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Acting Executive Director of TCEQ RetiresGlenn Shankle, who has headed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on an interim basis since the resignation of Margaret Hoffman in late April, has retired. Shankle will stay on as an unpaid adviser at the state's main environmental agency until a new executive director is named by the three-member commission and can start work. Mark Vickery, the acting second-in-command, will assume Shankle's official responsibilities in the meantime. Shankle is one of the 35 candidates for executive director of TCEQ, which is the second-largest environmental regulatory agency in the world. Some agency insiders speculate Shankle is one of the top contenders for the job based on the timing of his retirement and his agreement to stay on at the agency in a non-paying position. 
Morrow to Serve on DIR BoardGov. Rick Perry has appointed Keith Morrow, CIO and vice president of information services of 7-Eleven, Inc., to the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) board. Morrow was included in Computerworld magazine's Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2004 and has been listed among the top 100 most resourceful CIOs by CIO Magazine. Morrow serves on the client advisory boards of ACS, HP and Microsoft Corporation and is a member of the Southern Methodist University Associate Mentor Boards and boards of the Dallas Arboretum and Dallas Partners in Education. He holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree from Dallas Baptist University. His term will expire Feb.1, 2005. Hospital District Board Attracts Scores of ApplicantsThe newly created Austin/Travis County Hospital District has attracted almost 90 applicants for its nine board positions. The board, which will serve as the main governing body of the Hospital District, will supervise public health programs for the indigent throughout Travis County. Their scope includes a number of hospitals within Austin, as well as a dozen community clinics-all of which are struggling with their patient load. The Austin City Council and the Travis County Commissioner's Court will each appoint four members to the board, and choose the ninth board member together. Members of the selection committees have been impressed by the number and quality of applicants, stating publicly that many of the applicants boast great credentials and experience. The Austin City Council intends to pick its appointees at its next meeting on July 29; Travis County expects to announce its appointees as early as next Tuesday. Once the board is in place, they must quickly name a hospital district administrator and prepare a tax rate and budget to submit to the Commissioner's Court for approval in September, before the beginning of the local government fiscal year on October 1. The establishment of a Hospital District in Travis County encountered some resistance from county residents outside of the city limits, who were wary of the potential tax increase associated with it. A majority of voters approved the establishment of the Hospital District, however, in May. All other major cities in Texas have established hospital districts to streamline and coordinate healthcare between the cities and counties. 
Parcel Appointed Dean of UT School of Public HealthGuy Parcel has been appointed to a 3-year term as dean of The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston. Parcel, who currently serves as executive dean, will take over the deanship in December when Dr. R. Palmer Beasley, who has served as UT School of Public Health dean for more than 17 years and is now completing a two-year term as chairman of the Association of Schools of Public Health, retires. Regarding Parcel's appointment, James T. Willerson, president of the UT Health Science Center at Houston, said: "For more than a year now, Dr. Parcel has led the smooth operation and continued progress at the school in support of the current dean. He has undertaken several administrative changes to improve the quality and effectiveness of the school's programs, while encouraging among the faculty and staff a growing excellence in research and teaching-not only in Houston, but at four regional campuses around the state. I am convinced that he will lead the UT School of Public Health to outstanding growth and accomplishments when he becomes dean." Parcel will become only the third dean in the 35-year history of what is the oldest school of public health in Texas. Parcel was appointed executive dean in February 2003 and has previously served as "acting dean" of the school on several occasions. He joined the school in 1986 as the associate director of the Center for Health Promotion Research and Development. Parcel holds both a bachelor's and master's degree from Indiana University and a doctoral degree in Health Education and Child Development from Pennsylvania State University. Brunson, Green and Morrissey to Participate in Upcoming Legislative ConferenceThe sponsors of the 4th Biennial Legislative Conference have announced that Blaine Brunson, Budget Director for Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, Don Green, Budget Director for Speaker of the House Tom Craddick, and Mike Morrissey, Director of Budget, Planning and Policy for Governor Rick Perry will participate in a panel on discussing budget priorities, trends and challenges for the 2005 session from the state leadership's perspective. The conference, which is jointly sponsored by SPI and the LBJ School of Public Affairs, will be held on October 7th at the JJ Pickle Center in Austin. Registration for the conference will open in mid July. [Editor's Note: Biographical information on Blaine Brunson was not available at press time. Information on Brunson will be included in a future edition of the Insider.] 
Don Green began his career in state government in 1980 with the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), serving as a budget analyst, senior budget analyst, and special assistant to the director. During his 15-year career with LBB, he worked on a diverse mixture of state agency budget issues, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Department of Agriculture, Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, and Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. In 1995, Green became the Chief Financial Officer for the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation and was responsible for a budget that included the operations of 13 state schools, 9 state hospitals, and contracts with 34 community mental health and mental retardation centers. From 1998 through 2002, Green served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), an agency with a biennial budget of over $16 billion. Green has served on the board of the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) since 2001. A native of Georgia, he attended Clayton Junior College, Georgia Tech, and Shorter College in Georgia and earned a B.S. degree in Economics and Accounting. In 1977, the Harry S. Truman Foundation named Green a Harry S. Truman National Scholar. Green holds a MPA and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. 
Mike Morrissey is responsible for development and direct implementation of Texas State budget and policy initiatives. He ensures coordination of state budget policy and directs long term fiscal planning for the Governor's Office. Prior to his current position in the Governor's office, Morrissey worked for Lt. Governor Bill Ratliff as Director of Fiscal Policy, Lt. Governor Rick Perry as Budget Director, and Lt. Governor Bob Bullock as Budget Director and Special Assistant. In these positions, he was the Lt. Governor's representative for fiscal affairs and worked with the Governor's Office, Speaker of the House, Legislative Budget Board members, legislators and legislative staff and state agency/institution management in development, passage, implementation, and monitoring of Texas' $114.1 billion biennial budget. From 1986-1994 he served as Legal Counsel/Budget Examiner at the Legislative Budget Board. Morrissey holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Oklahoma, and a J.D. from the University of Arkansas. He is licensed to practice law in Texas. NASA Awards Grant to UTSA College of BusinessThe NASA Center for Program/Project Management Research has awarded a $74,831 research grant to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) College of Business. The money will be used to train novice NASA professionals to become project managers. UTSA faculty members will work with the Challenger Learning Center at Brooks City Base, which is equipped with a mission control center and laboratory and used for running simulated space missions. UTSA is only one of eight institutes of higher education nationwide to receive funding for this initiative. Hine Announces DADS Assistant Commissioners SelectionsJim Hine, Commissioner of the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS), has announced the selections for the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) three Assistant Commissioner positions. Jacquelyn McDonald will be the Assistant Commissioner for Access and Intake. McDonald, a registered nurse and dietician, has spent 20 years of her 28-year career with the Texas Department of Health. McDonald currently serves as Director for the Board of Health and Executive Support. Previously, she served in several leadership positions, including 6 years as Director of the Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in Amarillo. She holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition, a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, and a Master's in Health Systems Management from Tulane University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. Veronda Durden will be the Assistant Commissioner for Regulatory Services. She currently serves as Director of Provider Operations and Program Analysis at DHS. Durden has over 19 years of management and leadership experience, 15 of which are in the regulatory field. She holds a B.S. from Northwestern University, and a M.S. in Health Administration from Texas State University. She is pursuing an MBA at the University of Texas School of Business Administration in Austin. Barry Waller will be the Assistant Commissioner for Provider Services. With over 30 years of experience in the mental health/mental retardation profession, Waller has served as Director of Long-term Services and Supports for the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services and currently serves as the acting Director of Community Metal Retardation Services. He has also served as the CEO of a community mental health and mental retardation center and as Director of Mental Retardation. Waller holds a Bachelor's in Sociology and a Master's of Social Work from the University of Maryland. Bradford and White Appointed to Finance Commission BoardGov. Rick Perry has appointed Mike Bradford and William White to the Finance Commission of Texas. The commission oversees the regulation of financial institutions chartered or licensed under state law. Bradford is president of the Natural Resources Foundation of Texas and currently serves as a Midland County commissioner. He has been active at various levels in the banking community and has served as vice president of the Texas Christian University National Alumni Board and the Texas Christian University Regional Board. A graduate of Bank Marketing School, he holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Texas Christian University. His term will expire Feb.1, 2006. White is vice president of public affairs for Cash America International, an international specialty finance company. He is a member of the Community Financial Services Association, Public Affairs Council, and financial committee of the Sun City Community Association. He served on the board of directors for the National Pawnbrokers Association and was on the advisory panel for the Credit Research Center. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. His term will expire Feb.1, 2010. Angelo Named to Board of Examiners and PsychologistsGov. Rick Perry has appointed Penny Angelo of Midland to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, the board that regulates the practice of psychology in the state of Texas. Angelo served on the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners for 12 years. She is president and trust officer of Neighbors Against Burglary and Drugs and is a sustaining advisor of the Junior League of Midland. Angelo also is a member of the Girls Scouts of America and the Contemporary Study Club. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston. Her term will expire Oct.31, 2007. 
Shannon Appointed to Texas Juvenile Probation CommissionGov. Rick Perry has appointed Judge Cheryl Shannon of Cedar Hill to the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, which, in coordination with local juvenile boards and juvenile probation departments, provides technical assistance, training and funding to juvenile probation services. Shannon serves as judge of the 305th District Court of Texas and is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and J.L. Turner Society. She serves on the board of Texas CASA, the Texas Center Safety Board and is the chair of the Dallas County Juvenile Board. Previously, she served as a member of the Supreme Court Task Force on Foster Care, Adoption Initiative Task Force, Target Kids in Court and Dallas County Truancy Coordination Board. She holds a bachelor's degree and a law degree from the University of Houston. Her term will expire Aug. 31, 2009. DART Plans AccelerateDue to higher-than-expected sales tax revenue, Dallas-area light rail construction may proceed more quickly than projected. Because of lower sales tax revenues in recent years, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) projected a three-year delay for a number of rail lines planned for the suburbs. Given the new infusion of funds however, construction on one of the six proposed lines could begin a full year earlier. June, however, saw a slight decline in sales tax revenue, which has given board members pause before announcing a revised schedule. The DART board will approve or reject the accelerated schedule later this month or in early August. If approved, light rail would reach Fair Park and the Medical Market Center by the end of 2009 (vs. 2010). Furthermore, depending on the pace of construction, some segments could open even earlier. Under the revised schedule, final installments of the light rail plan, including stations in Rowlett and Las Colinas, will open in 2012, as opposed to 2013. In order to accelerate the process, DART is considering granting contractors much more authority over the project. The public transportation entity believes that delays could be shortened if a single contractor could design and oversee the construction, the rail lines would be built more efficiently and with fewer major changes. Despite the potential schedule revisions, the completion dates of the new stations and lines remain well behind the original completion dates set at the programs inception. Former Mueller Airport Site Could House Medical SchoolThe Austin City Council is likely to consider allocating space at the site of the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport for a possible medical school. While the Texas Legislature and University of Texas System regents have not addressed the issue of whether or not the Austin area should have a medical school, support from local civic, business and political leaders, who see a medical school as necessary not only for health care but for economic development, has grown greatly. Austin Mayor Will Wynn said the council has already given preliminary zoning approval that would allow for a medical school on land at Mueller north and west of the new children's hospital currently being constructed on the site. Other proposed sites for a medical school include part of Robinson Ranch in northern Travis County and Southwestern Travis County which was recently annexed by Austin or land already owned by the UT System such as a student housing complex along Town Lake. Lawmakers To Focus on Issues of Accountability and Openness at ERCOTNest week, the Sunset Advisory Commission will look at ways to bolster the Public Utility Commission's (PUC) authority over the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). ERCOT is currently the subject of a criminal investigation regarding contracts involving some ERCOT employees. Prior to the investigation, a sunset commission staff report found the PUC lacks proper authority to effectively oversee ERCOT. Recommendations made in that report include applying the Texas Open Meetings Act to ERCOT and requiring ERCOT board members to disclose conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from voting on those issues. The Sunset Commission will take public testimony from ERCOT and PUC officials and consumer advocates on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. Austin’s Mental Health Center Faces State CensureThe state’s Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MHMR) will soon send the Austin Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center a letter of censure, fining the city authority $2000 for what MHMR considers a violation of state rules. The charge results from the local mental health center’s actions earlier in the year, when it sent a letter to 1,300 Medicare patients stating that their psychiatric medications would no longer be free. The letter also said that the patients must sign up for Medicare-approved discount drug card beginning on July 1. Forcing the discount drug card, a federal program that is confusing for many users, onto low income people on Medicare is against state rules, which hold that low income persons are eligible for free medications and cannot be forced to sign up for a program that will cost them money, according to Sam Shore, the acting director of community mental health services. The sanction also mandates that the Austin authority resume buying prescription drugs for low income patients. Many local mental health centers have struggled under the increasingly weighty burden of expensive psychiatric drugs. Many of these local authorities have turned to patients to begin picking up some of the cost, prompting conflicts with the state. |
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. New Report from SAO Critical of CHIP AdministrationThe State Auditor’s Office (SAO) issued a report this week which criticized the Health and Human Services Commission’s administration of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), specifically drawing attention to unnecessary payments to Clarendon National Insurance Company. The SAO report states that these payments demonstrated “serious deficiencies in contracting practices and contract monitoring.” For a summary and the complete report, visit the SAO website. Global AIDS Fight Helped by New UT DeviceA device developed at the University of Texas will be unveiled next month at the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. The device, a small toaster-sized object, will enable users to quickly and cheaply conduct a key diagnostic test that currently requires a large and expensive lab machine. A number of foundations contributed to the funding of the diagnostic device, which is credited to UT chemistry professor John McDevitt. McDevitt developed sensitive microchip technology which allows the machine to count a certain type of white blood cell within 10 to 15 minutes. This key test is the most important for doctors as they prescribe different drug cocktails and treatments for patients depending on the stage of the disease. By unveiling the device at the global conference in Bangkok, McDevitt and Richard Hawkins, an Austin entrepreneur that has invested in the project, hope to attract the interest of developing countries who could most readily benefit from the tool. Austin Wireless City Joins AWAAustin Wireless City, which operates 53 free wireless hot spots in Austin, has joined the Austin Wireless Alliance (AWA). The AWA, a part of the Austin Technology Council, created last summer to provide businesses, academic groups and government with a central clearinghouse for information about the city's wireless scene. Erin Defosse, chairman of the AWA's steering committee, says that Austin Wireless City's membership in AWA will help reduce confusion among outside academic, business and government groups about who to contact for information about wireless in Austin. Austin, with 235 wireless hot spots around the city, has the second highest number of hot spots per capita in the country. It has the highest percentage of free hot spots in the nation with 85 places around the city where one can access a wireless network for free. Event Links7th Annual Texas Transportation Summit - 08/10/04 - 08/13/04 EXPERIENCE IT 2004 Conference7/29/04 - 7/30/04 Identity Crime Regional TrainingVarious Dates NCSL Annual Meeting: The New Legislative Reality - 7/19/04 - 7/23/04 EXPERIENCE IT 2004 Conference7/29/04 - 7/30/04 TASSCC 2004 Conference: IT Olympics--Go For the Gold - 8/9/04 - 8/11/04 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 GOVERNMENTFor a FREE TRIAL of SPI's Future Opportunity Analysis and Bid Monitoring services click here. 
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:
Please contact SPI's Crystal Kuhs at ckuhs@spartnerships.com for more details. Past ABJ articles by Mary Scott NabersTracking water projects keeps revenue flowing - 6/25/2004 Regional councils doling out dough - 5/16/2004 Opportunities taking off at airports around Texas - 4/19/2004 It pays to be schooled about education projects - 3/22/2004 Texas Government Insider ArchivesVolume 2 Issue 26 - 07/01/04 Volume 2 Issue 25 - 06/25/04 Volume 2 Issue 24 - 06/18/04 Volume 2 Issue 23 - 06/10/04 Volume 2 Issue 22 - 06/4/04 Volume 2 Issue 21 - 05/27/04 Volume 2 Issue 20 - 05/21/04 Volume 1 and Volume 2 Archives 11/7/03 - 5/14/04 News from Strategic Partnerships, Inc.Legislative Communications ConferenceInvitations 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. Registration will open in mid July after all of the panels have been announced. At that time, a link to the registration page will appear here.
Upcoming Event: Crystal Kuhs, Business Development Manager at SPI, to Speak at Accelerated Networking Luncheon on July 16
ResourcesReport on Contract Administration for the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System. NASBO Fiscal Survey of the States Fiscal Year 2003 Quality Assurance Team's Annual Report Joint Select Committee's Report on Public School Finance, March 17, 2004 Texas Public Policy Foundation's Policy Papers on Public School Finance Center for Public Policy Priorities' Finding a School Finance Solution Public Hearings/MeetingsSenate Intergovernmental Relations Committee-- 10:00am, July 12, E1.028; July 27, E1.028 |
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Marketing Expert BJ Bueno to Speak on Brand IdentityBJ Bueno, marketing prodigy and author of The Power of Cult Branding, is keynoting a super session a the Texas Association of Broadcasters 51st Annual Convention. The program-entitiled “Dogs Love Meat & Other Things You Should Never Forget”-is set for Friday, August 13 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Hilton Austin Downtown. For more information on the conference and to register for the session, visit http://www.tab.org. For more information on BJ Bueno, visit http:\\www.cultbranding.com |
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