A+ College Ready announces board leadership

Program designed to foster the next generation of scientists, engineers

BIRMINGHAM – A+ College Ready proudly announces the members of its managing board:

• Mr. Ted C. Kennedy  – A Founder of BE&K Inc. and Chairman of the Board for A+ College Ready, Birmingham
• Dr. Eli Capilouto – Provost, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Mr. Phil Dotts – First Vice Chairman, Business Council of Alabama, and Principal, Public FA, Huntsville
• Dr. Charles Nash – Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Alabama System, and Chairman, Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Coalition; Tuscaloosa
• Ms. Caroline Novak – President, A+ Education Partnership, Montgomery
• Dr. Catherine J. Randall – Retired Director of Honors Programs at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
• Dr. Ed Richardson – Retired President of Auburn University and Former State Superintendent of Education, Montgomery
• Mr. Bill Ritter – North Central Alabama Area Executive, Regions Financial Corp., Birmingham
• Mr. William E. Smith Jr. – Chairman, A+ Education Partnership, and Chairman, Royal Cup Inc., Birmingham
• Mr. Steve R. Spencer – Executive Vice President for External Affairs, Alabama Power Co., Birmingham

A+ College Ready is a statewide initiative to increase participation in Advanced Placement, or AP, courses and boost performance on AP exams in math, science and English.

The organization is a division of the Montgomery-based A+ Education Partnership, which is partnering on this initiative with Gov. Bob Riley, the State Board of Education, State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton, the Alabama Power Foundation and the Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Coalition.

A+ College Ready was created with a $13.2 million, six-year grant from the National Math and Science Initiative. It is the largest private grant on record for K-12 public education in Alabama. At the state level, the Alabama Power Foundation and Regions both have made key leadership gifts of $400,000 each.

NMSI works to help America maintain its global leadership position in technological innovation. Exxon Mobil Corp. is NMSI’s largest contributor, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation are also major donors.

Since 1991, the A+ Education Partnership has advanced policies, programs and initiatives that result in high achievement by every child in Alabama's K-12 public education system. A+ is the home of the Alabama Best Practices Center and A+ College Ready.

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