Texas names new higher education chief

Wynn Rosser during a symposium on higher education at Baylor University in 2015. He will be the state's next commissioner of higher education. (Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune)

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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board named Wynn Rosser as the state’s next commissioner of higher education at a special board meeting Thursday.

The appointment was announced after a unanimous vote of the board. The vote was taken without discussion.

Rosser did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rosser is the president and CEO of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, a family foundation focused on issues facing rural East Texas. He previously spent a decade running the Greater Texas Foundation. Before that, he worked at Texas A&M University in various teaching and administrative roles.

Rosser succeeds Harrison Keller who became commissioner in 2019. Keller oversaw an overhaul of the state’s 60x30 plan, which set a goal that by 2030, 60% of Texans ages 25-34 should have a degree or credential. The plan, now called Building a Talent Strong Texas, expanded the goal to include Texans ages 25-64.

Keller also helped shepherd an overhaul of the state’s community college finance system through the Texas Legislature last year. He left the position in July to become president of the University of North Texas.

The higher ed commissioner serves as the chief executive officer of the Coordinating Board, the state agency that oversees Texas’ financial aid programs and helps enact the state’s strategic vision for public higher education. The board, made up of 10 members who are appointed by the governor, helps the commissioner implement the state’s vision for higher education.

Sarah Keyton has served as interim higher education commissioner during the transition.

This is a developing story.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Greater Texas Foundation, Texas A&M University, T.L.L. Temple Foundation and University of North Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.