Ray Perryman, PhD, is President and CEO of an economic research and analysis firm, The Perryman Group, in Waco, Texas. He is currently Senior Research Fellow of the IC 2 Institute of the University of Texas and Institute Distinguished Professor of Economic Theory and Method at the International Institute for Advanced Studies. His previous academic positions include Herman Brown Professor of Economics, University Professor and Economist-in-Residence at Baylor University, and Business Economist-in-Residence at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Perryman is a former President of the South-western Economic Association and the Southwestern Society of Economists. He is the author of multiple books along with hundreds of academic papers.

Richele Langley, a Marshall native, became the Superintendent of Marshall ISD in May 2021.Prior to becoming the Superintendent of the 5A, approximately 5,000 student district, she worked for six years as the Deputy Executive Director for Region 8 Education Service Center in Mt. Pleasant. Dr. Langley began her teaching career in Conroe ISD in 1990. She and her husband, Randy, moved to Marshall in 1993, where she began a 22 year career at MISD and worked as a teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, SPED Director and Curriculum Director. Dr. Langley was born and reared in Marshall, Texas.

Dr. J. Blair Blackburn, ETBU’s 13th president, has served faithfully as President of East Texas Baptist University since June 2015. Prior to ETBU, he served at four other institutions of higher learning, including Dallas Baptist University, University of Texas at Tyler, Lon Morris College, and Paris Junior College. His experience in campus operations, administrative affairs, student affairs, athletics, fundraising, and enrollment has led ETBU, under his leadership, to increased undergraduate and graduate enrollment, as well as expanded the number of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered at the University. He has advanced new partnerships with Marshall ISD and the City of Marshall, facilitated community improvements with ETBU’s Neighborhood Renewal Initiative, and expanded the University’s student servant leadership program to engage all ETBU undergraduate students in contributing one hour per week to volunteer community service. In addition to the University’s 18 NCAA Division III athletic teams, Dr. Blackburn launched five new club sports for greater student involvement, including ice hockey, lacrosse, pom, bass fishing, and cheer, as well as beginning men’s and women’s golf and elevating acrobatics and tumbling to the NCAA Division III level.

Dr. Herman J. Felton Jr. is the 17th President and CEO of Wiley University. Dr. Felton began his service to the College in the summer of 2018, and in a short period of time, he has achieved significant accomplishments, including spearheading a campaign with College alumni and supporters that has launched the work to renovate and modernize the Thomas W. Cole Library and partnering with the Marshall Economic Development Corporation to receive a $100,000 grant to renovate KBWC, the University’s radio station as well as a training space for physical education majors. President Felton has also created a Student Health, Counseling, and Wellness Unit for the College that is staffed with a full-time licensed practitioner. In addition to his accomplishments on Wiley’s campus, President Felton has immersed himself in the fabric of the Marshall Community, where he is a member of the Marshall Rotary Club, the Marshall Chamber of Commerce, and the Citizens Advisory Council.

John Cook has lived for most of his life in Northeast El Paso, where his family has owned and operated several businesses. He served in the United States Army from 1967 to 1970, serving as a Military Intelligence Specialist during the Vietnam War. He served as the City Council Representative of the 4th District of El Paso from 1999 to 2005. He then was elected as Mayor of the City of El Paso, serving for two terms, from 2005-2013. During his time as Mayor he was appointed by the Secretary of DHS to the US Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council and to the Southwest Border Taskforce. In 2011, Cook founded the US-Mexico Border Mayor Association. He has been deeply involved in El Paso's community affairs, as a businessman, a teacher, coach, founder and member of the board of many civic and veterans' organizations.

E. Leon Carter is a principal of Carter Arnett. A Carthage native, Leon earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from East Texas Baptist University, or ETBC at the time. Leon was recognized as the Dallas Bar Association’s Trial Lawyer of the Year. Leon is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, the Litigation Counsel of America, and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Leon has been named by the Dallas Business Journal to “The Defenders – One of the Top 15 Business-Defense Lawyers in the DFW Metroplex in 2019.” Since 2007, Leon has been selected as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America. Recently, Leon was selected by Thomson Reuters “Super Lawyers as one of the Top 10 lawyers in Texas” Leon has served as a Dallas County Assistant District Attorney and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas. He has appeared in a variety of state and federal courts and has tried more than 100 civil and criminal cases to a jury.

Mark Robinson currently serves East Texas as the External Affairs Manager at AEP SWEPCO. With prior experience in Corpus Christi and South Bend, Indiana, Mark was recruited to return to his college town to take on this pivotal role. His responsibilities include fostering relationships at municipal, county, and state levels to ensure effective customer communication, enhancing reliability, and managing outage restoration efforts. Mark is an active community leader, serving on the boards of the East Texas Coalition, Longview Chamber of Commerce, Greater Longview United Way, Henderson Chamber of Commerce, TSTC Foundation, Texas Association of Business, and the Martin House Child Advocacy Center. He is dedicated to advancing the role of energy in driving the success of East Texas businesses within a global marketplace.

Rush Harris, CEcD, is the Executive Director of the Marshall Economic Development Corporation and a native of Marshall, Texas. A member of the International and Texas Economic Development Councils, he serves on various advisory boards supporting economic development, education, transportation, and business in East Texas. A former Peace Corps volunteer, he spent two years in Guatemala with the Agricultural Marketing program, earning certifications in international marketing and advanced Spanish. He holds degrees from Southern Methodist University, University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. Returning to Marshall in 2011, he pursued economic development certification, earning CEcD status in 2020. Harris is married to Dinora, with two children in Marshall.