Public, private leaders tapped for Texas Bicentennial panel

Governor Greg Abbott has announced his initial appointments to the Texas Bicentennial Commission, a body created during the 89th Texas Legislature to oversee planning and commemorative activities for the bicentennial anniversary of Texas Independence. 

The commission will include nine public members appointed by the governor, three state senators appointed by the lieutenant governor, three state representatives appointed by the speaker of the House and five ex officio members representing key state agencies and institutions. 

Abbott’s initial public appointments to the commission include: 

John L. Nau III will serve as chair of the Texas Bicentennial Commission. Nau, a Houston businessman, is the former chairman and CEO of a major beverage wholesaler. He has spent more than four decades supporting organizations focused on historic preservation and American history. 

James Perry “J.P.” Bryan Jr. is the founder and CEO of a Houston-based independent energy company. He currently serves as executive director of the Texas State Historical Association and previously served as president of the Texas Historical Foundation. 

Ashley Bowes Cash, of Lubbock, is a real estate and oil and gas investor. She is serving her second term on the Texas Governor’s Commission for Women and is vice president and director of the Cash Family Foundation. Cash also serves on the boards of the Texas Tech Foundation, the National Ranching Heritage Association and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. 

Tilman Fertitta, of Houston, serves as U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino and is the owner of a global hospitality and entertainment company. He previously served more than 11 years as chairman of the University of Houston System Board of Regents and currently chairs the Houston Police Foundation. 

Joe Gebbia, of Austin, serves as the federal government’s chief design officer, where he is leading efforts to modernize government websites and improve public-facing digital services. Gebbia is also the co-founder of a hospitality platform and an architecture-focused company. 

Charlotte Jones, of Dallas, is chief brand officer and co-owner of the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. She also serves as president of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Foundation and the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Arlington Youth Foundation. Jones additionally serves as chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. 

Zachary Levi, of Austin, is an actor, singer, producer and author. He is currently developing a creative campus in Texas designed for artists to live, work and collaborate. 

Jack Martin, of Dallas, is an entrepreneur and rancher who currently serves as chairman of the Baylor Scott & White Health board. He also serves on the board of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation, which supports the LBJ Presidential Library and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. His previous board leadership roles have included the Caesar Kleberg Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Baylor College of Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Former Texas Rangers Foundation. 

Taylor Sheridan is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and Emmy-nominated producer, writer and director. Sheridan also owns and operates two Texas ranches. 

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