimore County.

"We had a vision, and we had a sense of urgency," says Stevenson President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D. "We knew that unless we changed our character, we would be unable to survive." 

Students look out of Rockland Center toward residence halls. 

Transforming a Vision Into Reality The rapid development of the 75-acre Owings Mills site has played a central role in Stevenson's emergence as Maryland's fastest-growing four-year independent university. During the past decade, Stevenson's enrollment has risen from 1,500 to 3,250, with the number of students living on campus growing from 200 to 2,000. The development of Stevenson's graduate programs in business, technology, nursing, and forensics has also helped fuel its growth. 

The University dates back to 1947, when the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur bought the Seven Oaks mansion in Greenspring Valley from The Johns Hopkins University. The Sisters established a two-year college for women who were training to become secretaries in the medical and legal fields. The College became independent from the Church in 1967, went co-ed in 1972, and has since expanded its academic offerings, including today's array of undergraduate and graduate programs.

Villa Julie College renamed itself Stevenson University in 2008 and sharpened its focus on educating its students for 21st century careers in business, education, nursing, and criminal justice. It also developed an intercollegiate athletics program that's making a name in Division III sports and creating the kind of buzz that generates college spirit. 

Nicole Lee '12, a biology major from Pasadena, MD, has lived on the Owings Mills campus since 2008.  She lived in the two-person suites at Western Run and Susquehanna halls her first two years, then moved to the four-bedroom apartments with three roommates in 2010 and 2011. "Lacrosse is huge, and the Saturday afternoon games are fun," she says. "The guys get dressed up and write out M-U-S-T-A-N-G-S in green on their chests."

Student life at Owings Mills revolves around campus-wide activities, such as the outdoor movies shown on a big screen in a residence hall quad; the Patio Jams at Pandini's, one of the eateries in the Rockland Center; or the campus' version of Saturday Night Live, with entertainers on hand to perform. On weekends, a school shuttle bus may carry students to Baltimore's Inner Harbor or to the Towson Town Center Mall for shopping. Outside the residence halls, students play three-on-three on the complex's basketball court;  nearby, male and female students play volleyball in the sand.  When the sun sets, students head to nearby restaurants along Owings Mills Boulevard, be it Edo Mae Sushi and New York Pizza or Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill. Others may hoof it to the nearby Safeway to procure fixings for dinner in their apartments.

"It was fabulous on Fridays," says Lee. "We'd go out shopping and come back with food for our Fiesta Fridays, where we'd invite our friends over to make tacos." As a science major, Lee has most of her classes on the Greenspring campus, a 12-minute ride on one of the Stevenson shuttle buses. During her junior year, she scheduled her classes so she could take a shuttle to the other campus at 10 a.m. and be back to Owings Mills by 3 p.m. "It only takes 12 minutes," she says. "If we were on a big campus, it could take 15 minutes to get to class.  It's just that we aren't getting that exercise." 

Strategy Meets Opportunity The building project-financed in large part with $130 million in tax-free bonds from the Maryland Health and Higher Education Facilities Authority-has also become a labor of love for Howard S. Brown, the prominent Owings Mills builder who dreamed of a vast retailand-office development in one of the northwest Baltimore County's prime commercial corridors.

Instead, the land has become a mixed-use development, with restaurants and shops along Owings Mills Boulevard and the Stevenson campus taking over the hillside behind the stores. The Howard S. Brown School of Business and Leadership now stands as the campus' academic centerpiece.

Since 2004, Brown's company has constructed 13 residence halls with about 2,000 beds; the business school building; two student centers; and a gymnasium, and has renovated the Baltimore Ravens' former training facility. Stevenson also bought two Brown office buildings, turning one into a residence hall and another into classroom and office space.  "This began as an opportunity to help the school grow, and it wasn't my intent to do anything more than build the first apartment project," says Brown, whose development company, David S. Brown Enterprises, was founded in 1937 by his father. "But then the relationship continued to grow. It got momentum and really took off."

Manning says Brown's enthusiastic response to Stevenson's building proposals provided the synergy needed to create a college campus so quickly. "Howard Brown has the same kind of nervous system that we have," says Manning. "He couldn't build the buildings fast enough. We have the same level of impatience." While no new buildings are immediately on the drawing board, there is conversation about further expansion of Stevenson's Owings Mills campus. Just to the east of the campus lies the state of Maryland's former Rosewood Center, a treatment center for the mentally ill that was closed in 2009. Stevenson is in discussions with the state about "We had a vision, and we had a sense of urgency," says President Kevin J. Manning, Ph.D. purchasing some of the Rosewood property.  The Owings Mills campus evolved after years of town-gown tensions in Stevenson, with the College looking to expand on its 60-acre campus along Greenspring Valley Road. Residents, however, opposed the College's ambitions, contending that student housing-particularly the associated traffic, noise, and wastewater issues-wasn't compatible with the horse farms and large tracts of private land along the winding road.

Helping the Greenspring residents was Baltimore County zoning, conceived in the 1970s to preserve the region's rural character while promoting growth in urbanized corridors. Greenspring Valley Road was on the rural side of the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line in a zoning category designated as "agricultural preservation." By the end of the 20th century, College officials accepted the fact that expansion in Greenspring was off the table. They also knew that to survive in the higher-education marketplace of the next century, they needed residence halls to recruit students beyond the reach of those who could commute from metropolitan Baltimore. Officials also wanted to create an athletic facility that could both expand its student base and create the kind of college experience young adults seek.  The College had begun its search for housing options in the 1990s. In 1993, Villa Julie leased rooms for 23 students at the former Comfort Inn on Reisterstown Road, about six miles west of Greenspring. By the late 1990s, there were about 200 students living at what was called Wooded Way when its owners decided to sell. Villa Julie-in what turned out to be good luck-lost its bid to buy the building, which was torn down to build a Target. The College then moved its residences to an apartment complex five miles east of Greenspring, the Colony at Towson, which had close to 300 students who were interspersed with non-student renters. Yet the College owned neither Wooded Way nor the Colony, and neither option provided the kind of college-campus experience desired by today's young adults.  "The Colony turned out to be really hard to manage," recalls Timothy M. Campbell, Stevenson's Executive Vice President, Financial Affairs, and Chief Financial Officer.  In the late 1990s, Campbell worked with MacKenzie and Associates to identify possible building sites in Baltimore County's urbanized corridors.

While the College's goal initially was to find property for residence halls only, the leadership team started to think of the broader picture.

Shaping the 21st Century University The search intensified in 2000 with the arrival of Manning as president. By 2002, the property search had been narrowed to three parcels. The Owings Mills site won out, in part due to its immediate neighbor to the north: the training facility of the Baltimore Ravens, which at the time was owned by the city of Baltimore. According to rumor, the Ravens would be moving to a new facility.

"An athletic facility was one of our critical needs and would have been a real bonus," says Campbell. "We knew that if we decided to build in Owings Mills and then pulled off purchasing the Ravens site, we would hit a home run. And then it actually happened." The rumors Campbell had heard about the Ravens moving to an improved training facility proved true. By the time construction had begun on the College's first housing project, the Ravens had announced their intention to build a new practice facility. "Our Owings Mills campus is an accidental, serendipitous, entrepreneurial venture, open to innovation," says Paul D. Lack, Ph.D., Stevenson's Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean. "It has worked well for everyone involved.  It's good for Owings Mills. It's good for Stevenson. And it's good for our neighbors in Greenspring. It helped keep that campus pristine." Teresa Moore, executive director of the nonprofit Valleys Planning Council, says Manning's decision to develop Owings Mills turned the tide in Greenspring. "It was time for the College to expand and they found the other site," says Moore. "They've gone out of their way to be good neighbors, and they now act like you'd like a neighbor to act."  

By 2005, the city had sold the College the Ravens facility, which had become somewhat rundown since it was built in 1979 for the former Baltimore Colts. Brown renovated it into the Caves Sports and Wellness Center, which includes offices for school health professionals, classrooms, and locker rooms for Stevenson's student athletes. Adding the athletic facility provided a strong draw to the Owings Mills campus. Once it was renovated, professors started holding small classes in some of its rooms. Those were such a success that College officials looked to bring more classes to Owings Mills and in 2005 bought one of Brown's office buildings, which now houses offices and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. New buildings since then include more residence halls and the business school building, which is home to a state-of-the-art mock trial courtroom. Today, 51 percent of Stevenson's classes are held in Owings Mills.

"The University has become an anchor for Owings Mills," says Lack. "And it's great working here. You never know what's going to be happening next." About the writer: David McKay Wilson, a freelance journalist, has written for publications at 84 colleges and universities, including Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Harvard, Dartmouth, and University of Chicago. A veteran journalist with 33 years in the business, he has written regularly for The New York Times and worked for Gannett for 21 years in the northern suburbs of New York City. His 2011 cover story for Amtrak's Arrive magazine profiled six top U.S. educators.  "In recent years, Stevenson University has grown from a small, two-year college to a university that serves our entire region. With the emergence of its Owings Mills campus and the start of its first football season, this is an exciting time for Stevenson. 

As someone who has supported the transformation of this university, first as a Councilman and now as Baltimore County Executive, I can't wait to see what's next." Kevin Kamenetz Baltimore County Executive.

Todd Parchman, Partner of Parchman Vaughan, serves on the President's Advisory Council of Stevenson University.   

Parchman Vaughan Announces Promotion

Baltimore, MD, August 8th, 2011 - Parchman, Vaughan & Company, L.L.C., www.parchmanvaughan.com, a leading investment banker to the education and training industries, announces the promotion of Anthony E. Green to Vice President. Mr. Green coordinates Parchman Vaughan's marketing, due diligence, and investor/acquirer research. Mr. Greenis a registered FINRA Series 79 investment banking professional and received his college degree in his native England.   

Prior to joining Parchman, Vaughan, Mr. Green managed the Support Services Team for BAe Systems in Saudi Arabia.  Prior to his tenure in the Middle East, Mr. Green served in the British Royal Navy and worked with NATO Intelligence.  Mr. Green is a decorated veteran.

About Parchman Vaughan

 Parchman, Vaughan & Company, L.L.C, a FINRA member firm, serves the education sector. Our partners' 50 years of experience and extensive relationships in the industry and the capital markets allows us to provide the highest level of skill to a company's key life cycle events. Our services include mergers, acquisitions & divestitures, and private placement of equity and debt.        

2011 Small Business of the Year Awards Little Sprouts

BALTIMORE, M.D. - July 26, 2011- Parchman Vaughan client, Little Sprouts, was named Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 2011 Small Business of the Year.  Parchman Vaughan represented Little Sprouts and its visionary leader Susan Leger-Ferraro in its sale process in 2007 which resulted in Little Sprouts being acquired by American Education Group.

Paul Guzzi, President & CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce said "In recognition of the significant impact that small business has on our region's economy, this year the Chamber will honor Greater Boston's 'Top 10' small businesses, led by Little Sprouts, an innovative leader in early childhood education."

The 2011 Small Business of the Year, Little Sprouts, is dedicated to improving early childhood literary rates and closing the education achievement gap, to help ensure a better future for children in Massachusetts.  Founded 28 years ago in the Merrimack Valley, Little Sprouts now serves over 1,500 children in 13 locations across the state-with plans to open a 14 location in Brighton later this year.  The organization supports families across 56 cultures, 23 languages, and a wide range of social, economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, and has established itself as an active leader in early education by working on policy issues and curriculum development at the federal and state levels.  Little Sprouts has received the "Preschool Centers of Educational Excellence" award from the US Department of Education for the past seven years, and was recognized by the Boston Business Journal as a 2011 Pacesetter-one of the region's fastest-growing privately help companies.

Todd Parchman, Partner, offered the firm's congratulations by saying "Little Sprouts has been a visionary leader in early childhood education.  Susan Leger-Ferraro and her team are truly deserving of this recognition."

For more information visit www.littlesprouts.com   

Parchman, Vaughan Continues Relationship With Morehead Cain Foundation

Parchman, Vaughan Continues Relationship With Morehead-Cain Foundation

BALTIMORE, MD, May 10th, 2011 - Parchman, Vaughan & Company, LLC www.parchmanvaughan.com, a leading middle market investment banker to the education and training industries, is pleased to announce that Mr. Grayson Cooper, a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill will spend his summer private enterprise internship with Parchman Vaughan.  “Grayson brings an extraordinary background to our firm including spending the last semester working with Friendship Public Charter School in Washington, DC analyzing data on school, teacher, and student performance.  He also conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Anacostia High School” said Todd Parchman, Partner (UNC ’75 Morehead Scholar).

Grayson is a Bachelor of Arts (2012) candidate with concentrations in Educational Entrepreneurship, Mathematics, and Business.

Lara Vaughan, Partner, stated “We have had two other Scholars intern with Parchman Vaughan and they, like Grayson, are simply outstanding young leaders.  The Morehead-Cain Scholars bring us great energy and fresh thinking about the education industry.  We are grateful to the Morehead-Cain Foundation for the opportunity to learn from these Scholars.”

Since its founding in 1945, the Morehead-Cain has been a model for countless merit awards throughout the United States, including the University of Virginia’s Jefferson Scholars Program; Duke University’s Benjamin N. Duke Scholars Program; and Emory University’s Woodruff Scholars Program.

In addition to covering all expenses for four years of undergraduate study at UNC, the Morehead-Cain features a distinctive program of summer enrichment experiences. Over four summers, scholars have the opportunity to complete an outdoor leadership course, carry out public service in the United States or abroad, conduct research at sites across the world and gain experience in private enterprise.

The summer enrichment program, designed to broaden each scholar’s experience and worldview, is complemented during the academic year by a Discovery Fund that encourages deeper exploration of a particular interest. From attending development conferences in Geneva to shadowing emergency room doctors in Boston, Morehead-Cain scholars are given the resources to pursue educational opportunities wherever they find them.

As set out in the program’s founding documents, selection criteria for the Morehead-Cain are leadership, academic achievement, moral force of character and physical vigor. Morehead-Cain recipients are chosen solely on the basis of merit and accomplishment, not financial need.

Currently, more than 240 Morehead-Cain scholars study on campus, making outstanding contributions across the full range of University life. From student government to community service to the performing arts, Morehead-Cain Scholars play a prominent role in Carolina’s vibrant student community.

In the past nine years, twelve Morehead-Cain scholars have won Rhodes Scholarships to England’s Oxford University, one of the world’s most competitive and prestigious awards for graduate study. Since the first Morehead Scholars graduated from Carolina in 1957, 29 of UNC’s 32 Rhodes Scholars have been Morehead-Cain graduates.

Morehead-Cain Scholars have accounted for 21 of the University’s 30 Luce Scholars and 19 of Carolina’s 32 Truman Scholars, among the nation’s most generous and distinguished awards for graduate study. Twenty-six Morehead-Cain Scholars have won Fulbright Fellowships.

Like our scholars, the nearly 3,000 Morehead-Cain alumni across the world are a diverse and distinguished group. They include:

·         Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch;

·         U.S. Congressmen Jim Cooper, Mike McIntyre, and David Price;

·         Jonathan Reckford, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity International;

·         Sallie Krawcheck; President of global wealth and investment management for Bank of America

·         Karen Stevenson, a Los Angeles attorney and the first black American woman to win a Rhodes Scholarship;

·         Tim Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of Ancestry.com

·         Adam Falk, President of Williams College

·         Peter Blair Henry, Dean of New York University’s Stern School of Business; and

·         Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health.

Parchman, Vaughan Adds Veteran Banker to Team

BALTIMORE, MD, March 22, 2011 - Parchman, Vaughan &Company, LLC, a leading middle market investment banker to the education and training industries, is pleased to announce that Robert L. Manning,Jr. has become a Senior Advisor at Parchman, Vaughan.  “Bob is a banker’s banker and has a wealth of education experience in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors.  Bob will work with our Investment Banking practice as well as with our new joint venture in Transition Advisory Services.”

Prior to forming M2P Capital in early 2002, Mr. Manning was a partner at Thoma Cressey Equity Partners and formed its Denver office in 1997.  Mr. Manning co-founded Green Manning & Bunch, a Denver investment banking firm, in 1988 and was a partner there until 1997. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President in charge of Corporate Finance and Director for Boettcher & Company, where he chaired its Investment Committee and served as a director of its private equity funds.  His early career included senior corporate lending and management positions with the First National Bank of Denver and First Chicago.

Mr. Manning serves as a director of  First Banks of Colorado and Cheyenne Capital Fund.  He is also a former trustee of Westwood College.  He is a trustee and past chairman of the Denver Area Council of Boy Scouts and served on the board of the National Council of Boy Scouts.  He is a trustee and vice chair of The Colorado College and serves on its Investment, Governance and Visibility Committees, as well as trustee representative to the Athletic Board.  He also serves as a director of the Air Force Academy Foundation, as a director and past chair of the Economic Club of Colorado, and is a director and past president of The Hundred Club of Colorado.  He is a member of the Tower Club and Colorado Thirty Group.  Mr. Manning also served on the boards of the Culver Educational Foundation, St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, Metro Denver Executive Club, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado.

Parchman, Vaughan & Company, LLC Announces a Joint Venture with SC&H Group

Baltimore, MD, March 8, 2011 - Parchman, Vaughan & Company, LLC, a leading middle market investment banker to the education and training industry, is pleased to announce the formation of a joint venture with SC&H Group, LLC.  The new venture will offer transition advisory services to institutions and businesses in the education marketplace.  Todd Parchman, Partner at Parchman, Vaughan explained, "The educational sector, including both non-profit and for-profit enterprises, is facing extraordinary head wind.  Factors such as a changing regulatory environment, government budget cuts, increased competition, and a weak economy are forcing institutions to evaluate their costs, debt structures, and strategic plans.  We are delighted to join the professionals at SC&H, led by Joe Foss and Mark Moderacki in this effort.  Joe and Mark have many years of experience in the interim management, restructuring, and turnaround fields. By combining PVC's knowledge of the education marketplace and SC&H's proven expertise in management consulting, we believe this unique offering will serve colleges, private K-12 schools, and other education businesses seeking to emerge successfully from today's challenging environment".  Services will include:              

     ·      Strategic Development

     ·      Institutional Revitalization

     ·      Operational Improvement and Staff Assessment

     ·      Crisis and Turnaround Solutions

     ·      Debt Restructuring

     ·      Interim Management

     ·      Forensic Investigation

     ·      Bankruptcy Services

About Parchman, Vaughan & Company

Parchman, Vaughan & Company, based in Baltimore, MD, is a FINRA member firm, created in 1996 to provide the highest level of investment banking expertise to companies in the business of education and training.  www.parchmanvaughan.com

 About SC&H Group 

SC&H Group, based in Sparks, MD, is a highly acclaimed audit, tax, and management consulting firm serving a nationwide client base.  Its professionals serve clients ranging from emerging businesses to the largest Fortune 500 companies. www.scandh.com

Todd Parchman Joins Kindermusik Board of Directors

GREENSBORO, N.C.-February 17, 2011-Kindermusik® International today announced that Todd L. Parchman, Partner of Parchman, Vaughan & Company LLC www.parchmanvaughan.com, was elected to Kindermusik International's board of directors. Todd serves on the board of advisors of NESI, Inc. and the President's Council of Stevenson University, was a board member of the Education Industry Association and was co-chair of the Advisory Council for Baltimore City Campus/School of Continuing Studies at Johns Hopkins University.  Parchman was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his MBA at the University of Chicago.

 "Todd is a successful investment banker in the education industry and will provide unique market insight to Kindermusik during a time of exceptional opportunity.  Our employee-owned company looks forward to benefiting from his expertise and experience as a member of Kindermusik's board," said Michael Dougherty, Kindermusik's CEO.

 "Kindermusik is clearly one of the most innovative early childhood education content providers in the world today," said Todd L. Parchman.   "I feel privileged to join this exciting and dynamic team and look forward to working closely with Michael and the board during the next phase of serving educators.  The ABC Music & Me product delivers ground breaking educational outcomes for pre-schoolers in both the public and private settings.  For-profit operators have found ABC Music & Me to be a meaningful contributor of both profit and parent satisfaction."

 Kindermusik International, the music education and language arts publisher, is the leader in providing music education classes through independently licensed educators in 71 countries.  ABC Music & Me, Kindermusik's private and public school supplemental curriculum, has now been adopted in over 4,000 pre-K, K-1, and special needs classrooms throughout the United States.  Find out more at www.abcmusicandme.com          

Parchman, Vaughan & Company, L.L.C