Tom Valentine
Tom Valentine recently left state government after 30 years of serving Texas and people with disabilities. He began his career as a special education teacher, teaching deaf-blind, severely disabled children. With the passage of federal legislation guaranteeing free appropriate education for all students Mr. Valentine joined the Texas Education agency where he assisted local school districts to develop the capability of serving all their children as required by the new federal law.
Having an interest in performance evaluation and budgeting, Mr. Valentine joined the staff of the Legislative Budget Board where he was the Senior Analyst for Health and Human Services. Mr. Valentine served in that capacity for 13 years, recommending significant changes to state law and agency operations that would enhance the lives of the people served through health and human service programs in Texas.
Following his tenure at the LBB, Mr. Valentine joined the senior staff at the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (now the Department of Family and Protective Services) as the Deputy Director for Management Services, and then 4 years later joined the staff of the State Auditor where he coordinated audits for the health and human services function as well as served as the legislative liaison for the State Auditor.
Mr. Valentine returned to the LBB in the fall of 1996 as the legislative liaison in Washington DC where he coordinated information and budget efforts related to federal programs and the interests of Texas. Mr. Valentine became the Chief of Staff for the Congressional office of the 10th Congressional District while in Washington DC and then the Chief Operating Officer for the National Mental Health Association (now Mental Health America).
In 2003 Mr. Valentine returned to Texas as the Senior Policy Advisor for Health and Behavioral Health at the Health and Human Services Commission. Mr. Valentine has two grown children and one English Bull Dog.