COLLEGE STATION—At its meeting on May 25, The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved several organizational changes and appointments recommended by Chancellor Michael D. McKinney, M.D.
The actions include re-establishing the position of deputy chancellor and naming Jay T. Kimbrough, who was formerly deputy general counsel, to the position. The Board also voted to revise the reporting structure for the vice chancellor for agriculture and life sciences, Dr. Elsa Murano; the vice chancellor for engineering, Dr. G. Kemble Bennett; and the directors of the A&M System’s seven agricultural and engineering state agencies.
“These organizational changes clarify and expand some important reporting relationships and will help us more effectively fulfill our missions of teaching, research and service for all Texans,” said McKinney. “Agriculture and engineering are core units of excellence for us, and Dr. Murano and Dr. Bennett will help us expand our Systemwide initiatives in these key areas.”
Regarding the deputy chancellor appointment, McKinney said, “Jay Kimbrough has a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors in managing a variety of administrative and legal issues and in counseling agencies and public officials. Given his strong leadership and legal credentials, combined with his solid experience in Texas government and public service, he is uniquely qualified to serve the A&M System well in his new role as deputy chancellor.”
As the second-in-command to the A&M System chancellor, Kimbrough will provide leadership and strategic direction on multiple levels. His duties as deputy chancellor will include working to establish and implement Systemwide initiatives, including oversight of the following A&M System functions: Policy Implementation and Compliance, General Counsel, Human Resources (including Equal Opportunity), Real Estate, Aircraft, Training, and Special Projects. Since July 2006, he has served as the A&M System’s deputy general counsel.
Drs. Murano and Bennett will have increased oversight of agencies that previously reported directly to the chancellor. The directors of the following agencies will now report to Murano: Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (TAES), Texas Cooperative Extension (TCE), Texas Forest Service (TFS), and Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL). The directors of the following agencies will now report to Bennett: Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and Texas Transportation Institute (TTI).
In addition to their vice chancellor positions, Murano currently serves as director of TAES and Bennett as director of TEES. New directors of these two agencies will be appointed in order for Bennett and Murano to fulfill their expanded roles.
The Board today named Dr. K. Lee Peddicord as the sole finalist for director of TEES and Dr. Mark Hussey as the interim director and sole finalist for director of TAES.
Peddicord, the sole finalist for director of TEES, will manage the 852-employee agency, which is a partnership of institutions, industries and communities working to strengthen engineering research and development across the state. With $125 million in funding supporting more than 3,400 research projects, TEES seeks to improve the quality of life, promote economic development and enhance the educational systems of Texas.
Peddicord has served in numerous leadership roles with both the A&M System and Texas A&M University, where he headed the Department of Nuclear Engineering and is a longtime professor. He is leading the development and implementation of a new Nuclear Power Institute. Peddicord currently serves as vice chancellor for research and federal relations for the A&M System, a position that will be eliminated in the reorganization. The research function of that office will be moved to the A&M System Office of Academic Affairs, and the federal relations function will be moved to the Office of Technology Commercialization, with emphasis on collaborative interactions.
Dr. Mark Hussey, the new interim director and sole finalist for director of TAES, will manage the 1,600-employee agency dedicated to research and technology development in food, agriculture and natural resources. With $193 million in funding dedicated to 530 research projects, TAES collaborates with more than 30 countries to strengthen the state’s position in the world market and help other countries meet their agricultural needs.
Hussey formerly served as the associate director of programs for TAES with oversight of developing agency objectives, progress, and unit- and commodity-specific strategic plans. He is a professor and former head of the Department of Soil & Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University.
In other organizational changes, the board appointed Dr. William Dugas as the new deputy director of TAES. Dugas previously served as the associate director of operations for TAES with oversight of the agency’s administrative functions. He is a faculty member and former director of the agency’s Blackland Research and Extension Center.
Additionally, A&M System General Counsel Cullen “Mike” Godfrey, who previously reported to the Board of Regents, will now report directly to the chancellor. His title has been changed to vice chancellor and general counsel. Chancellor McKinney noted this revised reporting relationship more closely reflects the standard governance model for organizations in which all administrative officers report to the CEO. The board also eliminated the position of vice chancellor for administration.
The appointments of Kimbrough, Godfrey and Dugas were effective immediately. The Board of Regents may consider the appointments of Peddicord and Hussey after the 21 days required by state law for public notice of the appointment with the Texas Secretary of State.
Bios and an updated organizational chart can be found at the website. 