Meet The Cristo Rey Board
Dr. Debbi Clarke, EdD
INTERIM ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Dr. Debbi Clarke has three decades of progressive leadership experience in higher education, academic administration, and student success initiatives. She has held various leadership roles at UNC-Chapel Hill since 2000, including Director of the Full-time MBA Program, Associate Provost, and most recently, Senior Director for Client Engagement at UNC Executive Development, where she developed leadership development curricula and nurtured new client relationships. Debbi left Carolina at the end of March 2025.
Prior to arriving in Chapel Hill, she worked at the University of Pennsylvania while she earned her EdD in higher education administration from UPenn’s School of Education. She has a master’s degree in higher education administration from Vanderbilt University Peabody College, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Wake Forest University.
Prior to graduate school, Debbi worked in the financial services industry at NationsBank, predecessor to Bank of America. In 2019, Jim Dean and Debbi Clarke co-authored a book published by The University of North Carolina Press. The Insider’s Guide to Working with Universities* explores the unique mission of American higher education and provides advice to businesspeople and others who want to work effectively with colleges and universities.
She has served on several non-profit committees and boards, including NC Child, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and the Vanderbilt University Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Debbi is based in Raleigh, NC where she lives with her husband, Walt, and their spoiled dog, Dansby. They have two children in college, Emma Kate (Vanderbilt class of 2025) and Redding (Clemson class of 2027).
Are you ready to take the next step towards a brighter future?
At Cristo Rey Research Triangle High School, we offer a unique blend of rigorous academics and professional work experience. Whether you’re a prospective student or a corporate partner, your journey with us begins here.
Cristo Rey Research Triangle High School: (919) 897-5680
334 Blackwell Street, Suite 100, Durham, NC 27701-2394 US