Randall Riley Announces Retirement from TBPC

Randall Riley this week announced his resignation from the Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC), where he has served as Executive Director for over three years. Riley has agreed to stay on in a part-time advisory role to ease the transition. Deputy Executive Director Cindy Reed will serve as Interim Executive Director until the Board selects a permanent replacement. Reed has been with the TBPC in this capacity since 2001.

In a letter announcing Riley's retirement, Chairman Tom Beard commented: "Over the last three years, Randall has transformed what was the poor-performing General Services Commission into an efficient, high-performing state agency. While the transition has not always been easy, the results are evident in the respect TBPC now commands from State leadership, the vendor community, and other state agencies. The Commission expresses sincere appreciation for Randall's vision and energy in leading the agency through this challenging period of transition. We are an entirely new agency, and Randall has been the architect."

After representing District 52 in the Texas House of Representatives from 1985 to 1988 (69th and 70th Legislatures), Riley worked in the private sector for a number of years before returning to public service. Prior to TBPC, he worked at the Texas Department for Economic Development (TDED) and the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). As for his plans post-TBPC, Riley recently purchased a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep dealership in Bastrop and will focus his efforts there.

Shankle Takes Reigns at TCEQ

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced that second-in-charge Glenn Shankle will serve as Acting Executive Director, replacing Executive Director Margaret Hoffman who recently announced her resignation.

Shankle will assume responsibility for daily operations of the organization, while Hoffman will continue on at the agency for up to several months to assist and advise her permanent replacement once he/she joins the commission.

Shankle has 27 years of experience in state government. Prior to joining TCEQ he worked in the Comptroller's office and in the Texas Senate as the human resources director. He has been with TCEQ for nine years, six of those as Deputy Executive Director.

WCIT 2006 Names Executive Officer

The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2006) announced the appointment of Frederick D. Mapp as Chief Executive Officer. Mapp, a 38-year veteran in information technology, is recognized as a technology visionary for his experience in re-engineering IT processes for Fortune companies on a global scale. Mapp most recently was vice president and CIO for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).

WCIT conducted a nation-wide executive search before selecting Mapp for the position. "The single-most attractive quality Fred possesses is his tremendous leadership skills," said Ed Jones, WCIT Executive Committee member and leader of the executive search team. "Fred is an internationally recognized speaker, and a visionary leader who attracts people to a common goal."

Mapp has held key executive positions at AMD, Honeywell, American Express, IBM, InfoSpan and ran his own consulting business, Quality Service Solutions. He was awarded special recognition as a "National IT Industry Influential" by the Austin Chapter of the Association of IT Professionals (AITP) in November 2003.

The World Congress, which will be held in Texas May 1-5, 2006, will attract an estimated 2,000 global leaders from business, government and education to discuss IT policy, direct the future of technology, and drive social and economic development. This international forum is viewed as a significant opportunity to showcase the regions' technology, innovation and economic climate. Past World Congresses have been catalysts for significant business expansions and international trade.

More Details Emerge on Multibillion-dollar Plan for Austin Medical Complex

State representatives Jack Stick and Mike Krusee unveiled architects' drawings of a proposed medical complex being planned for the Austin area to an audience of more than 500 members of the Real Estate Council of Austin. The proposed medical complex would be built north of downtown and would consist of medical, pharmacy and nursing schools, as well as six teaching hospitals. The projected cost for the project is $2 to $3 billion. If the lawmakers are successful in garnering local support for the project, they will take their plan to the Legislature next year and ask for at least $100 million in state aid to get the project underway. They say establishing a medical school is critical to the Central Texas region's ability to attract and keep high-paying jobs.

TAB Unveils School Finance Plan

The Texas Association of Business's (TAB) proposal for school funding would cut school property taxes by $3 billion while pumping $750 million in new money for schools to use for educational excellence incentives. TAB, which represents 140,000 businesses across the state, says their "Prosperity and Jobs" plan calls for a 1 cent sales tax increase, which would create $2 billion in revenue. Funding for TAB's plan also includes $460 million from imposing a sales tax on personal services, $590 million from an increase on car sales tax and $1.5 billion from video lottery terminals.

Contracting Opportunities Continue to Flow from HHSC

The Health and Human Services Commission is soliciting proposals from vendors to provide the following services:

• Perform Electronic Data Processing Audits of the Texas Medicaid and Administrative System (TMAS) and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) contracts
• Perform TMAS and CHIP contracts performance audits
• Perform risk-based performance audits of STAR, STAR+PLUS, and CHIP Managed Care Organizations (MCOs)

In 2002, Deloitte & Touche/Deloitte Consulting was selected by the State to conduct external risk assessments, financial audits, and performance audits for each of the Texas Medicaid Administative System (TMAS) contractors providing administrative services.

Contractors have since been waitng for "follow up" opportunities. The original scope of a draft RFP included a management component related to the transition of the Medicaid Claims and the Primary Care Case Management (PCCM) operation to a new vendor. This transition has since been completed. A new component for risk-based performance audits of STAR, STAR+PLUS and CHIP Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), however, has been added to the current RFP.

A vendor conference is scheduled for May 21 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Lone Star Conference Room, 11209 Metric Blvd., Austin, TX 78758. Proposals are due July 16, 2004 with an anticipated contract start date of October 1, 2004. The RFP announcement can be found on the HHSC website at http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/Medicaid/rfp/52904302/rfp_home.html.

Railroad Commissioner Advocates LNG Regulations

Texas Railroad Commissioner Charles Matthews recommended a number of regulations on liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities to the House Committee on Energy Resources this week. His proposal covered the site selection, safety, licensing and environmental protection concerns of such structures. LNG facilities, which have struggled with their fair share of opposition across the nation, are already subject to numerous federal regulations. Many developers have opted to move facilities offshore rather than deal with community discontent. Offshore facilities, though, still require the construction of import terminals.

Matthews argued that Texas does not have sufficient laws in place to regulate the new industry. Six facilities have already been proposed for the Gulf Coast, and more than 40 nationally. Despite the proposals, industry experts believe that only a few of these facilities will actually be constructed. According to Matthews, LNG will be vital to Texas energy in the future.

Houston Awarded Federal Highway Grants

Houston will receive close to $1 million in federal grants from the Federal Highway Administration. The grant money will be used to reduce congestion and improve safety and traffic flow. Houston's share of the grant money stems from a $9.5 million allocation from the federal government for transportation and bridge projects across Texas.

Regional Mobility Authority Extends Application Deadline for Leadership Post

The Bexar County Regional Mobility Authority, the newly formed organization responsible for developing toll roads in Bexar County, has extended the deadline for accepting applications for its first executive director until June 4. Only three resumes for the executive director position have been received since the job opening was posted over a week ago. For more information about the position, visit www.bexar.org/civilservice.

M.D. Anderson Opens New Facility

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has opened a satellite radiation treatment center on the campus of the St. Luke's Community Medical Center-The Woodlands in the Greater Houston Area. The new facility will provide service for patients in Montgomery County and surrounding areas. More than 30 patients are expected to be treated each day.

Biometric Security Field Could See Major Growth

Experts expect major growth in iris-identity technology in the upcoming years. The eye is among the most reliable biometrics available today. Biometrics, such as a retina or iris, fingerprints or hand geometry, can be used to recognize or authenticate a person's identity. Iris recognition systems are currently used for such purposes as airport security, border control, criminal booking and access to sterile labs and computers.

Department of Homeland Security Launches Vendor Information Site for IT Products and Services

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has created a Vendor Information Site at https://vendors.dhs.gov to invite businesses in the emerging homeland security industry to submit details about information technology (IT) products and services for enhancing the security of the homeland. This initiative will serve as another step in the department's ongoing effort to harness American ingenuity to develop partnerships with the private sector to research, develop and deploy homeland security technologies that will make America safer. The department is launching this site to invite the submission of IT product and service descriptions with the potential to broaden the invitation to include all products and services. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the Small Business Administration and numerous high-technology associations to alert small and disadvantaged businesses of this opportunity.

The Department of Homeland Security considers vendor submissions to be voluntary and, as a matter of general policy, considers the information to be confidential for internal federal government use only. The submission of any information where the vendor would first have to request that the department enter into a non-disclosure agreement before submitting such information is discouraged.

Vendors are reminded that doing business with DHS is greatly facilitated by their entering their company information in the Central Contractor Registration at http://www.ccr.gov.

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a Texas-based, nine year old research and knowledge based consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services. To learn more about the SPI team click here or contact Crystal Kuhs at 512-531-3900.

Houston Mayor Announces Balanced Budget

Mayor Bill White announced on Wednesday that the City of Houston's financial woes are finally under control. After months of cost-cutting and restructuring, the Mayor has brought the general fund budget deficit down to $93,000, an improvement from the $6 million deficit the city recorded last month. Because property taxes account for most of the general fund revenue, increases in the city's property and sales tax estimates played a large role in correcting Houston's deficit.

Texas Homeland Security Summary

SPI clients can now access information detailing all statewide spending in the area of Homeland Security: click here.

Event Links

TexMed 2004: Educational Showcase & Expo - 5/13/04 - 5/15/04

Texas State Agency Business Administrator's Association 24th Annual Conference - 6/7/04 - 6/9/04

Identity Crime Regional TrainingVarious Dates

EDA National Economic Development Conference - 6/8/04 - 6/10/04

2004 Workforce and Economic Development Conference - 6/23/04 - 6/24/04

NCSL Annual Meeting: The New Legislative Reality - 7/19/04 - 7/23/04

Texas Association of School Administrators/Texas Association of School Boards 44th Annual Convention - 09/17/04-09/20/04

NASCIO 2004 Annual Conference - 9/19/04 - 9/22/04

WIN BUSINESS WITH TEXAS GOVERNMENT

SPI has a dedicated Information Services (IS) Division that researches governmental entities and analyzes data for future and current business opportunities. Our team studies and reviews strategic plans, legislative appropriations requests, appropriations bills, and budgets to identify potential business projects. IS provides these key services and products:

• Future Opportunity Analysis - email notification of new opportunities as they are discovered and updates to opportunities as new information becomes available



• Bid Monitoring - timely email notification of current procurement opportunities for over 500 state agencies, institutions of higher education, cities, counties, school districts, airports, and ports.



• Customized Research - specific intelligence on entities, opportunities, markets, trends, products, competitors, etc.



• The Guide to the Texas State Government Marketplace - This comprehensive report identifies funding allocations and projected timelines for projects as well as historical spending data in 20 key state agencies. The Guide also offers explanations and insight to potential opportunities in significant legislation from the Regular Session of the 78th Legislature.

Please contact SPI's Crystal Kuhs at ckuhs@spartnerships.com for more details.

Past ABJ articles by Mary Scott Nabers

Opportunities taking off at airports around Texas - 4/19/2004

It pays to be schooled about education projects - 3/22/2004

Health care arena filled with outsourcing deals - 2/23/2004

River authorities pumping opportunity in Texas - 2/02/2004

Texas Government Insider Archives

Volume 2 Issue 17 - 4/30/04

Volume 2 Issue 16 - 4/23/04

Volume 2 Issue 15 - 4/16/04

Volume 1 and Volume 2 Archives 11/7/03 - 4/1/04

News from Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

Invitations have been extended to speakers for this important conference that will be held on October 7th at UT's JJ Pickle Center in Austin. The conference is sponsored jointly by SPI and UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs. As the agenda becomes firm and speakers confirmed, details will be available at SPI's website.

Issues Raised in the Sunset Staff Report on the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission

Issue 1: The Texas Workers' Compensation Commission Lacks Strategic Direction

Issue 2: Lack of Effective Return to Work Initiatives Result in Higher Costs to Employers and Poor Outcomes for Injured Workers

Issue 3: The Agency Does Not Adequately Use Stakeholder Input in Its Rulemaking and Policymaking Processes

Issue 4: TWCC's Process for Resolving Workers' Compensation Benefit Disputes Is Cumbersome, and Discourages Early Resolution

Issue 5: TWCC's Medical Dispute Resolution Process Lacks the Transparency and Oversight Necessary to Ensure Fair and Timely Resolution

Issue 6: The Supplemental Income Benefit Program Creates Unnecessary Disputes and Does Not Effectively Return Permanently Disabled Workers Back to Employment

Issue 7: TWCC's Regulatory Approach is Inefficient and Does Not Emphasize or Reward Overall Performance

Issue 8: TWCC Does Not Adequately Inform Injured Workers About the Workers' Compensation System

Issue 9: The Medical Advisory Committee Is Not an Effective Resource for the Agency

Resources

NASBO Fiscal Survey of the States

Fiscal Year 2003 Quality Assurance Team's Annual Report

New Texas Fact Book 2004

Joint Select Committee's Report on Public School Finance, March 17, 2004

Texas Public Policy Foundation's Policy Paper on Public School Finance

Center for Public Policy Priorities' Finding a School Finance Solution

Public Hearings

Joint Meeting: Senate Infrastructure Development and Security Committee and the Senate Business and Commerce Committee-- 1:00pm, May 10, 2E.8

House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence-- 2:00pm, May 10, E2.012

Senate Business and Commerce Committee-- 9:00am, May 11, Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20

Sunset Commission Update

Texas Worker's Compensation Commission

The staff of the Sunset Advisory Commission issued its report about the TWCC in April. It concluded that the TWCC should continue to exist, but described possible alternatives to its governance structure. The report made recommendations for nine issues raised (see sidebar). In addition, Appendix A contained 8 more "Potential Changes to Improve the Workers' Compensation System."

Recurring concerns about the governance of TWCC prompted the 78th Legislature (2003) to take the unusual step of changing board member terms from 6 years to 2 years. All current board members' terms expire this coming February 1, at which point the governor must make new appointments according to the provisions of SB287 (78th). Since the law also requires the chair to alternate between wage earners and employers every other year, building up experience and movement at the board level could be difficult.

The Sunset Advisory Commission has scheduled the TWCC for review at its May 18-19 meeting during which it will hear: (1) these staff recommendations; (2) the commission's response; (3) public testimony. The Commission will make its decisions on the TWCC at its September 14-15 meeting.

2004 TCMA Annual Conference: Sculpting Your Communities in Times of Change

Texas City Management Association (TCMA) will host its annual conference at the South Padre Island Convention Center on June 18-21. The conference is aimed at City Managers and includes seminars and workshops on Crisis Communications Management, Human Resources Basics, and Managing the Complexities of Change, amongst others. For more information visit http://www.tml.org/ed_tcma_info.html.

2004 Annual Legislative Conference:Pre-legislative Session

For many years, county officials have come together in this great state’s capitol to gain and share important legislative information during annual legislative conferences sponsored by the Texas Association of Counties. To learn about issues on the horizon that could impact counties during the next legislative session, all officials and employees are encouraged to attend TAC’s 2004 Annual Conference, scheduled for August 11-13 in Austin at the Renaissance Hotel Austin. For more information, visit http://www.county.org/education/events/PreLeg/index.asp.

TCWSE Summer Conference-- Our Legacy of Leadership: Footprints of Our Past, Present, and Future

The Texas Council of Women School Executives will have their annual summer conference on June 12-13 at the Renaissance Hotel Austin. The conference boasts unique networking opportunities, professional development workshops, and presentations designed to help participants grow professionally and personally. Keynote speakers include Dr. John Hoyle, Texas A & M University, who was recently elected one of the most "exceptional living scholars" in the field of educational leadership, and Commissioner of Education Shirley Neeley, also a member of TCSWE. For more information visit http://www.tasanet.org/TCWSE/summer_conference/2004/summer.html.