Prestigious 'Ruzicka Compass Award' Presented to Thomas E. Wilcox - Current Baltimore Community Foundation President Honored by The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)

    ASHEVILLE NC, February 14, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The 2009 Ruzicka Compass was awarded to Thomas E. Wilcox during The Association of Boarding Schools' Annual Conference in Chicago. The Ruzicka Compass recognizes extraordinary contributions to the excellence, advancement, and success of boarding schools.

"As a founding director of TABS back in the 1970s, Tom helped seed the concept of a collaborative association specific to boarding schools," according to Peter Upham, TABS' Executive Director. TABS now represents roughly 300 schools in the U.S., Canada and overseas.

Wilcox, currently the President and CEO of Baltimore Community Foundation, served as the headmaster of Concord Academy in Massachusetts for nineteen years. He has also been a teacher and administrator in schools across the U.S. and Europe.

"Tom chose the path to live by his passions, to be known for his commitments, and for the work he did for other people," Rob Hershey, Headmaster of Episcopal High School and Chair of 2009-2010 TABS Board of Directors, said during the award presentation. Hershey also spoke of Wilcox's leadership during the nascent phase of TABS. "It is certainly not too bold to say we would not be here in this room if not for Tom."

Awarded once annually, the Compass is named after the late Steven D. Ruzicka, Executive Director of TABS from 1995 until his death in 2007.

Tom Wilcox's positive impact on not-for-profits is not limited to independent boarding schools. In his ten years at the Baltimore Community Foundation, Wilcox has helped the foundation triple its annual grant-making and he's led development of Invest in Baltimore, a project aimed at reducing poverty, stimulating economic growth and assuring a high quality of life in Greater Baltimore. Wilcox is also overseeing the development of The Middle Grades Partnership, a program that provides more challenging educational opportunities to academically promising Baltimore youth.

Wilcox currently serves on many boards including The Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust, The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, The East Baltimore Development Inc Educational Initiative, and CFLeads, a coalition of community foundations committed to civic leadership.

About TABS

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) is the public voice for college-prep boarding schools and the essential resource for boarding school educators. The Asheville NC based not-for-profit organization serves roughly 300 member schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. Visit www.boardingschools.com for more information.

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