LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce announced today that Las Virgenes Unified School District Governing Board Member Dallas Lawrence would be recognized for his local business leadership and his commitment to the future of California's Greater Conejo Valley with the Chamber's inaugural "40 Under Forty!" award.

Dallas Lawrence (Twitter: @dallaslawrence) was first elected by the voters of the Las Virgenes Unified School District, which covers portions of both Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and includes the cities of Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills, in 2013. During his tenure as a Governing Board Member of one of the highest performing school districts in the nation, Lawrence has served on the finance and technology committees helping to set fiscal policy and advance technology innovation throughout the District – one of the region's largest employers.

"On behalf of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, congratulations to Dallas Lawrence for being named one of our 40 Under Forty!" said Jill Lederer, President and CEO of the Chamber. "It was an extremely competitive group of nominees and we look forward to honoring Dallas and his colleagues at a special evening at the Agoura Hills Recreation & Events Center."  

In addition to serving the community as a member of the School Board, Dallas Lawrence is also active in the local business community. He is the Chief Communications Officer for Los Angeles-based Rubicon Project, one of the fastest growing technology companies in the United States.

"I am honored to receive this recognition and humbled to be included with such an incredible group of dedicated and passionate leaders," said Lawrence. "Public service is such an important calling and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve my community as an advocate for our award winning schools, our passionate teachers and our talented students."

A third generation Californian, Dallas spent more than a decade in Washington, D.C. before returning to the state in 2011. During his time in Washington, Dallas served in both the legislative and executive branches of government as a congressional press secretary and later as a member of President George W. Bush's communications team. There he served as the director of communications for Elementary and Secondary Education at the Department of Education and as the director of Public Liaison for the United States Department of Defense for Secretaries Rumsfeld and Gates. His service led him to accept an appointment in 2004 moving him to Baghdad, Iraq where he served the Administration as the director of regional media and spokesperson for Ambassador Bremer and the Coalition Provisional Authority.

Dallas was previously a commissioned officer in the United States Navy and has served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Arts in Government from The Johns Hopkins University. Dallas and his wife Sarah live in Calabasas with their three children, Emma, Abby and Christopher.

Media Contact: Aurora Matthews 
301-221-7984

SOURCE Dallas Lawrence