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Tommy Schultz

Tommy Schultz

Chief Executive Officer

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Tommy Schultz is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Federation for Children (AFC), the nation’s largest K–12 school choice advocacy organization, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.  

AFC has invested more than $350 million nationwide to advance school choice, contributing to the passage of more than 250 school choice laws across 30+ states that expanded educational access for millions of families, particularly lower-income families for whom school choice can be transformative. 

Tommy joined AFC in January 2015 and rose through every level of the organization — from Tennessee Communications Director to National Communications Director to VP of Communications and Marketing — before being appointed CEO in June 2021.  

In his time at AFC, Tommy has been the organization’s primary public voice during the most prolific era of school choice lawmaking in American history. During his time as CEO, AFC has raised and deployed $179 million across half of the country. During that time, private school choice program enrollment grew from 540,000 to 1.6 million today.  

Under his leadership, AFC supported landmark private school choice program victories in dozens of states, while simultaneously building the national infrastructure for the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC), the first federal school choice tax credit in U.S. history, effective January 1, 2027.  

Before joining AFC, Tommy was a spokesman for presidential, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns in New Hampshire, Iowa, and Tennessee. In between campaign cycles, Tommy had stints with leading public affairs firms in the D.C. area.

Professional Background

Career History

  1. 2021 – Present

    Chief Executive Officer

    American Federation for Children

  2. 2019-2021

    Vice President of Communications & Marketing

    American Federation for Children

  3. 2017-2019

    National Communications Director

    American Federation for Children

  4. 2015-2017

    Tennessee Communications Director

    American Federation for Children

  5. 2015-2016

    Campaign Manager

    Grant Starrett for Congress

  6. 2014-2015

    Communications Director

    Branstad-Reynolds Inauguration, Iowa

  7. 2014

    Communications Director

    Branstad-Reynolds Reelection Campaign, Iowa

  8. 2013

    Director of Public Affairs

    JDA Frontline, Washington, D.C.

  9. 2012

    New Hampshire Victory Communications Director (Romney/Ryan)

    Republican National Committee

  10. 2011-2012

    Account Associate

    CRC Public Relations, Alexandria, VA

Academic Formation

Education

  • Bachelor of Science, Science, Technology, and Society

    Stanford University

    2011

Areas of Focus

Expertise

  • School Choice

    Works broadly across the movement to expand K–12 educational options for families, spanning policy design, advocacy, and program implementation.

  • K–12 Education Policy

    Works on the broader landscape of laws and regulations governing primary and secondary education, including funding structures, accountability systems, and school choice policy.

  • Education Savings Accounts (ESA)

    Examines ESA programs, which deposit public funds into flexible accounts families can use across a range of approved educational expenses beyond private school tuition alone.

  • Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC)

    Specializes in the federal donor-side tax credit established under IRC §25F, including its mechanics, implementation timeline, and role in expanding scholarship access nationwide.

  • Nonprofit Leadership

    Brings experience guiding mission-driven organizations, including strategy, governance, and organizational growth in the nonprofit sector.

  • School Choice Legislation

    Focuses on the drafting, passage, and implementation of school choice bills at the state and federal level, including coalition-building and legislative strategy.

  • Public Affairs

    Specializes in the intersection of policy, communications, and government relations, shaping how organizations engage with lawmakers, media, and the public.

  • Political Communications

    Specializes in shaping public and legislative messaging around policy issues, translating complex policy into language that resonates with voters, media, and decision-makers.

  • Advocacy Strategy

    Develops the campaigns and coalition tactics used to build public and legislative support for policy change, from grassroots mobilization to targeted lobbying.

  • Education Reform

    Works on efforts to improve K–12 outcomes through structural change, spanning school choice, accountability policy, and broader systems-level reform.

  • Charter Schools

    Focuses on publicly funded, independently operated schools, including their authorization, accountability structures, and role within the broader school choice landscape.

  • Private School Choice

    Focuses specifically on policies that direct public or tax-advantaged funding toward private school tuition, examining participation trends, regulatory design, and family outcomes.

Track Record

Notable Accomplishments

  1. Led AFC strategy during the most productive era of school choice expansion in U.S. history.

  2. As CEO, oversaw AFC's multi-state opt-in campaign for the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) — the first federal school choice tax credit — securing state participation across 20+ states ahead of the January 2027 activation.

  3. Oversaw AFC's strategy – and HQ relocation – into Texas in 2020. Five years later, Texas passed its first private school choice program (102,000+ scholarship awards in year one of the new ESA program).

  4. Led AFC's public communications response during the COVID-19 pandemic, commissioning widely-cited polling data covered by Fox News, CBN News, and other national outlets.

  5. Directed AFC's investment of $1.5M+ across 12 states in 2025 to drive family awareness and enrollment in school choice programs, resulting in 157,000 students newly enrolled across those states.

  6. Under his leadership, AFC grew its email list from 70,000 to 2 million records.

Media & Interviews

Appearances & Speaking

Writing & Commentary

Publications & Op-Eds

Featured Articles from Tommy