Tom O’Connor is the Chief Operating Officer at the Child Care Success Company. Tom has been a part of the child care industry for 29 years. He owned Kids Adventures for 20 years, a before and after school program that implemented their three company pillars of movement, nutrition, and mindfulness. Since his college days, and graduating from Illinois State University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, it has been Tom’s goal to have a positive impact on the lives of children.

Tom’s three personal core values that he lives by are impact, integrity, and passion, which coincidentally align with three of the company values that CCSC has set for itself. He also has made it a mission for himself to live gratefully, be helpful, and embody hope through the way that he carries himself. He is excited to have the opportunity to positively impact and help uplevel the lives of Child Care Success Academy members and early childhood education professionals and the families that they serve.

In addition to working with CCSC, Tom is a current Board Member for GOALS (Get Outside and Learn Something) which helps children connect with their peers, planet, and selves on wild and scenic rivers in the Western United States.

Outside of connecting with others, Tom’s biggest love is his family. He resides with his wife of 20 years, Dara, and their four children, Thomas Jr, Patrick, Sunna, and Benjamin in Littleton, Colorado. When not working with children or floating down a river with his own kids, Tom enjoys spending time in the mountains with his wife, running trails to prepare for his next half marathon (currently training for his 18th one), playing golf with his oldest son Thomas, and traveling with family around the United States to watch his son Benjamin play baseball.