While serving as department chair in the early eighties, I learned that there is a tremendous need to strengthen the mathematics knowledge of Virginia's elementary and high school teachers. In our state there are very few college faculty and few institutions of higher education engaged in addressing this need. In spite of my lack of background, the need was too strong for me to resist, and I was sucked in. I have now spent years organizing and teaching courses designed for teachers, writing grant proposals, and lobbying for resources. The University of Virginia has a center, the Center for the Liberal Arts , that supports these activities and I am currently serving as director of this Center. I also have recently assumed the role of executive director of the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition, a public advocacy group for mathematics and science education.