If you missed a previous newsletter or want to go back and refresh your memory about someone go to our Texas Politics Today website where we have the newsletter archived by date.
Editor’s Note: Please be sure to send us news of departures, promotions, births, marriages and other milestones, so we can share it with the Capitol community. Also add us to your press release email list.
Around the Capitol / On the Move
Rep. Jonathan Stickland has resigned his membership in the Texas Freedom Caucus. With the resignation of Rep. Jeff Leach last fall, the official membership total of the Freedom Caucus is now 10.
Rep. Christina Morales has named Tammy Pirtle as her COS. Morales was elected mid-session to take the seat formerly held by Sen. Carol Alvarado.
Former Rep. Rodney Anderson has announced his candidacy to become the new Dallas County Republican Party Chair.
Rep. Eric Johnson won a run-off spot in the May 4th election to choose the next mayor of Dallas. The run-off election will be June 8th.
Former Rep. Tony Dale has been named a Director for the Lower Colorado Rive Authority.
Lobby/Association News
Jenny Aghamalian started a new position at Sedera Health as Vice President of Public Affairs in February. Aghamalian has previously worked for Humana, the Texas Medical Association, and the House Republican Caucus.
Jamie Estrada is the new executive director at Texas Doctors for Social Responsibility. (h/t The Quorum Report)
Hill + Knowlton Strategies global chairman and CEO Jack Martin is stepping down. AnnaMaria DeSalva will succeed him. (h/t The Quorum Report)
Longtime lobbyist Robert Floyd is retiring from the lobby business. Floyd began lobbying on transportation issues, having worked for TMTA in the 1970s, and also served as President and CEO of the Texas Society of Association Executives.
State Agency News
The Texas Department of Public Safety recently announced Phillip G. Ayala has been appointed as the new DPS Inspector General. Ayala will be replacing Rhonda Fleming who is retiring after 35 years.
In March the Texas Real Estate Commission welcomed Chelsea Buchholtz as General Counsel. Prior to joining the TREC, Buchholtz was deputy director of operations for the Community Development and Revitalization Division of the Texas General Land Office and also worked for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. She will be replacing Kerri Lewis, who will be retiring this month.
Sharmila Kassam will be stepping down as the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of the Employees Retirement System of Texas. (h/t The Quorum Report)
Trey Bahm has been promoted to Management Analyst at the Texas General Land Office. He previously worked as a community outreach director for the GLO.
HHS Executive Commissioner Dr. Courtney N. Phillips named two veterans in the human services field to executive leadership positions. Ruth Johnson, who previously worked for state agencies in Louisiana and South Carolina, has been named chief operating officer. Johnson will replace Victoria Ford as the COO. Ford’s title will now be chief policy and regulatory officer. Phillips also named Kelly Garcia as the deputy executive commissioner of Health, Developmental and Independence Services. She previously served as deputy chief of Program and Services and interim deputy executive commissioner of Health, Developmental and Independence Services.
Shout Outs
Congratulations to the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists Executive Director, Sam Stinnett, on being elected to the Board of Directors for the Texas Society of Association Executives!
Congratulations to Rep. Senfronia Thompson’s staff member, Brian King, on being recently sworn in as an attorney!
Happy Birthday!
May 19: Bill Oswald, Lindsey Howe Parham
May 22: Rep. Tan Parker
May 23: Jennifer Deegan, Rep. J.M. Lozano
May 24: Brad Westmoreland
May 26: Randy Chapman
May 28: Emily Ramshaw Hartstein, Melinda Little, Court Koenning
May 29: Will McAdams, Hope Osborn, Sen. Charles Schwertner
May 30: Rep. Hubert Vo
In Our Thoughts
Our thoughts are with Rep. Donna Howard and her family. We wish her husband Derek a full and speedy recovery.
We wish Brent Whitaker a full and speedy recovery from a recent automobile accident.
Jenna Welch, mother of former first lady Laura Bush, passed away recently at the age 99.
Correction: In the last edition, Tim Von Kennel’s name was listed incorrectly. Our apologies for the mistake.
Miscellaneous
The next Puppy Paws and Makin’ Laws day is this coming Thursday from 9 to 11 on the South Lawn of the Capitol. For more pictures from the event last week click here. Come on out and adopt one or more of the puppies.
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This event is sponsored by Texans for Lawsuit Reform and Arnold Public Affairs
Special thanks to Austin Pets Alive for furnishing the puppies and for Freddie Thompson, wife of Rep. Ed Thompson for taking the phots.
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Dates of Interest:
Monday May 27 — last day of regular session
June 16 — last day for governor to act on bills
Contact us at txpoliticstoday@gmail.com or text us at 512-431-5385 to let us know of other moves, birthdays, lobby sign ups, birth announcements, events, and happenings that you and your Capitol colleagues would like to read about.
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