Laure O’Neal, a Fort Worth native with extensive experience in the higher education and nonprofit sectors of philanthropy, is the new executive director of the Tarrant County College Foundation.
O’Neal will oversee day-to-day operations of the foundation and manage all strategic fundraising initiatives across TCC’s six campuses, aligning priorities of the college with philanthropic opportunities throughout the state, TCC said in a news release. She also will be responsible for restructuring the foundation’s advancement strategies for individual, corporate and foundation donors and for elevating the foundation’s brand awareness across Tarrant County while cultivating relationships with TCC’s 125,000-plus alumni, the release said.
“We are thrilled that Laure will be leading the TCC Foundation,” said TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc. “She brings a wealth of knowledge of best practices and an abundance of practical experience that will serve her well in her new role. I am confident that the college, the TCC Foundation board of directors and the community will enjoy working with Laure as we seek to secure resources to support students and TCC.”
O’Neal comes to TCC from the National Math & Science Initiative, where she served as chief development officer. In addition to cultivating and securing philanthropic funds from individual, corporate, and foundation donors, O’Neal advocated to local and national organizations on key legislative issues related to STEM policy, established and implemented a lobbying structure in collaboration with lobbyists and legislators and managed multiple teams responsible for driving philanthropy and brand awareness.
Before leading the National Math and Science Institute, O’Neal spent nearly 10 years at the Arizona State University Foundation, leading a 60-member collaborative team while developing and executing a multi-disciplinary development program. During her tenure at ASU, Laure boosted alumni programmatic giving by 210% over a five-year period and secured more than $300M in outright, planned, capital, and endowment gifts.
“I am thrilled to return to Fort Worth in this role with Tarrant County College,” said O’Neal, who attended Tarrant County Junior College before graduating from Texas Wesleyan University. “I am fulfilling a sense of purpose by serving the place I call home. I am committed to advancing the mission of TCC and supporting access to education and career readiness for thousands of learners.”
About Tarrant County College: Tarrant County College is one of the 20 largest higher education institutions in the United States and boasts the second-lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. As a comprehensive two-year college with six campuses in Tarrant County, and online, TCC offers a wide range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds that include traditional programs such as Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science degrees; workforce and economic development programs; technical and skilled trades programs; and customized training programs for area businesses and corporations. Students also may take advantage of Weekend College through which they can complete an associate degree in 18 months or less by attending class full time through weekend and online classes.
Information for this article was provided by Tarrant County College.