Perry Names Smith as TWCC Chairman

Governor Rick Perry appointed Employer Commissioner Richard Smith to serve as chairman of the Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission (TWCC). He replaces Employee Commissioner Rebecca Olivares, who served as chairman since February 2001. Smith’s term as chairman will expire February 1, 2005.

Smith was appointed as a commissioner to TWCC in April 2002. He served as State Representative from District 14 from 1985 to 1991, and was recognized as the foremost expert on workers’ compensation in the Texas House of Representatives. During the 71st Legislature he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Workers’ Compensation Foundation (IWCF) for his leadership in the passage of workers’ compensation reform legislation. He also served as both mayor of Bryan and on the Bryan City Council.

Smith is the president and chief executive officer of the Richard Smith Company, the 22nd largest real estate brokerage company in the U.S. He is a member of the National Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, and the Bryan-College Station Regional Association of Realtors.