Dr. Brian Rowland Mayor Prairie View, Texas

Dr. Brian Rowland

2021 TRAILBLAZER

Dr. Brian Rowland is the 11th Mayor of Prairie View, Texas. He has served as a city councilman for 10 years. He is the managing principal for Visionary Leadership, LLC. Visionary

Leadership is a consulting company specializing in business development and organizational leadership; providing organizational training on cultural competency, equity and inclusion, and leadership development strategies. Dr.

Rowland is a registered representative with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. and

Rowland Financial, and he has been in the financial services industry for 14 years. Dr. Rowland brings more than 20 years of experience in community organizing, social justice advocacy, and leadership solutions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He has a state, regional, and national reputation for outstanding leadership and community involvement. He was an instrumental force in the successful restoration of the Prairie View A&M students’ right to vote, a nationally recognized court case. Dr. Rowland has received local and national recognition/awards for his work on social justice and advocacy including: ● Young Champions of Justice Award from the Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights ● YMCA of Greater Houston Minority Achiever’s Award ● Texas Association of African American Chamber of Commerce Award He is determined to achieve professional and personal growth as he strives to impact the future of Texas and this country. Dr. Rowland works with numerous community affiliations throughout the State of Texas and nationally, such as: ● Texas State Conference for NAACP Branches (Membership Chair and CoChair of Economic Development) ● The Texas State Association of African American Chamber of Commerce (Fmr. Vice Chair and Secretary) ● Texas Association of Black City Council Members (Vice President) ● Boy Scouts of America Troop 1906 (Assistant Scoutmaster) ● Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - Epsilon Tau Lambda (President Emeritus) ● Prairie View Chamber of Commerce (President Emeritus) ● Prairie View Volunteer Fire Department (Board Member) Dr. Rowland received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Tarleton State University, as well a Masters of Community Development (M.CD), a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Leadership from Prairie View A&M University. Dr. Rowland is known in his community as a trailblazer who has dedicated time and resources to improving the welfare of the citizens in his community. His experienced leadership and collaborative approach continue to provide positive solutions to the community over the last 18 years. He leads with the mantra, “We are one PV.”

Dr. Brian Rowland Mayor Prairie View, Texas

www.prairieviewtexas.gov

d-mars.com Top 50 Black Professionals & Entrepreneurs of Texas Dr. Thomas Randle

2021 TOP EDUCATOR

Dr. Thomas Randle became Lamar CISD’s Superintendent of Schools in 2001. Under his leadership, Lamar CISD is known around the state for academic excellence.

During his tenure, the District has twice been recognized by Texas School

Business magazine for its best practices, earned the H-E-B Excellence in Education

Award for Best Large District and had four campuses named National Blue Ribbon

Schools.

Since Dr. Randle’s arrival in Lamar

CISD, the District has added dozens of facilities—with plans for more on the way. Student enrollment has increased from 16,000 to over 36,000 and staff has gone from 2,200 to nearly 6,000— making Lamar CISD the second-largest employer in Fort Bend County. Dr. Randle also has a strong record of industry leadership, including service with the Texas Association of School Boards Risk Management Fund, the UIL Legislative Committee, Texas FFA Association, Texas Association of School Administrators, Texas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, Texas Academic Decathlon, Texas Alliance of Black School Educators and Texas Business and Education Coalition. He’s a Past President of the Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. He served on the Texas Education Commissioner’s Cabinet of Superintendents, the Policy Committee on Public Education Information and as an advisor for the Texas Education Agency’s Recommended High School Plan. In 2008, the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives appointed Dr. Randle to the Select Committee on Public School Accountability. He’s twice been named the Region 4 Superintendent of the Year (2001 & 2017) and a finalist for Texas Superintendent of the Year. Other honors include the 2004 Texas Educational Support Staff Administrator of the Year and Texas A&M’s 2012 John R. Hoyle Award for Educational Leadership. In 2017, the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators named a statewide award in his honor. He received an Oklahoma Regent of Higher Education Fellowship and served on a focus group for the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington, D.C. In 2019, Dr. Randle graduated from The Holdsworth Center’s Inaugural Leadership Development Program. Dr. Randle earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Texas A&M University and a Doctorate from Oklahoma State University. He has more than 40 years of experience in education, including 26 years as a superintendent of schools. Ultimately, Dr. Randle is still a teacher at heart. He has served as an adjunct professor at UH Clear Lake, Lamar University and Texas A&M University.

Dr. Thomas Randle Superintendent of Schools Lamar CISD

terandle@lcisd.org www.lcisd.org