THECB - Board Members

Board Members

Board Member Extranet

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board was created by the Texas Legislature in 1965 to "provide leadership and coordination for the Texas higher education system to achieve excellence for the college education of Texas students." The Coordinating Board meets quarterly in Austin. Board meetings are usually broadcast via the Internet as well.

The Board is made up of nine members appointed by the Governor for six-year terms. The Governor also appoints the chair and vice-chair. No Board member may be employed in education or serve on a community college board of trustees. Board Members serve on Standing Committees. Advisory Committees provide guidance to the Board on various topics. To contact a Board member directly, please refer to the Preferred Mailing Address.

Future Board and Committee Calendars (2013)(2014)

Profiles

Fred W. Heldenfels IV - Chair Term Expires August 31, 2013 Heldenfels Enterprises, Inc. 5700 IH-35 S San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 396-2376 (512) 396-2381 - Fax
Fred W. Heldenfels IV, of Austin, Texas was first appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by Governor Rick Perry in July 2006 to fill a remaining term, and reappointed in August 2007 to a six-year term. In May 2010, Mr. Heldenfels was appointed Chair of the Board. He also serves as ex-officio for all board committees. Mr. Heldenfels is the President and CEO of Heldenfels Enterprises, Inc., a manufacturer of precast/prestressed concrete structures for the highway, industrial, commercial and sports construction markets with plants located in San Marcos and Corpus Christi. His firm has won numerous industry Design Awards and other recognitions. He recently served on the San Marcos Economic Development Board and as Board Chairman of Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse of Central Texas. In addition, Mr. Heldenfels is Past Chairman of the Texas A&M Twelfth Man Foundation (2001), Past President of the Texas Good Roads/Transportation Association (2001-2003), and Past Chairman of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (2004). In addition, he is Past Chairman of both the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Foundation (1997) and the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce (1993), where he helped initiate support for tort reform in the Coastal Bend, as well as the creation of a four-year university within the Texas A&M University System. In 1993, in recognition of his leadership and entrepreneurship, Mr. Heldenfels received the Small Business Achievement Award presented by the NFIB and Senator Phil Gramm. He is also a proud recipient of the Aggie 100 Award in 2005 and 2006, as well as a recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Alumni from Leadership Corpus Christi. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1979 with a Bachelor's in Business Administration.
Harold W. Hahn - Vice Chair Term Expires August 31, 2013 c/o Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711 (512)427-6101 (512) 427-6127
Harold W. Hahn, of El Paso, Texas, was appointed to a three-year term on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by Governor Rick Perry. In February 2011, Mr. Hahn was appointed by Governor Perry to serve as Vice Chair of the Board. He also serves as Chair of the Committee on Affordability, Accountability, and Planning, and as a member of the Agency Operations Committee. He is chairman and CEO of Rocky Mountain Mortgage Company, a mortgage banking company serving the west Texas and southern New Mexico markets. The company is active in land development, residential construction lending, loan origination and loan servicing. Most recently, Hr. Hahn served as chairman of the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority, the primary entity responsible for major transportation infrastructure development in the El Paso region. Additionally, Mr. Hahn serves as a director of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Yucca Council, Boy Scouts of America and is a member of the Paso Del Norte Group. He is a past president of the El Paso Mortgage Bankers Association and a past director of the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association. He has also served as an advisory director for J.P. Morgan Chase Bank in El Paso. Mr. Hahn has been awarded the Mortgage Banker of the Year by the El Paso Mortgage Bankers Association and has also been awarded the Sportsman of the Year by the El Paso Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. He graduated from Eastern New Mexico University in 1973 with a Bachelor's of Business Administration in Finance.
Dennis D. Golden, O.D. - Secretary Term Expires August 31, 2015 c/o Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711 (512) 427-6101 (512) 427-6127 - Fax
Dennis D. Golden of Carthage, Texas, was appointed to a six-year term to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by Governor Rick Perry on September 1, 2009. Dr. Golden was appointed as Secretary by the Board and serves as a member of the Committee on Academic and Workforce Success, and Chair of the Task Force on Community and Technical Colleges. Dr. Golden was appointed to the University of Houston System Board of Regents in 2004 by Governor Rick Perry, and served as a member of the board through August 31, 2009. For fiscal year 2009, he served as chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee and as a member of the Finance and Administration Committee. His greatest joy while serving on the Board of Regents of UH was chairing the $90 million Health and Biomedical Center on Vision Institute Committee and testifying before the State Board of Nursing for the new nursing program at University of Houston-Victoria. Dr. Golden graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in optometry in 1976 and went on to complete his Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Houston in 1977. During his campus years, he served as president of the Optometric Student Association and was awarded Outstanding 4th Year Student. He is chief of staff of Golden Eye Associates and has been in private practice in Carthage, Texas, since 1978. He is also a member of the medical staff at East Texas Medical Center. Dr. Golden has been in private practice for 31 years and his primary area of interest is glaucoma. Dr. Golden has been a member of the board of trustees for Panola College in Carthage for 21 years, with 6 of those as board chair. He is also a member of the American Optometric Association and the Texas Optometric Association. Dr. Golden served as president of the Texas Optometric Association from 1997-1998, and in 2003 he was named "Optometrist of the Year." He was recently named distinguished alumnus of the College of Optometry for 2004.
Durga D. Agrawal Term Expires August 31, 2015 Piping Technology & Products, Inc. 3701 Holmes Rd. Houston, TX 77051 (713) 731-0030 (713) 731-9916 - Fax
Durga D. Agrawal, of Houston, Texas, was appointed to a six-year term on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on September 1, 2009, by Governor Rick Perry. Dr. Agrawal serves as Vice Chair of the Committee on Academic and Workforce Success and as a member of the Committee on Affordability, Accountability, and Planning, and the Task Force on Community and Technical Colleges. Dr. Agrawal is president and chief executive officer of Piping Technology & Products, Inc. He served as a Director of the Society of Piping Engineers and Designers (SPED), he has been an Associate Member of National Society of Professional Engineering (NSPE) and the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE), a member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, he was nominated for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award for his service to the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering. In addition, Agrawal has actively supported higher education including the Piping Design program at the University of Houston. He has been a member of the University of Houston Advisory Board for Industrial Engineering, a member of the Engineering Leadership Board and has set up an endowment for Industrial Engineering students. He is a member of the Rice University Fund Council. Dr. Agrawal is a member the Houston Minority Business Council, and was selected the 2001 US Small Business Person of the Year. Mr. Agrawal led a delegation from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and IACCGH to visit Mumbai and Delhi, India, and met with the President and Health Minister of India. This delegation was there to initiate and explore a joint venture between MDACC and the research, teaching and patient care facilities of AIIMS and TMC. Formalized agreements were made between these hospitals. He is an active member of ITAC (Industry Trade Advisory Committee) which is an integral link between industry and the United States Government, and jointly administered by the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Dr. Agrawal received his M.S. and PhD. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Houston.
Christopher M. Huckabee Term Expires: August 31, 2013 c/o Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711 (512) 427-6101 (512) 427-6127 - Fax
Christopher M Huckabee of Fort Worth, Texas was first appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in May of 2013 by Governor Rick Perry. Mr. Huckabee is the CEO of Huckabee Architecture, Engineering and Program Management, a 46-year old firm dedicated to K-12 Educational Design. He received his B-Arch from Texas Tech University in 1991 and is a registered architect in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas and Georgia. Mr. Huckabee also holds National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Certification (NCARB). Currently, Mr. Huckabee serves on the Board of Trustees for Cook Children's Health Foundation and the Board of Trustees for Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth; he is currently the Chair of the Cook Children's Development Committee. He also serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Community Foundation of North Texas and is active in the Fort Worth Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). When he's not working, Chris spends time with his wife Robin and their three children, Andrew, Mason Elizabeth, and Harris Anne. Chris is an avid runner and likes to challenge his family to a join him on various marathon and half-marathon runs around Texas.
Robert "Bobby" Jenkins Jr. Term Expires: August 31, 2017 c/o Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711 (512) 427-6101 (512) 427-6127 - Fax
Bobby Jenkins of Austin was appointed to a six-year term on September 1, 2011, by Governor Rick Perry. Mr. Jenkins serves as Vice Chair of the Agency Operations Committee, as a member of the Committee on Affordability, Accountability, and Planning and as Chair of the Task Force on Graduate Health Professions. Mr. Jenkins is president of ABC Home and Commercial Services. He is chair of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Caritas of Austin, Austin American Heart Association Heart Walk, and Austin Independent School District Bond Oversight Committee. He is a member of the Texas A&M University College of Agriculture Development Council, and past president of the Better Business Bureau of Central Texas, National Pest Management Association, and Texas Pest Control Association. He is also past chair of the Austin Alzheimer's Association and Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse. Jenkins received a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University.
Munir Abdul Lalani Term Expires: August 31, 2015 Lalani Lodging, Inc. P.O.Box 4868 Wichita Falls, TX 76308 Office: 940.693.9885 Cell: 940.867.2252 Cell Email: munir.lalani@lalanilodging.com
Munir Abdul Lalani of Wichita Falls was appointed to a four-year term by Governor Rick Perry. He serves as Chair of the Agency Operations Committee, as a member of the Committee on Affordability, Accountability, and Planning, and as a member of the Task Force on Community and Technical Colleges. Mr. Lalani is president and CEO of Lalani Lodging. He is a board member of the Bank of Commerce in Oklahoma, Commerce Bancorp, and Wichita Falls Young Life. He is a past board member of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan YMCA and the Priddy Foundation Board of Trustees, past chair of the Midwestern State University Board of Regents, and an advisory board member of the Munir Abdul Lalani Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise. He is also a past president of the North Texas Restaurant Association, and a past board member of the Wichita Falls Board of Commerce and Industry, Wichita Appraisal District Board and North Texas Rehabilitation Center. Lalani received a bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University.
Janelle Shepard Term Expires August 31, 2017 c/o Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711 (512) 427-6101 (512) 427-6127 - Fax
Janelle Shepard of Weatherford was appointed to the Coordinating Board by Governor Rick Perry. She will serve a six-year term. She serves as Chair of the Committee on Academic and Workforce Success, as a member of the Agency Operations Committee, and the Task Force on Graduate Health Professions. Ms. Shepard is a registered nurse, board certified case manager and director of medical management at the Texas Health Resources Fort Worth Hospital. She is a member of the American Case Management Association and American Nurses Credentialing Center, and a life member of the Weatherford Independent School District Parent Teacher Association. Shepard is a past member and past board secretary of the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
David D. Teuscher, M.D. Term Expires August 31, 2017 c/o Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711 (512) 427-6101 (512) 427-6127 - Fax
David Teuscher of Beaumont was appointment to a six-year term by Governor Rick Perry. He serves as a Vice Chair for the Committee on Affordability, Accountability, and Planning, as a member of the Committee on Academic and Workforce Success, and the Task Force on Graduate Health Professions. A lifelong beneficiary and believer in higher education, Dr. Teuscher has an orthopaedic surgery sports medicine practice at the Beaumont Bone & Joint Institute. He serves the youth of the region as a team physician for Lamar University NCAA teams and several local high schools. Dr. Teuscher earned a Bachelors of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his M.D. from the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio, before completing his post-graduate training at The Brooke Army Medical Center on historic Fort Sam Houston, Texas. A U.S. Army veteran, David was decorated for service in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Dr. Teuscher is a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Texas Medical Association. He serves as a delegate to the American Medical Association and the American Orthopaedic Association for Sports Medicine. He recently completed service as the Vice-Chairman of the Texas Youth Commission.
Ryan T. Bridges- Student Representative Term Expires May 31, 2013 c/o Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711 (512) 427-6101 (512) 427-6127 - Fax
Ryan Bridges of Huntsville, Texas, was appointed in June of 2012 to a one-year term as the Student Representative on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by Governor Rick Perry. Mr. Bridges serves as a non-voting member of all the board committees. Mr. Bridges is an alumnus of Sam Houston State University, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration. Prior to his role on the Coordinating Board, Mr. Bridges served a one-year term as Governor Perry's appointee on the Texas State University System Board of Regents as Student Regent, where he was a member of the Diversity Enhancement Committee. Additionally, Mr. Bridges served two terms as Sam Houston State University Student Body President, two years as a member of the Texas State University System Student Advisory Board with a term as Chairman, and two years as a member of the Texas Student Association with a term as Vice-Chairman. Mr. Bridges also served as a member of thirteen university committees, including the Presidential Selection Committee, which was tasked with recommending Sam Houston State University's thirteenth president to the Board of Regents. In addition to his service to higher education, Mr. Bridges is an employee of the cash department at Community Service Credit Union in Huntsville, Texas. In recognition of his on-campus leadership and service, Bridges was the recipient of the SHSU Outstanding Junior Student Leader Award (2010) and the SHSU Creager Memorial Award for Outstanding Male Senior (2011). Additionally, he has been inducted twice into Who's Who Among American Universities and Colleges (2009/2010), is a Life Member of the Sam Houston State University Alumni Association, and is an Eagle Scout.
Raymund A. Paredes - Commissioner of Higher Education c/o Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711 (512) 427-6101 (512) 427-6127 - Fax
Raymund A. Paredes is Commissioner of Higher Education at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Dr. Paredes spent most of his academic career at UCLA where for 30 years he taught as an English professor and served for ten years as vice chancellor for Academic Development. In addition, he served as special assistant to the president of the University of California System in outreach efforts to improve access to higher education for students from educationally disadvantaged communities. Prior to joining the Coordinating Board, Dr. Paredes was director of creativity and culture at the Rockefeller Foundation, then vice president for programs at the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Dr. Paredes is a member of the national board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters; was appointed to the Education Commission of the States by Governor Rick Perry; he served as a trustee of The College Board and Mercy College of New York, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Cultural Trust. In 2007, he was named one of Hispanic Business Magazine's 100 Most Influential Hispanics. Dr. Paredes was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. After graduation from El Paso High School, he attended The University of Texas at Austin, receiving a B.A. in English. He served in the U.S. Army for two years, including a 14-month tour with the First Infantry Division in Vietnam. After separation from military service, he resumed his education, receiving a master's degree in American Studies from the University of Southern California and his Ph.D. in American Civilization in 1973, from The University of Texas at Austin.