Paul N. Tice

Paul Tice learned the importance of public service at a young age from his parents who were zealous advocates for his sister who has Down Syndrome. Based on this formative experience, he began acting on his commitments by serving on the board of Rainbow Village, a provider of housing for people with developmental disabilities that his parents helped start. Thereafter, he joined, and later chaired, the Productive Living Board, a government entity providing significant funding to nonprofits serving individuals with developmental disabilities in St. Louis County. He has also served in leadership roles with other nonprofits, including Lutheran Family and Children’s Services and the Lutheran Foundation. Paul shares his dedication to service with his wife, Nancy Parker Tice, an alumna of Washington University in St. Louis and leader in several nonprofits herself.

In his eclectic professional career, Paul has been a CPA, an attorney, and now serves as Chief Investment Officer at Argos Investment Advisors, LLC. His passion for service, however, extends beyond his professional work. While participating in the Leadership St. Louis program, Paul realized one of the keys to addressing social justice issues is public education, and Paul began to focus his efforts on the emerging educational reform movement in Missouri.

In 2003, Paul helped found the nonprofit Confluence Academy, a school system designed to give at-risk children the best opportunity to grow and develop their talents. Confluence began with one campus, 200 students and a budget of a few million dollars; it has grown into the largest nonprofit charter school provider in Missouri with five campuses. A graduate of Washington University’s Olin School of Business and School of Law, Paul applies both his skills and passions as a member of the Confluence board, primarily by managing several complex financings involving tax exempt bonds and various tax credit programs.

Paul hopes Confluence will be a beacon of educational reform in the future as it focuses on effective teacher training and innovative compensation programs to recruit top talent. His impact on the St. Louis community is captured by his nominator: “Paul’s effort to grow Confluence Academy has resulted in the creation of a large institution that can now be an agent for social justice in the years to come.”