Print photo

On Feb. 2, 2004, Deborah A. Price was appointed assistant deputy secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. In this role, Price will oversee the Department's activities related to safe schools, crisis response, alcohol and drug prevention, the health and well-being of students, and building strong character and citizenship. She will also lead the Department's homeland security efforts.

Prior to this appointment, Price served as chief of staff of the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), where she was responsible for day-to-day FSA operations and for resolving problems that may impact student aid delivery or implementation of the FSA performance plan. She was also responsible for the operation of the immediate office of the chief operating officer, ensuring that it was responsive to internal and external audiences. In addition, she served as a liaison with other key Department of Education principal offices, including the Office of the Secretary, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education, Office of Management and the Chief Financial Officer.

For two years, Price was senior adviser to the deputy secretary, providing strategic policy guidance on Departmental issues within the Office for Civil Rights, the Office of the General Counsel, the Family Policy Compliance Office and the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. Price represented the deputy secretary to external organizations and other constituencies on issues of civil rights, privacy rights, safe and drug-free schools, and character education. She also worked with the Office for Civil Rights and the Office of the General Counsel to increase policy coherence on issues of common concern. In addition, Price reviewed policy guidance on implementation of current Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and Protection of Pupil Rights Amendments.

Price was the executive director of the Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics, the blue-ribbon panel charged with examining Title IX. In this role, Price planned and directed all aspects the secretary's commission, including: developing the structure of the commission process and format for its meetings; developing and implementing policy and communications strategies; overseeing the process of developing and writing the commission's report to the secretary; and working with and briefing the secretary, other senior officers from the Department and White House officials on the commission and its progress.

For 16 years, Price worked for two senators. She was policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.), who was then assistant majority leader. Prior to this, she was director of research and administration for the Senate Republican Policy Committee under Sen. Nickles. Before joining Nickles' staff, Price was a scheduler for Sen. William L. Armstrong (R-Colo.).

Between 1984 and1985, Price directed the National Prayer Breakfast, where she supervised its planning office, and coordinated its invitations, registration and accounting and related activities. She also worked in conjunction with the Joint Congressional Committee on the National Prayer Breakfast.

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Price earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.