Governor Abbott Appoints Simmons As Director Of Institutional Policy And Oversight

TEXAS, October 16 - October 16, 2025 | Austin, Texas | Appointment

Governor Greg Abbott today appointed Brandon L. Simmons to serve as the Director of Institutional Policy and Oversight, leading the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Office of the Ombudsman for a term set to expire at the pleasure of the Governor. The Office serves as an intermediary among the state’s institutions of higher education, the legislature, and the public regarding institutional governance and student success and is also responsible for financial compliance, data reporting, and oversight functions. This appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

"Texas continues to lead the nation with more top-ranked research universities and programs than any other state,” said Governor Abbott. “In order to maintain this lead, we must place the success of Texas students first. Brandon Simmons' achievements and dedication to educate our future leaders as an entrepreneur, professor, and university chairman will help ensure Texas’ higher education institutions continue to set the national standard and prepare our students to thrive.”

Brandon L. Simmons of Houston previously served on the Texas Southern University Board of Regents, following his confirmation by the Texas Senate in May of 2023, and served as chairman of the board from October 2023 to October 2025. He is a Distinguished Professor of Business at Wiley University in Marshall, where he previously served as Entrepreneur in Residence. Earlier in his career, he was a technology company executive, venture capitalist, and corporate attorney. He has served on many corporate and nonprofit governing boards. Simmons received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School. Following college, he was awarded the John W. Gardner Fellowship, a joint honor of Stanford University and the University of California. After law school, he served as a law clerk for Chief Judge J.L. Edmondson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.