Public member of Permian Basin Workforce Development Board for Midland / Odessa area.Focused on investing for the future through jobs and training.

Directly manages Civil Rights Division with responsibility for all operations. The CRD acts as a FHAP and investigates Fair Housing Act issues and works in concert with our federal partner, HUD. The CRD also acts as FEEPA and investigates employment discrimination issues and works in concert with our federal parter, EEOC. The CRD also offers a robust outreach, compliance and resolutions program that extends across the State of Texas to ensure effective visibility, training, monitoring and enforcement of all applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

Directly manages Civil Rights Division with responsibility for operation involving civil rights for the State of Texas.

Directly manages activities of Training and Monitoring Section.Assists the director in the oversight of the Fair Housing and Equal Employment Sections.Oversees the establishment of strategic goals and objectives; develops and approves schedules, priorities, and standards for achieving goals and objectives; and manages evaluation activities.Oversees the development of guideline, procedures, policies, rules and regulations and monitors compliance with policies and procedures.Oversee the development, review, revision, and implementation of legislation.Oversees the preparation of management and productivity reports and studies.Oversees special investigations, research studies and internal audits.Manages programs for continuous improvment, implementation of Lean, Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints.

Leads and assists the TWC Commissioner for the Public in establishing the strategic plans, goals and objectives including the Commissioner's vision for distributed leadership and strategic governance and agency oversight; Leader for commission office rapid process improvement utilizing Six Sigma, Lean and Constraints Theory. Establishes priorities, standards, and measurement tools for determining progress in meeting goals; coordinating and evaluating program activities; and reviewing and approving strategic plans in each programmatic area. Plans, assigns, and supervises the work of others. Uses extensive latitude to direct and lead the use of initiative and independent judgment to achieve innovative solutions. Responsible for review and recommendations on tax, unemployment insurance, wage claim and fair housing administrative matters before the Commission. Reviews, analyzes and guides policy for 28 local partner workforce boards. Coordinates and assists tri-agency partnership between Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and TWC. Provides input and analysis on policy involving vocational rehabilitation, veteran’s services and adult education literacy. Managed and coordinated first ever commission office staff retreat. Spearheaded efforts to transition to paperless office. Team leader for childcare initiatives - including review of legislative and policy to expand childcare access and quality. Team leader for veteran’s initiatives - attended White House conference Supporting Veterans and Military Families through State and Federal Partnership. Attended, supported and recruited for TWC at Red White and You Veteran Job Fair for Vets. Drafts, reviews and analyzes contracts for services and materials, inter-agency contracts and MOUs. Provides legal analysis on contracts in litigation and recommend potential pathways for resolution. Provides policy and legislative analysis contextualizing for litigation risk and political realities.

Provided guidance and input to navigate regulatory hurdles. Regularly reviewed financial reports to evaluate operating strategy and implementation steps to grow the number of subscribers and increase operating revenue. Collaborated with team members to drive innovative solutions to business areas that required breakout solutions.

The Texas Legislature established the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) in 1907. The agency's key objectives are to promote production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development and healthy living. TDA is a diversified state agency that provides value-added services through our regulatory and marketing and initiatives. TDA is headquartered in Austin and has five regional service offices, two sub-offices, three laboratories and five livestock export facilities.TDA’s mission is to partner with all Texans to make Texas the nation's leader in agriculture, fortify our economy, empower rural communities, promote healthy lifestyles, and cultivate winning strategies for rural, suburban and urban Texas through exceptional service and the common threads of agriculture in our daily lives.

Legal advisor to Structural Pest Ccontrol Service Advisory Board / Program Staff for Agricultural Pest Control, Seed Quality and Grain Warehouse; Cleared backlog of criminal background reviews for SPCS and Ag Pest – conducted multiple licensing hearings in rapid succession; Reduced the clearance time for criminal background checks from 45 days to 1 – 3 days. Drafted Requests for Proposals, negotiated, and renegotiated legal services contracts for TDA; Right-sized contracts - resulting in $10k saved annually. Identified licensing deficiency – employed automated background system resulting in savings of $20k per year in costs. Procured enhanced review system utilized to identify individuals with out-of-state criminal history; identified a public sex offender. Drafted, reviewed, and enacted Inter-Agency Contracts – coordinating with Texas Tech Univ., Dept. of Public Safety, and Health and Human Services among other agencies. Planned, created and conducted state-wide training for Dept. staff in various program activities; achieve 10% better compliance rates. Conducted legal discussion for Environmental Pest Control Region 6 on effective and efficient enforcement for lawn and ornamental pests.

Advises the Board on all legal matters. Advises the Executive Director on all legal matters.Works with the Office of the Attorney General on agency legal matters. Researches and drafts proposed administrative rules. Researches and interprets statutes, rules, regulations, codes and administrative records and analyzes their applicability in specific fact situations. Reviews cases complied by the Enforcement Department staff and advises investigators regarding evidentiary analysis and avenues of investigation to be pursued, and provides guidance to all Enforcement staff regarding statutes, rules and enforcement policies. Works with Enforcement Director to negotiate settlements of enforcement cases. Presents cases to Enforcement Committee in informal settlement conferences. Represents the TBCE in the formal prosecution of cases in administrative hearings before the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH); Presents the testimony of witnesses and documentary evidence in accordance with the Texas Rules of Evidence, and makes legally-sound oral arguments. Prepares or supervises the preparation of all legal paperwork necessary in regard to presenting cases to the Enforcement Committee, to SOAH and other legal venues, including preparing or supervising the preparation of notices of alleged violation, notices of hearings, letters of proposed license denial or other disciplinary actions, agreed orders, case closing letters, depositions, and other appropriate legal documents and correspondence related to enforcement or eligibility cases. Prepares exceptions to Proposals to Decisions as needed and presents oral argument on contested cases to the Board. Advises the Licensing Department on eligibility and other licensing issues.

Successfully defended former State of Texas public official in a federal court lawsuit alleging civil rights violations and seeking more than $1M in damages. Matter resolved when the Court granted both the Motion to Dismiss and the Dispositive Motion on Qualified Immunity.Prepares and handles lawsuits involving but not limited to, tort claims workers' compensation, contract claims, ethics violations, enforcement and promulgation of legislation and regulations for multiple state agencies in both State and Federal Court.Serves as the General Counsel to the University Interscholastic League, a Division of the University of Texas System. Advises at State Executive Committees and performs litigation defense in matters that arise from UIL actions. Successfully concluded three actions on behalf of the UIL prior to trial with authoritative litigation postures. Handles a case docket containing approximately 800 civil matters at various stages of litigation from administrative through appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.Conducts, schedules, and reviews depositions, discovery, mediation and other litigation initiatives to resolve, position and successfully obtain conclusion of disputes.Analyzes complex factual and legal issues and develops petitions, motions, pleadings, orders, briefs, memoranda and all other legal documents necessary to litigate a matter to conclusion.Prepare and takes cases to trial, acts as lead and supporting counsel.Prepares all necessary appellate work, including legal research, brief writing and oral arguments before all State and Federal Apellate Courts.Maintains knowledge of the various rules, guidelines and regulations affecting each client agency. Prepares memoranda advising the agency of the impact and suggesting potential positions to mitigate negative consequences.

Assist Attorney General in representing the State of Texas in enforcement, regulatory and compliance actions.

Munck Carter, is a technology focused boutique law firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with a branch office in Marshall, Texas. The Firm provides full-service counsel to technology companies and other companies that require legal counsel on complex matters. We have a growing team of attorneys who have a passion for technology, complex litigation and transactional law. Munck Carter is uniquely positioned to protect the most important elements of a technology company's success: human capital, intellectual property and business transactions and financing. Our practice areas include: commercial litigation (including commercial insurance and subrogation), intellectual property, corporate and securities, energy litigation and employment.From entrepreneurs and start-up companies to Fortune 50TM corporations, Munck Carter, is focused on serving technology companies and other businesses driven by innovation.

Managed general intellectual property matters. Allocated time, resources, and managed costs associated with patent prosecution. Balanced between prosecution docket and litigation workload. Handled supplemental litigation and / or transactional work via pro-bono cases. Developed and recruit younger associates, and mentored summer associates. Developed client relationships and delivered pitches.Drafted patent opinions for Fortune 500 companies regarding Markman construction and infringement issues. Prepared four patent applications involving the petroleum industry related to chemical, mechanical, and basic electrical technologies. Prosecuted a docket of upwards of 40 patent applications with four to issuance.Participated as a member of the trial team that successfully defended major software company as counter-defendant from countersuit brought by Microsoft; client received a favorable verdict and paid no damages.

Worked in the judge’s chambers with a law clerk, deputy courtroom clerk, and a judicial assistant. Heard all matters of jurisdiction. Presented draft advisory opinions for review and possible adoption by the judge. Directed jury members as instructed by the judge; provided instruction for the efficient disposition of trial. Drafted, reviewed, and researched legal memoranda and orders. Received a ‘Certificate of Record’ for service.Researched substantive law and drafted briefs on issues involving patent construction, trademark infringement, Title VII discrimination and anti-trust claims. Assisted deputy clerk with docket management and scheduling.Drafted memoranda on tax law issues and assisted the court with the appellate review function over courts of bankruptcy.

Attended hearings, mediations, took depositions, filed responses to suits, gathered discovery and performed legal analysis for this insurance defense, general tort, and medical malpractice firm. Interacted with opposing attorneys and court staff.Second-chaired four trials. Successfully defended Trammel Crowe Property Management, Southern Methodist Healthcare, and Rotating Services, Inc.

Drafted four pre-submission memoranda for legal and factual sufficiency review and habeas corpus proceedings.Performed substantive cite reviews, researched issues of statutory construction, case law, and session law.

Attended depositions, meditations, hearings and trials. Prepared demonstrative exhibits, deposition summaries, witness and voir dire outlines.Worked on matters including from ADA compliance, eminent domain and tort liability defense.

Drafted five memoranda of law and advisory opinions regarding patent infringement, trade secret, contract, Title VII and trademark issues under guidance and close scrutiny from judicial law clerks and the judge. Attended Markman hearings. Drafted pre-submission memoranda opinions to resolve patent construction, claim interpretation and settlement agreement resolution with respect to summary judgment.

Diplomatic clearance negotiator for 4,000 U.S. Air Force missions per month in 150 countries. Officer of the Year - Jan 2001 (#1 of 250). Security Classification: Top Secret (updated as of Jan ’01).