Texas House Speaker Joe Straus announced he has hired Former HHSC Commissioner Albert Hawkins to be his senior policy advisor, presumably overseeing health and human services and the budgetary realm. Hawkins will be employed by Straus’ political committee, Texans for Joe Straus.
Speaker Joe Straus announced the appointment of Barbara Canales (Corpus Christi) to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight Committee. The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight Committee was created by the 80th Legislature in House Bill 14. The purpose of the Oversight Committee is to serve as the governing body of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which in part creates innovation in the care of cancer research, expands cancer research capabilities in this state, and develops the Texas Cancer Plan. In honor of her daughter who is a cancer survivor, Barbara Canales founded the Ready or Not Foundation, a charitable organization that raises research dollars for better treatments and a cure for pediatric brain cancer. She is a member of the University of Texas at Austin College of Engineering Advisory Board and recently served on the Driscoll Children’s Hospital Foundation Board and the University of Texas Marine Science Advisory Board.
