The Simmons Luminary Award honors individuals or organizations who have shown an extraordinary commitment to improving people’s lives through education.
The 2009 Simmons Luminary Award honors Dr. Terry J. Flowers, The Honorable Geraldine "Tincy" Miller ’56, and The Honorable Margaret Spellings
Dr. Terry J. Flowers
North Texas Honoree
Dr. Terry J. Flowers is headmaster and executive director of St. Philip’s School and Community Center in Dallas. He grew up on Chicago’s South Side and has taught in Iowa, Chicago and Harlem, New York.
The Honorable Geraldine “Tincy” Miller ’56
State Honoree
The Honorable Geraldine “Tincy” Miller ’56 has served on the Texas State Board of Education since 1984. Throughout her tenure, she has distinguished herself by promoting better curricula and programs for dyslexic children and phonics-based reading curriculum standards, ensuring that school textbooks are factual and historically correct, and protecting the original intent of the Texas Permanent School Fund.
The Honorable Margaret Spellings
National Honoree and Keynote Speaker
The Honorable Margaret Spellings is president and CEO of Margaret Spellings and Company and a leading national expert in public policy, with a special focus on education. She serves as senior advisor to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and as executive vice president of the National Chamber Foundation. She also is senior advisor to the Boston Consulting Group.