Speakers for the TML Annual Conference
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Kevin Baum is the founder and principal of inCentergy, an Austin-based company specializing in no-nonsense performance consulting, workforce development, and leadership coaching. Kevin’s experiences in performance management have convinced him that government’s pursuit of performance results has been confused by an abundance of talk and methodology...and a shortage of action. This firm belief moved Kevin to develop the inCentergy Into Action on Performance Management Process. This three-step process has revolutionized government and industry’s ability to get to results without getting lost in the noise—results that make a difference. An extremely popular speaker, trainer, and consultant, Kevin is known across the country for his signature leadership seminar, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”
Bob is a founding partner of CommunityID®, Buxton’s retail development program for communities. His extensive experience in both retail ownership and city government give him a unique insight into retail economic development.
Bob served as mayor of Fort Worth for nine years during a period of rapid expansion for the city. He has served as president of both the Texas Municipal League and the National League of Cities. In addition to his many civic contributions, he was named Retailer of the Year as owner of Hallmark stores in North Texas.
Harold R. Cates, CPM, SPHR, has served as the human resources director for the City of Midlothian since 2003. He has implemented numerous human resource programs that have contained health care costs, reduced employee turnover, and improved employee productivity. Harold is the city’s risk manager and assists the city manager with writing press releases and proclamations for the city council. From 2001 to 2002, Harold worked as the director of human resources for the City of Southlake before accepting a position with The Waters Consulting Group, Inc., as a senior consultant. From 1998 to 2000, Harold worked as the senior vice president, director of human resources for First National Bank Texas and updated the human resource function during the bank’s statewide expansion. From 1994 to 1998, Harold worked at the City of Killeen as the director of human resources and as the civil service director. There he updated and implemented numerous human resource programs. From 1991 to 1994, he worked with the Texas Workforce Commission as a recruiter and as an assistant supervisor. Harold graduated from Central Texas College with an A.S. in mathematics and attended Texas A&M University, where he received his B.A. in economics in 1989. In 1993, Harold received his M.B.A. from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. In 2002, Harold passed the exam for the Senior Professional in Human Resources. In 2007, he received his Certified Public Manager certification at the University of Texas at Arlington and is currently completing his Certified Labor Relations Professional Certification (CLRP) through the National Public Employer Labor Relations Association (NPELRA).
Michael A. (Mike) Conduff is the president and CEO of The Elim Group – YourGovernance Experts, a governance, leadership, training, speaking, and consulting firm. Mike has 30-plus years of leadership, management, and governance experience, having served as the city manager of four different university communities, and most recently as the city manager of Denton, Texas. Denton is the home of The University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University. Located in the dynamic North Texas Corridor, Denton is an innovative and rapidly growing community of 120,000. Prior to assuming the city manager’s position in Denton in May 2001, Mike was a nine-year city manager of Bryan, Texas, a 1998 and 1999 All-America City Finalist and the birthplace of Texas A&M University. Before he came to Texas, Mike served as city manager in Manhattan, Kansas, home of Kansas State University, for five years. He also served as city manager of Pittsburg, Kansas, home of Pittsburg State University, for 5½ years.
Mr. Conduff earned his B.S. in civil engineering at the University of New Hampshire, graduating Cum Laude. His M.B.A. is from Pittsburg State University. He is also a charter graduate of the Carver Policy Governance® Academy and is a past chair of the Board of Directors of the International Policy Governance® Association. Mike’s clients have included the International City/County Management Association, The National League of Cities Leadership Training Institute, The National Committee on Planned Giving, The Community Associations Institute, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, and many, many cities, associations, and other non-profit and forprofit corporations. In addition to The OnTarget Board Member – 8 Indisputable Behaviors, now in its second edition, he is the co-author of Bottom Line Green – How America’s Cities are Saving the Planet (And Money Too!), The Policy Governance® Fieldbook, a book on the practical applications of Policy Governance®, and is the author of The Half-Naked Fire Ant Buck and Other Stories of the Wild. Additionally, he has published numerous articles in national publications. He is a sought-after and frequent speaker at professional and civic events.
Mr. Conduff is a Fellow of the prestigious National Academy of Public Administration, a member of Who’s Who Worldwide, and a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International. He has been honored with the 2006 TCMA Mentoring Award in Memory of Gary Gwyn, the 2004 International Award for Career Development in Memory of L. P. (Perry) Cookingham from ICMA, and the especially meaningful Joy Sansom Mentor Award from the Urban Management Assistants of North Texas for his commitment to helping others achieve their potential. The Center for Digital Government has awarded Mike its coveted “Best of Texas 2004 Visionary Award.”
A fifth generation Native American, Mike grew up on stories of his Cherokee ancestry and attributes his love of motivational speaking and telling stories to his grandmothers. A graduate of the 1988 Leadership Kansas Class, Mr. Conduff is active in a number of professional and civic organizations. He serves on the Athletic Council for the University of North Texas. He is a full member and past president of the Texas City Management Association. He was one of the first credentialed members of the International City/County Management Association and served on its International Executive Board. He also served six years on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Association of City/County Management, chairing the Ethics Committee and holding all the statewide offices, including president of the association. He is a past president of the Kansas Engineering Society; a charter member of the Board of Directors of the Kansas Entrepreneurial Center, located at Kansas State University; and a past member of the Board of Directors of the League of Kansas Municipalities. Mr. Conduff is licensed as a Professional Engineer and a Registered Land Surveyor in the State of Kansas, and he served eight years on the Kansas State Board of Technical Professions, twice as chairman of the Engineering Section and twice as chair
Mike practices what he preaches while chairing and serving on a number of Boards himself. He says, “In my experience, people who give of their time and energy to serve on a Board are unbelievably caring individuals doing their absolute best to make a difference. My passion is to provide the leadership and training to give them the tools and insights they need to be successful."
Ronald E. Cox is the founder and principal of Ron Cox Consulting. The firm specializes in municipal consulting services, including strategic planning with elected officials and professional staff, staff development, executive recruitment, and advice on many different day-to-day management issues.
Mr. Cox has an extensive background in the governmental arena, starting in 1972 with the Brazos Valley Development Council in Bryan, as well as the East Texas Council of Governments in Kilgore. He served as city manager for four different Texas cities, beginning in 1978 in Rusk, Center, Kilgore, and ending in 2006 in Friendswood. In his 36 years in local government, Ron also served twice on the board of directors of the Texas City Management Association and served as its president in 1997-98. He served on the board of directors of the Texas Municipal Retirement System and the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool. In 2005, Ron was awarded TCMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, an exceptional honor. He received a bachelor of science degree from Abilene Christian University in 1972 and a master of arts degree from the University of Texas at Tyler in 1981.
Anne Culver is the executive vice president of Scenic Texas, a non-profit organization with a mission to eliminate visual blight, because all Texans are entitled to green, uncluttered, visually appealing views in their cities. Scenic Texas, which is the oldest and largest affiliate of Scenic America, promotes sign control, billboard reduction, freeway landscaping, scenic byway development, and enhanced design standards for public projects.
Anne has spent 30 years working in public policy and government affairs. Prior to coming to Scenic Texas, she held senior government relations positions with the Greater Houston Partnership and the Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has a law degree from the South Texas College of Law. Anne is married and has two children in high school.
Richard (Buzz) David, CEcD, joined the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) in July 2004 as its president and CEO.
Buzz has more than 25 years of experience in economic development in the private and public sectors. Prior to his move to Amarillo, Buzz served as the director of economic development for Pinellas County, Florida; held a number of management positions during a 15-year career with Florida Power Corporation; and worked in economic development agencies with the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida.
Buzz is a graduate of the University of South Florida with majors in business administration and political science. He is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). He was selected as the “Eunice Sullivan Economic Development Professional of the Year” in 2004 by the Florida Economic Development Council.
He holds memberships in CoreNet Global, Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC), International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC), Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC), High Ground of Texas, and is past-chairman of the Florida Economic Development Council. Buzz also serves on the boards of the Amarillo Entrepreneur Alliance, Texas Economic Development Corporation, and the Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor.
Lisa Dvorak is the assistant chief of police for the San Marcos Police Department. She is a 31-year veteran of the department. Starting as a dispatcher, Chief Dvorak has risen through the ranks and is now responsible for the patrol, criminal investigations, foot and bike, motorcycle, and mental health units. She is a graduate of Texas State University and the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute. In 2007, Chief Dvorak took on the challenge of mending strained town and gown relations between student and non-student residents using effective problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and community involvement.
Dr. Randy Garner is a professor of behavioral sciences and former associate dean in the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University. He holds a B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. in psychology, with specialization in the area of social psychology, and a doctoral minor in organizational behavior and management. Dr. Garner was the founding director of the Texas Regional Community Policing Institute (TRCPI) and served as the executive director of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) before his appointment as associate dean. Prior to coming to SHSU, Dr. Garner was the associate director of behavioral medicine at the University of Houston.
Dr. Garner has received numerous academic awards and honors, including the Excellence in Educational Instruction award in 2006, the University of Houston’s 2005-2006 Distinguished Alumni Award (the highest honor the association and the University can bestow upon an alumnus), and the Social Psychologist in Texas award in 2004.
Dr. Garner has authored numerous books and professional publications with particular emphasis in the areas of social influence, persuasion, and leadership. His latest book, Criticism Management: How to More Effectively Give, Receive, and Seek Criticism in Our Lives has been adopted by command colleges, leadership courses, and communication programs across the country. Additionally, Dr. Garner is the editor-in-chief of Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, academic journal that examines the social and psychological aspects of human behavior as related to applied societal and criminal justice settings.
Prior to moving into academia, Dr. Garner began his 30 years of law enforcement service in 1976 and has worked in all divisions and levels of command. He was appointed as the chief of police for a Houston-area agency in the mid 1980s, where he was active in a variety of national, state, and local law enforcement organizations. Dr. Garner has taught with or is a graduate of all the major police command colleges in the country, including the F.B.I. National Academy, the Graduate Management Institute, the Leadership and Command College (LEMIT), the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration, and the Southern Police Institute (University of Louisville).
Dr. Garner remains active in a number of community service organizations and serves on various civic boards and committees. Professional affiliations include the Social Psychologists in Texas, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the American Psychological Association. In his spare time, Dr. Garner is an instrument-rated commercial pilot and is an FAA Certified Flight Instructor.
David Gavia joined Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) as general counsel in 2001 and remained in that position until August 2009, when he was named acting executive director. Prior to his employment at TMRS, he worked as assistant general counsel in the benefits/tax area for the Employees Retirement System of Texas. David received his bachelor of science degree in business administration from Trinity University in San Antonio and his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. David is a member of the National Association of Public Pension Plan Attorneys. He is also a Certified Public Accountant and worked for a national accounting firm before entering law school.
Nancy Goerdel is the acting chief investment officer, director of public investments and asset allocation for the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). Ms. Goerdel joined TMRS in 1998 as investment officer to assist with the management of the organization’s all-fixed income allocation. She was instrumental in moving TMRS to a total return objective and involved in the initial diversification efforts. Prior to joining TMRS, Nancy worked as chief investment officer of the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System and as deputy director for investments at Employees Retirement System of Texas. Nancy received her bachelor of science degree from Stephen F. Austin University and has completed Level 1 of the Certified Financial Analyst program.
Will Hampton has been the City of Round Rock’s communication director since March 1998. During Will’s tenure, the city has won communications and marketing awards from TAMIO, 3CMA, and the National Association of Government Webmasters. Prior to joining the city, he worked as a journalist for newspapers in Round Rock, Galveston, and Bay City. He earned his bachelor of journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin.
Bob Hart is a graduate of Baylor University with a B.S. degree and an M.P.A. degree from the University of North Texas. He has served as city manager of Kennedale since March 2007 and has served as city manager in five other Texas cities: Georgetown, Huntsville, Pampa, Sweetwater, and Sundown. Bob also served as president of the Innovation Groups (IG), leading the organization to its transformation to the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).
He is also active in the Texas City Management Association and the International City/County Management Association, and he is a credentialed manager. He serves on the Accreditation Council of the American Public Works Association and the Public Administration Advisory Board of the University of North Texas.
Dave Ivan conducts the community and economic development programs for Michigan State University Extension in East Lansing, Michigan. He is a frequent guest lecturer on small town success with state municipal associations and at other regional small town conferences. Ivan has conducted previous research on community sustainability, including a 2002 USDA Fund for Rural America project titled “Small Town Success Strategies.” He serves as a member of the Michigan State economic development, community development, and land use area of expertise teams, and he is a statewide trainer with the Michigan Economic Developers Association. His seminar topics have included community sustainability, downtown development strategies, and community entrepreneurship strategies.
Reed Iwami is a graduate of the University of Utah with a B.S. degree in business finance. Over the past 25 years, he was involved with a number of Fortune 500 companies as one of their executive officers. These companies include The Southland Corporation, The McLane Company, and MarketFare Foods.
Most recently, as president of World Web Resources, he is involved with both public and private sector companies, helping them better market themselves to their respective targeted demographics.
Barbara Lewis is president of Catalyst, Inc., which specializes in creative approaches for participatory planning. With 25 years of experience in facilitating community engagement, Barbara is best known for her creativity in engaging communities in local/regional decision-making. She served as project leader for the internationally recognized, award-winning “Focus on Longmont” project, an appreciative inquiry (AI)-based community planning process for the City of Longmont, Colorado. Other AI clients have included Pierce County, Washington, and the Chambers Creek Properties; the Town of Buckeye, Arizona; the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority; and the United Methodist Regional Conference. Barbara is a master trainer with the International Association for Public Participation and co-author of the organization’s training in public participation techniques. She is also the author of the article “Appreciative Inquiry as Community Engagement” in the December 2007 newsletter for the International Association for Public Participation.
Michelle López is the associate director for student development and retention in the Campus Activities and Student Organizations office of the LBJ Student Center at Texas State University. She is an alumna of Texas State from 1996, having received her M.Ed. in counseling and guidance, with an emphasis in student affairs. Her experience in higher education has included management roles in the areas of campus activities, leadership development, Greek life, cultural programming, college union administration, and residence life. Ms. López is also actively involved in her community, serving as the District 1 representative to the Kyle City Council and current mayor pro tem.
Vicki Braglio Luther is the co-director of the Heartland Center for Leadership Development and has worked in the area of rural and community development for more than 30 years. She develops training programs for community leaders and designs programs to increase citizen participation in both the public and private sectors. A cum laude graduate of Marywood College, she received a master’s degree in cultural change from Central Washington University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Gonzaga University. Dr. Luther is a recipient of the International Community Development Society Achievement Award and is a graduate of the Master Class for Leadership Educators at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. In 2004, she was a Fellow at the International Women in Democracy seminar in Salzburg, Austria.
As the author of many training materials for the Heartland Center, her most recent publications include Your Field Guide to Community Development (2003) and Energizing Entrepreneurs: Charting a Course for Rural Communities (2005).
Dr. Luther lives and works in Kerrville, where she staffs a field office for the Heartland Center. Locally, she serves on the boards of the Friends of the Library and Families and Literacy, Inc.
Regina L. Morales has been a Fort Bend County resident for more than 15 years. She is the director of economic development for the City of Sugar Land. Past economic development professional experience includes the president/CEO of the Katy Area Economic Development Council, economic development director for the City of Rosenberg, and vice president of development for the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council.
Some of the notable economic development projects Ms. Morales has been involved in are site location assistance and incentive facilitation for the Brazos Valley Energy Electric generating plant; Bison Building Materials Distribution facility; relocation of the Canadian company, Computalog; Bechtel Equipment Operations relocation; Tramontina USA expansions, III, IV, V; Accredo Packaging Inc. manufacturing and distribution facility; and Spirra Pharmaceuticals. Specialty economic development projects include development and implementation of GIS as a site assistance economic development tool; interactive available property databases; and tourism, corporate airport, and retail branded marketing programs.
Ms. Morales received certifications for economic development from Texas A&M Extension Service for Economic Development and the Economic Development Institute (EDI) at the University of Oklahoma. She holds a bachelor of science degree in business management from the University of Phoenix. Currently, she is a CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) candidate.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Scenic Houston, the Gulf Coast Economic Development District, and the Texas Economic Development Council.
Brian Muir, president of the James Madison Group, has more than 16 years of training and organizational development experience in both the private and public sectors. In the private sector, he built and managed very productive and profitable international customer service and management teams working for Equis International, a division of Reuters Ltd (RTRSY).
Seeing a need in the public sector for more training and services that address local government’s unique challenges, he founded The James Madison Group in 2002. His six years of training and consulting with public organizations and his four years of first-hand local government experience on the North Salt Lake City Council (one year as mayor pro tem) uniquely qualify him to develop and provide specialized public sector training and services.
Brian has worked closely with all organizational levels, including elected leaders, upper management teams, supervisors, and front-line staff. His goal is to continually develop the company curriculum and services through ongoing research, so that his customers will have innovative solutions to the complex personnel and organizational challenges they face.
Brian graduated with high distinction with a master of public administration degree and a B.A. degree in English literature from Brigham Young University. Brian grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho, as the eldest of 12 children. He and his wife Michelle Cole Muir of Lander, Wyoming, have four children (two sons and two daughters).
Lisa Norris is the human resources/civil service director for the City of Grand Prairie. Lisa has worked at the City of Grand Prairie since September 1996. She was the human resources manager until March 2006, when she was promoted to human resources director. While working in Grand Prairie, she has partnered with departments to implement new and valuable human resource programs, including WOW! (Working on Wellness!), city-wide recognition events like the employee banquet, quarter-century club and Employee of the Month, Grand Prairie Management Academy, New Employee Orientation, and i-LEAD, a mentoring and development program for employees desiring to be strong future leaders in public sector. Her efforts focus on a spirit of cooperation with employees and managers to make Grand Prairie a better place to live, work, and play. Prior to serving Grand Prairie, she worked for two years at the City of Carrollton and four years in the private sector at Electronic Data Systems (EDS).
Lisa graduated from Baylor University with a B.S. degree in education and a health minor. Her other full-time job is being a mother of three teenagers, all in high school and select sports. Thank goodness, she loves the work involved with both jobs.
Carla Pendergraft is the owner of Carla Pendergraft Associates, an award-winning Web design company based in Waco that was named “Best Web Development Consulting Firm” by the Waco Ad Club for four years, from 2004-2007. She has been working with HTML and Web pages since 1998 and has 16 years of experience with marketing, promotions, and technology. She started her company in February 2000.
Carla obtained an M.B.A. degree from Texas State University in 1987 and graduated with a B.A. in 1981 from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Carla has been chairman of the Texas State Technical College Webmaster Technology Advisory Committee since 2006.
Carla wrote “Five Important Technologies for Festivals and Events,” published in the International Festival and Events Association’s international magazine. She conducted an all-day training seminar for festival and event Webmasters at the International Festivals and Events convention in Ottawa, Canada, and she speaks around the state of Texas for various audiences, such as economic development professionals, festival and event managers, and chambers of commerce.
Over the past 20 years, Bryan Scott has been involved with several small to mid-sized companies as their vice president of sales and chief operation officer, helping separate themselves from the competition.
Most recently, as vice president of business development for World Web Resources, he is primarily involved with helping companies build an effective brand campaign.
Gayle Sims has been the director of human resources/civil service for the City of Waxahachie since 2000. She has more than 25 years experience in human resource management, having previously worked in the private sector. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and her master’s degree from Dallas Baptist University. She is a member of the Ellis County Personnel Association, where she served as the vice president and president, and the Texas Municipal Human Resources Association, where she served on the Board of Directors. She is currently a TMLI Employee Benefit Pool Board member. She is married to Alan Sims, who is the city manager for the City of Cedar Hill.
Joanne H. Smith, Ph.D., has been at Texas State University for more than 18 years in the capacities of director of housing and residence life and associate vice president for Student Affairs. She is currently the vice president for Student Affairs. She has been a mentor to both students and staff since she arrived at Texas State. Her primary focus is student retention and developing a culture of care within the Texas State community. She earned her doctorate degree in student affairs administration from Kansas State University.
Susan Smith joined the TML Intergovernmental Employee Benefits Pool in 1994 and developed the Pool’s Provider Network, bringing managed care options to our members. The Pool restructured into a team environment in 1996, and Susan served as central team manager. In 1997, Susan assumed the position of director of member services over all three teams. In this position, she managed the teams operations, maintained the Provider Network, and directed the marketing effort for the organization. In September 2000, Susan was appointed as the executive director. Since then, she has successfully taken innovative measures to manage the cost of health care for the TML IEBP membership. Among her achievements are the partnering with other Texas political subdivisions to form the Public Employer Benefit Alliance and establishing an alliance with United Healthcare in accessing the United Healthcare Options PPO Network.
Susan has been on both sides of health care, developing provider networks as well as hospital administration. Her multifaceted expertise in the health care industry includes being a hospital administrator and executive director of three Houston-based hospitals. Prior to joining the Pool, Susan was chief executive officer at Integrated Management Services, Inc., where she developed a Houston-based provider network that contracted with a management service organization for infrastructure management. As executive director of Baywood Hospital, she was responsible for hospital expansion, as well as acquiring accreditation for a private school.
Susan has a B.A. from the University of Texas and a master’s degree from the University of Houston. She was born in El Paso, Texas, graduated from Monahans High School, and lives in Austin.
James Thurmond is the director of the M.P.A. program at the University of Houston and also serves as a clinical professor at the university. He received his Ph.D. in political science and public administration from the University of Houston, his master of public affairs degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and his B.A. degree in political science and economics from Texas A&M University.
James retired from city government in 2003 after 30 years. His experience in city government includes serving as city manager for the cities of Cleveland, Uvalde, and Missouri City; and management analyst and director of community development with the City of Denison. He spent two years in the U.S. Army, including 14 months in Vietnam.
James is a member of the American Society for Public Administration and National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, a Life member of the Texas City Management Association, and a Life member of the International City/County Management Association.
James’ relevant work honors and recognitions include serving as president of the Texas City Management Association from 1995-96 and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas City Management Association in 2003.
Joe Vining is the senior vice president for the Round Rock Economic Development Partnership and is responsible for leading their overall effort. He was formerly the executive director of community development for the City of Round Rock and spent more than 25 years coordinating the incredible growth of this Central Texas community.
Joe has both a bachelor of arts degree in government and a master of science degree in community and regional planning from the University of Texas at Austin. He has also been recognized as a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners, their highest honor.
Amy Wetzel is the senior vice president of Buxton’s CommunityID® Division Western Region. Amy brings more than 18 years of marketing, retail, and business development experience to her position. Prior to joining Buxton, Amy held positions with the Colleyville (Texas) Chamber of Commerce, Baylor Health Care System, and Andersen. Amy has worked with numerous communities to establish or enhance their retail recruitment and retention strategies and has been a featured presenter at many organizations, including the Texas Municipal League, the Urban Land Institute, the National League of Cities, and the League of California Cities. She is a member of the Texas Municipal League, the California Association of Local Economic Developers, the California Redevelopment Association, and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Amy has won a number of awards, including being named a “Great Women of Texas, Woman of Influence” by the Fort Worth Business Press. She is also a past board member of Junior Achievement. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Baylor University.
Greg Wortham is executive director of the Great Plains Energy Alliance, the Southwest Energy Coalition, and the Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse. He is president of New Amsterdam Wind Source LLC, a renewable energy consulting firm. In May 2007, Greg was elected mayor of Sweetwater, Texas—the Wind Energy Capital of the Americas and America’s Energy Solutions Center.
Greg’s experience includes almost 30 years in energy business, rural development, legislative action, public relations, and energy and environmental policy. A 1979 graduate of Sweetwater High School, he has worked for the region as a staff member at the City of Sweetwater, the Texas House of Representatives, the Texas Senate, and the U.S. Congress.
From 1989 through 2004, Greg worked for electric cooperatives in various capacities at the national level, in Texas, and in New York City. He served as senior corporate counsel at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association from 1995-1998, serving almost 30 million Americans who own the nation’s 1,000 rural electric cooperatives. Greg also served as general manager of a New York City-based energy services cooperative from 1998 through 2004. Greg supervised daily operations of a diversified entity that was a competitive retail electricity supplier, petroleum products marketing company, active energy efficiency innovator, renewable energy retailer, New York City power plant developer, and a leading New York recovery advocate.
His rural development experience includes development of the “Rural Resource Team” concept in Fisher County, Texas, in 1987. The Rural Resource Team approach continues to be used throughout the U.S. to maximize the synergy between an area’s local resources and the outside resources that a community can call upon. He served as a rural development specialist for Big Country Electric Co-Op in Texas in 1989. He also directed an innovative public-private partnership to save five Texas historical parks in 1993.
As a lawyer, Greg has practiced energy, administrative, and legislative law in the Washington, D.C., offices of Los Angeles-based Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker and Atlanta-based Sutherland Asbill & Brennan. His legal experience has included active participation in the development of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, continuing Congressional debates on energy legislation, evolution of competitive wholesale and retail markets, and advancement of the Texas wind industry. Greg is licensed to practice law in Texas, the District of Columbia, and before the United States Supreme Court.
Wortham earned his B.A. from Rice University magna cum laude with a double major in political science (honors) and policy studies (energy and environmental policy). He earned his J.D. (with honors) from The School of Law at The University of Texas in 1990, graduating simultaneously with a master of public affairs degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas.
Greg also worked as a public relations aide in the National Football League from 1979 to 1982 for the Houston Oilers and the New Orleans Saints and was a Congressional intern after his freshman year in college.
Randy Wright has served as Portland’s director of public safety and chief of police for the last 14 years. He has more than 30 years experience in city government, with 18 of those years as the chief of police in two cities. In his role as public safety director, he has responsibility for all information technology within the city.
Randy holds a B.B.A. in business and an M.B.A. in business management. He is a licensed Master Peace Officer and Police Instructor. He is also a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Randy is a member, and has served as the chairman, of the Coastal Bend Public Protection Committee. He also serves on the board of directors for the Coastal Bend Law Enforcement Alliance. He is a member of the Texas Police Chiefs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Texas City Management Association. He is also a member and past president of the Portland Rotary Club.
Both he and his wife Polly grew up in the Coastal Bend. Both are graduates of Gregory-Portland High School. Polly is the utility billing director for the City of Portland. Randy has two married children, Kimberly and Christopher, as well as four grandchildren.
Steven Wright is a graphic facilitator. He blends his group facilitation skills and large format visual planning techniques to guide non-profit groups and corporate teams through high level creative explorations, process and product development, and strategic visioning efforts. His consulting business is based in Seattle, Washington, and he works all over North America and internationally (eight countries in 2008). He is also a senior consultant for the Grove Consultants International in San Francisco, California. Prior to graphic facilitation, Steven worked for 15 years as a landscape architect designing public park, recreation, and urban facilities, as well as trail systems, throughout the Western United States. This work honed his ability to design and lead collaborative group efforts and public input processes. Steven also brings his landscape architecture and engineering training into his graphic facilitation when he leads system-wide sustainable development and new venture explorations.
Carol Zolnerowich serves as deputy city manager for the City of Mesquite, a position she has held since 1995. In this capacity, she has operational responsibility for the public works, human resources, information technology, finance, community development, and housing and community services departments. In addition, she supervises the communications, marketing, and tourism and arts divisions of the city. Prior to her current position, she held positions as assistant city manager and assistant to the city manager in Mesquite, and she worked for the City of Lubbock as an administrative assistant in the city manager’s office. Carol attended Texas Tech University, where she received a BA in political science and a master of public administration degree.
Carol is active in the Mesquite community and is currently president-elect of the Mesquite Service League. She serves as a board member for the MISD Education Foundation, the Historic Mesquite Foundation, the Mesquite Arts Council and Mesquite Youth Services, Inc., and is a member of the Community Education Advisory Council. In 2006-07, Carol held the position of Tomahawk District chairman for the Circle Ten Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
In 2002, Carol was a nominee for Mesquite Social Services’ W.I.S.E. award and, in 1998, was awarded the “Book of Golden Deeds” award from the Mesquite Exchange Club. The Center for Public Service at Texas Tech University has recognized her as one of its Distinguished Alumni. Carol is also active in her church, St. Stephen United Methodist Church. She and her husband Tom are the proud parents of an eighth-grade son, Alexander.
