The Texas Association of Business (TAB) has selected Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Executive Director Kelly Keel as its next president and CEO, turning to a longtime state administrator after a period of leadership upheaval at TAB.
Keel will begin Oct. 2, becoming the fourth person to lead TAB since longtime chief Bill Hammond retired in 2017. She succeeds Megan Mauro, who has served as interim president and CEO since December, following Glenn Hamer, who was preceded by Jeff Moseley.
Keel has spent 25 years at TCEQ and has served as executive director since December 2023, overseeing about 3,200 employees, 16 regional offices and an annual budget of roughly $665 million. Her previous roles included work in air quality, water-quality planning, regional enforcement and the agency’s administrative operations.
Keel’s selection gives TAB a leader who comes directly from state government. Its three previous permanent CEOs came from other chambers of commerce or Texas politics: Hamer joined TAB after 14 years as president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Moseley came to TAB from Texas Central Partners after previously leading the Greater Houston Partnership; and Hammond, who led TAB for nearly two decades, was a former Republican state representative and chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission.
In announcing her appointment, Keel said TAB must help employers navigate legislative and regulatory challenges as Texas’ economy and population continue to grow, keeping the state competitive for businesses and investment.
TAB Board Chair Jo Betsy Norton, senior vice president of public affairs at Texas Mutual Insurance Co., said Keel’s experience will help the association pursue priorities related to infrastructure, workforce development and educational pathways connecting Texans with high-demand careers.
Hamer resigned in December, about two weeks after the founder and executive director of the Texas Venture Alliance sued him and TAB, alleging sexual harassment, sexual assault and professional retaliation, the Texas Tribune reported.
The lawsuit alleged that Hamer used his roles at TAB and the venture alliance, where he served as chairman, to damage the woman’s professional standing and the alliance’s financial prospects after she rejected his advances. Hamer denied the allegations and said the relationship was consensual. The claims were resolved in April under confidential terms.
Moseley left TAB in 2021 to return to business consulting and now leads Moseley Advisors. During his 2017-21 tenure, TAB’s program-service revenue fell from $4.24 million to $2.28 million, a decline of about 46 percent, according to the organization’s federal tax filings. The filings do not identify whether the decline reflected membership losses, reduced sponsorships, weaker event income or other factors.
TAB’s current website defines its advocacy around four “non-negotiable principles”: no new business mandates; no new private rights of action; no new taxes or tax changes that increase the cost of doing business; and no regulatory expansion without a demonstrated statewide economic necessity and measurable benefit.
A separate statewide business coalition, the Texas Business Leader Alliance, launched in December 2024 with a similar set of goals. Chris Wallace, a former TAB president and chief operating officer, endorsed the group, along with a couple of leaders from other chambers.
Photo courtesy of TAB
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