27 March 2010
Dr. Tom Dooley has filed as a candidate for the Alabama State Board of Education in District 4. This district encompasses most of Jefferson County, plus Bibb and Hale Counties. The board oversees K-12 public schools and two-year colleges.
Dr. Dooley is a biomedical research scientist, who obtained a BS degree from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. from Indiana University. In his profession, he has been active in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry. His research has focused on dermatology, oncology, molecular biology, and pharmacology. He was formerly the Alabama Power Co. Endowed Chair at Southern Research Institute and was a faculty member at UAB and UAH. He founded two biomedical companies, IntegriDerm and ALtruis. He has authored 65 scientific publications, and is the recipient of numerous professional awards, honors, and patents.
In addition to his profession, Tom Dooley has been very active as a volunteer founder and board member of numerous nonprofit organizations. He was a co-founder and the original presiding officer of the Biotechnology Association of Alabama. And, most notably he is the founder and president of Path Clearer Inc., an Alabama-based ministry.
As a minister in the marketplace, he is the author of three Christian books entitled Praying Faith, Hope When Everything Seems Hopeless, and Half-Truths are Lies. Dr. Dooley is an internationally recognized speaker and frequent guest on syndicated radio and TV. Although this is Tom’s first entry as a political candidate, he has ample experience with effective public policy advocacy on Capitol Hill and via the media.
The Vestavia Hills resident and Republican has been married for 28 years to his wife, Laura. They have four children, Isaac, Catherine, Jeannette, and Thomas S. The eldest two are both married. The entire family attended public schools.
Dooley stated, “I have become a candidate to use my diverse experiences in industry, academia, and nonprofits for the benefit of Alabama’s youth and for workforce development. I am concerned about the lack of virtue and character demonstrated by many self-serving elected officials. We need highly qualified leaders with relevant experiences, demonstrated morals, and who can boldly lead with integrity and altruism.”
He continued, “I desire to see the great state of Alabama rise to even greater prominence. In order to do so, we must strengthen our public education system, we must restore hope among the hopeless, and we must fight for the benefit of our future generations.”