AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Geoffrey S. Connor, a 1988 graduate of The University of Texas School of Law, to serve as Texas' 104th Secretary of State. Connor has served as assistant secretary of state since 2001 and led numerous international trade missions under two previous secretaries of state.
Perry also named Charles L. Sowell of Houston to the Texas Racing Commission for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2009. The commission oversees pari-mutuel wagering on horse and greyhound racing. Sowell is a 1955 graduate of UT Law.
The Texas Governor announced the Connor and Sowell appointments on Aug. 26.
As secretary of state, Connor will serve as the state's chief elections officer. The Office of Secretary of State also is the official repository for official and business records, publishes government rules and regulations, and attests to the governor's signature on official documents. In addition, the Secretary of State serves as liaison for the governor on border and Mexican affairs.
As assistant secretary of state, Connor was responsible for managing the office's daily operations, including elections, business filings, border affairs and international protocol. Connor previously worked as senior counsel in the energy section of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. He has also served as general counsel for the former Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, now known as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. He is a former assistant commissioner and general counsel for the Texas Department of Agriculture, and served as deputy general counsel for former Gov. Bill Clements. Connor is board certified in administrative law.
Sowell is an attorney and vice president of The McNair Group. He is a life
fellow with the Houston Bar Foundation and a member of the State Bar of Texas,
the American Bar Association and the American Judicature
Society.
Sowell also is vice chair of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp.,
president of the Houston Athletic Committee and director of the Houston chapter
of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.