West Texas Judge Takes Over Powerful Texas Counties Association

ODESSA, TX -- (Press Release) The Texas Association of Counties Board of Directors this week selected TAC Judicial Program Manager Susan Redford as the Association’s next executive director. Redford will start Jan. 1, 2019, following the retirement of TAC’s Executive Director Gene Terry, who plans to step down at the end of 2018.

Redford, a former Ector County Judge, has served as Judicial Program Manager of TAC’s Judicial Education Program since October 2015. Prior to taking office as county judge in 2007, she served Ector County for six years as an assistant district attorney and for two years as an assistant county attorney.

“I’m honored the TAC Board selected me for this role and thrilled that I will be able to continue to work on behalf of county government and county officials,” Redford said.

While in county office, Redford was active with the Association as a member of the TAC Board of Directors, the chair of the TAC Risk Management Pool Board and a member of the TAC Judicial Education Committee.

“Susan Redford is ideally suited for this job,” Terry said. “She has the experience and skill TAC needs and is a born leader. I expect her to provide an extraordinary future for the Association. She has done a super job on our Judicial Education program and we can rest assured that she will be just as dedicated to her new responsibilities.”

Terry has served as TAC’s executive director since 2010, and was appointed by the Board during the tenure of TAC President Vernon Cook, Roberts County judge.

Terry served as Marion County judge from 1994 to 2004. He served on the County Judges Education Committee before joining TAC in 2004 as an Education Project Manager and Staff Attorney.

In 2007, Terry became TAC Operations Director and then served as Assistant Executive Director for one year before becoming Executive Director in 2010. Terry graduated from Southwestern University and St. Mary’s University School of Law.

The Texas Association of Counties works to help County Judges, Commissioners and other elected officials to improve and enhance County government and service across Texas.  

With the formation of the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) in 1969, Texas counties joined together to improve and promote the value of county government on a statewide basis. TAC is the representative voice for all Texas counties and county officials and, through TAC, counties communicate the county perspective to state officials and the general public.