Governor Abbott Names Chair And Appoints Six To Texas Economic Development Corporation
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Steve Head, Mark Griffin, Alejandro “Alex” Meade, Mike Rollins, Nancy Windham, and Sanjiv Yajnik to the Texas Economic Development Corporation for terms set to expire at the pleasure of the Governor. The governor additionally designated Sanjiv Yajnik as presiding officer. The corporation supports programs and activities of the Governor’s Division of Economic Development and Tourism, including TexasOne, which markets Texas competitively and dynamically to businesses outside the state of Texas.
Steve Head of The Woodlands is Chancellor of the Lone Star College System. He is a board member of the American Association of Community Colleges, Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Governing Board, and the Greenspoint Management District. Additionally, he is a member of the Greater Houston Partnership, The Woodlands Economic Development Partnership, Community Colleges for International Development Executive Committee, and the Sam Houston State University Educational Leadership Program Advisory Council. Head received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from Lamar University and a Doctor of Philosophy from Texas Tech University.
Mark Griffin of Lubbock is president and general counsel for Rip Griffin Truck Service Center, L.P., and serves as president of Pro Petroleum, Inc. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Lubbock County Bar Association, and serves as a director of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance and Plains Capital Bank. He is a former board member of Covenant Health System, the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, and the Lubbock Independent School District Foundation. Griffin received a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University School of Law.
Alejandro “Alex” Meade of Mission is Chief Executive Officer of the Mission Economic Development Corporation. He is a board member of the Texas Economic Development Council, Border Trade Alliance, I-69 Alliance, Rio Grande Valley Partnership, and RGV Lead. Additionally, he serves as chairman of LeadTexas, and is a member of the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation. He is certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) by the National Development Council and as a Certified Public Manager (CPM) by the National Certified Public Manager Consortium. Meade received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from St. Edward’s University, Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Brownsville, and Master of Public Administration from The University of Texas Pan American.
Mike Rollins of Austin is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and is a Certified Chamber Executive. Previously, he served as the president and chief executive officer of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, and general manager of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. He is a board member of the Texas Association of Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Metro 8 Chamber of Commerce. Rollins received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina.
Nancy Windham of Nacogdoches is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation and previously served as the vice president of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation. She is a board member and an honorary life member of the Texas Economic Development Council, and she is a member of the Industrial Assets Management Council, TexasOne, Texas Forest Country Partnership Board of Directors, International Economic Development Council, and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Windham attended Stephen F. Austin State University and is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma.
Sanjiv Yajnik of Dallas is President of Financial Services at Capital One Financial Corporation and has held numerous positions there since 1998. He is chairman and founding member of the Collin County Business Alliance and is treasurer and board member of the National Academy Foundation. Additionally, he is an executive board member of the Dallas Symphony Association and is a founding member of the Indian American Professionals Network. Yajnik received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario and is a graduate of the Stanford Executive Management Program.
The following individuals will serve as ex-oficio members of the board:
Tracye McDaniel of Austin is President and CEO of Texas Economic Development Corporation and TexasOne. McDaniel has more than 30 years of state and regional level experience, including her roles as Executive Vice President of the Greater Houston Partnership and, most recently, President and CEO of Choose New Jersey, Inc. McDaniel also serves as Vice Chair of the Planning and Business Development Committee on the board of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, McDaniel is also a Ford Foundation Regional Sustainable Development (RSD) Fellow, a program of American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).
Bryan Daniel of Georgetown is the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism (EDT). As Executive Director, Daniel provides leadership to the Commission for Women, Office of Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense, Texas Military Preparedness Commission, Texas Small Business Advocacy, Texas Workforce Investment Council , Texas Music Office, and the Texas Film Commission. Daniel joined Governor Abbott’s administration after serving as the Senior Administrator for Trade and Business Development at the Texas Department of Agriculture. He previously served as Vice President for Business Development at Agricultural Workers Mutual Auto Insurance Company and as the Texas State Director of Rural Development in President George W. Bush’s administration. Daniel holds both a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech, where he was also Coordinator of Student and Alumni Programs.