Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday he’ll seek guidance from a who’s who of Texas business leaders to determine the safest ways to open up the state’s economy for business.
Abbott’s business advisers will include some of the most well-known executives in Dallas-Fort Worth, such as:
- Arcilia Acosta: President and CEO, CARCON Industries & Construction of Dallas.
- Paul Andrews Jr.: Founder and CEO, TTI Inc. of Fort Worth
- Bobby Cox: Owner and operator, Bobby Cox Companies Inc. of Fort Worth.
- Richard Fisher: Senior adviser, Barclays, and former president & CEO of Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
- Printice Gary: Founding partner/principal and CEO, Carleton Companies, Dallas.
- Tom Luce: Founder and chairman, Texas 2036.
- Ross Perot Jr.: Chairman, The Perot Group, Dallas.
- Robert B. Rowling: Owner and chairman, TRT Holdings Inc., Dallas.
- Sanjiv Yajnik: President of the financial services division of Capital One in Plano.
Other Texans on the 39-member committee are household names like Austin’s Michael Dell, Kendra Scott and Robert Smith, Houston restaurateur Tilman Fertitta and former U.S. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, who chairs the board of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. The committee also includes:
- Mark Bivins: Rancher, partner in Corsino Cattle Company.
- Kathy Britton: CEO and Owner, Perry Homes.
- Brad Brookshire: Chairman and CEO, Brookshire Grocery Co.
- J. Bruce Bugg Jr.: Chairman, Texas Transportation Commission.
- Alonzo Cantu: President & CEO of Cantu Construction.
- Adriana Cruz: Executive Director, Economic Development & Tourism Division, Office of the Governor.
- Scott Dueser: Chairman, President & CEO, First Financial Bank.
- Rick Francis: Chairman of the Board, WestStar Bank Holding Company Inc.
- Brad Heffington: Owner of Heffington Farms, Inc. and Triple T Irrigation Inc.
- Jeffery D. Hildebrand: Executive Chairman and Founder, Hilcorp Energy Co.
- Nancy Kinder: President & CEO, Kinder Foundation.
- Marc McDougal: CEO, McDougal Companies.
- Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale: Owner, Gallery Furniture.
- Drayton McLane: Chairman, McLane Group.
- Elaine Mendoza: Founder, President & CEO of Conceptual MindWorks Inc.
- Balous Miller: Owner, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Restaurants.
- Carla Moran: Ramar Communications.
- Dennis Nixon: CEO and Chairman of International Bank of Commerce.
- David Oliveira: Partner at Roerig, Oliveira & Fisher L.L.P.
- Kevin D. Roberts, Ph.D.: Executive Director, Texas Public Policy Foundation.
- Sam L. Susser: Chairman of BancAffiliated Inc.
- Massey Villarreal: CEO and President, Precision Task Group Inc.
- Kirk Watson: Founding Dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs.
- Marc Watts: President, The Friedkin Group.
- Graham Weston: Former Chairman of Rackspace Hosting Inc.
Medical experts working with Abbott are state health services commissioner John Hellerstedt, University of Texas executive vice chancellor for health affairs John Zerwas, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Mark McClellan and Dell Medical School professor Parker Hudson.
