Eritrea RPCV John Rude Ph.D. is Managing Director of Beacon Management Group
John Rude, Ph.D.—Managing Director
Grants Development
John has been a respected professional in the field of resource development for over 27 years, serving colleges, non-profits and government agency clients throughout Southern and Central California, Oregon, Iowa, Massachusetts and Texas. As Director for Resource Development for the nine-college Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) he administered (in partnership with Susanna) a grant portfolio which grew from approximately $25 million (200 accounts) to $40 million (300 accounts), and developed grants worth approximately $15 million in three years. John developed and managed an innovative grant management database which allowed college clients to match needs with available resources, and move swiftly toward writing competitive grant applications.
He has managed numerous large federal and state programs, including Title I ESEA, Head Start and Title III of the Higher Education Act. For a period of 7 years, in association with Western Research & Development, John concentrated on funding projects for Hispanic and other colleges and universities.
John also has extensive international experience, assisting colleges and non-profit organizations in securing grants for developing countries, primarily in Africa. He founded Thirst for Learning Foundation, which sent 100,000 books to knowledge-starved African villages, and recently has joined GAIA (Global Aids Interfaith Alliance) in a project funded by the Bill Gates Foundation to reduce the spread of AIDS in Africa. His association with Africa began over 30 years ago, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Eritrea, then part of the nation of Ethiopia.
Formerly a long-term resident of Salem, Oregon, John was Chemeketa Community College’s first development specialist and was responsible for growth in revenues from $250,000 to more than $2 million in grants. His proposal award rate has ranged from 75% to 90% in any given year. His total career productivity exceeds $100 million. He founded (and was board president) of Salem Outreach Shelter, a homeless shelter which still thrives under new leadership.
As a policy researcher, John also worked with the Educational Coordinating Commission in Salem, Oregon, served as a fellow at the U.S. Office of Education, Washington, D.C.; and was involved in the initiation of the Federal Head Start program.
John received a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, at the University of Oregon; M.A. in Government and Teaching at Oberlin College, Ohio; and a B.A. in Psychology and History, Whitworth College, Spokane, Washington.
