Texas Gov.-elect Hinojosa announces four transition leaders

Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has announced the leadership of her bipartisan transition team, naming a former Republican state lawmaker, a construction labor leader and two government and policy professionals to help prepare her incoming administration.

The transition, called “By and For the People,” will focus on developing an agenda centered on reducing costs for Texas families, strengthening public education, expanding job opportunities and improving government accountability.

Joseph Carlos Madden will serve as executive director, while former state Rep. Ernest Bailes, a Republican from Shepherd, and Ryan Pollock, executive director of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council, will serve as co-chairs. Tamala Barksdale, a former Austin Independent School District trustee, will serve as senior adviser.

The team will spend the coming weeks developing the incoming administration’s priorities and preparing for the transfer of executive authority.

Madden brings more than 20 years of experience in government, business and nonprofit organizations. Over the past eight years, he has assisted elected officials in Harris County with transitions into office.

Bailes represented Texas House District 18 from 2017 to 2025, serving four consecutive terms as a Republican. A fifth-generation East Texan, he has a background in agriculture, business and construction.

Pollock leads the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents affiliated construction unions across the state.

Barksdale is a partner and chief strategy officer at a creative and branding firm. She served as an at-large trustee on the Austin ISD board from 2010 to 2015, working alongside Hinojosa on district budget decisions, tax policy and educational accountability.

The governor-elect is expected to announce additional transition appointments and policy priorities in the coming weeks.

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