Bullis Charter School announced its appointment of public policy expert Joe Hurd to a three-year term on its board of directors.
Hurd was appointed on Jan. 7 to replace outgoing board member Anne-Marie Gallagher, who resigned after five years.
Hurd is vice president of UniversityNow, a San Francisco-based organization, where he leads global public policy initiatives. Previously, he was a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Commerce, helping to design and implement the National Export Initiative, the Obama Administration’s trade promotion agenda.
At BCS, he is expected to help the charter school pursue its goal of expanding and improving its campus, where his federal public service experience, coupled with his national leadership in the education community "make Hurd a valuable addition," according to a BCS news release.
Some of that involves setting up lines of communication with the Los Altos School District board (LASD).
Hurd said in a prepared statement: “Our school gets statewide accolades for the strength of its academic programs, but struggles to get recognition from its own district when facilities need to be improved and expanded. Frankly, this must be fixed, and I’m committed, along with the rest of the BCS Board, to working with BCS parents, LASD parents and the LASD Board to help resolve this issue. The entire community needs to come together to support a solution that ensures that all school children in Los Altos receive equal treatment under the law.”
Hurd reiterated some of that sentiment when he introduced himself at Monday night's board meeting of the Los Altos School District, and added "I agree that the litigation needs to end ... and we all need to heal."
Hurd has volunteered in several projects at BCS, and his wife, Christina Mireles, deputy director of charter school Escuela Popular, has been a key part of the strategic planning process, the news release said. They have a daughter in 2nd grade at BCS and a 4-year old son in pre-school.
Gallagher was credited with "outstanding service," in the release, serving during a five-year period in which the school nearly doubled its enrollment and achieved an Academic Performance Index score of 994, one of the top 10 scores in the state last year. “Anne Marie has been dedicated to Bullis since her children started their first day of school," Hurd said. "I appreciate her service, and understand her drive for improvement as only a parent can.”
Prior to his appointment to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Hurd spent 10 years as a senior executive at AOL and two venture-backed startups, and practiced corporate and securities law. He’s a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, holds a Masters degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
"Joe is an incredible asset to our school’s community," said Ken Moore, BCS board chairman in a prepared statement, "and he joins our board at a time when his expertise in public policy will truly make a difference as we strive for equitable space, buildings and infrastructure support.”
