Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Brandon L. Simmons as the Director of Institutional Policy and Oversight, leading the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Office of the Ombudsman. The term will last at the Governor’s discretion and is subject to confirmation by the Senate.
The Office of Institutional Policy and Oversight acts as a link between state higher education institutions, lawmakers, and the public. It oversees institutional governance, student success, financial compliance, data reporting, and other oversight responsibilities.
“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.”
Simmons previously served on the Texas Southern University Board of Regents after being confirmed by the Texas Senate in May 2023. He was chairman of that board from October 2023 until October 2025. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Business at Wiley University in Marshall, where he also worked as Entrepreneur in Residence.
Earlier in his career, Simmons held roles as a technology company executive, venture capitalist, corporate attorney, and served on several corporate and nonprofit boards. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School. After college he received the John W. Gardner Fellowship—a joint honor from Stanford University and UC Berkeley—and later clerked for Chief Judge J.L. Edmondson at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
