Edwin Dorn, Dean of LBJ School, Announces Resignation

Edwin Dorn has announced he will resign as dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin on Dec. 31. Dorn will remain a member of the university's faculty and will be on research leave in 2005.

Regarding his resignation, Dorn said: "I have done everything I promised to do, and more, so it is time for me to seek new challenges. The change from an executive position to a tenured faculty position will give me the time to undertake some long-deferred writing projects, and the freedom to comment on current events."

As Dean, Dorn focused on four major initiatives, including leadership development, national and international affairs, civil rights and nonprofit management. Under his leadership, the school's annual budget nearly doubled, from $6 million to almost $12 million and 8 new programs including the Center for Ethical Leadership, the Hackler Chair in Leadership, the Barnes Fellowships in Leadership, the Center for Health and Social Policy, the Ada Anderson Fund for Civil Rights Studies, the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, a concentration in nonprofit management, and the cross-campus Global Challenges Initiative, were created.

Speaking about Dorn's resignation, UT President Dr. Larry Faulkner said: "Ed Dorn brought a lifetime of government experience into his leadership of the LBJ School. To that he added personal presence, wisdom and a great confidence that the future can be made better. I will miss his service as dean, but I am glad that he will remain a Texas colleague."

Dorn became dean in 1997 after having served as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness during President Clinton's first term. He also served as Deputy Director for Research at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Director of Executive Operations for the U.S. Department of Education, Special Assistant in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and Deputy Director of Evaluation for the Model Cities Program of Houston, as well as worked at several Washington, D.C. think tanks. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Dorn received his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University.

Texas State Bar Honors Dallas Lawyer For His Dedication to Promoting Technology in Law

The Computer and Technology Section of the State Bar of Texas has awarded Dallas attorney Peter Vogel the inaugural Lifetime Achievement in Promoting Technology in Law award. Vogel has worked closely with the State Bar's Computer and Technology Section since its inception in 1990, serving as the founding chair for two years. He is also the founder of the official journal of the section, the Computer Law Review and Technology Journal.

Vogel is a partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP and is co-chair of the firm's Internet and Computer Technology Practice. He is also an Adjunct Professor on the Law of eCommerce/Internet and Computer Technology at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law. Since 1997, he has served as the founding chair of the Texas Supreme Court Judicial Committee on Information Technology (JCIT) whose mission is to ensure that all 3,100 judges in Texas have desktop Internet access and that the Texas court system becomes fully automated. JCIT is also responsible for the Rules and Standards for the implementation of electronic filing in Texas courts through the Texas eGovernment portal, TexasOnline. Vogel previously served as President of the Dallas Bar Association in 1994 and Chair of the Dallas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees in 2003.

Texas Could Privatize Call Centers for Social Programs

The state is now accepting bids for private operation of call centers for social programs. This part of the long awaited RFP for integrated eligibility was released yesterday. Bids to run two to four in-state call centers that would help needy Texans apply for social services such as Medicaid, food stamps and long-term care will be accepted through Sept. 30. If it's determined that private companies can run call centers more cheaply than the state, the Health and Human Services Commission must hire them by law.

Rowling to Serve on UT System Board

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Bob Rowling, Chairman of Omni Hotels since 1996 and President and CEO of TRT Holdings, Inc., to the University of Texas System Board of Regents. Rowling received the 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award from Southern Methodist University's Dedman Law School and was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in October 2003. He currently chairs the Southern Methodist University Tate Lecture Series and serves on the board of the University of Texas College of Business Administration Foundation. Rowling is a past chairman of the Corpus Christi Area Economic Development Corporation and past board member of NationsBank of Texas, M. D. Anderson Hospital and the St. Paul and Zale Lipshy University Hospital in Dallas. Rowling holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law. His term will expire Feb. 1, 2005.

Both UT and A&M Interested in Los Alamos Contract

The University of Texas System is not the only Texas educational institution interested in possibly running Los Alamos National Laboratory, the federal government's nuclear-weapons lab in New Mexico. The A&M System filed a statement of interest in operating Los Alamos with the U.S. Department of Energy last week, but notice of the filing was not posted on the energy department's Web site until this week. A&M's expression of interest was unexpected by many, mainly because the system, in conjunction with three industrial partners, is in the midst of pursuing the contract to operate the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. A&M's interest in operating the facility opens up the possibility of a partnership between the two systems. While no talks between the two systems have taken place, neither system has ruled out the possibility of teaming up.

The contract for Los Alamos is open for competitive bidding for the first time. Since the lab was established in 1943, it has been operated without competitive bidding by the University of California. A series of safety and security problems has prompted the feds to open the contract to competition. Nineteen workers, many of them senior level scientists, were places on investigatory leave this week, 5 for security violations and 4 for safety infractions. The lab has been missing two Zip drives containing classified material since July 7 and an intern was injured by a laser earlier this summer.

Neither system is expected to make a final decision on whether or not they will compete for the contract until more details about the project are revealed when the Energy Department issues a request for proposals later this year. If the systems decide to compete, they will most likely face stiff competition. The University of California and 10 businesses have expressed interest in the project.

Luna, Pitts and Nabers to Participate in Upcoming Legislative Conference

The sponsors of the Legislative Communications for the 2005 Session conference have announced that Representative Vilma Luna and Representative Jim Pitts will participate in a panel on working with legislators and their staffs throughout the year. A panelist from the Senate will be announced in the near future. The panel will be moderated by Lynn Nabers, who served in the Texas House of Representatives for 14 years. 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. For more information on the conference or to register, click here.

Rep. Luna - Vilma Luna serves as Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and the House Select Committee on Public School Finance. She also serves on the Calendars, Ways and Means, and Redistricting committees.

Luna has served as a legislator since 1993. She is the first Hispanic woman to be elected from Corpus Christi. She has spearheaded numerous pieces of legislation on behalf of children's issues, local court efficiency, special education, tax reductions, coastal management & protection, teacher and state employee pay raises, health care, at-risk youth programs, economic development and consumer protection.

Luna has won numerous awards and recognition from professional and civic organizations, including the Walter Richter Humanitarian Award from Southwest Texas State University, the American Heart Association's Heart of Honor award, and the Silver Spur Award from the Texas Travel Industry Association. She holds a bachelor's degree, with high honors, in Social Work from Southwest Texas State University.

Rep. Pitts - Jim Pitts serves as Chairman of Budget and Oversight for the House Committee on Ways and Means. He also serves on the Appropriations Committee, Redistricting Committee and Select Committee on Public School Finance. Pitts was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1992.

Pitts has served as president of the Board of Trustees for the Waxahachie Independent School District, director of Citizens National Bank in Waxahachie, director of Sims Library and as president of the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce. He is the immediate past-president and current treasurer of the Board of Trustees of Presbyterian Children's Services. Jim was chosen as Waxahachie's Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 1999.

Pitts has practiced law for the past 30 years in Waxahachie, with a specialty in General and Real Estate Law. He is the owner of Ellis County Abstract and Title Company. Pitts holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in Business Administration, as well as a J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University.

Former Rep. Nabers - Lynn Nabers has an impressive legislative and legal background. He practiced law for sixteen years and served for fourteen of those years in the Texas Legislature before he began representing corporate clients on governmental matters.

As a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1969-1982, Lynn sponsored legislation on the State Bar Act, Medical Practice Act, Tuition Equalization Act and a revision of the Texas Penal Code. He carried the repeal of the Property Tax Code and other pieces of legislation dealing with property taxes. Lynn served as chair of the Committee on Health and Welfare during the 64th Legislative Session and chair of the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence from the 65th-67th Legislative Sessions. He was a member of the following committees: House Ways and Means; Water, Reclamation and Conservation; and, Insurance, State Affairs and Financial Institutions.

Lynn was named to Texas Monthly's Top Ten Legislators and has been honored by Texas Business magazine, State Bar of Texas, Texas Army National Guard, and the Texas Youth Commission. Lynn chaired the statewide Texas Sesquicentennial celebration. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Travis County Bar Association, Texas Association of Bank Counsels and Board of Trustees, Howard Payne University. Lynn holds a B.S. from Howard Payne University and a J.D. from Baylor University School of Law.

State Budgets Improving, NCSL Report Shows

The budget crisis has improved significantly in the last four years, but the outlook for FY 2005 isn't so rosy, a preliminary report by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) shows. During the last four years, states closed more than $235 billion in budget gaps, but the budget crisis could worsen next fiscal year when states must find money to pay for programs they covered in part last year with $20 billion in fiscal assistance from the federal Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003.

The "State Budget & Tax Actions 2004: Preliminary Report," by NCSL, the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories, found that by the end of FY 2004 in the 44 reporting states, year-end balances increased 50 percent over last year - from $12.2 billion to $18.4 billion. The data could significantly change, however, because the six states that have not yet passed FY 2005 budgets - California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New York and North Carolina - account for about a third of the total national state budget picture.

To balance their FY 2005 budgets and overcome a collective budget gap of more than $36 billion, states used a variety of strategies. Twenty-two states tapped various state funds; 15 states cut spending; 10 states used portions of their rainy day funds; and six states used tobacco settlement funds. States raised taxes, fees and other revenues by $3.5 billion to balance FY 2005 budgets, compared with $13.1 billion last year.

State balances are expected to decline to 3.7 percent, nearly 2 percentage points lower than the FY 2004 level, during FY 2005, which began on July 1 for most states. General fund appropriations for FY 2005 are budgeted to grow 6.4 percent, due primarily to state replacement of federal funds and funding enhancements to programs that were cut in recent years. To view the preliminary report, click here.

Five Selected For New Travis County Hospital District Board

Travis County Commissioners have appointed five men to the board of the newly created Travis County Hospital District. One of their appointees is a consensus pick with the Austin City Council. By law, the district board must include four choices by the commissioners, four by the council and one chosen jointly. The City Council is expected to name the remaining four appointments at their July 29 meeting and reveal which of the five chosen by the commissioners was a consensus pick.

Board members will not be paid for their oversight of the delivery of health care services to the county's indigent population. The board will assume responsibility for Brackenridge Hospital, Austin Women's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Austin (until it is replaced by a private hospital in 2007) and a dozen community clinics. The first tasks the board faces are hiring a CEO for the hospital district and finalizing a budget.

The appointees include: Clarke Heidrick - An Austin lawyer who chaired a committee that promoted the hospital district; Dr. Donald Patrick - A lawyer and former neurosurgeon who serves as Executive Director of the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners; Carl Richie II - An Austin lawyer and former commissioner for the Austin Housing Authority; Frank Rodriguez - CEO and president of Capital Linkages Inc., a financial and business analysis company, and a former city budget director; and Tom Young - A part-time consultant for the Medical Education Program at Brackenridge and former Brackenridge Hospital administrator.

U.S. Military's Presence in Texas To Grow Significantly

Almost 9,000 new troops will be stationed at Fort Hood and Fort Bliss in the next few years. Fort Hood will grow by 5,000 troops next year and Fort Bliss near El Paso will add 3,800 troops in 2006, according to Texas senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson and John Cornyn. The increase in troop numbers at Texas military bases is part of a restructuring plan by the U.S. Army designed to create a force that is more flexible and able to handle a wider range of missions. The Fort Hood and Fort Bliss troops will be a combination of new recruits and soldiers relocated from other bases.

Five Appointed to Higher Education Coordinating Board

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed five Texans to the state's Higher Education Coordinating Board, which is responsible for setting policies for and coordinating efforts to improve Texas higher education.

The appointees are:

Laurie Bricker - An educational consultant, she is a former trustee and two term past president of the Houston ISD Board of Education. Bricker helped found the Jewish Women International's Prejudice Awareness Summit. She is an advisory board member of Houston Holocaust Museum, Southwest Houston 2000 and the Greater Houston Collaborative for Children, and is a board member of SPARK Park and the Houston Architecture Foundation. Bricker is a member of the University of Texas Commission of 125 and Leadership Houston, and a senior fellow of American Leadership Forum. A former public school teacher, she is a graduate of the University of Texas. Bricker holds a master's degree in education from the University of Houston. Her term will expire Aug. 31, 2009.

Nancy Neal - Past president of Texas Medical Association Alliance, she serves on the board of United Way of Lubbock and is a member of the Texas Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association. Neal is a past member of the National School Nurses Association and board member of Covenant Health Systems. A graduate of Emanuel Hospital School, she holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Her term will expire Aug. 31, 2007.

George McWilliams - A senior partner with Patton, Roberts, McWilliams, Greer and Capshaw, he is a board certified specialist in civil litigation certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the State Bar of Texas and an advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocates. McWilliams served as past president of the Texarkana Bar Association and past director of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel. A graduate of Texas A&M University, he holds a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. His term will expire Aug. 31, 2007.

Whit Riter - President of Riter Management Co. and the A. W. Riter Jr. Family Foundation, he serves on the board of Tyler Health Facilities Development Corp., the Regional East Texas Food Bank and the development board of the University of Texas at Tyler Health Center. He is vice chairman of the development board at the University of Texas at Tyler and is on the board of directors of Mercy Ships and the East Texas Communities Foundation. A graduate of Southern Methodist University, he holds a master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. His term will expire Aug. 31, 2005.

Paul Foster - President and CEO of Western Refining Co., he serves on the business advisory council of the University of Texas at El Paso, is a member of the executive committee of the El Paso Chamber of Commerce and is chairman of the El Paso Regional Economic Development Council. He serves on the board of directors of the El Paso Community Foundation, American Red Cross of El Paso and the American Heart Association of El Paso. Foster is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Western Petroleum Marketers Association, the Western States Petroleum Association and the National Petroleum Refiners Association. He holds bachelor's degree from Baylor University. His term will expire Aug. 31, 2009.

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.

Upcoming Event: Homeland Security Procurement Seminar For Vendors

So far, the federal government has sent more than $1 billion to Texas to fight terrorism. With the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expected to dole out around $32 billion for homeland security initiatives and programs in FY2005, opportunities abound for vendors offering defense solutions and services.

Strategic Partnerships, Inc., in partnership with councils of governments (COGs) from across the state, is co-sponsoring "Accessing Texas Homeland Security Markets," a procurement seminar designed to provide vendors with practical information on federal, state, regional and local procurement opportunities. Procurement officers from key federal, state, regional and local agencies will tell vendors how homeland security funds are being spent in Texas and walk them through the necessary steps for participating in established purchasing programs.

The seminar is being held September 21st at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio in conjunction with the Texas Conference on Regionalism, sponsored by the Texas Association of Regional Councils which will be held from September 22 - 24.

For more information, visit http://www.txregionalcouncil.org.

$5.6 Billion Approved for Bioterror Prevention and Treatment

Federal lawmakers have passed the Project BioShield Act of 2005, authorizing a total of $5.6 billion over 10 years for improvements to bioterror prevention and treatment programs. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Bush soon. Project BioShield will provide funding for the research, development and purchasing of antidotes to biological and chemical weapons. The bill authorizes the purchase of countermeasures for the Strategic National Stockpile, a program designed to provide an adequate supply of drugs, vaccines and other medical products necessary to respond to a public health emergency, including biological attacks by terrorists. The bill also accelerates the approval process for vaccines and, in an emergency, lets the government distribute certain treatments before the Food and Drug Administration approves them.

Governor Asks for $50 Million to Improve Roads in Colonias

Gov. Rick Perry has asked the Texas Public Finance Authority to release $50 million in bonds to improve roads in colonias, the low-income, unincorporated communities that exist throughout the border region. If approved, this would be the second bond issuance from a $175 million referendum voters approved in 2001. $50 million was released in 2002 to fund 274 projects in 21 counties.

Event Links

Identity Crime Regional Training - Various Dates

EXPERIENCE IT 2004 Conference - 7/29/04 - 7/30/04

TASSCC 2004 Conference: IT Olympics--Go For the Gold - 8/9/04 - 8/11/04

Emergency Readiness Conference and Expo - 8/9/04 - 8/12/04

7th Annual Texas Transportation Summit - 08/10/04 - 08/13/04

Texas Association of Counties Annual Legislative Meeting and Trade Show - 8/11/04 - 8/13/04

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

Texas Conference on Regionalism - 9/22/04 - 9/24/04

WIN BUSINESS WITH TEXAS GOVERNMENT

For 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:

• 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

Texas roads paved with opportunity - 7/9/2004

Tracking 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 Archives

Volume 2 Issue 28 - 07/16/04

Volume 2 Issue 27 - 07/09/04

Volume 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 1 and Volume 2 Archives 11/7/03 - 5/14/04

News from Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

2005 Legislative Communications Conference

Registration is now open for Legislative Communications for the 2005 Session, a conference jointly sponsored by SPI and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. The conference will be held October 7th at U.T.'s J.J. Pickle Center. For more information on the conference or to register, visit SPI's website.

Upcoming Event: Mary Scott Nabers, SPI's CEO and President, will be a keynote speaker at the Executive Women in Texas Government (EWTG)18th Annual Professional Development Conference.

The conference will be held on Monday, November 22 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. The 2004 conference theme is "Leadership in a Changing Texas."

EWTG is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to developing and encouraging women in Texas government and higher education by offering educational, interactive and professional growth opportunities. EWTG has over 400 members representing more than 100 state agencies and institutions of higher learning throughout Texas.

For more information, visit http://www.ewtg.org/conference.

Resources

An Audit Report on the Department of Health's Implementation of Its Bioterrorism Preparedness Plans, SAO Report No. 04-036

Report 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

New Texas Fact Book 2004

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

Public Hearings/Meetings

Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee-- 9:00am, July 27, E1.028

Signing Up for the Insider

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Emergency Readiness Conference and Expo

The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) will host the 2004 Emergency Readiness Conference and Expo promoting an all hazards approach to homeland security August 9-12 on the UTD campus. The conference will focus on hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction, medical emergency management, and aviation security. For more information or to register, visit: http://som.utdallas.edu/erc/.

2004 Texas Conference on Regionalism

The Texas Association of Regional Councils is sponsoring the 2004 Texas Conference on Regionalism September 22 - 24 at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio. The Alamo Area Concil of Governments is hosting the event, which will feature a series of dialogues and consensus building sessions on regional solutions to issues raised by economic, population, social, and political trends in Texas. Over 600 representatives from key state and federal agencies, decision-makers from regional councils of governments, civic leaders, executives and vendors are expected to attend. For more information on the conference, visit http://www.txregionalcouncil.org/.