TGI enters 2008 continuing government news coverage

Here are some of the news highlights from TGI during 2007:

• Higher education: TGI reported that college enrollment figures averaged a 2 percent increase from the previous year. We announced the appointment of Scott Caven, Jr. as the new chair of the UT System Board of Regents, the naming of Renu Khator as the University of Houston president and the UH System chancellor and the selection of Baker Pattillo as the new president of Stephen F. Austin State University. Other higher education stories included North Harris Montgomery Community College District's name change to Lone Star College System, the transfer of Angelo State University from the Texas State University System to the Texas Tech System and the selection of Elsa A. Murano as the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents' choice for the next president of Texas A&M University.
• Public education: Our news coverage included numerous moves by public school superintendents - from retirements to promotions to relocations - in school districts from Kilgore to Wimberley and San Antonio to Arlington. TGI readers were advised about the University Interscholastic League's attempt to implement testing of high school athletes for steroids as mandated by the Texas Legislature and how public schools are dealing with ever-increasing student populations and ever-shrinking and aging facilities.
• State agencies: There were a lot of new faces in old positions and familiar faces in new positions in state government in 2007. TGI announced that Carter Smith was named the new executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Robert Scott was selected as the state's new Education Commissioner; longtime public servant Phil Wilson was the governor's choice for Secretary of State and Wilson's selection of Coby Shorter III as his Deputy Secretary of State. Our readers learned that Dustin Lanier was named the new director of the Texas Council on Competitive Government, Barry Smitherman was chosen chair of the Public Utility Commission, Bryan Shaw and Buddy Garcia were named commissioners at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and that Brian Rawson was selected as the new executive director of the Department of Information Services. Other state news ranged from the reorganization of the Texas Education Agency to the construction of a new state Veterans Cemetery.
• Transportation: Amadeo Saenz made the headlines in TGI after he was named executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). We reported on the North Texas Tollway Authority writing the state a check for $3.2 billion for the State Highway 121 toll road project and TxDOT's announcement that it was seeking a private sector partner to help develop the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor from South Texas to Northeast Texas. Other news included a report by TxDOT on structurally deficient bridges in the state in the wake of a Minnesota bridge collapse that killed numerous motorists. We also reported TxDOT's announcement that it anticipated losing $3.6 billion in federal funding by 2025 and planned to find operating budget cuts of 10 percent throughout the agency.
• Local government: We told readers the projects in which Bexar County would invest its $75 million in venue tax revenues. Other local government news included the naming of numerous new city managers, including Dale Fisseler in Fort Worth, and the announcement of the upcoming retirement of Austin City Manager Toby Futrell. Readers learned of the city of New Braunfels' purchase of new hybrid vehicles, of statewide increases in city and county sales tax revenues and which cities were awarded federal grants for homeland security and interoperable communications.
• Healthcare: TGI reported an "exclusive" story regarding a $9 million appropriation by the state legislature to "build and support" clinical facilities for a Round Rock campus of the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, with a goal of building out a full medical school to serve approximately 100 students. We reported on Scott & White's $7.5 million award from the Texas Enterprise Fund to help fund research, the state providing nearly $7 million to several Texas nursing schools that graduated more students in 2007 than the previous year and a $1 million grant to the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio from the federal Economic Development Administration.
• Bond issues: Nearly $25 billion in contracting opportunities for vendors resulted from two statewide bond elections. In November, $15 billion in bonds for new schools, roadways, jails, courthouses, police stations, parks, technology upgrades and long-term expansion programs were approved by voters, with an additional $7.5 billion in similar bond projects approved in May. TGI offered readers a look at some intensive research just completed that outlined planned spending in approved bond elections throughout the state.

It was a busy year for government and the team at Strategic Partnerships, Inc (SPI) that publishes TGI found absolutely no time ever during the last 12 months to slow down. With this first edition of 2008, we continue our coverage of news from throughout the state of Texas - and we thank you for being one of our thousands of faithful readers.