The Association of Former Students' Texas A&M Advocacy Network, in conjunction with the Texas A&M University Office of Government Relations, develops and maintains a variety of materials to help keep our Aggies Advocates, former students and other interested parties informed and equipped with the tools needed to help advance Texas A&M University’s legislative priorities and public higher education in Texas. We encourage you to use the resources available here to educate yourself on the university’s priorities and help make a better, stronger Texas A&M for generations to come. If you have any questions, please contact us at TAMUAdvocacy@AggieNetwork.com.
Key Dates
89th Texas Legislature (Regular Session): Jan. 14 - June 2, 2025
119th United States Congress: Jan. 3, 2025 - Jan. 2, 2027
Resources
Former Students by County in Texas
State House District Boundaries
State Senate District Boundaries
The Texas Budget Process: A Primer
A quick-read overview of the Texas budget process, provided by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Budget 101: A Guide to the Budget Process in Texas
A detailed guide of the biennium budget process, provided by Senate Research Center
Formula Funding
A simple explanation of formula funding, the primary source of state support for higher education, provided by the Texas A&M Advocacy Network
Former Student State/Federal Appointees
Gubernatorial and federal appointees play a critical role in advising all branches of our government. Several former students of Texas A&M currently serve in various agencies, boards, and commissions. We thank them for volunteering their busy time to serve Texas and the United States of America.
The following is a list of former students currently serving in federal positions appointed by President Donald Trump:
Dr. Gerald "Gerry" Parker, Jr. ’76 – Head of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy
Aaron Reitz ’09 – Head of the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Policy (pending Senate confirmation)
Brooke Rollins ’94 – Secretary of Agriculture
The following is a list of former students who have been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott:
Phil Adams ’70 – Chair, Capital Project Oversight Advisory Commission (Texas)
Arch "Beaver" Aplin ’80 – Chair, Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
Jeffrey "Jody" Barnard ’79 – Chair, Texas Forensic Science Commission
Gina Bellinger ’96 – Governor's Commission for Women (Texas)
Erin Bennett ’07 – Director of the Regulatory Compliance Division (Texas)
Nancy Blackwell ’95 – Chair, Upper Colorado River Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Michael "Mike" Boyd ’74 – Texas Military Preparedness Commission
Susan Brown ’82 – Presiding Judge, Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region of Texas
Tina Buford ’97 – Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board of Directors
Constance "Diane" Bull ’81 – Specialty Courts Advisory Council (Texas)
Shannon Calhoun ’80 – Chair, Texas Health Services Authority Board of Directors
Dr. Gerald Callas ’95 – Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Michael Clements ’05 – Governor's Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Advisory Council (Texas)
David Coatney ’21 – Texas Commission on Fire Protection
Michael Cokinos ’77 – Texas Medical Board
Steve Cooper ’78 – Vice Chair, Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Kyle Cox ’18 – Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities
Joseph Crane ’76 – Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Dr. Sandra "Lynn" Criner ’95 – Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
Debra Dockery ’75 – Chair, Texas Board of Architectural Examiners
David "Dave" Evans ’71 – Presiding Judge, Eighth Administrative Judicial Region (Texas)
Richard "Rick" Figueroa ’91 – Chair, Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation
William "Bill" Flores ’76 – Chair, Electric Reliability Council of Texas
Christopher "Stephen" Franke ’08 – Texas Department of Information Resources Board of Directors
Cristina Galindo ’21 – State Board for Educator Certification (Texas)
Ray Garcia ’90 – Texas State Board of Public Accountancy
Derek Gaudlitz ’91 – San Antonio River Authority (Texas)
John "Michael" Glynn ’97 – Texas Commission on Fire Protection
Annel Guadalupe ’21 – Texas Medical Board District Two Review Committee
Roger Guenther ’83 – Gulf Coast Protection District Board of Directors (Texas)
Erica Hall ’00 – Vice Chair, Upper Colorado River Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Melissa Hamilton ’01 – Public Counsel, Office of Public Insurance Counsel (Texas)
Jay Herrington ’76 – Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Jennifer Harris ’13 – Vice Chair, Governor's Broadband Development Council (Texas)
George "Trey" Henderson III ’80 – Texas Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors
Janet Hoffman ’92 – Texas Industrialized Building Code Council
Otis Jones Jr. ’07 – Texas Industrialized Building Code Council
Leslie Kinsel ’81 – Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program Council
Natalie Koehler ’99 – Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program Council
Kenneth Krieger ’86 – Radiation Advisory Board (Texas)
Regan L. Landreth ’98 – Texas Board of Medical Radiologic Technology
Dr. Shelly Lesikar deZevallos ’04 – Texas Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee
Dan S. Leyendecker ’90 – Nueces River Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Wesley D. Lloyd ’00 – Brazos River Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Kelly Lovell ’05 – Board of Pilot Commissioners for Galveston County Ports (Texas)
John Henry Luton ’72 – Brazos River Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Lisa Masters ’89 – Texas Radiation Advisory Board
Will McAdams ’04 – Public Utility Commission Of Texas
Samuel McGee ’98 – Firefighters' Star of Texas Award Advisory Committee
Mindi McLain ’04 – Texas Medical Board District Three Review Committee
Lamont "Monte" Meaux ’67 – Gulf Coast Authority Board of Directors (Texas)
Vance Mitchell ’79 – Lavaca-Navidad River Authority (Texas)
Grant Moody ’13 – Veterans Land Board (Texas)
Daniel "Barry" Moore ’05 – Brazos County Regional Mobility Authority
Linda Morris ’71 – Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission
Joseph Muñiz ’85 – Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities (Texas)
Dr. Kristy Murray ’94 – Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response (Texas)
Dr. Feyi Obamehinti ’14 – Chair, Texas Diabetes Council
Raquel Olivier ’18 – Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
Dr. Ronald Palomares ’83 – Nursing Facility Administrators Advisory Committee (Texas)
Dr. Gerald Parker ’76 – Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response (Texas)
Sandra Hagee Parker ’20 – Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Anti-Semitism Advisory Commission
Brooke Paup ’01 – Chair, Texas Water Development Board
Dr. Renee Pietzsch ’96 – Podiatric Medical Examiners Advisory Board (Texas)
Gerald Powell ’81 – Radiation Advisory Board (Texas)
Dr. Jorge Quirch ’86 – State Board of Dental Examiners (Texas)
Elizabeth Rainey ’09 – Specialty Courts Advisory Council (Texas)
Dr. Bill Rector ’64 – Upper Guadalupe River Authority (Texas)
Dr. Shawn Patrick Saladin ’86 – Governing Board of the Texas School for the Deaf
Dr. Courtney Sherman ’00 – Statewide Health Coordinating Council (Texas)
Daniel "Danny" Signorelli ’92 – Capital Project Oversight Advisory Commission (Texas)
William "Dub" Smith III ’78 – Texas Industrialized Building Code Council
Christopher Taylor ’07 – Vice Chair, Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors
Rebecca Vajdak ’79 – Real Estate Research Center Advisory Committee (Texas)
Jennifer Walker ’05 – Texas Board of Architectural Examiners
Martha Leigh Whitten ’80 – Lower Colorado River Authority Board (Texas)
Andrew "Jimmy" Widmer ’08 – Texas Medical Board District Four Review Committee
David Yelovich ’85 – Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners
Do you know of other former students who have been appointed to a board or commission that is not currently on this list? If so, please let us know by sending an email to TAMUAdvocacy@AggieNetwork.com.
