Attorney and Civic Leader Tom Luce Joins O'Donnell Foundation as Chief Operating Officer
DALLAS, March 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The O'Donnell Foundation announced today that Dallas attorney and civic leader Tom Luce has accepted the position as the foundation's chief operating officer.
"Tom's life passion has been improving public education for all children," said Peter O'Donnell, chairman, president and chief executive officer of the O'Donnell Foundation. "Tom shares our foundation's mission for strengthening the nation's education system at every level."
Luce served as chief of staff to the Texas Select Committee on Public Education, which produced one of the country's first public school reform efforts in 1984. He was appointed as assistant secretary of Education by President George W. Bush in 2005 and will continue his work as chairman of the National Math and Science Initiative. Luce has authored two books on how to improve public education: Now or Never –How We Can Save Our Public Schools, a book that outlined a preliminary plan for education reform and called for broader support of public education. His second book on public education is titled, Do What Works: How Proven Practices Can Improve America's Public Schools.
"I have known and admired Peter and Edith O'Donnell for more than 50 years," said Luce. "Their commitment and leadership in support of public schools as well as our institutions of higher learning is unprecedented. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to work together to achieve our shared goals."
"Tom Luce showed remarkable foresight when he led the team that passed the most comprehensive public education bill in Texas history," said O'Donnell. "Tom founded Just for Kids to make data on school performance available to Texas parents and was a founding director of Advanced Placement Strategies, a Texas non-profit program that is increasing the number of students – especially those in low-performing schools – who now pass AP exams in math, science and English.
About Tom Luce
An attorney since 1965, Luce received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and has been honored with the SMU Law School and University Distinguished Alumni Awards. He was a founding partner and managing partner of Hughes & Luce, LLP.
About the O'Donnell Foundation
The O'Donnell Foundation, started by Peter O'Donnell and his wife Edith, is the fifth largest independent foundation in Dallas. Over the past 30 years the foundation has contributed more than $600 million to support scientific research and education in America. Mr. O'Donnell has received numerous awards, the most recent being the Presidential Citation from the University of Texas. The university created the citations in 1979 to recognize the extraordinary contributions of individuals who personify the university's commitment to transforming lives.
SOURCE O’Donnell Foundation
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