Governor Greg Abbott has appointed eight state technology and policy leaders to serve on Texas’ newly formed Public Sector Artificial Intelligence Systems Advisory Board, a panel tasked with guiding how AI is adopted across state agencies and public programs.

The board members — all holding senior roles in state government or in private-sector technology firms — will serve through September 1, 2027. Their responsibility is to advise the state on deploying artificial intelligence in a way that improves government services while ensuring transparency, accountability, and responsible use.

The appointments come as Texas accelerates efforts to modernize government operations and explore the use of AI in workforce systems, transportation, health services and financial oversight.

The group includes:

• Dr. Heather Hall, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Texas Workforce Commission and current president of the Texas Association for Strategic Solutions and Collaboration in Computing (TASSCC).

• Sylvia Hernandez Kauffman, CIO of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and former Inspector General of the agency.

• Tina McLeod, CIO for the Texas Office of the Attorney General, with prior leadership at Texas Health and Human Services.

• Anh Selissen, CIO at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), where she has led IT operations since 2019.

• Ronald Steffa, Chief Financial Officer at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

• David Bolduc, public counsel of the Office of Public Insurance Counsel and a longtime Texas government attorney with nearly five decades of experience.

• Jaclyn Beerens, vice president of consulting services at CGI, with prior board service at the Texas Association for Strategic Solutions and Collaboration in Computing.

• Josh Chacona, regional vice president of solution engineering at Snowflake and a former engineer at Oracle and National Instruments.

Abbott’s office said the advisory board will evaluate how AI systems are used across state government, review procurement of AI tools, and help agencies adopt the technology responsibly. The board is also expected to weigh in on privacy protections and ethical guidelines as AI plays a growing role in state operations.

The announcement reflects Texas’ rapid push toward becoming a national leader in public-sector AI deployment. “Texas is preparing for the future,” Abbott said in a statement, “and these experts will help ensure we do it responsibly.”

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