More than two decades of education research, policy and practices—as well as firsthand visits to thousands of U.S. classrooms and the creation of major national initiatives—have earned Milken Family Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder Lowell Milken the reputation as an education reform leader and pioneer. Guided by Lowell's vision, the Milken Family Foundation has become one of the most innovative private foundations in the U.S., developing groundbreaking programs in K-12 education as well as medical research, and helping to fund more than 1,000 organizations worldwide with compatible missions.

Among his contributions to strengthening K-12 education, Lowell conceived the Milken Educator Awards, first presented in 1987 to recognize the importance of outstanding educators and to encourage talented young people to choose teaching as a career. With a network of over 2,300 recipients across the United States, the Milken Educator Awards is the nation's largest teacher recognition program.

Recognizing that sufficient numbers of quality teachers would never result from current education practices, Lowell launched TAP™: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement in 1999 as a comprehensive research-based strategy to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly effective teachers for America's schools. Creating an environment with powerful and sustained opportunities for career advancement, professional growth, teacher accountability, and competitive compensation, TAP™ is impacting more than 7,500 teachers and 85,000 students.

As BusinessWeek reported in 2006, "TAP is catching on nationally because its schools tend to earn higher test scores." Demand for TAP's proven system of school reform is growing, particularly in high-need districts from Chicago and New Orleans to South Carolina and Texas. TAP is operated by the nonprofit National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET).

Further education efforts championed by Lowell include the development and distribution of a multidisciplinary high school curriculum guide to explore The Children of Willesden Lane, a story of courage and coming-of-age during World War II by Grammy-nominated pianist Mona Golabek. The state-of-the-art Milken Community High School is a private Jewish day school based in Los Angeles and known nationally for its college preparatory curriculum.

In 1990, Lowell created the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music to explore the vast panorama of sacred and secular works reflecting 350 years of Jewish life in America. This historic recording project has grown to encompass 600 newly recorded works—500 of them world premiere recordings. Naxos American Classics has released 50 CDs available in over 50 countries. Ongoing projects include a full curriculum and an oral history video collection with more than 800 hours of interviews already concluded.

In addition to Lowell's groundbreaking initiatives for MFF, he pursues still more endeavors through the Lowell Milken Family Foundation (LMFF), with Lowell Milken HighTech-Los Angeles as a prime example. This public charter school engages students with a rigorous curriculum rich in technology and complemented by real-world internships. Officially dedicated in 2004, HT-LA achieved California Distinguished School status in record time.

Another key LMFF project is the new Lowell Milken Center, founded in 2007 in partnership with Milken Educator Norman Conard (KS '92). The LM Center is focused on galvanizing a movement for teaching respect and understanding among all people regardless of race, religion or creed. This mission is pursued through educational projects that feature unsung heroes as role models to "repair the world."

Recognition for Lowell's achievements in education has included awards from organizations such as the National Association of State Boards of Education, the Horace Mann League, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, UCLA School of Law, Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College.

Named by Worth magazine as one of America's most generous philanthropists, Lowell is also an involved businessman who chairs London-based Heron International, a worldwide leader in property development, and Knowledge Universe, Inc., a leading company in early childhood education and educational programs and services.

Lowell Milken is a product of California's public school system, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California at Berkeley, where he received the School of Business Administration's Most Outstanding Student Award. He earned his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, with the distinctions of Order of the Coif and UCLA Law Review. His four sons inspire and deepen his commitment to both the Milken Family Foundation and the Lowell Milken Family Foundation.