Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation Presentation To The Bryan City Council

Private Ambulance Parked At A Hospital That Was Stolen Is Found A Short Time Later

A private ambulance stolen Sunday night (February 22) from the ambulance bay of College Station’s St. Joseph hospital was recovered a short time later. The College Station police arrest report says cameras inside the ambulance and tracking devices led officers to finding it on Highway 6 south of town. That led to the arrest of a woman who had been released from the hospital earlier in the night, 37 year old Jamisha Williams of Navasota, for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. As of February 23rd, Williams was jailed in lieu of a $10,000 dollar bond.

Leadership Transition Announced At Texas A&M’s Association Of Former Students

A leadership transition is taking place at Texas A&M’s association of former students. Porter Garner, who has led the alumni organization for 27 years, has announced his retirement at the end of this year. The association’s board has selected as Garner’s successor, current chief operating officer Nicholas Taunton. Taunton has been with the organization since 2007. News release from the Texas A&M association of former students: Porter Garner ’79, President and CEO of The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University, announced Saturday that he will retire Dec. 31, 2026. His retirement will cap a career spanning five decades and marked by visionary, transformational leadership and an enduring impact on Texas A&M and Texas Aggies. “For this Texas Aggie, there has been no more gratifying opportunity or role or experience that I’ve ever had in my life, professionally, than to serve this organization as President and CEO,” Garner said in his announcement to the Leadership Council. “And I thank each and every one of you for all of that.” Shara McClure ’90, the 2026 Chair of The Association’s Board of Directors, said Garner’s tangible and lasting impact is evident across the Texas A&M campus. “Every single Aggie, every single person who steps foot on this campus, sees and feels the impact he has made, even if they do not know to attribute it to him,” McClure said in her remarks to the Leadership Council. “The Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University, and Texas Aggies are all immensely grateful and deeply indebted to Porter for his 45 years of selfless service and visionary leadership.” Garner joined The Association in 1981 as field director, traveling hundreds of thousands of miles across the nation and around the world to engage Aggies. After 18 years of service, The Association’s Board of Directors unanimously selected him to lead the organization effective Jan. 1, 2000, making him only the seventh chief executive in The Association’s 147-year history. As one of his first priorities as the chief executive, Garner led The Association’s first-ever branding initiative, creating a unified and recognizable identity for The Association and building a culture of professional team service to support that brand. The Association greatly enhanced its programs and services during his tenure, and Garner’s vision led to the creation of signature events and programs including Aggie Ring Day, Aggie Ring Remembrance, the Distinguished Alumni Gala and the Worldwide Muster Roll Call, as well as the development of Aggie Park, the premier green space on the Texas A&M campus. Under Garner’s 27-year leadership as President and CEO, The Association of Former Students raised over $572 million to support scholarships, student organizations, traditions, faculty and staff excellence, career services, former student engagement and more. His tenure in this position corresponded with accelerated growth in Texas A&M University’s enrollment and stature, as nearly 60 percent of all Texas A&M former students belong to the Class of 2000 or later. The Association distributed more than 310,000 Aggie Rings to eligible students and former students during Garner’s tenure. Jeff Steen ’80, Immediate Past Chair of The Association’s Board of Directors, said Garner has been an exceptional connector of people, a devoted champion of his alma mater and a trusted advisor to chancellors, presidents and regents. “There is no more consistent and influential force at Texas A&M than Porter Garner,” said Steen, who is also a member of the Board’s Executive Committee. “Texas A&M and Texas Aggies will continue to feel his impact for generations to come.” Garner was presented with a lifetime membership in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi in 2019 and was named an Outstanding Alumnus of the Mays Business School of Texas A&M in 2022. He is one of only four people to have been honored with a lifetime membership in the Brazos County A&M Club. In 2023, the Washington’s Birthday Celebration Association announced their selection of Garner, a native of Laredo, Texas, as the 2024 Mr. South Texas. Garner’s devoted marriage to Lisa ’91 has been an essential partnership, anchoring his personal life and enabling his extraordinary career of service to the Aggie Network. They are Endowed Century Club donors to The Association of Former Students, Eppright Distinguished Donors and members of the Texas A&M Legacy Society. Together, they built a family rooted in Aggie values, raising Claire ’21, Callie ’23, and Porter IV ’26. Garner shared his retirement plans with The Association’s Leadership Council, the organization’s governing body, at its biannual meeting on Feb. 21 at the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center, noting that the decision followed thoughtful consideration and a desire to ensure a strong and well-prepared transition for The Association. John Dickerson ’87, the Chair Elect of The Association’s Board and a member of its Executive Committee alongside McClure and Steen, praised Garner’s leadership and his commitment to prioritizing The Association’s staff. “For 27 years, Porter has never wavered in his belief that The Association’s greatest asset is its people,” Dickerson said. “His strategic and proactive efforts to identify, recruit and develop internal talent, along with the culture he championed, are the foundations of The Association’s exceptional accomplishments during his tenure as CEO.” Following Garner’s announcement, McClure announced that the Board of Directors had unanimously selected Nicholas K. Taunton ’07, The Association’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as the next President and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2027. “Nic possesses the vision, integrity and dedication needed to lead The Association of Former Students,” McClure said. “His demonstrated and experienced leadership skills position The Association to seamlessly continue its work as the most prominent and powerful resource for Texas A&M and Texas Aggies.” Taunton joined The Association of Former Students as Director of Development in 2014 and joined the organization’s executive leadership team in 2016 as Vice President of Development. In 2023, he became The Association’s first Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, leading the organization’s day-to-day operations. Taunton earned a BBA in finance in 2007 from Texas A&M, where he served as student […]

Weekend Arrests By Bryan Police Follows A Kidnapping And A Stabbing

A kidnapping of a three year old child took place inside a Bryan restaurant Saturday morning (February 21). Bryan police arrest reports say the child’s mother and a cousin of the mother were found outside the restaurant being held down by customers and employees. The child, who had been dropped by the cousin, was taken to a hospital for treatment of head injuries. The arrest report noted there is no court ordered custody agreement and a verbal agreement fell apart two years ago. The mother, 21 year old Erial Lewis of College Station, remains jailed as of February 23rd in lieu of a $50,000 bond. In addition to a kidnapping charge, Lewis is also awaiting trial on two counts of misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury that took place last Halloween. Lewis’s cousin, 23 year old Alex Walton of Bryan, remains jailed as of February 23rd in lieu of bonds totaling $90,000 dollars on charges of kidnapping and causing reckless bodily injury to a child. A Bryan police officer on her way to a disturbance Saturday (February 21) just after one in the morning is flagged down by a driver who had a man in the backseat who had been stabbed in the bicep and hand with a kitchen knife with a seven and a half inch blade. The officer applied two tourniquets to stop the bleeding. Another officer found another man who was holding the knife in one hand and a gun in the other hand. 32 year old Eduardo Rafael Hernandez of Bryan remains jailed as of February 23rd in lieu of bonds totaling $200,000 dollars on charges of burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit another felony, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and possessing 12 baggies of cocaine.