Dr. Von Mansfield was raised in Milwaukee, Wis., where he grew up in the Westlawn Housing Projects. He went on to complete high school at the University School of Milwaukee, one of the top prep high schools in the country. He received his Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his Master of Science in Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a Master of Arts in Administration from Governors State University, University Park, Ill. He earned his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University - Chicago.
Before beginning his career in education, Dr. Mansfield played five years of professional football. The majority of his football career was spent with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers as a defensive back and kick returner.
Dr. Mansfield has maintained a passion for helping students succeed throughout his educational career. He has had a wealth of experience in a wide range of school settings. His past positions have included experiences as a high school science teacher, coach, guidance counselor, dean of students, assistant principal, and principal. As Superintendent, Dr. Mansfield has stated, “It is our goal to mesh our educational expertise with student-centered learning, affording students an opportunity to maximize their acquisition of intellectual, social, and critical-thinking skills that will allow them to become life-long learners. Only through our common goal to expect the best can we prepare our students for the 21st century in a global society.”
Dr. Mansfield retired in July 2022 from Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School after serving the district as Superintendent since 2008. Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School H-F has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a three-time national Blue Ribbon Award-winning high school. The district has been maintained a balanced budget during his tenure and currently has and maintains a Bond rating of AA+ from Standard & Poor’s. H-F has been ranked annually as one of the best high schools in the nation by Newsweek and the Washington Post. The district serves a diverse student population of 3000 and employs 300 staff members.
Dr. Mansfield is actively involved in the community and is a member of several professional organizations, such as Phi Delta Kappa, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the American Association of School Administrators. He is a current member of the CollegeBoard’s Oak Circle Advisory Board. Dr. Mansfield was appointed and served as a representative to the South Cook Region Illinois Association of School Administrators Governmental Relations and Advocacy Committee. He also served as the Vice Chair on the CollegeBoard's Oak Circle Advisory Board and has served in leadership roles with several state and nationally recognized organizations, including serving as a CollegeBoard Trustee and a member of the CollegeBoard Executive Committee during the 2017-2018 school year. From 2017-2018, Dr. Mansfield has also Chaired the CollegeBoard Trustee Committee on Membership which represents over 6,000 members worldwide including universities, colleges, high schools, and non-profit organizations both nationally and internationally. In his role as Chair of the CollegeBoard Trustee Committee on Membership, at the CollegeBoard Forum that was held in January 2018, he presented to the entire conference the Trustee Committee Membership Report. Dr. Mansfield has also served on the CollegeBoard Superintendents’ Advisory Panel and co-chaired the CollegeBoard’s 2012 National Forum in Miami, Florida, where more than 2,000 higher education and preschool – Grade 12 educators collaborated to address issues surrounding student access, equity, and rigor in education. In addition, he has held the appointed position of president of the Headmasters Association, which represents the top private and public schools in the nation, as well as, president of the Southwest Suburban Conference of school districts, located in suburban Chicagoland. Dr. Mansfield also represented the University of Wisconsin on the Big Ten Advisory Commission, which supports the success and academic achievement of all athletes, with a focus on minority athletes in the Big Ten.
Dr. Mansfield is the recipient of the 2022 IASA Superintendent of Distinction award, the 2020 Illinois State Board of Education’s Those Who Excel Award of Meritorious Service, and the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Dr. Mansfield was also featured in the March 2021 Illinois Association of School Administrators' Leadership Matters Elevating Education series highlighting superintendents across Illinois who are making a difference. In 2005, Dr. Mansfield received an Award of Excellence from the Illinois State Board of Education for outstanding contributions to Illinois education. He has also been featured as the cover story in Chicago’s N’DIGO magazine for his national recognition and success as an educator.