Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017

Phil Wilson, LCRA General Manager
Phil Wilson became LCRA’s 11th general manager on Feb. 3, 2014. LCRA’s general manager serves as the organization’s chief executive officer and carries out LCRA Board policy, manages LCRA’s relationships with its customers and stakeholders, appoints and directs executive staff, and oversees projects and operations that support LCRA’s public service mission.

Prior to joining LCRA, Wilson was executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation. Under the direction of the Texas Transportation Commission, he managed, directed and implemented TxDOT policies, programs and operating strategies. He also represented TxDOT before the Texas Legislature and other entities. Before joining TxDOT in 2011, Wilson served as senior vice president of Public Affairs and as a corporate officer for Luminant, Texas’ largest electric generation company. In 2007, then-Gov. Rick Perry appointed Wilson as Texas’ 106th Secretary of State. In that position, he was the chief elections officer and the chief international protocol officer for Texas. Wilson also served as chair of the Governor’s Competitiveness Council and on the Texas Border Security Council.

Wilson serves as the chair-elect of the Board of Directors of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, in addition to serving on the chamber’s executive committee and as chair of the chamber’s Opportunity Austin initiative. Wilson also serves on the boards of the Large Public Power Council, Texas Public Power Association, Power Across Texas, Texas Water Conservation Association and Hardin-Simmons University. Wilson has a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a bachelor’s degree from Hardin-Simmons University.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Eric Bearse ’93

Eric Bearse is an experienced political professional who served as the lead speechwriter for former Texas Governor Rick Perry for much of the last 17 years, including two campaigns for president and two campaigns for governor. Eric also wrote remarks for the presidential campaign of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. His speechwriting clients also include Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Senator John Cornyn and Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. He has written numerous major addresses, including: four gubernatorial inaugural speeches, more than a half dozen state convention speeches, two presidential announcement speeches, a major speech on “Trumpism” and its impact on the future of the Republican Party, and dozens of policy speeches as well as commencement addresses.

A 24-year veteran of Republican politics, Eric Bearse also provides general and communications consulting to various candidates, offers public affairs services to numerous public and private entities, and frequently produces television, radio and mail advertising for Republican campaigns. As the founder of Bearse & Company, which he started in 2007, Eric advises trade groups on the development of themes and messages that resonate in the public arena. He frequently pitches stories to press and serves as a spokesman and crisis communications advisor. He has also served as general consultant and strategist for more than a half dozen members of the Texas Legislature, developing campaign plans and overseeing the production of the paid media budget.

A prolific writer of advertising copy, Eric has drafted the copy for dozens of direct mail campaigns, radio and television ads, and web and social media efforts. He produced the successful Texas Proposition 6 television ads in 2013 to provide funding for water resources, which voters approved with nearly 75 percent. He also filmed ads for Texas One that aired in New York to recruit businesses to Texas.

Eric recently created Barrage, LLC – a voter canvassing company that deploys cutting-edge voter contact technology and data analytics with high-volume, multiple-pass canvassing programs to persuade, identify, and mobilize targeted voters to maximize our candidates’ vote share and achieve victory. Utilizing precinct-level electoral information and voter-level demographic data, Barrage identifies a universe of target voters, and then designs an efficient and effective strategy to reach them.

Eric attended Texas A&M University, graduating in four years with a degree in political science in 1993. He was a member of the Corps of Cadets, and his outfit’s chaplain. Eric and his wife Jene have two children – Charlotte (13) and Andrew (11). They live in Northwest Austin. Eric is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has been a resident of Austin, Texas for the last 20 years.

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Justice Field was elected to the Third Court of Appeals in November 2012 for a six-year term.

Justice Field began his career by serving as a law clerk on the Texas Supreme Court, for Hon. Raul Gonzalez. He then began private practice at Baker Botts, L.L.P., where he practiced in the trial and appellate departments until 2001. He then co-founded York, Keller & Field, L.L.P., before forming The Field Law Firm, PLLC, in 2007.

A native Texan, Justice Field was born in Houston and grew up outside of College Station. As an undergraduate, Justice Field earned a B.A. in Political Science from Texas A&M University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, where he graduated with honors and was named to the Order of the Coif.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

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

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

As head of the university’s major-gift fundraising entity, Tyson provides direction for the management of the Foundation’s endowment, serves as the principal liaison with the university, and leads university-wide fundraising activities, including the $4 billion Lead by Example campaign.

Before beginning his new job as president of the Texas A&M Foundation on January 20, 2016, Tyson Voelkel was proprietor of a Houston-based boutique consultancy focused on building, managing and advising ultra-high net worth family offices. He also served as COO for a multi-billion dollar holding company consisting of more than a dozen operating companies, philanthropic endeavors, and various investments.

After completing a degree in industrial distribution from Texas A&M University in 1996, the Brenham native served as a U.S. Army infantry officer for almost 14 years and completed a master’s degree in international relations and national security from the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and an MBA from Rice University. He continues to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. He and his wife, Christi Voelkel ’98, live in College Station with their two daughters, Eliana and Violet, and Lily in spirit.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Carl Trovall is the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Associate Professor of Philosophy and History at Concordia University Texas. He has also served as pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Laredo, TX, and campus pastor at Concordia University Texas and at the University of Texas.

Carl teaches a variety of courses at CTX including: Political Theory & Ideologies, The History of Mexico, and Introductory Honors courses. His professional interests include public theology and ethics, contemporary Christian ethics, Latino/a Studies, History of Mexico, Liberation Theology, Immigration, Relations of Church and Civil Society, Bioethics, and the Ethics of War and Peace. Having worked on the U.S.—Mexico border, he has been particularly interested in exploring what U. S. Latino/a theology might contribute to our broader public discourse in the United States on identity, ethnicity, and civic community.

His dissertation, An Analysis of the Political and Moral Implications of “Mestizaje’ for Michael Walzer’s Conception of Community in the United States, focused on the work of Fr. Virgilio Elizondo. In 2011, Liturgical Press published his essay, “Juan Diego: A Psychohistory of a Regenerative Man” in a collection entitled American Magnificat: Protestants on Mary of Guadalupe, edited by Maxwell E. Johnson. He was the recipient of the Martin J. Neeb Teaching Excellence Award in 2000 and 2009.

He and his wife, Carol, reside in Pflugerville, TX. They have two children.