James Huffines, Chair
Former President and Chief Operating Officer of PlainsCapital Corporation, retired Chief Operating Officer of Hilltop Holdings, Inc., former Chairman of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, and current Chair of Southwestern Medical Foundation. Huffines has served three governors of Texas: Governor Greg Abbott, Governor Rick Perry, and Governor Bill Clements. He is a former Chair of the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and a former member of the Dallas Foundation Board of Governors, the Texas State History Museum Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Dallas Citizens Council Board of Directors. Huffines earned a BBA in finance from UT Austin and attended Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University.
Mike Toomey, Chief Operating Officer
Mike Toomey, the only person in Texas history to serve as Chief of Staff for two Texas governors, Governor Rick Perry and Governor Bill Clements, is a former three-term Texas House member representing House District 135 in Houston, and former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He previously served as Chairman of the Board – West Houston Chamber of Commerce. Toomey earned a BA in philosophy from Baylor University and a Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law.
Special Advisory Council
Business leaders representing the state’s regions and industries will provide advice and counsel.
Strike Force Working Groups
Economic Revitalization
- Workforce, Economic Development and International Trade
- Infrastructure
- Energy
- Arts, Culture, and Entertainment
Health Care
- Chief Medical Advisors
- Health Care Systems
- Emergency Management and Supply Chain
Education
- PreK-12 Schools
- Higher Education
