Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Brandon L. Simmons as the Director of Institutional Policy and Oversight, where he will lead the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Office of the Ombudsman. The appointment is effective until the Governor decides otherwise and requires confirmation by the Senate.

The Office of the Ombudsman acts as a mediator between Texas higher education institutions, the legislature, and the public. It oversees institutional governance, student success, financial compliance, data reporting, and other oversight responsibilities.

Governor Abbott stated, "Texas continues to lead the nation with more top-ranked research universities and programs than any other state. 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 to October 2025. Simmons is currently a Distinguished Professor of Business at Wiley University in Marshall and has also served as Entrepreneur in Residence at that institution. His earlier career includes roles as a technology company executive, venture capitalist, corporate attorney, and member of various corporate and nonprofit boards.

Simmons holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School. He received the John W. Gardner Fellowship after college—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.