Geoff Connor
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Scott Connor is an American politician, attorney, and entrepreneur from the state of Texas. Connor has been an aide or appointee of several Republican Governors of Texas, including William P. Clements, Jr., George W. Bush
, and Rick Perry
. Most notably, Connor served as the 104th Secretary of State of Texas
under Governor Perry. Connor’s tenure in this position was especially noteworthy for his efforts to build strong diplomatic and trade relationships between Texas and foreign countries.
Since leaving the public sector, Connor has been active as a consultant
, lobbyist, and attorney. He is a principal in an international consulting firm and serves as chairman of an investment advisory firm. He remains active internationally and with the diplomatic community in the state of Texas.
. In 1985, Connor received a B.A. from Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University) in International Relations
. Connor also studied abroad at Birkbeck College, University of London
. He later attended the University of Texas School of Law
in Austin, from which he received his J.D.
degree in 1988. He has been board certified in administrative law
since 1995.
Connor lived in the United Kingdom in 1985. During this time, he served as an analyst for the British Government and was a top aide to the Chairman of the House of Lords
Foreign Policy Committee (The Earl of Kimberly) and the Chairman of the Lords Defence Committee (Lord Chalfont).
, in 1988. By the time he departed the Governor’s office in 1991, Connor had advanced to Deputy General Counsel. In 1991, Connor joined the Texas Department of Agriculture
as assistant commissioner and general counsel under then Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry. In 1995, he became general counsel
for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
, a post he held until 1999.
During the 1990s, Connor also served as a member of the State Emergency Communications Commission (appointed by Governor Clements in 1990) and as a member of the Coastal Coordination Committee (appointed by Governor George W. Bush
in 1995).
After more than a decade in government, Connor took a break from the public sector and accepted a position with the Austin office of the international law and lobby firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld (1999–2001).
, has a diverse portfolio that includes supervising elections, serving as chief protocol
officer for Texas, acting as the Governor’s liaison
on border
and Mexico affairs, as well as maintaining a variety of corporate and commercial filings.
With the departure of Secretary of State Henry Cuellar
in October 2001, Connor served four months as Acting Secretary of State until the swearing in of Gwyn Clarkston Shea
as Secretary of State in January 2002. Following Shea’s swearing-in, Connor resumed his duties as Deputy Secretary of State.
Upon Shea’s resignation, Governor Perry appointed Connor to be the 104th Secretary of State of Texas. Connor’s swearing-in ceremony was held on September 26, 2003. His tenure was noteworthy as the first Texas Secretary of State in recent history to use the office to promote Texas business internationally. He made use of the Secretary’s role as chief protocol officer for the state to encourage trade
and foreign investment. During his time with the Secretary of State’s office, Connor led around a dozen trade missions to countries, including China, Mexico, Brazil, France, Trinidad and Tobago
, Vietnam
and Ethiopia
.
During Connor’s time with the Secretary of State’s office, Texas overtook California as America’s largest exporting state. From 2001 to 2004, Texas exports grew by 23.4% to $117.2 billion dollars. While there are multiple factors behind the state’s increasing prominence in exports, the focused and active promotion of Texas exports by the state’s chief protocol officer played a role.
At the beginning of 2005, Connor resigned from the Secretary of State’s office to pursue a variety of private sector activities.
Sada Cumber
, who served as the United States Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference until January 2009.
Simultaneously, Connor returned to practicing law with the Texas-based law firm of Jackson Walker, LLP. Connor’s time at Jackson Walker focused on business transactions law. In 2007, Connor left the firm to establish his own law office, Connor and Demond, with William P. Demond.
The same year, Connor also cofounded CACH Capital Management, a boutique investment advisory firm offering wealth management and investment advisory services.
Since leaving the Texas Secretary of State’s office, Connor has maintained a strong international focus and his ties to a variety of international communities in Texas and the United States. He is frequently sought as a speaker on issues of international politics, the world economy
, and cross-cultural cooperation. He also serves as a contact and advisor for foreign businesses and organizations seeking to achieve business or policy goals in the U.S., as well as by U.S. entities looking to enhance their performance or impact abroad.
His continued work with international clients has taken him to Qatar
, the UAE, Malta
, New Zealand, Barbados
, Pakistan
and India. In 2006, Connor served as an international election monitor for Liberia
’s presidential elections and the same for Georgia
in 2008.
Connor is active in a number of civic, educational, and professional organizations. He is a member of the International Affairs Committee of the National Association of Secretaries of State
, on the Board of Directors for the Asia Society of Texas, the Texas Leadership Council of the World Congress on Information Technology 2006. He is a member of the national Board of Trustees of Sigma Tau Gamma
and the Board of Advisors of the International Center of Texas State University. Connor is also a member of the British-American Business Council, the American Council of Young Political Leaders; Austin Council on Foreign Affairs; the Austin World Affairs Council; and the Dallas World Affairs Council.
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
. Most notably, Connor served as the 104th Secretary of State of Texas
Secretary of State of Texas
The Secretary of State of Texas is one of six state officials designated by the Texas Constitution to form the executive department of that U.S. state...
under Governor Perry. Connor’s tenure in this position was especially noteworthy for his efforts to build strong diplomatic and trade relationships between Texas and foreign countries.
Since leaving the public sector, Connor has been active as a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
, lobbyist, and attorney. He is a principal in an international consulting firm and serves as chairman of an investment advisory firm. He remains active internationally and with the diplomatic community in the state of Texas.
Background
Connor was born and reared in Runnels County, a predominantly rural county near San Angelo, TexasSan Angelo, Texas
San Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200...
. In 1985, Connor received a B.A. from Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University) in International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. Connor also studied abroad at Birkbeck College, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. He later attended the University of Texas School of Law
University of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
in Austin, from which he received his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree in 1988. He has been board certified in administrative law
Administrative law
Administrative law is the body of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government. Government agency action can include rulemaking, adjudication, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory agenda. Administrative law is considered a branch of public law...
since 1995.
Connor lived in the United Kingdom in 1985. During this time, he served as an analyst for the British Government and was a top aide to the Chairman of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
Foreign Policy Committee (The Earl of Kimberly) and the Chairman of the Lords Defence Committee (Lord Chalfont).
Early political career
Connor began his career in American public service as Assistant General Counsel to Governor William Perry Clements, Jr.Bill Clements
William Perry "Bill" Clements, Jr. was the 42nd and 44th Governor of Texas, serving from 1979 to 1983 and 1987 to 1991. Clements was the first Republican to have served as governor of the U.S. state of Texas since Reconstruction...
, in 1988. By the time he departed the Governor’s office in 1991, Connor had advanced to Deputy General Counsel. In 1991, Connor joined the Texas Department of Agriculture
Texas Department of Agriculture
The Texas Department of Agriculture is a state agency within the state of Texas, which is responsible for matters pertaining to agriculture, rural community affairs, and related matters.TDA was established by the 13th Texas Legislature in 1907...
as assistant commissioner and general counsel under then Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry. In 1995, he became general counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is the environmental agency for the U.S. state of Texas. The commission is headquartered at 12100 Park 35 Circle in Austin....
, a post he held until 1999.
During the 1990s, Connor also served as a member of the State Emergency Communications Commission (appointed by Governor Clements in 1990) and as a member of the Coastal Coordination Committee (appointed by Governor George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 1995).
After more than a decade in government, Connor took a break from the public sector and accepted a position with the Austin office of the international law and lobby firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld (1999–2001).
Texas Secretary of State’s Office
When Rick Perry became Governor of Texas in January 2001, he tapped Connor to serve as the Deputy Secretary in the office of the Texas Secretary of State. This office, which evolved out of the Secretary of State of the Republic of TexasRepublic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, has a diverse portfolio that includes supervising elections, serving as chief protocol
Protocol (diplomacy)
In international politics, protocol is the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state.A protocol is a rule which guides how an activity should be performed, especially in the field of diplomacy. In diplomatic services and governmental fields of endeavor protocols are often unwritten guidelines...
officer for Texas, acting as the Governor’s liaison
Liaison
Liaison in general means:# Communication between two or more groups.# Co-operation, working together.but may refer to:* Affair, an unfaithful or adulterous sexual relationship* Air Alliance, a Canadian airline whose call sign was "Liaison'...
on border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
and Mexico affairs, as well as maintaining a variety of corporate and commercial filings.
With the departure of Secretary of State Henry Cuellar
Henry Cuellar
Henry Roberto Cuellar is the U.S Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district extends from the Rio Grande to the suburbs of San Antonio, including Guadalupe County and nearby Wilson County.Outside of politics, he has served as a professor at the...
in October 2001, Connor served four months as Acting Secretary of State until the swearing in of Gwyn Clarkston Shea
Gwyn Shea
Gwyn Clarkston Shea is a former Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from suburban Irving in Dallas County, Texas, who served from 1983-1993...
as Secretary of State in January 2002. Following Shea’s swearing-in, Connor resumed his duties as Deputy Secretary of State.
Upon Shea’s resignation, Governor Perry appointed Connor to be the 104th Secretary of State of Texas. Connor’s swearing-in ceremony was held on September 26, 2003. His tenure was noteworthy as the first Texas Secretary of State in recent history to use the office to promote Texas business internationally. He made use of the Secretary’s role as chief protocol officer for the state to encourage trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
and foreign investment. During his time with the Secretary of State’s office, Connor led around a dozen trade missions to countries, including China, Mexico, Brazil, France, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
.
During Connor’s time with the Secretary of State’s office, Texas overtook California as America’s largest exporting state. From 2001 to 2004, Texas exports grew by 23.4% to $117.2 billion dollars. While there are multiple factors behind the state’s increasing prominence in exports, the focused and active promotion of Texas exports by the state’s chief protocol officer played a role.
At the beginning of 2005, Connor resigned from the Secretary of State’s office to pursue a variety of private sector activities.
Private sector
Shortly after returning to the private sector, Connor cofounded Texas Global, an international strategic consulting firm that advises clients on government affairs, economic development, and corporate growth. Connor's partner in establishing Texas Global is AmbassadorAmbassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Sada Cumber
Sada Cumber
Sada Cumber assumed his duties as Special Envoy to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference on March 3, 2008, with his term ending January 20, 2009. As Special Envoy, Mr. Cumber serves as the U.S. representative to the OIC, and will seek to promote mutual understanding and dialogue between the...
, who served as the United States Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference until January 2009.
Simultaneously, Connor returned to practicing law with the Texas-based law firm of Jackson Walker, LLP. Connor’s time at Jackson Walker focused on business transactions law. In 2007, Connor left the firm to establish his own law office, Connor and Demond, with William P. Demond.
The same year, Connor also cofounded CACH Capital Management, a boutique investment advisory firm offering wealth management and investment advisory services.
Since leaving the Texas Secretary of State’s office, Connor has maintained a strong international focus and his ties to a variety of international communities in Texas and the United States. He is frequently sought as a speaker on issues of international politics, the world economy
World economy
The world economy, or global economy, generally refers to the economy, which is based on economies of all of the world's countries, national economies. Also global economy can be seen as the economy of global society and national economies – as economies of local societies, making the global one....
, and cross-cultural cooperation. He also serves as a contact and advisor for foreign businesses and organizations seeking to achieve business or policy goals in the U.S., as well as by U.S. entities looking to enhance their performance or impact abroad.
His continued work with international clients has taken him to Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, the UAE, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, New Zealand, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and India. In 2006, Connor served as an international election monitor for Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
’s presidential elections and the same for Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
in 2008.
Connor is active in a number of civic, educational, and professional organizations. He is a member of the International Affairs Committee of the National Association of Secretaries of State
National Association of Secretaries of State
The National Association of Secretaries of State , founded in 1904, is the oldest non-partisan professional organization of public officials in the United States, composed of the Secretaries of State of U.S. states and territories. Currently, all secretaries of state, including Washington D.C.,...
, on the Board of Directors for the Asia Society of Texas, the Texas Leadership Council of the World Congress on Information Technology 2006. He is a member of the national Board of Trustees of Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity also named "Sig Tau" or "the Knights" is a U.S. all-male college secret-social fraternity founded on June 28, 1920 at University of Central Missouri...
and the Board of Advisors of the International Center of Texas State University. Connor is also a member of the British-American Business Council, the American Council of Young Political Leaders; Austin Council on Foreign Affairs; the Austin World Affairs Council; and the Dallas World Affairs Council.
External links
- http://www.sos.state.tx.us/ Office of the Texas Secretary of State website
- http://www.sos.state.tx.us/about/newsreleases/2003/09262003.shtml Press Release: Connor takes oath as 104th Secretary of State
- http://www.sos.state.tx.us/about/newsreleases/2004/index.shtml Geoff Connor 2004 Press Releases
- http://www.sos.state.tx.us/about/newsreleases/2003/index.shtml Geoff Connor 2003 Press Releases
- http://www.texasglobal.com/ Texas Global Consulting website
- http://www.cachcapital.com/ CACH Capital Management website
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OflVC1K87_w Video: Geoff Connor speaks during Texas trade mission to Ethiopia