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Interagency Coordinating Group

Facilitating partnerships between state agencies and faith-based & community organizations

State Agency Liaisons
Legislative Reports

A strong public sector requires government to work closely with faith-based & community organizations to ensure social services & resources are reaching Texas communities.

To encourage these partnerships to flourish and thrive, the Interagency Coordinating Group (ICG) convenes Texas state agency liaisons, who ensure ongoing outreach and collaboration with nonprofits, churches, and other community organizations.

Authorized by the Texas Legislature in House Bill 492 (2009 R) and House Bill 1965 (2011 R), the ICG comprises appointed liaisons representing more than 20 key state agencies that advance partnerships between the State of Texas and local faith-based & community organizations. OneStar serves as presiding officer of the ICG and provides support to state agency liaisons.

The duties of Interagency Coordinating Group state agency liaisons include:

Removing unnecessary barriers to partnerships between their state agency and faith-based & community organizations;
Providing information and training for state agency employees regarding equal opportunity standards for faith- and community-based organizations seeking to partner with state government;
Identifying effective practices for faith-based and community organizations that partner with their agency; and
Conducting outreach efforts to welcome faith-based and community organizations that have not traditionally formed partnerships with the agency.

Additionally, liaisons must work together as the Interagency Coordinating Group and in conjunction with the Texas Nonprofit Council to:

Develop and implement a plan for improving contracting relationships between state agencies and faith-based and community organizations;
Develop best practices for cooperating and collaborating with faith-based and community organizations;
Identify and address duplication of services provided by the state and faith-based and community organizations; and
Identify and address gaps in state services that faith-based and community organizations could fill.

State Agency Liaisons

Texas State Commission on National and Community Service (OneStar)
Chris Bugbee
President & CEO (Chair)
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Trenton Davis
Procurements & Contracts, Financial Administration Division
Texas Department of Agriculture
Addie Stone
Program Outreach Specialist
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Pennie Kempt
Deputy Division Director, Rehabilitation Programs Division
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Rachel Duer
Director, Faith-Based and Community Engagement
Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Heather Claybrook
Manager, Office of the Associate Commissioner
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Elizabeth Yevich
Director, Housing Resource Center
Texas Department of Information Resources
John Hoffman
Chief Technology Officer
Texas Department of Insurance
Kenisha Schuster
Government Relations Specialist
Texas Department of Public Safety
Rhonda Lawson
Major, Texas Highway Patrol
Texas Department of State Health Services
Juan Aleman
PS VII Special Projects Coordinator

Texas Division of Emergency Management
Nim Kidd
Chief
Texas Education Agency
Sarah Harrington
Director, Deputy Governmental Relations
Texas Juvenile Justice Department
Preston Streufert
Director, Stakeholder Relations
Texas Veterans Commission
Blake Harris
Director, Licensed Clinical Forensic Psychologist
Texas Workforce Commission
Tom McCarty
Director, External Relations
Public Utility Commission of Texas
Chris Burch
Director, Customer Protection
Office of the Attorney General
Jordan Lamb
Legal Strategy Analyst
Office of the Comptroller
Herman Mason
Tax Policy Division, Indirect Taxes, Manager
Office of Secretary of State
Vincent Houston
Director, Administrative Services
Office of State-Federal Relations
Thomas W. Hambrick
Director
Office of the Texas Governor
Gregory S. Davidson
Executive Clerk & Director of Constituent Communications
The University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Suchitra Gururaj
Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement and Economic Development

Legislative Reports

Check out these reports for an inspiring look at how state agencies have collaborated with faith-based and community organizations over the years to better serve Texans. The Interagency Coordinating Group issues a report for the Texas Legislature each December.

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Interagency Coordinating Group

A strong public sector requires government to work closely with faith-based & community organizations to ensure social services & resources are reaching Texas communities.

The duties of Interagency Coordinating Group state agency liaisons include:

State Agency Liaisons

Legislative Reports

For More Information on the Interagency Coordinating Group

Stay Connected

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Who We Are

Interagency Coordinating Group

A strong public sector requires government to work closely with faith-based & community organizations to ensure social services & resources are reaching Texas communities.

The duties of Interagency Coordinating Group state agency liaisons include:

State Agency Liaisons

Legislative Reports

For More Information on the Interagency Coordinating Group

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