Gov. Greg Abbott has named four people to the State Board For Educator Certification, who will serve until February 2021: Rohanna Brooks-Sykes of Spring, Arturo J. “Art” Cavazos of Harlingen, Sandie Mullins Moger of Houston and Laurie J. Turner of Corpus Christi.
Texas House Speaker Joe Straus named financial analyst Jeanie Wyatt of San Antonio, the CEO of South Texas Money Management, to the state Employees Retirement System's board of trustees. The board runs retirement trust fund investments and the administration of benefits to state employees, as well as dependents and retirees.
The University of Texas at Austin has named a new vice president for university development — Scott Rabenold, an administrator at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He starts on Sept. 1.
Annie's List, which supports “progressive, pro-choice women” seeking legislative office in Texas, has endorsed Harris County Board of Education Trustee Erica Lee Carter to replace Borris Miles in Houston's House District 146. Democrats recently tapped Miles to succeed Rodney Ellis in Senate District 13. They expect to choose a nominee to replace Miles in the House next month. Carter, a former teacher, is the daughter of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston.
Lucy Nashed, former Gov. Rick Perry's press secretary, is joining the tort reform advocacy group, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, as its communications director. She was also the communications director for Perry's 2015 presidential campaign. Her first day is Aug. 1.
Zeph Capo, the president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, has been elected to serve as a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers. Elected at the union's convention in Minneapolis last week, Capo will serve a two-year term on the organization's executive council as one of 43 elected vice presidents.
Attorneys Andy Taylor and George Hittner announced Thursday that they are teaming up to found a new firm, TaylorHittner. Taylor is a former first assistant attorney general under John Cornyn and later helped defend the state’s congressional map which was redrawn in 2003. He also was involved in the recent effort to repeal Houston’s HERO ordinance. Hittner has previous experience as general counsel and at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Disclosure: South Texas Money Management and the University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.