Governor Abbott Appoints Foster and Rowling to Parks and Wildlife Commission
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Paul Foster and Blake Rowling to the Parks and Wildlife Commission for terms set to expire February 1, 2027. The commission manages and conserves the natural and cultural resources of Texas and provides hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Paul Foster of El Paso is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Franklin Mountain Investments, LLC (FMI). FMl's affiliates include Franklin Mountain Capital, Franklin Mountain Energy, Franklin Mountain Industrial, and Franklin Mountain Property Services. He is a former director of the National Petroleum Refiners Association and the Western Petroleum Marketers Association. He is former chairman of The University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO) and served as chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents. Additionally, he served on the University of Texas System University Lands Advisory Board, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, and the El Paso Branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank. He is a member of the board of the Baylor College of Medicine, serves on the Borderplex Alliance Executive Committee, and is a member of the World Presidents Organization. He is a Director of WestStar Bank in El Paso. Foster received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Baylor University.
Blake Rowling of Dallas serves as the president of TRT Holdings in Dallas, Texas. He is a member of YPO Dallas, a board member of Communities Foundation of Texas and the University of Texas Development Board Executive Committee, a trustee of the Rowling Foundation and a member of the Touchdown Club, benefiting the Rise School of Dallas. Rowling formerly served as a board member of Serve West Dallas and as a member of the McCombs BBA Advisory Board. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin.
These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.