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TTU System Regents Confirmed, Sworn In

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The Board of Regents is composed of nine members appointed by the governor, as well as a student regent.

Throughout the history of the TTU System, the board has been composed of distinguished and dedicated Texans who have been strong advocates of excellence in academic and patient care programs, meaningful scientific research and responsible public service.

Hammonds, Huckabee and Long were confirmed by the Texas Senate and have taken their oath of office as board members.

March 31, 2015 | Written by Doug Hensley

Ronnie “Ron” Hammonds, Christopher M. Huckabee and Mickey Long were confirmed by the Texas Senate on Tuesday (March 31, 2015) as members of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents. Each took his oath of office this week and was sworn in as an official regent on the board.

Hammonds and Huckabee are newly appointed to the board and will serve six-year terms. Their first official Board of Regents meeting is scheduled for May 14-15 in Lubbock. Long was reappointed for a second six-year term. He has served as chairman of the board the past two years. All three were selected by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in late January.

“I look forward to working with Mickey, Ron and Christopher,” Texas Tech University System Chancellor Robert L. Duncan said. “Each of them brings wisdom, knowledge and expertise to our board, and we look forward to their support and guidance in the years to come.”

All three were confirmed by the Senate Nominations Committee earlier this month, clearing the way for the full Senate’s action. Hammonds and Huckabee replace regents Nancy Neal of Lubbock and John Walker of Houston.

Hammonds, a native of Cotton Center, founded and managed Hammonds Homes Ltd, which was sold to Meritage Homes in 2002. He is a CPA and has served on the boards of local, state and national homebuilder associations. Hammonds served in the U.S. Army, was a member of the Saddle Tramps organization and graduated from Texas Tech University with an accounting degree.

Huckabee, of Fort Worth, is a registered architect in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas and Georgia. He holds National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Certification. He twice was appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and chairs the Agency Operations Committee.

He serves on the board of trustees for Cook Children’s Health Foundation and Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth and is chair of the board of directors for the Community Foundation of North Texas. He received a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University in 1991. He established the Timothy Terry Memorial Endowed Scholarship for Architectural Students at Texas Tech University in memory of an employee and friend and also established the Huckabee Student Lounge at the university’s College of Architecture.

Long, president of Westex/WLP Well Service in Midland, is a member of the Association of Energy Service Companies and the Texas Tech University Hall of Legacy. Prior to being named a regent, he was an active member of the Texas Tech Foundation, the Angelo State University Alumni Foundation and the Red Raider Club National Board of Directors. Long earned a bachelor’s degree from Angelo State University in 1976. He was originally appointed to the board in 2009 by former Gov. Rick Perry.

About the Texas Tech University System 
The Texas Tech University System is one of the top public university systems in the nation, consisting of four component institutions—Texas Tech UniversityTexas Tech University Health Sciences CenterAngelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso—and operating at 12 academic sites and centers.  Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the Texas Tech University System has an annual operating budget of $1.7 billion and approximately 17,000 employees focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach. 

In 2014, the Texas Tech University System’s endowment exceeded $1 billion, total research expenditures were approximately $200 million and total enrollment approached 47,000 students. Whether it’s contributing billions of dollars annually in economic impact or being the only system in Texas to house an academic institution, law school, and health institution at the same location, the Texas Tech University System continues to prove that anything is possible.