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10.06.05 IRVING, Oct. 6, 2005 — The North Texas Commission announced the election of its new officers, executive committee and directors to its 70-member board. The elected board officially began its term Oct. 1. NTC chairman Lee F. Jackson, chancellor at the University of North Texas System, succeeds David O. Russell, vice president of external affairs for Verizon. Other officers include vice chairman – H. Dan Farell, principal financial officer, TXU Electric Delivery; secretary – Kenneth Barr, president, Kenneth Barr Consulting; and treasurer – Wendy Lopez, CEO, Lopez Garcia Group. In addition to the officers, other members of the newly elected executive committee include director at large (Dallas) – Don McKneely, publisher and president, Minority Business News USA; director at large (Fort Worth) – Donna R. Parker, director of client relations and development, Carter & Burgess, Inc.; director at large (Mid-Cities) – Robert Cluck, mayor, City of Arlington; director at large (Suburban) – Bill Keffler, city manager, City of Richardson; director at large – Abid Abedi, chairman and CEO, Adea Solutions; director at large – Timothy D. Ward, president, Alliance Air/Aviation Services; director at large – Charles Shewmake, associate vice president of State Government Affairs, Burlington Northern Santa Fe; immediate past chairman – David O. Russell, vice president of external affairs, Verizon; general counsel – Hal T. Thorne, partner, Thorne & Thorne, Inc.; and Dan S. Petty, president and CEO, North Texas Commission. New board directors include Jack Addams, director of public finance, First Southwest Company; Mike Cox, director of public affairs, Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.; Albon Head, chairman, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce; Charles Moore Jr., vice president of customer support, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; Wesley Ratcliff, chairman, Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce; and Terri Ricketts, president, McKinney Chamber of Commerce. Lee Jackson was appointed chancellor of the University of North Texas System on Sept. 1, 2002, after a thirty-year career in government in Dallas and the State of Texas. The chancellor reports to the UNT System Board of Regents appointed by the Governor of Texas. Chancellor Jackson is responsible for policy direction, planning, and oversight of one general academic institution (UNT at Denton), one health science center (UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth), a new Dallas campus (the future UNT at Dallas), and other new system initiatives. System services include legal, audit, government relations, planning, and facilities development. Jackson currently serves as the 2004-2005 chairman of the Texas Public University Presidents and Chancellors and is active in statewide discussions of accountability in higher education. He began his career in the Dallas City Manager’s Office, served ten years in the Texas House of Representatives, and was elected four times as Dallas County Judge – the chief elected official in the state’s second largest county. He received several awards for regional leadership, initiated new programs in juvenile justice, transportation, and air quality planning, and led the opening of the Sixth Floor Museum, which has become the premier visitor attraction in downtown Dallas. Jackson’s international activities include: Dallas Community Leaders Study Tour in Israel (2000); service as a U.S. Consultant to Romania (1999); U.S. Delegate to Argentina/Uruguay with the American Council of Young Political Leaders (1987); the Texas High Speed Rail Inspection Team (France/Germany-1987); and Delegate to the Japan-Texas Conference in Tokyo (1985). Chancellor Jackson was born in Austin, Texas, attended Dallas public schools, and received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University and a Master of Public Administration from SMU. Established in 1971, the North Texas Commission is a regional non-profit consortium of businesses, cities, counties, chambers of commerce, economic development entities and higher education institutions in the North Texas Region. The Commission is the one and only public-private regional organization committed to enhancing the overall economic vitality and quality of life of North Texas. NTC improves the economy, infrastructure and lifestyle of North Texas by leading and directing regionally cooperative initiatives to accomplish objectives in four primary areas: transportation, aviation, environment and long-range strategies. |
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