Lily Laux, Ph.D., brings more than 15 years of experience leading large-scale education systems, managing complex policy initiatives, and driving measurable results for students. After beginning her career as a middle school reading teacher in Memphis two decades ago, Dr. Laux is now a nationally recognized systems leader who has led large-scale education initiatives across Texas and partnered with systems leaders nationwide to strengthen pathways from prekindergarten through workforce entry.
Before joining ILO Group, Dr. Laux spent nearly a decade at the Texas Education Agency, where she served as Deputy Commissioner of School Programs. In this role, she led a team of more than 270 staff and oversaw divisions supporting 5.5 million students across 1,200 school districts. Dr. Laux designed and implemented the Texas Reading Academies, training more than 150,000 educators in evidence-based reading instruction. She led the rollout of Texas’s historic $11.6 billion school finance reform and redesigned the state’s assessment system, successfully administering 8.1 million assessments. Dr. Laux also expanded college exam access and career pathways programs, achieving measurable increases in college readiness and enrollment for underserved students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she guided Texas schools through unprecedented disruption while maintaining trust among educators, families, and policymakers.
Most recently, she served as Executive Director at Economic Mobility Systems, partnering with K–12 districts, higher education institutions, and workforce organizations to strengthen college and career pathways.