Governor Greg Abbott has named Arun Agarwal as chair and S. David Deanda, Jr., as vice chair of the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. The Corporation is the private side of a public-private partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development & Tourism tasked with marketing Texas, domestically and globally, as the best state for business.

Arun Agarwal of Dallas is the CEO of Nextt and has business interests in textiles, cotton trading, real estate, and sports management. He is chairman of the National Cricket league USA, co-chair of the Indian American CEO Council, and president of the Dallas Parks and Recreation Board. He is also a board member of the U.S. India Friendship Council, University of Texas at Dallas Executive Board, Texas Tech Innovation HUB at Research Park, and MD Anderson Board of Visitors. Additionally, Agarwal is a benefactor to various nonprofits including CHETNA and the Living Dreams Foundation. Agarwal received a master’s degree in business administration from the Institute of Management Technology – Ghaziabad India, master’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Southern New Hampshire University, and an advanced certificate in International Business from Harvard University.

S. David Deanda, Jr. of Mission is president of Lone Star National Bank and serves on its Board of Directors. He is a member of the Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Board of Managers, Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarships Board of Directors, Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization, Texas A&M University Kingsville Foundation Board of Trustees, Board of the Bauer College of Business for the University of Houston. Deanda is also a member of the Minority Depository Institutions Advisory Council and the Dallas Fed Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council. Additionally, he is the former chairman of the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority. Deanda received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and is a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University.