Governor Abbott Reappoints Three To University Of Texas System Board Of Regents

TEXAS, March 28 - March 28, 2025 | Austin, Texas | Appointment

Governor Greg Abbott reappointed Christina Melton Crain, Jodie Lee Jiles, and Kelcy Warren to the University of Texas (UT) System Board of Regents for terms set to expire on February 1, 2031.

Christina Melton Crain of Dallas is an attorney and the founder, president, and CEO of Unlocking Doors. She is a member of the American Correctional Association and the Texas Corrections Association. She is past president of the Trinity River Authority of Texas Board of Directors, former public member of the Texas Public Transportation Advisory Council, former chairman of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, and former member of the UT Southwestern Medical Center Institutional Review Board. She is the past director of the State Bar of Texas, a former member of the Texas Supreme Court Rules Committee, and former president of the Dallas Bar Association, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, and the Dallas Women Lawyers Association. She is a life member of UT Austin College of Liberal Arts Advisory Council, member of the Dallas County Criminal Justice Advisory Board Executive Committee, former board member of the Center for Missing/Exploited Children-Texas Region, and former trustee of the Dallas Bar Foundation. Crain received a Bachelor of Arts in Government from UT Austin and a Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Jodie Lee Jiles of Houston is director of business development for Transwestern. He is a former member of UT Austin Development Board and the UT Health Development Board and former board member of the Texas Southern University Foundation. He served as chairman of the Texas Business Leadership Council and is currently on the Executive Committee. He is also the former chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership and a lifetime director. Additionally, he is a former gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and former director of The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-Houston Branch. Jiles is an emeritus trustee of the Texas Children’s Hospital and the Baylor College of Medicine. Currently, he is chairman of Loving Kids and a former board member of KIPP Academy. Jiles received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Texas Southern University and a Master of Professional Accountancy from UT Austin.

Kelcy Warren of Dallas oversees one of the nation’s largest and most diversified portfolios of publicly traded energy partnerships, which includes Energy Transfer LP, Sunoco LP and USA Compression LP. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards for his achievements and contributions to the advancement of the midstream industry. He serves on the board of directors for the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation and University of Texas Board of Regents and is a member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. He is a dedicated benefactor actively involved in energy-focused programs at UT Arlington and supports numerous children’s charities across the country. Warren received a Bachelor of Science from UT Arlington.

These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.