Governor Abbott Names Chair And Appoints Four To Texas Commission On Public School Finance
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Scott Brister, Melissa Martin, Elvira Reyna, and Todd Williams to the Texas Commission on Public School Finance for terms at the pleasure of the Governor. Additionally, the Governor has named Brister chair of the commission. The commission is charged with developing recommendations for the legislature on public school funding and prepare a report to deliver by the end of 2018 to the governor and legislature of recommendations to improve the public school finance system.
Scott Brister of Georgetown is a partner at Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP. Previously, he served as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Texas, Justice and Chief Justice of the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeals, and judge of the 234th Judicial District Court. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is board certified in Civil Appellate Law, Civil Trial Law, and Personal Injury Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a former member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee and the Supreme Court Jury Task Force. Brister received a Bachelor of Arts in history from Duke University and a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School.
Melissa Martin of Deer Park is a career and technology teacher for the Galena Park Independent School District. She is a member of the Association of Texas Professional Educators, advisor for the Family Career and Community Leaders of America, and a former advisor for the Texas Association of Future Educators. Martin received a Bachelor of Science in family and consumer science and a Master of Education in education administration from Lamar University.
Elvira Reyna of Denton County is a former state representative for House District 101 and is currently serving as a member of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers. While serving in the Texas House of Representatives, she served on many committees, including the Local and Consent Calendar Committee, where she served as chair, Higher Education, Criminal Jurisprudence, Public Safety, International Relations, and Environmental Regulation. She was a member of the National Conference of State Legislators Executive Board Nominating Committee, American Legislative Exchange Council, and the Steering Committee for the House Research Organization. In addition, she has been active in the community, serving as president and a trustees of the Mesquite Community Hospital, and as a member of the Mesquite Chamber of Commerce, Mesquite Economics Development Board, and the Texas Discovery Tour Advisory Board. Reyna received a Bachelor of Arts in communications from The University of Texas at Arlington.
Todd Williams of Dallas is the founding chairman and executive director for The Commit Partnership and also serves as the Education Policy Advisor to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. He is a trustee and former board chair for Austin College and was the founding chair and serves on the regional advisory board for Teach for America Dallas/Ft. Worth. Additionally, he is former chair of the Citizen Budget Review Commission for Dallas ISD, former vice chair of the Uplift Education Board of Trustees, and former chair of both the Real Estate Finance and Investment Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the Real Estate Council of Dallas. Williams received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Austin College and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.