PASADENA, Texas — Texas State Senator Larry Taylor (TX-11) will deliver the commencement address at the San Jacinto College fall 2019 commencement ceremony on Friday, December 13, 2019, at 7 p.m., at Minute Maid Park.
Senator Taylor is a native Texan and Baylor University graduate raised in Friendswood. He and his wife, Kerri, have three adult children and two grandchildren. Senator Taylor formerly owned Truman Taylor Insurance Agency in Friendswood, an independent agency started by his father more than 50 years ago. The agency merged with Galveston Insurance Associates after Hurricane Harvey.
Before his election to the Senate in 2012, Taylor served five terms in the House of Representatives. Currently, he serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and as a member of the following committees: Higher Education, Water and Rural Affairs, and the budget writing Finance committee. He also serves as a member of the Legislative Budget Board, a permanent joint committee responsible for developing budget and policy recommendations for legislative appropriations.
"We are honored to have Senator Taylor as our keynote speaker for our fall commencement ceremony," said Dr. Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College Chancellor. "Senator Taylor is a friend to San Jacinto College and a champion for higher education and community colleges in Texas. I look forward to hearing his message to our graduates."
In the 86th Legislative Session, Senator Taylor sponsored House Bill 3, a comprehensive overhaul of the school finance system, and authored Senate Bill 11, an omnibus school safety bill. He was also a member of the state budget Conference Committee, a select group of 10 legislators chosen to make budget decisions before the bill is voted on by the entire legislature.
Senator Taylor is the recipient of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership's 2017 Quasar Award, which recognizes an outstanding leader who demonstrates a strong and continual effort to support the business foundations of the greater Bay Area Houston communities. He serves on the board of Hope Village, a residential and day program for people with developmental disabilities, and as the director and chairman of the board for Houston-based Texan Bank. He is also the [resident of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute.
Senator Taylor represents Senate District 11, comprising portions of Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris counties.
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, industries, and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA and Aa2 by Standard & Poor's and Moody's. San Jacinto College is a 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Top 10 institution, a 2017 Aspen Prize Rising Star Award recipient, and an Achieving the Dream Leader College. The College serves approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students annually, and offers eight areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. San Jacinto College's impact on the region totals $1.3 billion in added income, which supports 13,044 jobs.
For more information about San Jacinto College call 281-998-6150, visit sanjac.edu or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.