Our People
Dan Rocha
Founding/Managing Partner
Dan has had an extensive career in his thirty years as a teacher, coach, senior administrator and fundraiser in independent schools and higher education. Teaching and coaching in the Philadelphia area for nine years, Dan began his administrative career as Middle School Head at Bancroft School in Worcester, MA. In the same role at Montclair Kimberley Academy in New Jersey, Dan led the Middle School to designation as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U. S. Department of Education with special recognition for the program in Ethics and Character. Dan continued his career as the Head of School at York Country Day School in York, Pennsylvania, where he increased enrollment and more than doubled annual giving support in his first year. Later, he served as Academic Dean at Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was named Rhode Island State Girls’ Coach of the Year in 2007. As Senior Director of Athletic Development at George Washington University, Dan led the $21 million effort to renovate the intercollegiate athletic center and spearheaded efforts to build annual giving programs for each of the 22 intercollegiate sports. He most recently served at the University of Pennsylvania where, as Executive Director of Development for Athletics, Dan led a fundraising team of eight in efforts to raise $15 million dollars in one year for intercollegiate athletics. Most recently, Dan has served as interim head of school at Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pennsylvania.
Dan has served on the boards of St. Peter’s School in Philadelphia and St. Phillip’s Academy in Newark, New Jersey.
He was a member of the National Association of Independent Schools’ Call to Action for diversity initiatives, a presenter at NAIS conferences, and has been published in Education Week.
Dan holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Temple University and a Master’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Frank Farrell
VP Catholic School Practice
After nearly a year as a Senior Consultant, Frank Farrell became the Vice President in charge of our Catholic Schools practice.
Frank is a seasoned educator and school administrator with over 30 years of experience in schools and non-profit organizations. While beginning his professional career in elementary schools and non-profit youth programming, Frank spent over 20 years in higher education teaching and administration with vast experience in enrollment management, development, curriculum and facilities, planning and usage. Immediately prior to arriving at Cardenio, Frank served as President of an All Girls Catholic High School and as Archdiocesan Director of Scholarships and Financial Aid for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Throughout his career, Frank has been at the cutting edge of educational technologies and delivery systems, focused on transforming educational experiences at each level. Frank has presented on NCEA conferences on issues of technology integration. He has also been a member of the Peace and Justice advisory board of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops.
Frank has served and continues to serve as a board member of numerous academic and non-profit organizations. These include local, regional and national groups. He has guided schools through Middle States accreditation at Elementary, Secondary and Higher Ed levels.
Frank holds both Baccalaureate and Masters Degrees from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, PA.
Ted Sharp
Strategic Advisor
Cardenio Consulting is pleased to have Ted Sharp as a member of its School Acquisition Team. Ted’s work in schools spans over forty years as an educational leader in public and private schools in the United States, South America and, most recently, China. He has served four times as a Headmaster, both in the United States and abroad. He has also served twice as a Superintendent of Schools in two public school districts in Maine. In addition, he has served in the U.S Department of Education on the staff of the Secretary of Education and as an Assistant Dean at Boston University’s School of Education.
Ted earned his undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College, and a Master’s Degree from Bridgewater State College. He did advanced graduate study in Educational Administration at Harvard University and further graduate study at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
When he is not running schools, Ted is a teacher. He is on the faculty at Framingham State University, where he teaches graduate-level courses in the International Masters’ Degree Program, in School Law, School Finance, Philosophy, Curriculum, and Educational Leadership.
In December, Ted will return from Beijing to his home in Portland, Maine, where he lives with his wife Sharon when they are not traveling around the globe.