Governor Abbott Appoints Four To Texas Woman’s University Board Of Regents
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Ellen Amirkhan to the Texas Woman’s University (TWU) Board of Regents for a term set to expire on February 1, 2027. Additionally, Governor Abbott reappointed Bernadette Carrasco Coleman, Jill Jester, and Kathleen Wu for terms set to expire on February 1, 2029.
Ellen Amirkhan of Dallas is president of Oriental Rug Cleaning Co. She is a founding member and instructor for the Association of Rug Care Specialists, member of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), former president of the ISA North Texas Chapter, and former president and board member of the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration. Additionally, she is a member and donor of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and The Dallas Woman’s Forum. Amirkhan received a Bachelor of Science in Education from TWU and a Master of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University.
Bernadette Carrasco Coleman of Denton is an occupational therapist for the Denton County Special Education Cooperative. She is vice chairman of New Horizons Ariel Club of Denton and a member of the Texas Occupational Therapy Association and TWU's Pioneer Club. She is the former vice president for the Denton High School Cheer Booster Club and former team manager for Destination Imagination for Denton Independent School District. She is the former hospitality chair for Denton High School, Calhoun Middle School, and the Newton Rayzor Elementary Parent Teacher Association. Additionally, she served as a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine teacher at St. Mark Catholic Church in Denton and was a troop cookie coordinator for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. Coleman received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Occupational Therapy from TWU.
Jill Jester of Denton is an attorney and president of Minor & Jester, P.C. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and its Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section, a member of the Denton County Bar Association and chair of its Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section, a member of the Texas Association of Bank Counsel, and a fellow of the College of the State Bar of Texas. She is a member and former chair of the Denton Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Denton Economic Development Partnership Board, Denton Chief of Police Advisory Board, and KERA Denton Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the Denton Benefit League, Denton City Federation of Women’s Clubs, and The University of Texas at Austin LBJ Women’s Campaign School Advisory Board. Jester received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Oklahoma and a Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law.
Kathleen Wu of Dallas is the immediate past chair of the TWU Board of Regents. Wu is a real estate finance attorney with a nationwide clientele and is a partner at the international law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. She has been asked to serve in numerous leadership roles within her law firm, as well as leadership roles in national, state, and local non-profits and governance organizations. Wu is currently president of the United States Tennis Association Foundation, a member of the board of directors of Rebuilding Together and the Southwestern Medical Foundation’s board of trustees, a former board member of the Dallas Citizens Council, and a former regional selection judge for the President’s Committee on White House Fellowships. Wu received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor from George Washington University.