Merle Henkel, incoming Director of Finance and Operations at HRA
Hampton Roads Academy is excited to welcome Merle Henkel, who will be joining the school’s Senior Leadership Team as Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) effective July 1, 2026. Currently serving as DFO at The Cooper School, a private K-8 institution in Charleston, South Carolina, Henkel comes to his new position with decades of experience in commercial finance as well as independent school administration.
A native of the Tidewater region, Henkel built a career in the commercial banking industry in Norfolk and Richmond before transitioning into the educational sector. During his more than 28 years in banking, he worked for two decades in senior management and twice served as president and CEO of community banks. He also established an extensive background in the nonprofit world, fundraising on behalf of Wake Forest University and St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, chairing the boards of the Virginia chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the National Kidney Foundation, and serving a number of other charities.
Fifteen years ago, Henkel made his first foray into independent schools when he accepted a position as Director of Business Operations and Development and later Interim Head of School at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia. After a three-year stint as Director of Finance and Operations at The Gregory School in Tucson, Arizona, he joined Trinity Presbyterian School, a K-12 college-preparatory school in Montgomery, Alabama, serving again as both DFO and Interim Head of School. During his tenure at Trinity, he deftly rose to the challenge of leading the school through the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Henkel briefly retired to Florida in 2023 to be near his son’s family. Soon, however, he found that he was, in his own words, “not so sure the retired life is for me.” When his son relocated to Richmond, Henkel embraced the opportunity to work around students once more and accepted his current role at The Cooper School, where he served for nine months during the last school year as Interim Head as well as DFO.
For Henkel, HRA is a natural next step, allowing him to return to Virginia, live closer to his grandchildren, and apply what he has learned over a long career in the energizing new environment of a larger school.
“With his incredible depth of experience in finance and administration in independent schools, Merle is unquestionably the right person to lead our Business Office and advance the educational mission of Hampton Roads Academy,” said Head of School Jay Lasley. “I am thrilled to have him on board.”
Henkel’s guiding ideals, the incoming DFO explained, are “openness, transparency, and a service mentality.” In his new position, he looks forward to collaborating with team members across departments to determine budgets that will best support the needs of HRA and of every Navigator.
His aim, he said, is to “provide financial and operational leadership that allows faculty to teach and students to thrive without distraction.” Accordingly, he plans to spend his first 90 days “doing a lot of observing and asking questions” to understand how he can best serve the school and the families who entrust their children’s education to HRA.
As Henkel prepares to take the helm of the Business Office, the Academy expresses deep gratitude for its former Director of Finance, Randi Helpinstill, as well as Director of Advancement Courtney Gardner ’85, who has served since September 2025 as Interim DFO. Both have demonstrated remarkable dedication to HRA and contributed indispensably to the stewardship and modernization of the school’s finances and day-to-day operations. HRA has full confidence that Henkel will carry on this outstanding record of service as he leads the Business Office into its next chapter.
