Washington, DC, Dec. 2, 2014 — The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin announced Thomas P. O'Donnell as the inaugural director of its new Washington Center. O'Donnell joins the LBJ School after previous service in the White House, the U.S. Senate, the Human Rights Campaign, several presidential campaigns, and as a law firm public policy partner.
"We are pleased to have such an experienced and proven professional lead our Washington Center and join us in empowering the next generation of leaders to take on national leadership roles," said Robert Hutchings, dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. "At this time of great change around the world and growing concern about the effectiveness of government, the LBJ Washington Center represents our call to action to advance a new generation of skilled and committed leaders. Tom will be essential to the execution of that call to action."
The LBJ School will offer a unique 18-month federal policy master's degree curriculum commencing in Austin and culminating in a six-month mix of graduate school coursework at the Washington Center and a Federal policy apprenticeship in DC. The Washington Center will also provide a platform for the LBJ School and The University of Texas at Austin to play a more prominent role in the national policy discourse and debate through conferences, research dissemination, workshops, speaker series and other activities.
"After 20 years in the Federal public policy arena, I understand the need for aspiring young policy professionals to be equipped not only with solid theoretical training, but also with practical policy skills," said O'Donnell. "I look forward to helping the LBJ School and Dean Hutchings realize their shared vision for this unique program."
O'Donnell served as special assistant to the president and chief of staff of the White House National Economic Council (NEC) and chief of staff and general counsel of the President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). The NEC coordinates economic policymaking across a Presidential administration; the CEA is the president's in-house, Cabinet-level economic advisory council.
A graduate of Yale University and The University of Texas at Austin School of Law, O'Donnell has served as a United States Senate chief of staff, managing both national and state offices and serving as liaison to the White House and Executive Branch, other congressional offices, and national and state policy and opinion leaders. He directed legislative, media and outreach strategies on high-profile public policy matters, including presidential nominations, LGBT rights, immigration reform and international trade and taxation. At the Human Rights Campaign, the prominent civil rights organization, he oversaw four major departments: legal; government relations; national field; and the political action committee.
Between his government services, O'Donnell worked as a public policy national law firm partner and in senior management positions at four presidential nominating conventions. He was also a member of the Obama and Clinton Presidential Transition Teams. He began his national policy and political career on the policy staff of the Governor Clinton for President campaign in Little Rock.
For further information, contact Susan Binford at 512-415-4820.
To contact Thomas O'Donnell, e-mail todonnell@austin.utexas.edu.
Media Coverage
FIRST LOOK — "Thomas O'Donnell Appointed Inaugural Director of the LBJ School Washington Center" — Forthcoming release: "O'Donnell joins the LBJ School after previous service in the White House, the U.S. Senate, the Human Rights Campaign, several presidential campaigns, and as a law firm public policy partner ... The LBJ School will offer [an] 18-month federal policy master's degree curriculum commencing in Austin and culminating in a six-month mix of graduate school coursework at the Washington Center and a Federal policy apprenticeship in DC."
— POLITICO Playbook
This announcement was also covered by news outlets including AP Newsroom, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Austin Business Journal, Baltimore Business Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Boston Business Journal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, LA Business Journal, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Reuters and Wall Street Journal Select.