Richmond, VA –  Dixon Hughes Goodman (DHG), a top 20 national public accounting and advisory firm, announced this week that Gary Thomson has been appointed to Virginia’s School Readiness Committee by Virginia Secretary of Education, Anne Holton, with an announcement made by Governor McAuliffe.  Gary Thomson is the Regional Managing Partner for DHG’s Mid-Atlantic region.  He has more than 30 years of public accounting experience and an extensive professional background serving as an advisor to the education sector.

The School Readiness Committee is a new statewide, early childhood policy committee created by the 2016 Virginia General Assembly via HB46.  The goal of the committee is to address and make recommendations for the development of an effective professional development and credentialing system for the early childhood education workforce in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“The professional development of our early education teachers is critical to the success of our youngest learners.  The opportunity to serve as an inaugural member of the School Readiness Committee is truly an honor, and I look forward to working with colleagues to strengthen school readiness initiatives for our future leaders,” said Gary Thomson.

Gary is active in professional, civic and economic development leadership.  In 2015 he completed his term as Chairman of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. During his tenure, the Chamber’s membership grew from approximately 15,000 members to just over 20,000.  He remains on the Chamber’s Executive Committee and was recently named Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Virginia Chamber Foundation, a public policy initiative to promote pro-business legislation.

Gary also serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges and the Virginia Society of CPAs.  In addition, he is a Board Director of Virginia FREE.

Gary’s past service in many education-related capacities includes Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council on the Virginia Business-Education Partnership Program, Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s School to Work Advisory Committee, Board of Visitors of Virginia State University, VCU Health Systems Authority, John Tyler Community College Foundation and Member of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education.

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