TEMPLE, Texas — As the economy continues to suffer during the pandemic, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced an executive order to begin re-opening business in Texas.
Three days later, Chairman and CEO of the Temple-based McLane Group Drayton McLane Jr. discussed the task in front of the task force the governor has appointed, which McLane is a member of.
"This is unprecedented," McLane said. "Certainly in my lifetime, I've never seen something that has impacted every part of our society and our life."
McLane said he was asked to join soon after the governor announced the task force Friday. He said the two have a relationship dating back to Abbott's time as a district judge near Houston while McLane was the owner of the Houston Astros.
The strike force features government leaders and doctors among others with diverse backgrounds to provide guidance to Abbott in shaping policies.
"He wanted to get some economists that were interested in how we can get the economy going again," McLane said. "Then, he wanted to get a group of businessmen that really understood how to develop a policy and then implement the policy."
McLane said the group meets weekly to share ideas and discuss the information before sharing with the chair shares it with the governor. The group works on what the impact of different steps would be on different industries and on public health, while treatments and vaccines are getting developed.
McLane also offered insight into what industries might return first and which we might have to wait a little longer for.
"Healthcare is going to be one of the early ones that, hopefully, we can get done and others that can be in small groups to do that," McLane said. "So, it definitely will be in phases and, I think, one of the last will be one of the things that we enjoy most. Athletics."
A full list of who is on the strike force can be found below:
- John Huffines
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
- House Speaker Dennis Bonnen
- Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Comptroller Glenn Hegar
- State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt as the task force's Chief Medical officer
- Chief Medical Adviser John Zerwas, M.D. - Executive Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs, University of Texas System
- Former FDA Commssioner Mark McClellan as Chief Medical Adviser
- Chief Medical Adviser Parker Hudson, M.D., M.P.H. - Asst. Professor of Internal Medicine & Infectious Diseases & Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency, Dell Medical School
- Arcilia Acosta - President & CEO, CARCON Industries & Construction
- Paul Andrews Jr. - Founder & CEO, TTI Inc.
- Mark Bivins - Rancher & Partner, Corsino Cattle Company
- Kathy Britton - Owner & CEO, Perry Homes
- Brad Brookshire - Chairman, Texas Transportation Commission
- Alonzo Cantu - President & CEO, Cantu Construction
- Bobby Cox - Owner & Operator, Bobby Cox Companies Inc.
- Adriana Cruz - Executive Director, Economic Development & Tourism Division, Office of the Governor
- Michael Dell - Chairman & CEO, Dell Technologies
- Scott Dueser - Chairman, President & CEO, First Financial Bank
- Don Evans - Chairman of the President George W. Bush Foundation & Chairman, Permian Strategic Partnership
- Tilman Fertitta - Chairman, CEO and sole owner, Landry's Inc.
- Richard Fisher - Senior Advisor, Barclays and Former President & CEO, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
- Rick Francis - Chairman of the Board, WestStar Bank Holding Company Inc.
- Printice Gary - Founding Partner & CEO, Carleton Companies
- Brad Heffington - Owner, Heffington Farms Inc. & Triple T Irrigation Inc.
- Jeffery D. Hildebrand - Executive Chairman and Founder, Hilcorp Energy Company
- Nancy Kinder - President & CEO, Kinder Foundation
- Tom Luce - Founder & Chairman, Texas 2036
- Marc McDougal - CEO, McDougal Companies
- Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale - Owner, Gallery Furniture
- Elaine Mendoza - Founder, President & CEO of Conceptual MindWorks Inc.
- Balous Miller - Owner, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Restaurants
- Carla Moran - Ramar Communications
- Dennis Nixon - CEO & Chairman, International Bank of Commerce
- David Oliveira - Partner, Roerig, Oliveira & Fisher L.L.P
- Ross Perot. Jr. - Chairman, The Perot Group
- Kevin D. Roberts, Ph.D. - Executive Director, Texas Public Policy Foundation
- Robert B. Rowling - Owner & Chairman, TRT Holdings Inc.
- Kendra Scott - Founder & CEO, Kendra Scott
- Robert F. Smith - Founder, Chairman & CEO, Vista Equity Partners
- Sam L. Susser - Chairman, BancAffiliated Inc.
- Massey Villareal - President & CEO, Precision Task Group Inc.
- Kirk Watson - Founding Dean, University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs
- Marc Watts - President, The Friedkin Group
- Graham Weston - Former Chairman, Rackspace Hosting Inc.
- Sanjiv Yajnik - President, Capital One Financial Services Division
For more information, go to the Governor's Strike Force to Open Texas website.
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