Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Jack Franklin, Jr., M.D. and Andrew Cortez to the Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response for terms to expire at the pleasure of the Governor. The Task Force provides expert and evidence-based assessments, protocols, and recommendations related to the state's response to infectious diseases and serves as a reliable and transparent source of information and education for Texas leaders and citizens. 

Jack Franklin Jr., M.D. of Llano is a family medicine physician at Hill Country Direct Care. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Direct Primary Care Alliance, Texas Medical Association, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and Tri-City County Medical Society. He is the director of various free immunization clinics in the region, team physician for Llano High School, and a mental health representative for the Sexual Assault Response Team Llano. Franklin received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Southwestern University and a Doctor of Medicine from The University of Texas Southwestern.

Andrew Cortez of Corpus Christi is a battalion chief at the Corpus Christi Fire Department. He is the urban emergency services chair for the Coastal Bend Healthcare Preparedness Coalition, emergency services chair for the Nueces County Fire Chiefs Association, member of the Coastal Bend Regional Advisory Council, and former emergency services committee member of the Nueces County Opioid Task Force. Cortez will receive an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science from Del Mar College in the Spring of 2025.