AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Association of Business (TAB), the state’s leading business advocacy organization and the Texas State Chamber of Commerce, today announced that Kelly Keel has been named President & Chief Executive Officer, effective October 2, 2026. Keel currently serves as Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and will bring a quarter century of Texas state government and regulatory leadership to TAB’s work representing employers at the Texas State Capitol.
“There is no better time to be leading the most dynamic and important business community in the country,” said Kelly Keel, incoming President & CEO of the Texas Association of Business. “Texas employers are the driving force behind the world’s 8th largest economy, and deserve a strong, unified voice at the Capitol that can navigate the complex legislative and regulatory challenges our businesses face as Texas continues our unprecedented population and economic growth. I am honored to take on this role and look forward to working on behalf of Texas business to ensure our state remains a global leader and the national model for cultivating a pro-business environment.”
“Kelly knows how Texas works, and she knows what it takes to keep Texas working for job creators,” said Jo Betsy Norton, Chair of the TAB Board of Directors “Our members expect Texas to be ready to welcome new businesses and investment, and that means strengthening our infrastructure, growing our workforce, and expanding educational pathways that connect Texans to high-demand careers. Under Kelly’s leadership, we are extremely confident that TAB will advance pro-business priorities and reforms to keep Texas the best state for business.”
