The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Public Safety Commission announced the appointment of Kirby Dendy as assistant director/chief in charge of the Texas Rangers. Dendy has been second in command since 2011.
Those agencies also named Chris Sarandos the assistant director for the Information Technology Division, starting next month.
Gov. Rick Perry appointed Dee Peavy of Graham as district attorney for Stephens and Young counties. She is a former assistant DA in Dallas County and currently a private practice lawyer.
The governor named Ken Florence Jr. as DA in Shelby County; he’s a former assistant DA there.
And Perry tapped Hockley County Attorney Christopher Dennis of Levelland to be the DA there.
All three will be on the November ballot.
Fred Aus has been selected to lead the Texas Rural Water Association as its executive director, replacing Tom Duck, who is retiring in January. Aus has served as manager of government affairs for the Lower Colorado River Authority for the past 12 years.
Kathy Walt is leaving Gov. Rick Perry's office, where she's been everything from a spokesperson to a deputy chief of staff. The former newspaper reporter will take that governmental relations job at LCRA.
Kim Kiplin, general counsel to the Texas Lottery for the past 19 years, is retiring from state government and opening an Austin office for a Michigan-based law firm, Dykema Gossett.
Long-time Austin legislative consultants Kyle Frazier, Patricia Hayes, James LeBas and Bill Stevens announced the formation of Capitol Dome Partners, LLC. Their combined resumes include education, taxation, regulation, energy and healthcare.
Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp agreed to consolidate the responsibilities of Dr. Jeffrey R. Seemann. Seemann will become executive director of OSRS in addition to his current position as vice president of research for Texas A&M.
Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Kevin Cloud of Austin to the Texas Council on Purchasing from People with Disabilities. Cloud is vice president of contract administration and information technology at Professional Contract Services Inc.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation restructured its communications team: Chuck DeVore, currently a senior fellow in the foundation’s Center for Fiscal Policy, will succeed Joshua Treviño as the vice president of communications. Treviño left the foundation earlier this month to become writer-at-large for Texas Monthly and to write a daily column on U.S. politics for The Guardian. David Guenthner will now serve as senior director for public affairs. Kristen Indriago, who has served as the foundation’s deputy communications director since February 2011, is now director of communications.