Aug
15
Written by:
William Lutz
8/15/2011 4:52 PM
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has named John Sharp as the sole finalist as chancellor of the Texas A&M Univeristy System. After a 21 day waiting period mandated by law, the regents can name him as chancellor. Sharp served as comptroller of public accounts 1991-1998 and as a member of the Texas Senate, the Texas House of Representatives, and the Texas Railroad Commission. Most recently, Sharp led Gov. Rick Perry's tax reform task force, which developed the revisions to the state franchise tax that the Legislature largely adopted in 2006. He is an Aggie, Class of 1972. The official release from the A&M System can be viewed here.
Sharp was born in Placedo (southeast of Victoria). Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen) praised the appointment and Sharp's familiarity with South Texas. “I am confident that his extensive experience and well-known ability to innovate will help bring about exciting opportunities for the students, faculty, employees, and the Texas A&M Campuses around the state such as Texas A&M Corpus Christi and the Texas A&M School of Rural Public Health in my district," Hinojosa said. “Sharp’s appointment is great news [for] Texas and especially for South Texas given his familiarity with the needs of our students and the huge potential that exists for expanding educational opportunities in this area.”