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Cancer, CPRIT, Oversight, Tom Luce

Speaker Joe Straus Appoints Tom Luce to Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Oversight Committee

Texas House Speaker Joe Straus today announced his appointment of Dallas attorney and business consultant Tom Luce to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Oversight Committee. Luce will serve on the committee until 2015.

Luce was a founding partner and managing partner of the law firm of Hughes & Luce, LLP until his retirement from the firm in 1997. The firm grew from four attorneys to more than 150 during his tenure, and it is now part of the worldwide firm K&L Gates. Luce is currently self-employed as a business consultant.

Luce has been appointed five times by Texas governors to important posts such as Chief Justice Pro Tempore of the Texas Supreme Court and Chairman of the Texas Superconducting Supercollider Commission. He has served on the Dallas Citizens Council, the Library of Congress Trust Fund and the Board of Trustees at Southern Methodist University.

His life’s passion has been improving public education for all children. He was 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. A former Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education, he is the Chairman of the National Math and Science Initiative and co-founded the National Center for Educational Accountability.

“Tom Luce will be a valuable addition to this important state governing board,” Speaker Straus said. “He brings experience from both the public and private sectors and will make a meaningful contribution to Texas’ fight against cancer.”

Luce also has a personal connection to the Oversight Committee’s work. Pam, his wife of 52 years, is a breast cancer survivor.

“I look forward to working with the other commissioners to ensure the funds provided for this worthy project are used efficiently and are effectively based upon the best available scientific input,” Luce said.

The Oversight Committee was created by the 80th Legislature and approved by Texas voters in 2007. It serves as the governing body of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which awards grants to expedite innovation in cancer research, help bring lifesaving cancer products to Texans and expand cancer prevention capabilities across the state.

The Speaker appoints three of the 11 members who serve on the CPRIT Oversight Committee.  Luce succeeds Cindy Brinker Simmons of Dallas whose term expired.  Simmons served on the Oversight Committee since 2008.

D121; Early Voting; Family

A Note from Sara and Robyn Straus

Friends:

This week we cast our vote in Texas House District 121 for Joe Straus, someone we love, admire and respect. He’s been a terrific State Representative, a strong and effective Speaker of the House, but most important of all he’s our dad.

When our dad first ran for office in 2005 he didn’t get involved in politics for power or prestige – he did it because he wanted to make a difference. For most of his life he has been involved in one way or another in public service, and the importance of civic engagement was something he instilled in us early on. That’s why it was such an honor to go to the polls with our parents and cast our vote for him.

This week kicked off early voting for the May 29 primary. From May 14-25, you can skip the Election Day lines and early vote at any location you find here. If you’d like to learn more about our dad and the important issues we face in San Antonio, and throughout Texas, please visit the Issues page. You can also friend him at Facebook/SpeakerJoeStraus or follow him at Twitter.com/TeamStraus.

Thank you for your support of his conservative, responsible leadership – we couldn’t be more proud of him, and we urge you to cast your vote to send him back to Austin to represent our community in the State Legislature.

Sincerely,

Sara & Robyn Straus