On October 6, 2014, Governor Rick Perry created the Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response through
Executive Order RP-79. The Task Force was composed of seventeen members, and included representatives from pertinent state agencies, as well as experts in infectious disease, emergency management, and in public health preparedness and response.
H.B. 2950, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, codified the Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response in Texas Health and Safety Code (HSC) Chapter 81, Subchapter J. The Task Force is required to provide expert, evidence-based assessments, protocols, and recommendations related to state responses to infectious diseases, as well as serve as a source of information and education.
H.B. 2950 is created as an advisory panel to the Governor, and task force membership is determined by the Governor.
Enabling statute:
Health and Safety Code, Chapter 81, Subchapter J
Task Force Members
No. |
Name |
Institution |
1. |
Ogechika Alozie, M.D. |
Chief Medical Officer of Del Sol Medical Center |
2. |
Toby Baker |
Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
3. |
James Bass |
Executive Director of the Texas Department of Transportation |
4. |
Christopher R. Frei, Pharm.D.
|
Associate Professor and Division Head, Pharmacotherapy Department of the University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy |
5. |
Sheila Haley, Ph.D. |
Assistant Clinical Professor at Texas Woman’s University |
6. |
John Hellerstedt, M.D. |
Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services |
7. |
Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. |
Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine |
8. |
Ruth R. Hughs |
Texas Secretary of State |
9. |
Harrison Keller |
Commissioner of Higher Education |
10. |
Nim Kidd |
Vice Chancellor for Disaster & Emergency Services, Texas A&M |
11. |
Thomas Ksiazek, D.V.M., Ph.D.
|
Director of High Containment Operations and Director of the Biosafety Level 4 Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston |
12. |
David Lakey, M.D. |
Associate Vice Chancellor for Population Health at the University of Texas System |
13. |
Binh-Minh "Jade" Le, M.D. |
Infectious Disease Clinician at Texas Health Resources |
14. |
James Le Duc, Ph.D.
|
Director of the Galveston National Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch |
15. |
Scott Lillibridge, M.D. |
Director of Health Initiatives at the Texas A&M University System and Professor of Epidemiology at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health |
16. |
Tony Marquardt
|
Paramedic with the City of Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Service |
17. |
Steve McCraw
|
Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety |
18. |
Michael Morath |
Commissioner of Education |
19. |
Kristy Murray, D.V.M., Ph.D. |
Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology; Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital
|
20. |
Major General Tracy Norris |
Texas Adjutant General |
21. |
Patrick O'Daniel |
Chair of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice |
22. |
Dorothy Overman, M.D. |
Comal County Health Authority |
23. |
Daniel Owens |
Medic at City of Austin: Austin-Travis County EMS |
24. |
Gerald Parker, D.V.M., Ph.D. |
Associate Vice President of Public Health Preparedness and Response at Texas A&M Health Science Center
|
25. |
David Slayton |
Administrative Director of the State Office of Court Administration
|
26. |
Victoria Sutton, Ph.D. |
Director of the Center for Biodefense, Law and Public Policy at Texas Tech University School of Law |
27. |
Nancy Tanner |
Potter County Judge |
28. |
Surendra Kumar Varma, M.D. |
Executive Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center |
29. |
Bobby Wilkinson |
Executive Director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs |
30. |
Edward E. Yosowitz, M.D. |
Clinical Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology |
31. |
Cecile Young |
Executive Commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission |
32. |
Ben Zeller |
Victoria County Judge |
Governor's appointment notice
Rapid Assessment Subcommittee Membership
- John Hellerstedt, M.D.
- Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D.
- Nim Kidd
- David Lakey, M.D.
- James LeDuc, Ph.D.
- Dorothy Overman, M.D.
- Gerald Parker, D.V.M., Ph.D.
- Cecile Young
Meeting notices and documents:
Report
Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response January 2017 (PDF)
Jan. 8, 2021 (1:00 p.m.)
Microsoft Office Teams Live
Archived Webcast
Dec. 7, 2020 (1:00 p.m.)
Microsoft Office Teams Live
Archived Webcast
Oct. 19, 2020 (1:00 p.m.)
Microsoft Office Teams Live
Archived Webcast
Feb. 4, 2020 (1:00 p.m.)
Moreton Building - Room M-100
1100 W. 49th St., Austin, Texas
Archived Webcast
Oct. 3, 2018 (1:30 p.m.)
Moreton Building - Room M-100
1100 W. 49th St., Austin, Texas
Archived Webcast
Feb. 27, 2018 (10 a.m.)
Moreton Building – Room M-100
1100 W. 49th St., Austin, Texas
Archived Webcast
Nov. 16, 2016 (1 p.m.)
Morton Building – Room M-100
1100 W. 49th St., Austin, Texas
Aug. 8, 2016 (1 p.m.)
Morton Building – Room M-100
1100 W. 49th St., Austin, Texas
May 6, 2016 (9:30 a.m.)
Morton Building – Room M-100
1100 W. 49th St., Austin, Texas
March 9, 2016 (2 p.m.)
Brown Heatly Building, Rooms 1410-1430
4900 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas
Archived Webcast
Contact Information:
TaskForceID@dshs.texas.gov