Jane Roberts this morning provided a more in-depth look at Billy Orgel, who tonight fully assumes his new role as chairman of the unified 23-member Shelby County Board of Education. Our Business section profiled Orgel in 2010 when he was inducted into the Society of Entrepreneurs, but today's profile focuses more on his emerging leadership in public life. From the profile:
Orgel, president of Tower Ventures, a cellphone tower company, says he will approach the job like he does everything: "I listen and learn and then form an opinion. I think in this new role, we have to keep in mind that there's going to be diversity of opinion. But I think all of us realize that the goal is to carry out our task, which is to consolidate two schools systems into one."
He knows the consolidation will happen. His measure of success will be if friends who home-school or send their children to private schools return to the public school system.
Orgel grew up in Memphis, a product of its public and private schools (Richland Elementary and Memphis University School). He left to attend the University of Texas-Austin, then came back to eventually start Tower Ventures. He was appointed to the FedExForum building authority in 2001. He served 20 years on the Temple Israel board of trustees, including two as president.
He is also the only person in the 80-year history of Bridges to serve a three-year term as president, which he did when it was in the middle of a $10.5 million capital building campaign and needed his continuity, said former executive director Jim Boyd.
Leave a comment