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McKinney sole finalist for A&M chancellorFormer state representative to replace Robert McTeer
Former State Rep. Mike McKinney, currently a senior executive at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, was named this week by the Texas A&M Board of Regents as sole finalist for the position of chancellor. McKinney, a former chief of staff to Gov. Rick Perry who received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, will replace Robert McTeer, who announced his retirement in August. Under state law, the regents cannot make the appointment final for 21 days. 
While McKinney earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and an M.D. from the U.T. Medical Branch in Galveston, McKinney said he respected the A&M system and considered the position an honor.“I already have a great love and respect for the Texas A&M System and look forward to getting to know the System leadership and learning more about our universities and agencies. Strengthening the System through cooperation and collaboration; conducting a visioning, planning and accountability process; and identifying how we can further support the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Closing the Gaps initiative will be a few of my first priorities," McKinney said. McKinney also has served as vice chancellor for health affairs at the UT System, commissioner of the state Health and Human Services Commission and CEO of a Medicaid health care plan. He practiced family medicine for 16 years in Centerville, about 50 miles northeast of College Station, until 1992, and served in the Texas Huse of Representatives for eight years. The A&M System serves 103,000 students at its flagship campus in College Station, eight other universities and a health science center. Community colleges get record growthEnrollment figures compiled by the state's Higher Education Coordinating Board show a surge in interest in Texas community colleges, which grew nearly three times faster than the state's four-year public universities this year. 
Overall, 1.2 million students are attending classes at Texas colleges and universities, an increase of 27,000, or 2.3 percent, more than last year. Officials were dismayed, however, that college participation wasn't even higher, noting that the state's "Closing the Gaps" initiative calls for an enrollment of 1.6 million students by 2015. The Coordinating Board's analysis noted that 80 percent of the enrollment growth occurred at community colleges, which now enroll 48 percent of students statewide, while public universities enroll only 40 percent. (The remaining students attend private institutions.) The popularity of community colleges has coincided with the decision by the legislature to allow public universities to set their own tuition rates three years ago. But tuition sticker-shock may not be the only reason community colleges are surging in popularity. Experts believe that another reason for the enrollment shift could be the rapidly increasing number of Hispanic students, who typically choose community colleges as a starting point for higher education. Hispanics accounted for 61 percent of the statewide enrollment growth, including rapid increases in South Texas. The University of Texas-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College and South Texas College in McAllen -- which offer two-year associate degrees -- posted among the largest enrollment increases in the state this fall. UT-Brownsville grew by 2,165 students, while the entire nine-campus system grew by 4,651. Linda Fossen, associate vice-president for enrollment management at UT-Brownsville, said the institution has aggressively pursued new students by setting up enrollment offices in the local mall and at high schools, where interested students can take care of advising, financial aid and enrollment needs in one office. Fossen said UT-Brownsville also held meetings at local churches and hired its own students to act as mentors to incoming students. "Our mentors have been a smash hit," she said, noting that 75 percent of UT-Brownsville's students are the first generation in their families to attend college. Encouraging local high school students in "dual enrollment" programs also has enhanced UT-Brownsville's enrollment, she said. Austin to install red-light camerasAustin became the latest Texas city to agree to a pilot program testing red-light cameras at intersections around the city. The program, beginning in February, will last 60 days, and could lead to permanent cameras at 15 intersections, which have not been chosen. Dozens of Texas cities have installed the new technology to assist with traffic enforcement. The cameras snap pictures of the license plates of drivers failing to yield to right lights, and send tickets to the permanent addresses recorded for the plates.The Central Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has opposed the cameras, saying they are ineffective and an invasion of privacy. Safety report ranks Texas citiesAn annual survey of American cities ranks Round Rock as thirteenth safest city in America among all cities, while El Paso, Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth make the "safest" list for cities with population of 500,000 or more. Round Rock was the only Texas city to make the Top 25 Safest Cities list compiled by Morgan Quitno, which analyzes crime data sent to the FBI in compiling its lists. Among cities with populations topping 500,000, El Paso ranked third, with Austin trailing New York City to secure fifth place. San Antonio was ranked seventh and Fort Worth was ranked ninth. On the other side of the ledger -- Top Most Dangerous Cities -- Dallas ranked sixth and Houston 10th in the firm's analysis, which was based on a city's rate for six basic crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft. Bryan signs contract for 285-acre site
The city of Bryan last week purchased a $6.6 million tract of land it intends to give to the Texas A&M System in hopes the system will construct a Health Science Center campus within its city limits. The land Bryan is purchasing borders the College Station city limits. Mayor Pro Tem Mark Conlee said the money for the land purchase will come out of Bryan's general fund balance. Council members view the 285-acre gift to TAMU as a means of economic development, as they believe the new facility will spark commercial and residential development in the surrounding area. The Texas A&M System Board of Regents, which meets Nov. 30, will decide where the Health Science Center will be built. Cap Metro looking at doubling fares
Austin's Capital Metro, still using a 50-cent base fare frozen since 1985, is considering a staff proposal to double its rates in 2008 and again in 2010. But Capital Metro board members said they are concerned about "sticker shock" among riders, even though the transit agency trails other major Texas cities in its rates. Board member and Leander Mayor John Cowman said huge increases are "not going to work." Houston riders pay a base fare of $1, while the Dallas transit system charges $1.25 for a trip and San Antonio 80 cents. State law requires that potential Capital Metro fare increases, after getting a preliminary nod from the board, be presented to the public for its reaction and then returned to the board for approval. Under the law, a special panel of five Austin City Council members, three Travis County commissioners and the mayors of three suburban cities in Capital Metro's service area must approve the rate increases. Feds, TEA announce teacher incentive grantsThe U.S. Department of Education has awarded the Houston Independent School District and Dallas Independent School District more than $33 million for the Teacher Incentive Fund, a federal initiative to develop performance-based teacher compensation systems in low-income areas. The grant will be used in both school districts to develop financial incentives for teachers, particularly in understaffed subjects like math and science. Houston ISD will receive $3,991,330 for the first year of the program and is projected to use a total of $11.8 million over the next five years. Dallas ISD will receive $126,139 for its first year and use approximately $22.3 million in the next five years. In related news, the Texas Education Agency this week announced that more than 1,100 Texas schools will receive $95.5 million in Texas Educator Excellence Grants under a new program created by the Texas Legislature last spring to give incentive pay to teachers. Depending on the size of their student population, the 1,119 participating schools will receive grants of $40,000 to $300,000. Eligible schools must have ranked in the top half of the state in the percentage of educationally disadvantaged students for their school type, such as high school or elementary, and have been rated exemplary or recognized or ranked in the top quartile performance level for improvement in math and reading. County adds two cities to juvenile data systemDenton County has added the cities of Denton and Lewisville to its Juvenile Information System program to allow law enforcement officials to share juveniles' criminal history electronically. Access to the system's database allows police, school officials, district attorneys and judges in Lewisville to view the criminal history of a juvenile offender and share the city's juvenile information with Denton and other entities that participate in the program. Currently, Denton County shares juvenile information with Collin, Dallas, Kaufman, Rockwall and Tarrant counties. Denton County and most of its cities joined the system in August 2005. The shared information helps authorities better determine the appropriate punishment and proper treatment for juvenile offenders and allows school officials to identify students with violent pasts. Senator to push for state ban on public smoking
With more cities moving to strict controls on smoking in public places, State Sen. Rodney Ellis said he will push for a comprehensive statewide ban when the legislature meets in January. The Houston City Council recently adopted a strict anti-smoking ordinance and Baytown voters next week are being asked to approve a prohibition against smoking in all public buildings and workplaces, including bars and restaurants. Ellis said more than 40 Texas cities have passed some form of an indoor smoking ban. New software assists Greenville schoolsGreenville Independent School District has recently invested money in several new computer software programs designed to help the education process and give teachers and parents easier access to student records. The district recently purchased a program that officials call a one-stop shop for teachers and administrators. Teachers can view curriculum, build lesson plans and access their students' standardized testing history with the new software, which was originally designed to provide TAKS data to districts. Since many other districts use the same program, the software allows Greenville officials to exchange student test history data with other districts when a student moves. Austin city officials return from training in Iraq
The city of Austin has been assisting U.S. armed forces training Iraqi public safety agencies in how to coordinate emergency response. Austin Police Department Assistant Chief David Carter, Commander Charles Johnson, and Austin Fire Department Assistant Chief George Blackmore recently returned from a trip to Baghdad where they instructed city emergency teams on the importance of interagency coordination and the basics of incident command when multiple agencies respond to an emergency call, like a fire or accident. Other Austin city officials, including city manager Toby Futrell, have worked with more than 200 members of the 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood in Killeen to provide training on city functions, infrastructure, and services. UT-Dallas names Gnade VP for Research
Dr. Bruce E. Gnade, professor of electrical engineering and chemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas, has been named vice president for research and economic development. UT-Dallas President David E. Daniel cited Gnade's record of research in materials science in announcing his selection. Gnade will continue his own research program at UT-Dallas, which involves nearly 20 graduate students and post-doctoral researchers studying novel applications for electronic materials such as flexible display screens. ACS gives UT-Tyler nod
The American Chemical Society (ACS) has approved the University of Texas at Tyler's undergraduate chemistry program. ACS is a professional association founded in 1876 that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Chair and Professor of Chemistry Don McClaugherty said the society's approval will insure excellence of the UT-Tyler chemistry program. It also guarantees that graduates with a bachelor's of science degree in chemistry have met the minimum requirements as a certified chemist. TDSHS electronic records program citedThe Texas Department of State Health Services recently won the 2006 Davies Award of Excellence, given each year to health care providers that demonstrate an effective electronic health records program. The award, given by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), was given in recognition of a system aimed at preventing drug abuse in Texas and improving treatment of abusers. TDSHS won the award for its Behavioral Health Integrated Provider System (BHIPS), a Web-based system for substance abuse and mental health services delivered by independent providers or provider networks. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice and a number of local courts have adopted the system for their own use. The system proved its worth during Hurricane Katrina, when 470,000 Gulf Coast residents relocated to Texas, and officials were able to use BHIPS' interactivity to identify and locate medical services for most people within just a few hours. Secrest named director of commercialization degreeThe University of Texas at Austin has named Dr. Larry Secrest as director of a program offering a master's degree in Science and Technology Commercialization. The degree program, administered by the IC2 Institute, is an internationally acclaimed, one-year master's degree program that focuses on transforming scientific and technical knowledge to commercial products and services. In addition to his strong academic background, Secrest has worked in the private sector with a number of technology-based companies. Texas State Guard launches maritime regimentThe Texas State Guard, which supports the Texas National Guard in its homeland defense role, will soon have a maritime unit in addition to its army and air units. The Texas State Guard Maritime Regiment will make its official debut Saturday, on the Battleship Texas, in La Porte, during ceremonies beginning at 2 p.m. According to the Texas State Guard Maritime Regiment's mission statement, the unit will provide the governor of Texas, the Adjutant General of Texas and the commander of the Texas State Guard with "mission-ready" personnel for operations in response to man-made or natural disasters. The Maritime Regiment will be headquartered at Camp Mabry, and members will train there and in Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. At this time, only 30 members comprise the Maritime Regiment. All previously served in the Navy, Marines or other U.S. armed forces. Retired Rear Admiral Peter L. Andrus, of Kingwood, will command the Maritime Regiment. Railroad commission promotes water recyclingThe Texas Railroad Commission has approved a second pilot project that could recycle as much as 85 percent of the freshwater used at gas drilling sites in the Barnett Shale area, a successful gas production field in Northeast Texas. The Railroad Commission (RRC) gave the thumbs-up to a pilot project that will filter water through three membranes to treat fracture flow-back fluid, allowing most of it to be reused. The Barnett Shale is a geologic formation underneath about 15 counties centered around Fort Worth that is estimated to contain about 26.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, making it one of the nation's largest natural gas fields. However, because of its low permeability, producers must pump fresh water into the formation to create fractures to release trapped natural gas. Last year, the RRC also approved a water conservation pilot program that was able to process more than 1.6 million barrels of "frac" fluid and recover 1.3 million barrels of reusable water. Rural hospitals get $1 million in grantsThe Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA) this week announced it has awarded more than $1 million from its Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) to 114 rural hospitals throughout Texas. The grants will help rural hospitals pay for costs related to the federal mandates, help them reduce medical errors and support quality improvement. "The Office of Rural Community Affairs is pleased to be able to assist these small rural hospitals," said Charles S. (Charlie) Stone, ORCA's executive director. "In some communities, the grants may keep a hospital's doors open by covering compliance costs which would otherwise overwhelm the small rural hospital." Eligible hospitals must have 49 available beds or fewer and be located in a rural area. |
Blogging gains stature as communication vehicle
By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc. In the early 1990s, an individual posted an online diary, others followed, and the trend led to a new method of communication - blogs. Web blogs have been the bane of politicians and elected government officials who have felt defenseless against stinging opinions and allegations - often inaccurate - posted online by faceless pundits. However, Web blogs also provide governmental agencies, officials, and even individuals an opportunity to make statements, advocate, encourage discussion and communicate to others via the Internet. In the last decade, blogging has made giant strides toward earning respectability as a serious form of modern communication. The political world first officially recognized bloggers as professional representatives of the media when both political parties credentialed bloggers attending the 2004 presidential conventions. And the journalism world has opened its arms to bloggers, with Columbia Journalism Review offering assessments of best blog writing and Fortune magazine citing those with the best business advice. Most daily newspapers offer blogging forums for readers to weigh in on the day's news. Now, in the spirit of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," some government agencies are turning to blogging to get their message to the public. Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority plans to unveil a Web blog in the next few months as a way of communicating directly with the public. The agency has even hired a former Houston Chronicle reporter to get the discussion rolling with daily postings. Raequel Roberts, a spokeswoman for Metro, explained to the Houston Chronicle, "Communication is something we're always striving to improve on. A free-ranging dialogue is important, and we're hoping that we can establish this through a blog site." Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission included a blogging component on its Web site. And a spokesman for the Houston Police Department said officials there are giving thought to developing a blog as well. There are risks for government agencies wading into the blogosphere, since public debates often veer off on tangents or tirades. But officials at Houston Metro recognize that blogs are already framing debate and shaping public opinion. Bloggers in Houston regularly take potshots at Metro. By starting its own blog, Metro will have an opportunity to respond and possibly even advocate. This is a trend that is definitely worth watching. Small business grant funds Women's Business Center
The South Texas Business Fund, through a partnership with the City of San Antonio's Economic Development Department, has received a five-year, $750,000 SBA grant to establish a new Women's Business Center. Claudia A. Guzman has been named the interim program director to lead the development of the center. Citing figures that two out of three new business start-ups in America are women-owned, the city of San Antonio and the South Texas Business Fund decided to open the Women's Business Center to provide training and counseling in the areas of business planning and management, access to capital and financial management. Friendswood gets new city managerRobert "Bo" McDaniel was named the new city manager of Friendswood last week. McDaniel's hiring comes at a critical juncture for the city of Friendswood in terms of development policy, as experts expect the city to be built out to capacity in 10 to 15 years. McDaniel formerly served as city manager of Seabrook. UNT offers mechanical and energy engineering
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved bachelor's and master's degree programs in Mechanical and Energy Engineering at the University of North Texas. The programs are slated to begin in the fall 2007 semester. Dr. Stathis Michaelides, chair of the Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department, said the addition is "groundbreaking," and may result in other universities following suit. According to Michaelides, the program will focus on producing efficient energy systems that have the least impact on the environment. TLU looks for a new presidentTexas Lutheran University officials have formed a search committee to select a new president of the 1,400-student institution in Seguin. President Jon N. Moline, who has held the position for 13 years, plans to retire at the end of the current school year. The TLU board of regents said the search committee will seek staff, student, faculty and alumni input. The university also has begun running advertisements about the position. UTSA vice provost honored by La Prensa Foundation
Jesse Zapata, vice provost for the University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus and dean of the College of Public Policy, was honored recently with the La Prensa Foundation's Hispanic Heritage Award for Education. Zapata accepted the award at the organization's 10th annual scholarship and awards dinner. One of twelve honorees, Zapata was recognized for his leadership skills, teaching career and dedication to public policy research. Zapata joined UTSA in 1976 as a faculty member in the Division of Education. In August 2000, he became founding dean of the UTSA College of Public Policy. From 1983 to 1986, he co-directed the UTSA Bilingual Counselor Training Program and directed Project I-Teach. In 1989, Zapata established the Hispanic Research Center. Governor Rick Perry has made the following appointments:
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Texas Government Insider ArchivesVolume 1, 2, 3 and 4 Archives - 11/7/03 - 10/13/06 Resources
Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a research and consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services. |
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Homeland security conference to examine safetyThe Texas Homeland Security Conference, hosted by the Governor's Division of Emergency Management, will be held in San Antonio Nov. 27-Dec.1 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Workshop topics will address border security, port security, school safety, citizen emergency response teams and mass care and evacuations and a host of other issues. The conference is the essential annual event for emergency management and homeland security professionals, first responders, volunteer organizations and all law enforcement officials engaged in preparedness and response to hazards and threats to Texas. For conference registration information, contact Natasha Watts at Natasha.Watts@txdps.state.tx.us. For conference exhibitor information, contact Justin Lopez at Justin.Lopez@txdps.state.tx.us. Houston-Galveston Council spotlights traffic deathsThe Regional Safety Council, formed by the Houston-Galveston Area Council, will host Partners Embracing Safety: Regional Traffic Safety Planning Conference on Nov. 16 at the Renaissance Houston Hotel-Greenway Plaza. The conference will serve as a crash course in safety issues facing the Houston-Galveston area, which experiences 627 traffic fatalities annually. The keynote speaker for the lunch session is Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) CEO Chuck Hurley. Opening remarks will be provided by Dr. Richard Roth, Executive Director of Impact DWI, Inc., Santa Fe, NM, and the Houston Police Department's Chief Harold Hurtt. For more information or to register, contact Crystal Spencer at (713) 993-4577 or Crystal.Spencer@h-gac.com. The Texas Government Performance SummitThe Texas Government Performance Summit, to be held Dec. 4-6 at the Hyatt Regency in Houston, will feature as speakers Billy Hamilton, Texas Deputy Comptroller; Charles Bacarisse, Board of Directors of the Texas Department of Information Resources; and Mary Scott Nabers, CEO, Strategic Partnerships, Inc. For more information, please click here. LBJ School to hold ethics conferenceThe LBJ School of Public Affairs on Nov. 15 will hold a conference entitled Ethics in Government: A Leader's Role in Enhancing Ethics in the Public Sector. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Howard Prince, director of the LBJ School's Center for Ethical Leadership. Cost is $150 for this event at the Thompson Conference Center. Click here to register. World Ports Conference inviting corporate sponsorsThe Port of Houston Authority is hosting the 25th International Association of Ports and Harbors World Ports Conference, which will be held at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston from April 27-May 4. The port authority is currently seeking corporate sponsors for the event, which will draw representatives from more than 400 ports and top executives from major industry corporations in nearly 90 countries around the world. More information about the International Association of Ports and Harbors can be obtained at www.IAPHworldports.org. Deadline approaches for environmental awardThe Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Office of the Governor are seeking nominations for the Texas Environmental Excellence Awards, the highest distinction of environmental honor in the state of Texas. The awards recognize outstanding contributions in 10 diverse categories. Anyone who has been a part of an environmental effort that is new, noteworthy or something Texans ought to hear about, should apply for a 2007 Texas Environmental Excellence Award. Enter online today at www.teea.org. For questions or a printed application, call Dana Macomb at 512/239-4745 or email awards@tceq.state.tx.us. The deadline to submit is Nov. 10, 2006. |
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