Skip to Content

News Release

Board of Regents Elects Earl C. "Duke" Austin as Chairman

(HUNTSVILLE) - The Texas State University System Board of Regents today elected Earl C. “Duke” Austin of Houston as chairman of the board, Garry Crain as first vice chairman, and Alan L. Tinsley as second vice chairman. The unanimous votes occurred during the board's quarterly meeting on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.

Duke Austin is president and chief executive officer of Quanta Services, a recognized leader driving the operations of the largest specialized contractor serving electric power, natural gas and pipeline customers in North America. Quanta Services is a Fortune 500 company with more than $11 billion in revenue and 39,000 plus employees worldwide. Austin is a graduate of Sam Houston State University, where he received his B.S. in Business Management/Accounting. In 2016 Austin received the Sam Houston State University Distinguished Alumni Award-Class of 92’.

Garry Crain is the owner of Crain Healthcare, an enterprise performing consulting services to the healthcare industry. He is a member of the advisory board of Global Bio Resources, Inc. Crain served as vice president and general manager of Crown Energy Company, Crown Energy Resources LLC, and Basin Engineering. Crain is a graduate of Texas State University.

Alan L. Tinsley lives and works in Madisonville, where owns his own law practice. Tinsley also owns and operates Landmark Title Company and Triple T Ranch, both in Madisonville. He is certified in tax law and probate and estate planning by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Tinsley is a graduate of Sam Houston State University.

The Texas State University System Board of Regents is the governing body of Texas’ first university system, which comprises seven institutions: Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Texas State University, Sul Ross State University, Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar State College Orange, and Lamar State College Port Arthur. The chair and vice chairs serve one-year terms.