Dear Neighbor, The Greater Austin Crime Commission believes Mayor Kirk Watson’s recently announced agreement with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is a lesson in leadership. We also thank the city council and Interim City Manager Jesús Garza for supporting the partnership. Our local and state leaders put political differences aside to develop a plan that… Read more »
Greater Austin Crime Commission
The Greater Austin Crime Commission was established in 1997
to support Central Texas first responders
and promote public safety planning.
Programs
- Sponsoring the Austin Police Department’s Guns4Groceries program, which has collected nearly 800 unwanted weapons and raises public awareness about firearm safety
- Partnering with the University of Texas at Austin to sponsor the Longhorn Leaders program, which encourages seventh graders to “make good choices” by staying in school, off drugs, and out of trouble
- Supplying Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services with specially-equipped motorcycles to improve downtown, highway, and special event response Partnering with The University of Texas at Austin and the Austin Independent School District to sponsor the Longhorn Leaders program, which emphasizes academic excellence and life success skills
- Co-sponsoring an annual Global Security Summit with the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at The University of Texas at Austin
- Hosting a Public Safety Series featuring law enforcement and policy experts, such as Governor Greg Abbott, Admiral Bobby R. Inman, USN (Ret), former Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, Congressman Michael T. McCaul, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw, former New York Police Department Commissioner Howard Safir, and State Senator Kirk Watson.
- Working with the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation to provide protective vests and tactical equipment to twenty-five area law enforcement agencies
- Marketing the Austin Police Department’s 3-1-1 response system, which significantly reduced emergency calls and providing technology to support the Amber Alert program
- Providing life-saving trauma kits for Austin Police Department patrol vehicles
- Offering specialized DNA collection, homeland security, WMD, and K-9 medical, training for regional law enforcement
- Supplying equipment to create the nation’s first K-9 chembio and radiation detection programs Starting the state’s first 401K-9 program to assist with medical expenses for retired law enforcement animals
- Sponsoring youth outreach programs, including the “Do the Write Thing” national middle school essay contest, Kids and Cops™, and Safe Schools Week
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Eduardo Margain*
Founder and CEO, PIXIU Investments
VICE PRESIDENT
Pam Madere*
Partner, Jackson Walker
SECRETARY
Keith E. Gamel*
Attorney and Partner,
Naman Howell Smith & Lee LLP
TREASURER
Brad B. Hawley*
Partner, Locke Lord LLP
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Corby Jastrow*
Vice President and Partner, Prominent Title
Brian A. Bailey
Brian A. Bailey Homes Inc.
Tim Berry
President and CEO, Pennybacker Capital
Rob Bridges
Managing Director, Marsh Wortham
Laurie Brown
Vice President,
Brown Distributing Co.
Ben Bufkin
Principal, Endeavor Real Estate Group
Fred Burton
Executive Director, Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence
PAST PRESIDENT
Paul J. Bury III*
Edward S. Butler
Butler Family Interests
Scott A. Carr
President, Carr Development Inc.
Elizabeth Christian
Of Counsel, Elizabeth Christian Public Relations LLC
Stephen Clark
Partner, Cypress Invest LLC
Tim Crowley
Austin Regional President, Frost
PAST PRESIDENT
Dr. William H. Cunningham*
James L. Bayless Chair For Free Enterprise, The University of Texas at Austin
Former Chancellor, The University of Texas System
Former President, The University of Texas at Austin
Alex Davis
Founder and CEO, Disruptive
Brian DeRoeck
Managing Director, Focus Strategies Investment Banking
Gary S. Farmer
President, Heritage Title Company of Austin Inc.
Kent Ferguson
President, HealthCare Facilities Development Corporation
N. Rudy Garza
Founder and Managing General Partner, G51 Capital Management
Rudy Garza
President, GarzaEMC
Louis Granger
Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors
Brian Haley
Co-Founder, CB Capital
PAST PRESIDENT
Richard S. Hill*
Founding Partner, HPI Real Estate Services & Investments
PAST PRESIDENT
Joe E. Holt*
Former Chairman (Austin Region), JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.
PAST PRESIDENT
Adm. Bobby R. Inman, USN (Ret)*
Managing Director, Limestone Ventures
Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial Chair in National Policy,
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Chairman and Managing Partner, Gefinor Ventures
Former Chairman, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Former Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Former Director, National Security Agency
Kenneth M. Jastrow II
Former Chairman and CEO, Temple-Inland Inc.
Bradley S. Knippa
Attorney and CPA, Jackson Walker LLP
J. Winston Krause
Attorney, Krause & Associates LP
Dr. Michael L. Lauderdale
Professor Emeritus, The University of Texas at Austin
Derek S. Lewis
Co-Managing Partner, Lincoln Property Company
Fred Ligarde*
Ligarde & Associates
Federal Bureau of Investigation (Ret)*
Troy Marcus
Founder and CEO, Evergen Equity
Laura Matz
President, Matz and Company LLC
Linda McCaul
Clear Channel Communications Inc.
Demetrius McDaniel
Co-Regional Operating Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Bryce Miller
Managing Principal, Endeavor Real Estate Group
Mark Newberry
President, Tarrytown Pharmacy
Catherine L. Newell
General Counsel, Dimensional Fund Advisors
Patricia C. Ohlendorf
Patrick Oles
President and CEO, Barshop & Oles
Harriet O’Neill
Former Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
Gamble J. Palmer Jr.
President, Palmco Inc.
Donald J. Reese
President, Riverside Resources Corporation
Mike M. Reynolds
Reynolds Interests
Dr. Randa S. Safady
Vice Chancellor for External Relations, The University of Texas System
Bryan Sheffield
Managing Partner, Formentera Partners LLC
Jennifer Stevens
Chief Executive Officer, JHL
James E. Stone
Timothy C. Taylor
Partner, Jackson Walker LLP
Tom Terkel
Founder and principal, FourT Realty
Timothy T. Timmerman
President, Commerce Texas Properties Inc.
PAST PRESIDENT
Hon. Ralph Wayne*
Former Chairman, Texas Ethics Commission
Former Chief Deputy Comptroller, Comptroller of Public Accounts, State of Texas
Former Member, Texas House of Representatives
Former President, Texas Civil Justice League
Ray A. Wilkerson
President and CEO, Ray Wilkerson Companies Inc.
PAST PRESIDENT
Hon. Pamela P. Willeford*
Former U.S. Ambassador to
Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Neel White
Chairman, White Construction Company
PAST PRESIDENT
Pete Winstead*
Founding Shareholder, Winstead PC
*Executive Committee
In the News
Neighborhood Network
September 14, 2022
Dear Neighbor, The Austin City Council will consider three police-related items tomorrow that will have far-reaching effects on law enforcement in our community. Every public safety decision by city leaders is now even more consequential. The impact of budget cuts and canceling police cadet classes is evident. The Austin Police Department currently has 278 operational vacancies, creating… Read more »
Neighborhood Network
August 11, 2022
Dear Neighbor, The Austin City Council will adopt a budget for the upcoming fiscal year starting next Wednesday. Public safety spending has declined in recent years. In 2015, public safety was 72 percent of the General Fund. The proposed budget lowers it to 62 percent. That reduction represents $422 million less in public safety spending as a percentage of… Read more »