Proud to Serve You as TAC Marks 50 Years

In this, my first Staff Report as the new Executive Director of your Association, I want to start by saying thank you to Gene Terry for his long and dedicated service to Texas counties. Gene retired from this post at the end of 2018.

Next, please let me introduce myself. Since 2015, I have served as Judicial Program Manager of the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) Texas Judicial Academy, a position I enjoyed immensely. My professional and service roots lie in the law and county government.

Before joining TAC, I served as Ector County judge and worked as an assistant district attorney and an assistant county attorney for Ector County. I also practiced family and employment law. My personal roots are in Hockley County, where my parents still live. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Angelo State University and graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law.

In 1969, 11 county official associations formed TAC as a unified voice for county government. With your predecessors’ and your help, the Association has served as that voice and responded to support the evolving needs of county officials and county government during five decades of changes and challenges.

I’m honored to take up the reins of this fine organization and am excited to step into my new position during the 50^th anniversary of TAC’s creation.

For details about the Association’s founding and its legislative efforts on behalf of counties, don’t miss “Texas Association of Counties Celebrates 50 Years” in the Jan./Feb. 2019 issue of County magazine. It’s the first in a yearlong series that will look at our history. 

Stay tuned! We will celebrate our anniversary throughout the year. I’m happy to say that we kicked things off on Jan. 4 with a breakfast honoring TAC employees and their work.

This is also a legislative year. The 86^th Legislative Session began Jan. 8 and continues through May 27. We are closely following county-related legislation in the Texas Legislature and will keep you informed during the session.

Watch your inbox for our weekly legislative e-newsletter, County issues and periodic Legislative Alert emails.
Join other county officials from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. every Tuesday during the session in discussion of legislative issues during our Tuesday Morning Breakfasts. We will be in the TAC Events Center on the fourth floor of the TAC Building in Austin.

I encourage you to advocate on behalf of local government in general, and your county specifically, by contacting your legislators. Provide written or in-person testimony for or against legislation and let us know your opinion regarding legislation that will affect county government.

A good way to stay engaged is to join our Core Legislative Group. Just contact Rhita Koches. She will sign you up.

Remember, the TAC building at 13^th and San Antonio in Austin is your building. Please feel free to use it as your home base anytime you are in Austin. We would be happy to see you.

The TAC staff and I are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know as we step forward together into TAC’s next 50 years and beyond.