Governor Abbott Appoints Five To State Commission On Judicial Conduct
Summary
Governor Greg Abbott appointed April Aguirre and Derek Cohen, Ph.D. to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for terms set to expire on December 31, 2029. <p>Governor Greg Abbott appointed April Aguirre and Derek Cohen, Ph.D. to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for terms set to expire on December 31, 2029. Additionally, the Governor appointed Andrew “Andy” Kahan, Tracy Harrison, and Yinon Weiss to the Commission for terms set to expire on December 31, 2031. The Commission regulates the conduct of the state judiciary, including the power to recommend retirement, censure, suspension, or removal of a judge from office.</p> <p><strong>April Aguirre </strong>of Pasadena is a crime victims’ advocate for Voice for Victims and a nurse. She served in the U.S. Air Force, where she received her nurse training. Aguirre received an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice from Houston City College (formerly the Houston Community College) and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston – Downtown.</p> <p><strong>Derek Cohen, Ph.D. </strong>of Austin is the chief policy and research officer for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Previously, he served as an adjunct professor and research associate at the University of Cincinnati. He is a former youth rugby assistant coach for the Austin Huns Rugby Club and former board member of the America’s Future Foundation – Austin Chapter. Cohen received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati.</p> <p><strong>Andrew “Andy” Kahan</strong> of Houston is the director of Victim Services for Crime Stoppers Houston. He is a board member of Parents of Murdered Children and Surviving Family Members of Homicide and Texas EquuSearch and a member of the Harris Law Enforcement Advisory Council. He is a former member of the Crime Victims’ Institute Advisory Council and former member and presenter of the National Organization for Victim Assistance. He was the first Victim Advocate in the country to be staffed out of Mayor’s Office and served under 5 Mayoral Administrations before going over to the Houston Police Department as a Victim Advocate. Additionally, he is the first victim advocate in the country to be working at Crime Stoppers. He was the first recipient of the Ronald Reagan Public Policy Award by the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime and won the National Foundation for Improvement of Justice Award. Kahan received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston.</p> <p><strong>Tracy Harrison</strong> of Friendswood is vice president of public safety for the North Houston District, Local City Municipality Management District. She is a member of the International City Managers Association and the Woman Marines Association. Additionally, she is vice president of the Greenbriar North Property Owners Association, member of the International City/County Management Association Veterans Committee and the Houston Food Bank Advisory Committee, and a former volunteer for the Special Olympics and the Houston NFL Superbowl. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps and received an honorable discharge. Harrison received a Master of Public Service and Administration from Texas A&M University.</p> <p><strong>Yinon Weiss</strong> of Austin is CEO of Stress-Free Auto Care, former CEO and founder of CarDash and RallyPoint, and an investor and advisor to technology startups. He is an alumnus of Presidential Leadership Scholars and Y Combinator. Additionally, he is a former board member of Harvard Veterans Alumni Organization and former co-president of Harvard Armed Forces Alumni Association. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army Special Forces, and the U.S. Army Reserves. He was awarded with the Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, Special Forces Tab, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Weiss received a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering from University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.</p>