Chairman Glenn O. Lewiscomes to the University with a stellar career in public service and law. His appointment to the Board of Regents follows his leadership as Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee for Texas Southern University established by Texas Governor Rick Perry. His colleagues named him Chair of the Texas Southern University Board of Regents on May 22, 2007.
Lewis served for ten years in the Texas House of Representatives. His leadership roles included serving as Chairmanof the Committee on County Affairs, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Vice-Chairman of the Tarrant County Legislative Delegation and as Vice-Chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus.
A long-standing supporter of causes in his local community, Lewis serves as Chairman of the Board of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce and on the Corporate Leadership Council of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on numerous non-profit boards including the Fort Worth Tarrant County Branch of the NAACP, the Fort Worth Area Arts Council, Water From the Rock, Inc., and the Tarrant County Medical Education and Research Foundation. Included in his tireless public service commitments is his service on the Public Policy Committee of the United Way of Tarrant County and membership in both the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Lewis is currently a partner in the national law firm of Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson. He received his B.A. from Texas Wesleyan University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from The University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas.
He and his family are members of the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Arlington Texas, where he serves on the Deacon Board and the Usher Board. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Rainbow Masonic Lodge and the Ambassadors of Fort Worth.
Term: May 11, 2007 – February 1, 2013
The Honorable Richard Salwen, Vice Chair
Austin, Texas
Regent Rick Salwen is the retired former Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Dell Computer Corporation. He joined Dell in 1989 when it was a company with $250 million in annual revenues, and retired in 2000, when Dell had reached $30 billion – revenue growth of approximately twelve thousand percent in twelve years.
Prior to joining Dell, Salwen was General Counsel and Partner for the Perot Group in Dallas, and also served as Associate General Counsel for Electronic Data Systems Corporation. Earlier, he worked as a lawyer for the Federal Aviation Administration, practiced law in a private law firm, and taught legal research and legal ethics as Adjunct Professor at University of Puget Sound Law School in Tacoma Washington. salwen earned his B.A. and Law degrees at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Today, Salwen spends his time working with startup and small business ventures, and serves on the board of directors of two private high tech companies, and on the advisory boards of Techxas Ventures, a venture capital firm in Austin, Texas, and Minco Technologies, also in Austin. Salwen serves as a volunteer for civic and charitable organizations related primarily to children and education, including Texas Southern University; the March of Dimes; KIPP Austin College Prep; Ronald McDonald House, Austin, Texas; and the School of Management and Business at Saint Edward’s University among others.
Term: May 11, 2007 – February 1, 2013
The Honorable Tracye McDaniel, Second Vice Chair
Houston, TX
Regent Tracye McDaniel currently serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Greater Houston Partnership, a post that she began in June 2006. In this capacity, McDaniel has oversight of the daily operations at the Partnership, which was formed in 1989 from a merger with the Houston Chamber of Commerce, Houston Economic Development Council and Houston World Trade Association.
In addition to McDaniel’s overall operational duties for the Partnership, she is charged with overseeing activities for the organization’s $40 million capital fundraising campaign, Opportunity HoustonSM.
Previously, McDaniel served as Executive Director for the Office of the Governor Economic Development and Tourism Division (EDT), spearheading economic development and tourism operations for the State of Texas. Under McDaniel’s leadership, Texas saw the creation of 16,506 net new jobs and a capital investment of more than $4.3 billion.
Also during her tenure as Tourism Director of Texas, the state became the second most-visited destination in America. She garnered such honors as one of the "Most Influential African-Americans in the Meetings/Tourism Industry" and one of the "Most Powerful Women in Travel," both from Black Meetings & Tourism magazine.
She also served as chief executive officer for the Texas Economic Development Corporation TexasOneSM Program, a public/private partnership marketing initiative to generate job leads by actively promoting Texas as a business location.
McDaniel holds leadership positions in numerous professional and industry organizations. She serves as chair-emeritus of the board for the Capital City African-American Chamber of Commerce (Austin, Texas); honorary chairwoman of the capital fundraising campaign for the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum (Houston, Texas); board member of the Houston Greeters; board member of Center for Houston’s Future; and board member for the United Way of Houston. As the founding president of the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce (TAAACC), McDaniel helped create more than 20 chambers of commerce nationally and throughout Texas.
A native of Waco, Texas, Ms. McDaniel is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.
Term: October 26, 2007 - February 1, 2009
The Honorable Enrique Javier Loya, Secretary
Houston, Texas
Regent Enrique Javier Loya is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Houston-based CHOICE! Energy. Loya, a first generation Mexican-American born in El Paso, Texas, made headlines in 2002 when he signed on as a minority owner of the National Football League’s Houston Texans and was appointed to the NFL’s diversity committee.
He received additional recognition as the recipient of Entrepreneur of the Year honors from the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2002, the (YEO) Young Entrepreneurs Organization in 2003, was a finalist for the Hispanic Business Magazine Award in 2002, finalist in the Ernst & Young award in 2004 and 2003, and the USHCC Hispanic Business Man of the Year in 2004. Loya is also the recipient of the prestigious John Jay Award from Columbia University for distinguished professional achievement.
As one of the founders’ of CHOICE! Energy, Loya created one of the first institutional natural gas brokerage houses following industry wide deregulation. As a natural gas options broker, Loya built the business into one of the most successful of its kind in the country. Today, CHOICE! Energy is one of the leading institutional energy brokers in the country offering a complete range of energy commodities from electricity to renewable energy credits, with a customer base consisting exclusively of the largest utilities, energy marketers, and financial institutions in the world.
Loya serves on the board of the Greater Houston Partnership. He also serves on the Board of Directors for The University of Houston Center for Mexican American Studies and the Texans Hispanic Advisory Board. Loya is committed to the Houston community as well as local Houston charities. Loya is a 1991 graduate of Columbia University in New York, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.
Term: May 11, 2007 – February 1, 2009
The Honorable Gary Bledsoe
Austin, Texas
Regent Gary Bledsoe is President of the Texas NAACP and has held that position since being elected in 1991. The Austin lawyer, who specializes in public interest law, employment and civil rights law, has a longstanding relationship with the NAACP as a member of its National Board since 2003, and is currently the Chair of the National Criminal Justice Committee of the NAACP.
Bledsoe’s ties with the NAACP enabled him to make substantial civil rights changes, which include his handling of racial discrimination complaints against the Austin Department of Public Safety that dismantled racial barriers that prevented minorities and women from becoming Texas Rangers. His involvement in the Cedar Avenue case resulted in heightened public awareness of the Austin Police Department’s mishandling of minority youth and led to widespread changes in how police abuse cases are handled. The landmark settlement resulted in the creation of a scholarship program for college-bound minority youth. Bledsoe also negotiated an African-American student scholarship program with HEB which provides $25,000 in scholarships for students attending Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M University and Huston-Tillotson University. Bledsoe’s legal acumen has earned him an AV rating according to the prestigious legal publication Martindale-Hubbell, the second highest rating available for lawyers.
Bledsoe has received several lawyer of the year awards from the Texas Attorney General and the Travis County Bar Association, the Austin and national NAACP, and the Austin Area Urban League, among others. He has also received the Kelly Alexander State President of the Year Award, the Juanita Jackson Mitchell Award for Legal Advocacy and the Benjamin Hooks Keeper of the Flame Award and is on the Houston Hall of Fame at Riverside General Hospital. All have recognized him for his legal acumen and civil rights efforts.
He earned a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law, where he is the permanent class president of the Class of 1976.
Term: May 11, 2007 – February 1, 2013
The Honorable Samuel Bryant
Austin, TX
Regent Samuel Lee Bryant joins Texas Southern University’s Board of Regents with great knowledge of asset management, financial planning and a passion for improving education and the quality of life for today’s youth.
Bryant is the owner of Bryant Wealth Investment Group L.L.P., as well as a registered representative of ML&R Wealth Management LLC, an affiliate of Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP. He formerly led Applied Materials Austin as Site Director, Director of Global Community Affairs North America, and Director of Human Resources.
His knowledge and experience in financial management, coupled with his dedication to education will be invaluable tools in growing the University’s endowments for the benefit of its students.
Bryant is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. His commitment to the community is evidenced by his numerous board appointments, including the Boys and Girls Club of Austin, Austin Community Foundation Board of Governors, Communities in Schools and Board chair of Mt. Sinai Christian Academy.
Bryant served our country in the U.S. Army and received a bachelor degree from Tuskegee University. He is married to Gigi Edwards Bryant and together they have five children and twin granddaughters.
Term: October 26, 2007 - February 1, 2011
The Honorable Richard C. Holland
Plano, Texas
Regent Richard C. Holland is founder and President of Holland Advisors, a management consulting firm offering assistance to major corporations in the areas of supply chain management, supplier diversity and business transformation. He has over twenty-five years of management and consulting experience in a variety of areas such as human resource management, operations management, technology strategy, business transformation and organizational change.
Prior to starting his own firm, Holland was a senior manager at The Boston Consulting Group, and co-leader of the firm’s diversity practice. He also held senior management positions with, The Concours Group, Computer Sciences Corporation and Frito-Lay, Inc.
Holland is a frequent speaker on leading-edge strategies for expanding opportunities for minority-owned businesses, and was instrumental in assisting Howard University in the creation of their Institute for Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Innovation.
As a Texas resident, for the past 20 years, he has been active in a variety of civic and charitable organizations in the Dallas area, and is also a member of the Board of Directors for SharePlus Federal Bank in Plano, Texas.
Holland received a master’s in business administration from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from M.I.T., and a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from Cornell University.
Term: May 11, 2007 – February 1, 2013
The Honorable Richard Knight, Jr.
Dallas, Texas
Regent Richard Knight, Jr. is the owner and managing partner of Pegasus Texas Holdings LLC, a company with three entities that provide support services to the construction industry. He is also the owner of a residential solid waste collection company, Knight Waste Services.
Knight is an accomplished businessman with forty years of experience in domestic and international business, in financial management, strategic leadership and client satisfaction. He has held the position of City Manager for Dallas, Texas; Gainesville, Florida; Carrboro, North Carolina; Durham, North Carolina and with Caltecx Petroleum in the US and Singapore.
Moreover, he had provided oversight and management of major projects such as the Dallas Independent School District 2002 bond program, which included over $500 million in construction of school facilities; the DFW Airport $700 million Capital Development Program; and the Children’s Medical Center $36 million tower project.
As an active volunteer in his community, Knight has served on the Board of numerous organizations including, the Salvation Army, Children’s Medical Center, Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Fort Worth Black Chamber of Commerce and Good Will Industries. His honors include the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver and the Whitney M. Young Service Award.
Knight holds a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Economics from Ft. Valley State University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina. He also completed political science studies at Yale University.
Term: December 7, 2007 – February 1, 2011
The Honorable Curtistene McCowan
De Soto, TX
Regent Curtistene McCowan is a former Senior Investigator at the Federal Trade Commission. After more than 32 years of meritorious service,McCowan retired from the federal government in 2005.
Combining her professional and civic duties, McCowan has served as President of the Dallas Area Chapter of Federally Employed Women and as the General Chair of the National Training Program for Federally Employed Women.
McCowan has also made significant contributions to the advancement of education at the local, state and national levels. She was the first African-American elected to public office in DeSoto, when she won a seat on the DeSoto ISD Board of Trustees in 1990. She served two three-year terms as a School Board Trustee-- two of those years as president.
In 2000, she was elected as the Charter President of the DeSoto ISD Education Foundation Board of Directors and has served on the Executive Committee since 2001. She is also an active participant in DeSoto ISD’s One-on-One Mentoring Program and currently serves on the High School Vision Committee. In 2006, McCowan served on the interview panel for the prestigious Dr. Emmett J. Conrad Internship Program. In honor of her contributions, in 2007, DeSoto ISD named and dedicated the “Curtistene S. McCowan Middle, School.”
McCowan is active in her community, currently serving as President of the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation. She is a charter member and the Immediate Past President of Concerned DeSoto Citizens (CDC). McCowan has also served on the Board of Directors for the North Texas Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and as a member of the Maurine F. Bailey Cultural Foundation Advisory Board. She has also been an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for over 21 years.
McCowan received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Dallas Baptist University and an Associates Degree in Business Management from El Centro College.
Term: October 26, 2007 - February 1, 2009
The Honorable Kristopher Krishna
Houston, Texas
Student Regent Kristopher B. Krishna is originally from Brooklyn, New York and now calls Houston, Texas home. He is a third year law student at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Kristopher received a full academic scholarship from the Air Force to attend Texas State University. There he was a distinguished member of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. After graduation, he joined the Air Force, where he attained the rank of Captain. During his tenure in the Air Force, Kristopher traveled the world and worked with people of varying backgrounds and cultures. Among his many accomplishments, he was lauded by the Vice President of The United States for leading the Air Force’s logistics efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He was directly involved with the evacuation of over ten-thousand people stranded in New Orleans. Through State Senator Rodney Ellis’ Texas Legislative Internship Program, Kristopher became the first student from Thurgood Marshall School of Law to intern with The Innocence Project in New York.
