Pub. 55 2014-2015 Issue 4

10 Action Committee (BACPAC). BACPAC is the political fundraising arm of TAB, and also serves the purpose of determining endorsements of candidates of all state and federal races in Texas. I have served in this capacity since. I served as State Board Secretary in 2009, State Vice-Chair in 2010, and State Chair of TAB in 2011. During my oversight of strategic planning as State Chair, we identi- fied that our members’ greatest concern had migrated out of Texas and had become Federal overreach. Later that year, we launched the Texas Center for Federal Policy. For the first time in the 75 year history of TAB, we now had a presence in our nation’s capital. With a full time lobbyist on the ground, our objective for this new arm was to push for solutions to the major issues facing this country including the national debt, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. I hope that my input to TAB and its CEO, Bill Hammond, has in some way helped small businesses in Texas have the opportunity to thrive and be successful. As a Past State Chair and a lifetime Board Member, I plan on continuing that endeavor into the foreseeable future. As a member of the Texas Automobile Deal- ers Association and the Texas Association of Business, I had the opportunity to get involved in the formation of self-insurance groups for members of bona-fide trade associations. TADAwas one of the first private associations in Texas to receive a certificate of approval from the Department of Insurance, and the Texas Auto Dealers Self Insurers Group was born. As one of five founding board members, I spent the next three years recruiting dealers into the program. This successful program has returned hundreds of thousands of dollars back to dealers by keeping expenses low and provid- ing strict oversight of claims and losses. Factors beyond TADSIG’s control eventually led to the closure of the program, which is unfortunate for the dealers that were involved. I have always been in somewhat of a unique position here in Grayson County, as my business is located in Sherman, my home is outside of Denison, and my children attend public school in Pottsboro. This has allowed me to be involved with groups throughout the county. Since 2011, I have served on the board for the Denison Development Foundation. This foundation was established to assist the Denison Development Alliance by acquiring and managing real estate assets that are leased back to businesses and industries relocating to the city. In January 2012, I was appointed to the Grayson County Appraisal District Board of Directors and continue to serve. While the first year had plenty of turmoil, I can now proudly say that the organization is in a re- cently renovated facility. Community leaders had been trying to get the district into better facilities for the past five years, due to the ter- rible conditions of the existing building. The current board successfully lobbied for taxing entity approval, and completed the acquisi- tion and refurbishment of an empty building in the downtown. This turned an eyesore into a beautiful, efficient, and modern office that improved the morale of the employees and created a professional setting to better serve taxpayers. As a board member, my priorities are to push GCAD to provide excellent service for its customers, the taxpayers of Grayson County, through prudent management with full transparency. In January 2013, I was asked to serve on the Board of the Texoma Health Foundation. My involvement in the community has made me keenly aware of the challenges our citizens face with health care. The Texoma Health Foundation is a $50,000,000 foundation dedicated to supporting the health and well- being of the people in the Texoma area. In addition to overseeing grants that match up to the foundation’s funding priorities, the THF oversees the Reba Ranch House. The Reba Ranch House, funded by RebaMcIntire, serves as a home away from home for families traveling from all over the U.S. and overseas to be close to loved ones who are hospitalized or receiving hospice care here in Texoma, regard- less of their ability to pay. I am proud to be a part of this fantastic foundation. Baylor University recognized Graham International as the Small Family Business of the Year in 2013 based upon the dealer- ship’s multi-generational history as well as its family values, community commitment and business success. Since she is also my business partner, I would be remiss if I did not mention the con- tributions my wife, Debbie, has made in our community. After graduating from Baylor with a BBA in 1991, she began a career in com- mercial real estate appraisal inDallas and then continued appraising in Sherman when I took over Graham International in 1993. She left the appraisal field after eight years to become a full time mom to our three children, Luke, Kristen, andDaniel. In 1997, she joined Sher- man Service League and served actively as a member for 10 years. She was elected to several committee chairmanships and executive board positions and served as President in 2004-05. She has served on the Boards of Directors of the Finley Cultural Center, Girls, Inc., Pottsboro  BRETT GRAHAM — CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8