Foster of Houston Elected To Lead A&M System Regents

COLLEGE STATION — Morris Foster of Houston was elected chairman of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents and James P. Wilson of Sugar Land was elected vice chairman, at a meeting of the governing board.

Foster and Wilson both were appointed to the board by Gov. Rick Perry in 2007, and will serve two-year terms as chairman and vice chairman. They replace Bill Jones of Austin and John White of Houston.

“I am proud and honored to have the opportunity to serve the Texas A&M System and the people of the state of Texas as chairman,” Foster said.

“I know I have big shoes to fill in replacing Bill Jones, and will do my best to measure up. The opportunities and challenges the system faces are greater in many ways than ever before. I will bring all my experience, insights, and faith in our great traditions to bear on guiding us through difficult times and into an ever-expanding future.”

Wilson said, “It’s been a pleasure to be on this board and to serve with all the other regents, and, now to welcome our newest members. As vice other members of the board to continue to make the best decisions for our students, our faculty, our staff and the state of Texas.”

Foster is a former president of ExxonMobil Production Company in Houston, and now serves as the chairman of Stagecoach/Millcreek Resort.

A native of Belton, he received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1965. Upon graduation, Foster joined Exxon and served in a number of production engineering and management assignments in California, Louisiana and Texas.

Foster was inducted into Texas A&M’s Academy of Distinguished Graduates in 1993. In January 1995, he returned to Houston and was appointed a senior vice president and a member of the Management Committee of Exxon Company, U.S.A., with responsibility for the company’s upstream business.”

Wilson received a bachelor of business administration in accounting degree from Texas A&M and began his career in 1981 as a certified public accountant with the international accounting firm of Arthur Young & Company (now Ernst & Young).

Wilson serves as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of JK Acquisition Corporation, a Houston-based publicly traded investment firm and is a founder and managing partner of RSTW Partners, a private debt and equity firm he co-founded in 1990.