Tuesday, March 21, 2017
A Panel Discussion Featuring:
Bobby Jenkins, Rep. Paul Workman & Don Zimmerman
Bobby Jenkins ‘81
Bobby Jenkins is owner of ABC Home & Commercial Services with offices in Austin, San Antonio, College Station and Corpus Christi. ABC employs over 650 people and offers a wide variety of services including pest and termite control, lawn care and mowing, landscaping and irrigation, tree trimming, air conditioning and heating, plumbing and electrical, pool cleaning and repair, handyman services, appliance repair, and security system installation and monitoring. Bobby is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in business management.
Bobby is a past chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce and current chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He is a past president of both the Texas and National Pest Management Associations and a past chair and current board member of the Better Business Bureau, Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse and the Alzheimer’s Association. Bobby currently serves on the Agricultural Development Council and Mays Business School Development Council at Texas A&M University. He is a past chair for Caritas of Austin and has served as a tri-chair for the bond oversight committee with AISD. He has served as the co-chair for the Heat Walk for the American Heart Association and is the current Board Chair of the AHA. Bobby is a past co-chair for the United Way Annual Campaign and current United Way board member. He is the co-founder and board chairman of Recognize Good and past chair and board member of Austin Gives.
Bobby has been married to his wife Jan for 32 years and they have three children; Jessica Pieratt 30, Chelsea 26, and Bo 23.
Paul D. Workman ‘73, State Representative District 47
State Representative Paul D. Workman has served the people of House District 47 in the Texas House of Representatives since January 2011. House District 47 includes most of western Travis County as well as portions of southern Travis County.
Representative Workman serves as a member of the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Business & Industry. Representative Workman serves by appointment on The Energy Council, which helps facilitate the development of national energy policy matters among the Southwestern states. He also serves on the Select Committee on Transportation Planning.
Representative Workman has been named a “Champion of Free Enterprise” by the Associated Builders and Contractors, a “Fighter for Free Enterprise” by the Texas Association of Business, a “Courageous Conservative” by the Texas Conservative Coalition, and a “Lone Star Conservative Leader” by the Texas Conservative Roundtable. In 2013, Representative Workman was named Legislator of the Year by the Real Estate Council of Austin.
Representative Workman earned a B.S. in Building Construction from Texas A&M University in 1973 before joining the U.S. Army Reserves where he retired at the rank of Captain after 10 years of service in an engineer line company. Representative Workman is a forty-year construction professional, owning his own construction company for most of that time. He is a Certified Professional Estimator.
A Rotarian since 1976, Representative Workman has been active in several civic organizations, including Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse. In 2008 he served as Chairman of the Board of the Texas Building Branch of the Associated General Contractors.
Representative Workman and his wife Sherry have two children and six grandchildren and are active members of the Austin Baptist Church.
Don Zimmerman ‘84
Don Zimmerman is a 5th generation Texan born and raised in the Alamo City. Zimmerman graduated from Texas A&M in the 1980s with two degrees in mechanical engineering, which he says certifies him “half as smart as the average Aggie”, and he compensates by “marshaling both halves of my brain just to have a chance.” After decades of success in high tech software systems engineering, Zimmerman was elected President of his Municipal Utility District in northwest Austin in 2002. He spearheaded successful lawsuits against the City of Austin for illegal taxation and the US Department of Justice for violating Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Zimmerman was elected Austin District 6 Council member in 2014; supporters and opponents both labeled him “the Taxpayer’s Voice of Reason”.
Don & wife Jennifer have one young son. Don Zimmerman learned that bureaucrats easily manipulate elected officials by controlling agenda and information sources and answering questions with half-truth lies. Zimmerman is a fixed wing and helicopter aircraft pilot