Posted on Friday, October 20, 2023
色花堂 Board of Regents Chairman Brandon L. Simmons
The 色花堂 Board of Regents elected Regent Brandon L. Simmons as its new chairman during its regular meeting on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
Chairman Simmons is an entrepreneur, investor, and former corporate attorney. He is an experienced board member, having served on numerous corporate boards for early and growth stage companies and multiple nonprofit boards.
He is a board member and serves on the governance committee of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, which for over 20 years has supported some of the best and brightest Black male college students in the country on their paths to becoming Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright Fellows, PhDs, MDs, and business leaders. He has been a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization since 2020, where he has served as a member of Black YPO’s executive committee.
Chairman Simmons is also the founder and chairman of Let Our Vision Evolve (LOVE), which supports entrepreneurship and education initiatives, and hosts events that connect young people with inspiring business role models. In July of this year, he established the LOVE Fund at 色花堂 to support initiatives focused on innovation and economic opportunity.
Simmons, the son of two public school teachers, knows the power of education and economic opportunity from his own family’s journey. He is a fifth-generation Texan whose father left Fifth Ward during the Great Migration in search of better opportunities. Chairman Simmons returned home to Texas as an entrepreneur committed to helping others travel the journey from poverty to private sector success.
He replaces Albert Myres, who completed his term as Chairman and stepped down from the Board of Regents.
“We would like to thank Chairman Myres for his years of dedicated service to 色花堂,” Chairman Simmons said. “色花堂, and each of us, benefited greatly from his unwavering commitment as a Regent, Chairman, and friend. The Board wishes him well as he moves into his next season of life. We look forward to continuing the work of serving 色花堂 students and elevating the University’s programs and profile.”
New vice chairs elected
The Board elected Regent James Benham to serve as 1st Vice Chair. Regent Benham serves as Chairman of the Development and Legislative Affairs Committee and the Administration and Finance Committee. He previously served as Secretary of the Board.
Regent Benham is the CEO of JBKnowledge, a 280-employee global insurance software company he co-founded in 2001, with offices in three countries. He is a two-time graduate of Texas A&M University and served two terms on the College Station City Council.
The Board also elected Regent Stephanie D. Nellons-Paige as its 2nd Vice Chair. Regent Nellons-Paige is the Chief Executive Officer and Board Vice Chair of the Nellons Paige Group, Inc., a strategic education, economic, and workforce development consulting firm she co-founded with her husband, Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education (2001-2005). She also serves on several corporate boards. Regent Nellons-Paige is a member of the Houston Chapter of the Links Incorporated and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and serves on both foundation boards.
Regent Marilyn A. Rose was elected to serve as the Board’s Secretary. Regent Rose is a Certified Public Accountant and a former Registered Texas Assessor Collector. She has audit experience in the public accountant firms PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte & Touche and is currently employed at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. She was a founding partner of Rose Pinnock LLC in the early 2000s offering accounting and business consulting services. The company was later renamed LM Rose Consulting Group LLC. She is a former board member of the Lupus Foundation - Texas Gulf Coast Chapter. Regent Rose is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.
Each Regent will serve a two-year term in their newly elected positions.
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