Rick O’Donnell  is president of the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence.  The Foundation trains and equips entrepreneurs to become master teachers to prepare talented and dedicated students for extraordinary lives as the next generation of principled entrepreneurs.

Previously, Mr. O’Donnell served in the Cabinet of Colorado’s Governor as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. The Department oversees all 29 public institutions of higher education in the state that cumulatively enroll nearly 270,000 students.  Mr. O’Donnell’s accomplishments included implementing the first voucher of higher education funding in the country, establishing the nation’s leading performance accountability contracts for colleges and universities, and launching the largest effort in state history to expand college access for under-served and under-represented students.

Among his prior positions,Mr. O’Donnell also served as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, where he oversaw more than 500,000 licensed professionals as well as regulated the banking, insurance, securities, telecommunications and energy industries. Mr. O’Donnell served as Director of the Colorado Governor’s Office of Policy & Initiatives, where he oversaw all state tax policy, transportation strategy, education reform, and open space initiatives.