Goddard Systems Announces Retirement of Dennis R. Maple; Names Darin Harris Chief Executive Officer

Early childhood education franchise system positioned for growth

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Goddard Systems, LLC (GSL), manager of The Goddard School franchise system, today announced that Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dennis R. Maple will retire effective March 31, 2025.

“The past five and a half years have been a period of meaningful change and great success for Goddard, and we have provided the foundation to support future growth,” Maple said. “I am passionate about educating our nation’s young people and have spent a significant portion of my career supporting children and their families across the nation. I am immensely proud of what the Goddard team has accomplished, working together with franchisees. This is a very special franchise system with a wonderful mission. And I remain excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, both for Goddard and for me and my family.”

Succeeding Maple as Chief Executive Officer is Darin Harris, who has served as a member of the Goddard Systems Board of Directors for the last two and a half years. Harris most recently was the CEO of Jack in the Box, a publicly traded restaurant franchisor with almost 2,800 restaurants that generates over $5 billion in system wide sales. During this time, he revitalized the franchise system, accelerated growth, and significantly improved franchisee satisfaction. Prior to Jack in the Box, Harris served as CEO of two other multi-unit businesses and as the COO of a company in the early childhood education space. He has also personally owned and operated multiple franchises.

“Goddard is such an incredible brand with a fantastic reputation in the category. And as I’ve gotten to know the team and franchisees over the past two years, I have a deep appreciation for the talent and mission-driven culture that has made Goddard such a success,” said Harris. “I am deeply honored to be a part of Goddard’s future as we serve even more families and children and create opportunities for our people and our franchise partners.”

“Dennis and the team have accomplished a great deal in the last five and a half years, including guiding the company through COVID, introducing Goddard’s innovative Wonder of Learning curriculum, driving a nearly 2x increase in systemwide revenue, and positioning Goddard for an incredibly bright future,” said Stefan Kaluzny, Managing Director of Sycamore Partners. “We are excited to partner with Darin, a seasoned executive who has spent more than twenty years leading multi-unit franchised businesses, including in the early childhood education space. With these experiences, Darin is ideally suited to lead Goddard in its next phase of growth and success.”

About Goddard Systems, LLC

For 37 years, The Goddard School’s proven franchise model has supported its franchisees with best-in-class operating standards, marketing, training, innovative educational programming and more. The more than 640 Goddard Schools nationwide care for and educate nearly 100,000 young children, providing a nurturing and safe environment that supports their individual social, emotional and academic development. The Goddard School’s exclusive inquiry-based education program, Wonder of Learning^™, embraces how children learn best—through their innate curiosity—because research confirms that when wonder leads, learning follows. Wonder of Learning features a cutting-edge curriculum developed by a diversely skilled group of educators, researchers, physicians and early childhood experts, as well as built-in assessment of academic and social-emotional progress and family communication via a proprietary app.

For more information about The Goddard School, please visit GoddardSchool.com, and to learn about franchise opportunities, go to GoddardSchoolFranchise.com.