Governor Greg Abbott has reappointed Kenny Marchant and Ajay Thomas to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, with their terms set to expire on January 31, 2031.
Kenny Marchant, from Coppell, previously served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Texas’ 24th District between 2005 and 2021. His experience also includes serving in the Texas House of Representatives from 1987 to 2005 and holding positions as City Councilman and Mayor in Carrollton, Texas. Marchant’s professional background includes work as a real estate developer and homebuilder. He is involved with the Southern Nazarene University Board of Trustees and participates in the Former Members of Congress Study Group. Marchant holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and an honorary doctorate of letters from Southern Nazarene University.
Ajay Thomas, based in Austin, is currently senior managing director and head of public finance at FHN Financial, which is part of First Horizon Bank. He serves on the Southwestern University Board of Trustees and acts as an advisory board member at the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard Kennedy School. Previously, he was a board member for the Texas Business Leadership Council. Thomas earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Southwestern University, his Master of Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and his Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law.
The Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott leads state government efforts focusing on economic development, education enhancement, border security initiatives such as Operation Lone Star, job growth strategies that have contributed to record employment levels in Texas, individual liberties protection, parental empowerment in schooling decisions, community certifications through programs like Travel Texas, collaboration with private sector partners including Southwest Airlines for economic expansion projects, child sex trafficking prevention efforts statewide across Texas from its primary offices located at the State Insurance Building in Austin since Abbott’s election in 2014. More information about these initiatives can be found on the official website.
