Thomas Ratliff (R)

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Personal Information

Thomas Ratliff, a governmental relations consultant and lobbyist from Mount Pleasant, is vice chair of the State Board of Education. He was elected to the board in 2010 and re-elected in 2012. He currently serves on the board's Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund.

Ratliff, the father of a son and a daughter, has been an active volunteer at their public schools. He has served as a room parent, booster club officer, fall carnival chairman, and lunch room volunteer. He has also been a member of a campus leadership team, district leadership team and served on a district committee involved in preparing a bond package.

In 1998, he opened the Ratliff Company, which provides governmental relations consulting services, as well as lobbying the Texas Legislature.

In 2007, he moved back to Mount Pleasant where both he and his wife grew up so their children could be surrounded by their extended family.

Ratliff earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas Tech University in 1989 and a Masters in Public Affairs in 1994 from the University of Texas in Austin.

As the District 9 board member, Ratliff represents citizens in the following counties: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rockwall, Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood..