The Texas Ethics Commission has eight commissioners. Four of the commissioners are appointed by the Governor, two are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and two are appointed by the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. Members of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives who represent each political party submit lists of nominees to the appropriate state official for appointment. The commissioners serve four-year terms.
Employees play an essential role in meeting the agency’s mission. The Commission’s duties to the public require the honesty, intelligence, and hard work of employees with diverse skills and knowledge. The Commission cannot perform its mission without its skilled employees performing at their best.
Term Ends: 11/19/2019 Appointed by: Lt. Governor
Chris Flood of Houston is a criminal defense attorney in the firm of Flood & Flood. He started his legal career interning with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. during the Reagan administration. Flood then spent two years as a prosecutor with the Harris County Assistant District Attorney’s Office before leaving to work with famed criminal defense attorney Dick DeGuerin. Two decades ago, he joined his brothers at the firm and has solidified his status as a top defense and trial attorney in white collar and complex litigation. Flood received his B.B.A. from the University of Texas, and his law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio.
Term Ends: 11/19/2021 Appointed by: Governor
Pat Mizell of Houston is a commercial litigation partner at Vinson & Elkins, LLP. From 1995 to 2002, Mizell served as judge of the 129th Judicial District Court in Harris County. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the International Society of Barristers, and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Mizell received his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Term Ends: 11/19/2029 Appointed by: Speaker
Term Ends: 11/19/2027 Appointed by: Governor
Hon. Richard S. Schmidt of Corpus Christi is one of the nation’s most distinguished Bankruptcy Judges, having served 28 years on the Southern District of Texas bench where he helped navigate some of the largest and most complex bankruptcies in the country. Although retired, Schmidt continues to take appointments as a fiduciary in Bankruptcy cases. In addition, Schmidt is a Senior Advisor to The Claro Group and an adjunct professor at Texas A & M University Corpus Christi in the Business College. He is also retired as a Colonel from the Air Force Reserves where he graduated from Air War College, received training in Total Quality Management from W. Edwards Deming, and was awarded the Legion of Merit.
Term Ends: 11/19/2021 Appointed by: Lt. Governor
Joseph Slovacek of Houston has been with Hoover Slovacek LLP since his graduation from the University of Houston Law School in 1976. For over 44 years, Slovacek has engaged in a general business practice, encompassing real estate, corporate law and commercial litigation. In 2013, Slovacek was appointed to serve on the board of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles by Governor Rick Perry and in 2016, was appointed to serve on the board of the Texas Facilities Commission by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. Slovacek was most recently appointed by Lt. Governor Patrick in December 2017 to fill a vacant seat on the Texas Ethics Commission.
Term Ends: 11/19/2028 Appointed by: Speaker
Mark Strama of Austin is the Director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, and a Professor of Practice in the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas.
Previously, Mark spent ten years at Google Fiber working to upgrade the speed and quality of internet service in the U.S. Prior to that he served in the Texas House of Representatives, where he focused on renewable energy, public education, and electoral reform. Mark received Honorable Mentions on Texas Monthly’s Ten Best Legislators list in three of his five sessions in the House; Texas Monthly said “Strama cares as much about others’ success as his own.”
Prior to running for public office, Mark founded the first company to enable Americans to fill out a voter registration form on the Internet – 700,000 people used this technology to register to vote in the 2000 election cycle. Earlier, Mark was Director of Programs at Rock the Vote, a non-partisan organization that works with MTV and the music industry to engage young people in the political process. He previously worked for former Texas Governor Ann Richards and Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis.