John T. Montford
John T. Montford | |
---|---|
Member of the Texas Senate from the 28th district | |
In office 1983–1996 | |
Preceded by | E. L. Short |
Succeeded by | Robert L. Duncan |
Personal details | |
Born | John Thomas Montford June 28, 1943 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouses | ? (divorced)Debra Kay Mears (m. 1975) |
Children | Mindy M. Montford Melonie Ann Montford DeRose |
Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin (BA, JD) |
Occupation | Lawyer; Businessman University chancellor |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch/service | ![]() |
Years of service | 1968-1971 |
John Thomas Montford (born June 28, 1943) is a
Political life
A native of
Montford did not seek a second term as DA in 1982. Instead, he ran for and was elected to the state Senate. He unseated E. L. Short in the Democratic primary election and then defeated Republican Jim Reese, the former mayor of Odessa, in the general election. Montford served in the Senate from 1983 to 1996, during which time he was the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate President Pro Tem. He was a member of the Legislative Budget Board and the Legislative Audit Committee.[1] He joined with Ron Givens of Lubbock to create an additional county court at-law judgeship for Lubbock County.[3] Montford authored the Statewide Water Package, approved by Texas voters in November 1985. Texas Monthly magazine named Montford among its "Top 10 Best Legislators" for five legislative sessions.[4] He was "Governor for the Day" on April 24, 1993.[1]
On leaving the Senate, he became the first chancellor of the newly established Texas Tech University System,
In a 2012 radio appearance in Lubbock, Montford endorsed the legalization of casino gambling in Texas. Montford said that Texans are already traveling to Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma to gamble, and the state should earmark those otherwise lost revenues to public use.[5]
Business career
In 2001, Montford relocated to San Antonio, where he became involved in a succession of large business enterprises, beginning with the vice presidency for external affairs and then the presidency of
Since January 2010, Montford has been the president and chief executive officer of his own company, JTM Consulting, LLC. General Motors retained his firm as a consultant, in which assignment Montford was the senior advisor of government relations and global public policy until January 2012.[8] Prior to the establishment of his own company, Montford had been mentioned in 2009 as a potential candidate for
Montford serves on the board of directors of Southwest Airlines.[9]
Family
John and Debra Montford have two children, Melonie Ann Montford DeRose (born 1978) and Dr. John Ross Montford (born 1981). Montford's daughter from a previous marriage, Mindy, was born in 1970 in
Upon their deaths, John and Debra Montford will be interred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.[13]
References
- ^ a b c d "Biographical Sketch: John T. Montford". lib.utexas.edu. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Jim Reese of Odessa and the Republican Party in the Permian Basin", The West Texas Historical Association Year Book, Vol. LXXXVII (October 2011), p. 141
- ^ Danette Baker (March 12, 2000). "Ron Givens". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
- ^ a b c "John T. Montford (born 1943), a Powerhouse at Tech, in Politics," Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on-line, January 11, 2009
- ^ "Ariel Walden, John T. Montford and Charles Perry Square Off On Gambling Referendum [AUDIO], October 22, 2012". KFYO. October 22, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ "John Montford Named President of SBC Southwestern Bell, June 20, 2001". att.com. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ a b "Joe Solis, Montford: Itching for career no. 9, February 20, 2008". 2.sacurrent.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ "Profile: John T. Montford". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ "Board of Directors". Southwest Airlines. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^ "Enrique Rangel, Montford daughter seeks high-profile Travis County post". lubbockonline.com. February 21, 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ "Democratic Party primary election runoff, April 13, 2010". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ "Debbie Montford". texastech.edu. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ a b "Debra Kay Mears Montford". cemetery.state.tx.us. Retrieved September 18, 2013.