Since being sworn-in January 20, Governor Greg Abbott has submitted multiple appointments to the Texas Senate for confirmation. The appointees will be considered by the Senate Nominations Committee who will then make a recommendation to the full Senate before a vote is taken.
Judge Carlos Cascos, Secretary of State – Carlos Cascos is the current Cameron County Judge, a position he was elected to in 2006. Judge Cascos is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Government Financial Manager, and a Diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Accounting. Prior to becoming Cameron County's top elected official, Judge Cascos was a member of the Texas Public Safety Commission, which oversees the Texas Department of Public Safety, a Cameron County Commissioner for 12 years, and was actively involved in many civic organizations. Born in Matamoros, Mexico, Judge Cascos became a permanent resident of the United States and then a citizen when he was an adolescent.
Jerry Strickland, Executive Director of the Office of State-Federal Relations – Jerry Strickland formerly served as Director of Communications for the Office of the Attorney General Greg Abbott, and has served as spokesman and advisor for Governor Abbott since 2003. Previously, Strickland was a reporter and anchor for CBS and ABC news affiliates in Texas and other states. Strickland is a graduate of the University of Mississippi.
David Mattax, Commissioner of the Texas Department of Insurance – David Mattax was appointed as Commissioner of the Texas Department of Insurance by Gov. Rick Perry earlier this month for a term ending Feb. 1, 2015. Mattax previously served as deputy attorney general for defense litigation, past director of defense litigation, and past chief of the financial litigation division for the Texas Attorney General's Office. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is admitted to practice before the Texas Federal District courts, Fourth and Fifth Circuit U.S. courts of Appeal and U.S. Supreme Court. He is past co-chair of the Amos Commission, and a past board of trustees member of University United Methodist Church. Mattax received two bachelor's degrees and a law degree from The University of Texas at Austin.
Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Inspector General for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission – Stuart Bowen previously served for nearly ten years as the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), leading the federal agency charged with overseeing $62 billion in US tax dollars appropriated for Iraq's reconstruction. Reporting to the Secretaries of Defense and State, Bowen secured nearly $2 billion in taxpayer benefits, obtained over 90 convictions, produced over 500 reports, and traveled to Iraq 35 times.
