WTAW - Interviews

Theresa Mangapora, Executive Director of the Brazos Valley Food Bank, visits with WTAW's Chelsea Reber about the 30th annual Feast of Caring.

This podcast is the audio from the July 23, 2023 special meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents.

A special meeting of the Texas A&M system board of regents began with meeting for three and a half hours in executive session.

Coming out of the closed door discussion, the regents unanimously approved two motions before entering a second executive session.

First, the board accepted the chancellor's recommendation to appoint Mark Welsh as acting president at Texas A&M. The only regents comment came from chairman Bill Mahomes of Dallas, who congratulated the retired general. Welsh, who participated during the first executive session, chose not to visit with reporters.

The regents then agreed to have the system's office of general counsel negotiate a potential settlement of claims made by Kathleen McElroy after she rejected A&M's reduced employment offer to direct a new journalism program.

The motion regarding McElroy also included a statement from regents vice-chairman Bob Albritton of Ft. Worth that system lawyers have been told to do "a thorough investigation (regarding McElroy) as quickly as possible and emphasize that we support the release of its findings to the public."

The regents second executive session resulted in no action regarding unidentified personnel matters identified under section 551.074 of the Texas government code. Under this section, which according to state law "does not require a governmental body to conduct an open meeting:", the regents could (1) "deliberate the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee; or (2)" "hear a complaint or charge against an officer or employee."

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents unanimously approved Mark A. Welsh III as the interim president of Texas A&M University in a special-called meeting Sunday.

Chancellor John Sharp previously named Welsh on July 21 as the acting president of the university. The board’s action was needed to place Welsh into a longer-term role to lead the university. Welsh replaces M. Katherine Banks, who stepped down earlier this month.

“I cannot think of a better person than Mark Welsh to lead Texas A&M right now,” Sharp said. “He has experience running a large organization, but he also is widely respected and universally well-liked in the Aggie community. General Welsh has earned a reputation as a smart, thoughtful and collaborative leader. We are lucky to have him in the president’s office.”

Welsh has been dean of the university’s Bush School of Government and Public Service since 2016, but his time in the academic realm came after a long and decorated career in the United States Air Force.

Starting as a cadet in the United States Air Force Academy, Welsh spent a total of four decades serving the country in the military. Early in his career, he was a pilot with experience flying storied U.S. aircraft, including F-16s and A-10s. But his responsibilities changed, and he became one of the top generals in the Air Force. Welsh ultimately retired from the Air Force in 2016 as the 20th Chief of Staff of the Air Force, a position in which he was responsible for 664,000 active-duty Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian forces serving in the U.S. and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he and other service chiefs functioned as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and President.

Welsh also commanded the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and NATO’s Air Command at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Additionally, he served as associate director of military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency and as commandant of the United States Air Force Academy.

“I am grateful to the Board of Regents and Chancellor Sharp for their confidence in me to lead this great university during a time of transition,” Welsh said. “As interim president, my primary focus is to ensure our faculty and staff have the resources and support they need to continue their critically important work. I’m deeply committed to Texas A&M, our core values and traditions, and to an environment that values the voice of every member of our faculty, staff and student body. I pledge to every Aggie that I will work tirelessly to represent this great institution in a way that reflects your pride in it.”

Also Sunday, the regents authorized officials to negotiate a potential settlement of claims of Kathleen McElroy, Ph.D., whose candidacy to run Texas A&M University’s journalism program fell apart following failed negotiations. Additionally, the regents directed the System’s Office of General Counsel to complete a thorough investigation as quickly as possible and emphasized that they support the release of its the findings to the public.

Regent Mike Hernandez was not present for the meeting.

This podcast contains comments from the July 27, 2023 meeting of the Texas higher education coordinating board.

The Texas higher education coordinating board approves Texas A&M's request to create two bachelor's degrees in journalism.

Click HERE to read and download information about Texas A&M's journalism program from the Texas higher education coordinating board.

The unanimous vote followed a presentation from A&M provost Alan Sams.

He did not bring up, nor was he asked, about the failed hiring of Kathleen McElroy to direct the journalism program and/or the resignation of president Katherine Banks following national attention regarding McElroy.

Sams says 50 current A&M students and 50 freshmen are expected to be in the new program this fall.

The provost, who is A&M's chief academic officer, says journalism majors will complete a multi-disciplinary degree plan that will also prepare them to work as content creators in corporate communications and in public relations.

Jennifer Nations, Water Resource Coordinator, visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about gardening kits, irrigation numbers, water usage, and more during her appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast is a visit with Brazos County sheriff Wayne Dicky and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

Brazos County commissioners approve the sheriff's request to purchase $229,000 dollars of computers and software as part of a grant funded real time crime center.

Sheriff Wayne Dicky tells WTAW News that this "will allow our personnel and other participating agencies to gather information from various sources that will increase our ability to respond to crime in near real time."

Dicky says this can also be a resource for law enforcement through the seven county Brazos Valley region.

As one example, Dicky says "having our crime analysts work together in this environment will allow us to take a broader approach about property crimes and other crimes happening in the community that we can look at it cohesively and say we're having this same problem as you are, and maybe be able to piece things together better."

And the sheriff also plans after the center begins operations to ask private businessowners for access to their video security systems.

Click HERE to read and download the equipment purchase that was approved at the July 11, 2023 Brazos County commission meeting.

Councilman Paul Torres visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about electric vehicle charging stations, the budget process, recent crime in Downtown Bryan, neighborhood development, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

College Station Mayor John Nichols visits with WTAW's Scott DeLucia about budget workshops and public feedback, impact fees, indoor tennis courts, charging stations, the possibility of a future conference center, and more during his appearance on The Infomaniacs.

This podcast is a visit with Emily Bell of the management company operating downtown Bryan's Palace Theater for the city of Bryan, and WTAW's Ian Curtis.

The Palace Theater event venue in downtown Bryan reopens next week following renovations.

The marketing director for the management company hired to run the Palace for the city of Bryan says they plan to host concerts every weekend.

Emily Bell also says there will be free performances on First Fridays, beginning with the reopening on August 4.

Bell says changes to the facility included adding a cantina, upgrading seating, adding a turf floor, and replacing the overhead canopy.

A concert schedule can be found online at palacebryantx.com.

College Station city councilman visits with Scott DeLucia on WTAW's The Infomaniacs July 21, 2023 about developing the fiscal year 2024 budget, his reaction to the breaking news of the resignation of Texas A&M's president, flexible scheduling for city employees, competition to recruit and retain police officers and firefighters, and the impact of federal pandemic grant money on future city budgets.

This podcast is a visit with Penny Zent of the B/CS Christmas Parade and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

The Bryan/College Station Christmas parade is facing its biggest obstacle in its nearly 100 year history.

Spokeswoman Penny Zent says the new center median along Texas Avenue does not give enough room for larger parade entries.

She and other parade officials have not been successful finding a wide enough street without a median.

Zent says members of the parade committee will be meeting in August with city officials in an attempt to find another location.

This is after parade committee members have checked numerous locations with no success.
Zent invites people with suggestions, even humorous ones, to post on the parade's Facebook page.