New Board of Regents Appointments

UH System Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce one new appointment and two reappointments to the University of Houston System’s Board of Regents, the 10-member body named by the governor of Texas to oversee our four state universities – UH, UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown and UH-Victoria.

It is with considerable pleasure that I get to welcome back Tilman Fertitta, who joined the board in 2009, and Beth Madison, who has served since 2015. Their reappointments bring a wealth of experience and invaluable knowledge about higher education to our board. I’m confident they will continue to guide and inspire our universities in our collective mission to become globally significant, nationally competitive and serve as engines for economic development in this region.   I offer them each my deep appreciation for agreeing to serve another term.  They are appointed through August 31, 2027.

I would also like to welcome a new addition, Ricky Raven, who will bring energy, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to the board.  He is also appointed to serve through August 31, 2027.

Regent Tilman Fertitta, who has held the position of chairman of the board for the past seven years, is the sole owner of Fertitta Entertainment, which owns the restaurant giant Landry’s, the Golden Nugget Casinos and Hotels, and Houston’s NBA team, the Rockets.  Drawing on his business savvy and marketplace experience, he is considered one of the leading authorities in the restaurant, gaming, entertainment and hospitality industries.  His recent book about business, “Shut Up and Listen,” has been a New York Times Best Seller. He has been a generous supporter of UH and his historic $20 million gift paved the way to transform the UH basketball arena into a state-of-the-art collegiate sports facility now named the Fertitta Center.

In addition, he serves as chairman of the Houston Police Foundation, the Houston Children’s Charity and currently serves on the boards of the Greater Houston Partnership, Central Houston, Inc., and the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Houston.

Regent Beth Madison, who calls Houston home, is a Shareholder and Managing Director of Higginbotham and Associates, and cofounder of Madison Benefits Group. She is a member of the Society of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists and the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society.  I’m also proud to point out that she earned a bachelor of arts from UH and is a life member of the University of Houston Alumni Association and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.Additionally, she is a board member of the Foundation for Teen Health, board secretary of the Rice University Shepherd School of Music Society, and a trustee of the Madison Charitable Foundation. She is senior board chairman of the Houston Grand Opera, board secretary of the Alley Theatre, and a board member and past president of the World Affairs Council of Houston.She was awarded my President’s Medallion and named Distinguished Alumni in 2010. She is currently serving as Secretary on the board.

Ricky Raven, who resides in Sugar Land, is Senior Vice President – Deputy General Counsel for Allstate Insurance. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, International Association of Defense Counsel, International Association of Trial Lawyers and the State Bar of Texas.  An appointee to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, he is also a board member of the University of Houston Foundation as well as a member of the UH Board of Visitors. Raven received a bachelor of science in political science from UH and Juris Doctor degree from the UH Law Center.

Leaving the board is Gerald McElvy, who has served as vice chairman.  We owe him a debt of gratitude for his unstinting commitment and helping our system accomplish so much during his tenure.

We are very fortunate to have these talented individuals volunteering their time, energy and intellect to keep the UH System on track and moving forward.

With warm regards,

Renu Khator