COMMUNITY

I am a proud Texan that believes in principles of the American dream. My wife, two daughters, and I have committed many years of service to every Texas community we've lived. We are proud of our state's vast natural beauty, the pioneering spirit of the people, and our ability to improve our quality of life together.

Communities are only as great as the citizens that make them. My professional and personal experience has shown the happiest are those who chose to shape their futures so they could embrace it in a caring and responsible way. I am as passionate about Texas as I am about all of the people that make it. Get on board to join the conversation about our collective future.

LEADERSHIP

I've been a proud and thoughtful leader in Texas communities since 1991.

I was the Denton County Judge from 1991 - 1999, where I served the public to improve many areas relative to quality of life. In 2003 I was appointed to be the CEO of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism. I continued the charge to keep Texas moving towards robust economic progress as the
CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. My leadership there supported Texans locally, state-wide, and internationally. Until this year, I served on the Texas Transportation Commission where I oversaw the Texas Department of Transportation and a budget of about $12 billion a year.

For over 25 years, I've worked to find solutions to benefit Texans facing rapid population, resource, and transportation demands.

VISION

Texans have been pioneering transportation as a way to improve industry and trade since 1836. The Trinity River was one of the first waterways used to deliver groceries, dry goods, cotton, sugar, cowhides, and deerskins. Without this foresight, economies would have been stifled during some of the most difficult years of our early development.

Today, Houston and North Texas are each a 1/2 Trillion dollar hubs with more population growth than any other U.S. city. In 2015, they added close to 300,000 residents combined.

As such, we need to give our citizens more choices in transportation. Building roads is part of the solution, but we must have other choices, like the high-speed train. It will move the most people using the least amount of land and have the least impact on the environment and private property.

It is also an economic win for state-wide jobs and for local counties. This train is a taxpayer, not a tax-taker. Because it is being developed by a private company, it will not use public money for its operations. Recent estimates say that the train will add $36 billion in new economic benefits to the state.

I'm a leader who likes to help everyone prepare for what we see ahead. Get on board with me today!