U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today announced the appointment of Ronald J. Tomalis as a counselor to the secretary. Prior to his appointment, Tomalis was acting assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education as well as chief of staff in the under secretary's office.

Regarding Tomalis' appointment, Secretary Paige said: "Ron has been an invaluable asset to me and to the department during this historic time of education reform. I am confident in his abilities to provide counsel as we move forward with the goal of giving every child in this nation, regardless of skin color, accent or zip code, a quality education."

Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Education, Tomalis was executive deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the state's second-highest-ranking education post. Before that, he served in the U.S. Department of Justice.

Tomalis earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Dickinson College. He is a native of Camp Hill, Pa., and lives with his family in Maryland.

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