Gov. Abbott Appoints Three to Texas Tech University System Board

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed two new members and reappointed another member to the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents, his office announced Wednesday.

The new appointees are Christopher M. Huckabee, CEO of Huckabee Architecture, Engineering and Program Management, and Ronnie “Ron” Hammonds, manager and owner of Grason Communities LLC, a Houston-based real estate investment firm.

Reappointed was Mickey Long, who originally was appointed by former Gov. Rick Perry in 2009. Long, who has served as board chair the past two years, is president of Westex/WLP Well Service in Midland.

“We are truly grateful for the reappointment of Chairman Mickey Long and welcome Christopher Huckabee and Ron Hammonds to the Board of Regents of the Texas Tech University System,” Chancellor Robert Duncan said. “Christopher and Ron are both great alumni of Texas Tech University, who have tremendous track records of community service and have been very supportive of their alma mater. We look forward to their support and guidance in the years to come.”

The next TTU System Board of Regents meeting is scheduled for March 5-6 at Angelo State University in San Angelo.

All three appointments, effective Feb. 1, 2015, are subject to Senate confirmation. Regents are appointed for six-year terms by the governor. The terms of two other regents, Nancy Neal of Lubbock and John Walker of Houston, end Jan. 31.

“I want to thank Regent Neal and Regent Walker for their outstanding service,” Duncan said. “I have enjoyed working with both of them and am grateful for the vision and passion they brought to the Texas Tech University System.”

Huckabee, of Fort Worth, is a registered architect in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas and Georgia. He holds National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Certification. He twice was appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and chairs the Agency Operations Committee.

“It has been an honor to serve the State of Texas as a board member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board,” Huckabee said in a statement posted on his company’s website. “I am excited and thrilled to have been nominated by Governor Abbott to serve as a Regent for Texas Tech University. Not only do I have the remarkable opportunity to serve the university that I love, but I am also able to continue my service to the advancement of Texas students, higher education, and ultimately, the future of our great state.”

Huckabee serves on the board of trustees for Cook Children’s Health Foundation and Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth and is chair of the board of directors for the Community Foundation of North Texas. He received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University in 1991. He established the Timothy Terry Memorial Endowed Scholarship for Architectural Students at Texas Tech University in memory of an employee and friend and also established the Huckabee Student Lounge at the university’s College of Architecture.

Hammonds, a native of Cotton Center, founded and managed Hammonds Homes Ltd, which was sold to Meritage Homes in 2002. He is a CPA and has served on the boards of local, state and national homebuilder associations. Hammonds served in the U.S. Army, was a member of the Saddle Tramps organization and graduated from Texas Tech University with an accounting degree.

Long is a member of the Association of Energy Service Companies and the Texas Tech University Hall of Legacy. Prior to being named a regent, he was an active member of the Texas Tech University Foundation, the Angelo State University Alumni Foundation and the Red Raider Club National Board of Directors. Long earned a bachelor’s degree from Angelo State University in 1976.

“During his term as a regent, Chairman Long has provided the Texas Tech University System with strong leadership and has been a loyal supporter of our universities,” Duncan said.

About the Texas Tech University System
The Texas Tech University System is one of the top public university systems in the nation, consisting of four component institutions —Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Angelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso—and operating at 12 academic sites and centers.  Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the Texas Tech University System has an annual operating budget of $1.7 billion and approximately 17,000 employees focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach.

In 2014, the Texas Tech University System’s endowment exceeds $1 billion, total research expenditures were approximately $200 million and total enrollment approached 47,000 students. Whether it’s contributing billions of dollars annually in economic impact or being the only system in Texas to house an academic institution, law school, and medical school at the same location, the Texas Tech University System continues to prove that anything is possible.