East Texas native Todd Staples is among the business and leaders that Gov. Greg Abbott has named to the newly created Texas Jobs Council.

In an announcement, Abbott said the Texas Jobs Council is a new advisory board to strengthen Texas’ workforce development initiatives, making sure Texas residents are prepared to fill the growing number of high-demand jobs.

“Texas right now is the hottest state in America for business and labor opportunities,” Abbott said. “For us to maintain our dominance, business and labor are working together to meet the high demand for high skilled labor, positions like electricians, pipe fitters, welders, plumbers, truckers, and a whole lot more. Today, we galvanized that partnership with the launch of the Texas Jobs Council. We are unified on a mission that benefits all Texans. A mission that will keep Texas number one for business, keep Texas number one for jobs, and keep Texas number one for workforce training, ensuring great careers for generations of Texans.”

Staples, who has been the president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association since 2014, was born and raised in Palestine. After graduating from Texas A&M University, his career began as a small businessman and rancher, and he also served as on the Palestine City Council. He later became the Texas House District 11 state representative and then the Texas District 3 state senator.

He was the Texas agriculture commissioner for over seven years before becoming the leader of the TXOGA. According to the TXOGA website, Staples and his wife split their time between Palestine and Austin.

Other members of the council include:

Co-Chair, Brent Taylor VP South Teamsters Local 745 & Teamsters Joint Council 80

Co-Chair, Megan Mauro Interim President Texas Association of Business

Tony Bennett President Texas Association of Manufacturers

Hector Rivero President Texas Chemistry Council

Scott Norman President Texas Association of Builders

Robert Mele President Teamsters Local 988

Robert Wayne Lord Business Manager Plumbers Local Union 68

Alan Robb Assistant General International Longshoremen’s Assoc.

Lacy Wolf Local 22 President Heat and Frost Insulators Local Union 22

Mark Maher Jr. Business Manager International Union of Operating Engineers 450

Bryan Edwards Business Manager Pipefitters Local Union 211

Focuses of the council include: executive actions that can be implemented immediately by state agencies to reduce regulatory burdens and red tape for workforce development as well as policy and legislative recommendations to be presented to the Abbott and Legislature ahead of the 90th Legislative Session.