Qualifications

JUDICIAL/LEGAL PROFESSIONAL

As an Associate Judge for the City of Houston Municipal Court system from 2013-15, he presided over criminal court proceedings relating to city ordinance and state code violations. During his time at the University of Houston Law School, after achieving a high degree of success in mock trial and mediation competitions, he was appointed to serve as Chief Justice and Student Chair of the University of Houston Law Center Honor Court. He graduated with honors in 2009.

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CHIEF POLICY OFFICER, PUBLIC POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

From 2011 through 2020, he successfully formulated Houston First Corporation’s federal, state, and local legislative agendas; and advocated on behalf of the Corporation at the federal, state, and local levels. This allowed the agency to achieve various organizational objectives, such as the adoption of federal legislation and administrative policies favorable to the travel and tourism industry, improved access for Houston First to the State of Texas’ Major Events Reimbursement Program, and the adoption of corporate and municipal budgets and policies directly beneficial to Houston First. He created and implemented political and community-related strategies for Houston First that paved the way for the organization’s proactive collaboration with public officials, governmental agencies, community groups, and for- and non-profit organizations, resulting in beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders. Projects implemented, including the reinvention of the downtown Houston Convention District as “Avenida Houston,” advanced Houston’s image on a national and global scale, particularly during the NCAA Final Four Tournament and the NFL Super Bowl LI, both hosted in the City of Houston with the extensive and intimate involvement of Houston First in all aspects of the planning and program executions. 

 

HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL CHIEF OF STAFF

He worked closely with (former) Council Member C.O. “Brad” Bradford to analyze city council agenda issues, then built coalitions with senior staff from relevant city departments, and the Mayor, Councilmembers and key staff, to advance actions that addressed those issues. He developed an excellent reputation in various communities as an ethical, talented, and competent public employee dedicated to seeking solutions to problems presented to the council office. 

 

CAREER FIRST RESPONDER

In 2020, he was recruited to serve as the Chief Investigator for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. In this role, he is responsible for supervising nearly 100 investigators and overall management of the Investigations Bureau of the Office. As you would expect from the third-largest county in the United States, the bureau supports all criminal court prosecutions and investigates a vast array of topics, including public corruption cases, civil rights violations, murder solicitations, and human trafficking and narcotic interdictions. Before his public policy and legal career, he served in a various positions in the Houston Police Department, handling many pressure-filled and emotionally charged situations. After achieving the rank of Sergeant in 1989, he received special training through the U.S. Secret Service and Department of State and attended and graduated from the FBI National Academy. While leading the Mayor’s protective detail, he interacted daily with political officials and government employees, acquiring a solid knowledge base of how different levels of government interact and function. He received HPD’s Meritorious Service Award for valor, two Chief of Police Unit Citations, and various letters of commendation from superior officers and citizens and retired as a Lieutenant of Police in March 2010 after 25 years of service.

 

Professional Experience

 

HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE; Houston, TX

12/20 – Present

Chief Investigator

As the Chief Investigator, he serves at the Bureau Chief level and act as a member of the executive leadership group for the Office. In this capacity, he has reduced the number of supervisory positions, obtained a long-overdue pay increase for investigators, and updated many administrative and operational protocols. These include a new Threat Assessment and Response protocol, updated Job Performance Evaluations, Investigator Pay Grade Advancement processes, Overtime and Extra Employment guidelines, formal Hiring and Internal Transfer systems, and several others. Externally, he is responsible for engaging with more than 80 distinct law enforcement entities in Harris County and a wide array of diverse communities that partner with the District Attorney’s Office to collaboratively pursue justice for our residents.  

 

HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION; Houston, TX

8/11– 12/20

Chief Policy Officer, Public Policy and Public Affairs

He served as an integral member of the Houston First executive leadership team, responsible for developing and managing the Corporation’s relationships with federal, state, and local elected officials and appointed heads and key staff members of governmental agencies. He formulated annual legislative agendas and advocated on behalf of the Corporation at the federal, state, and local levels; worked with the executive team to formulate our $200 million annual corporate budget; collaborated with various community stakeholders to develop and implement short- and long-term strategies to facilitate the successful completion of Houston First initiatives; led the Corporation’s procurement diversity program; worked to enhance and grow Houston First’s image and reputation through effective community outreach; and developed and managed the Corporation’s sponsorship and corporate awards programs to raise the Corporation’s profile. He created the corporation’s crisis response plan and led its crisis response team.

 

OFFICE OF HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, AT LARGE POSITION 4; Houston, TX

3/10-8/11

Chief of Staff

He collaborated with council members, department heads, and community leaders on behalf of the Council Member; attended and participated in council committee meetings in the Council Member’s absence; provided analysis and policy recommendations; reviewed the City of Houston’s $5 billion general fund budget, and drafted and proposed budget amendments and policies reflecting fiscal responsibility and effective service delivery; created position-papers for pending legislation; and managed office staff.

 

HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT; Houston, TX

5/86 – 3/10

Lieutenant of Police 

• Night Commander – Office of the Chief of Police

• Assumed command of large-scale and high-profile incidents that occurred during night/weekend hours.

• Served as the Chief of Police’s representative on the scene of those incidents.

 

Sergeant of Police

• DWI Task Force – Traffic Division

• Solo Motorcycle Detail – Mobility Incident Management

• Mayor’s Protective Detail - Chief’s Command

• Various Specialized Assignments - Central Division

• Divisional Tactical Unit

• Divisional Internal Affairs Unit

• Neartown Storefront Community Services Unit

• Staff Sergeant - Command Center Division     

• Participated in the development and implementation of the HPD Real-Time Crime Center

• Patrol Supervisor - Southeast and Southwest Patrol Divisions

• Jail Shift Supervisor – Jail Division

 

Patrol Officer 

• North Shepherd Patrol Division

• Promoted to sergeant in May 1989 (scored within the top 1% of all competitors).

Military Experience

U.S. ARMY; United States, Europe

1/82 – 1/85

Military Police Corps

Served at various posts within the continental United States and Europe; maintained “Top Secret” security clearance; honorably discharged.

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