Gov. Greg Abbott has announced the appointment of three North Texans to key positions.
Fred Tate of Colleyville has been appointed to the Trinity River Authority Board of Directors for a term that will expire on March 15, 2027. The Authority oversees the development and conservation of surface water resources of the Trinity River Basin.
Douglas A. Allen of Fort Worth, assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas Fort Worth Division, has been appointed to serve as judge of Criminal District Court No. 3 in Tarrant County for a term expiring on Dec. 31, 2024.
Allen fills the vacancy left by Robb Catalano, who recently resigned to serve in the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office as First Assistant Criminal District Attorney, an oversight and management role.
Former State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, was appointed as Texas Secretary of State, replacing John Scott, who resigned from the position. Nelson’s term will expire on Dec. 31, 2024. Nelson did not seek re-election in Senate District 12, which extends into northern Tarrant County. The seat is now held by Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound.
Tate is founder and managing director of CFO Shield, LLC, a fractional CFO and bookkeeping firm. Prior to launching his business, he was a vice president with Willis Towers Watson. He is a member of Financial Executives International and volunteers with Patriot PAWS Service Dogs.
A member of the Colleyville Chapter of Lions International, Tate was an Abbott appointee to the Judicial Compensation Commission and to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. Tate earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Baylor University, with a double major in finance and economics.
Allen had served for 20 years in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Fort Worth. During his tenure, he was assigned to Iraq, where he served as a resident legal advisor in Baghdad and Mosul as well as acting U.S. Department of Justice Attaché, and the Rule of Law Coordinator for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
After returning from Iraq, he served as counsel to the Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
Allen began his career as an assistant district attorney in the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Federalist Society, and the Thomas More Society. Allen is also a board member of the Chesterton Academy of Fort Worth. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Baylor and his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.
As the 115th Texas Secretary of State, Nelson serves as the chief election officer, assisting county election officials and overseeing application and interpretation of election laws statewide. Other duties of the Secretary of State include oversight of official business and commercial records that must be filed with the state; publishing government rules and regulations and commissioning notaries public.
The Secretary of State is keeper of the state seal and attester to the governor’s signature on official documents as well as senior advisor and liaison to the governor for Texas Border and Mexican Affairs and Chief International Protocol Officer for Texas.
First elected to the Texas Senate in 1992, Nelson was a businesswoman and former teacher who served two terms on the State Board of Education. Nelson chaired the Senate Health Committee longer than anyone in history, before becoming the first woman to chair the Senate Finance Committee.
Nelson’s many accomplishments include establishing the Cancer Research & Prevention Institute of Texas, reforming medical liability, achieving tax relief, overhauling the foster care system, expanding access to mental health care and shepherding more 30 bills to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
She has been recognized with awards and honors from many organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Cancer Society, Texas Association of Business, Texas Council on Family Violence, CASA, Texas Hospital Association, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Texas PTA, Texas Retired Teachers Association and Women’s Health Coalition.