March 8, 2005

Rowling Gets New Term on UT Board

Jim Dow Learning Ropes of Lobby
after Return from Campaign Trail

Jim Dow is finally out of the woods - the Piney Woods that is - and back in Austin after surviving two of the roughest political fights that broke out in Texas last year.

Dow celebrated his graduation from the University of Texas at Austin by spending the first part of 2004 in Northeast Texas as a field director for Paul Sadler's special election campaign for the Texas Senate. Disappointed by undaunted by the former Democratic legislator's loss to Republican Kevin Eltife, Dow agreed to stick around that part of the state through the fall after being enlisted as the deputy campaign manager for former U.S. Rep. Max Sandlin's uphill re-election battle. Dow gravitated back to the Capital City after U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert whipped Sandlin with the help of national Republican forces.

Now Dow has graduated from the campaign trail to Austin's version of K Street while working as an apprentice for Steve Bresnen - one of the most influential members of the Austin lobby. As Bresnen's assistant during the regular session, Dow will have a front row seat on issues such as telecommunications, insurance, water management, mental health, gambling and tort reform. Bresnen - a former general counsel to Bob Bullock in the lieutenant governor's office - is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association's team of hired guns. His current clientle also includes SBC, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority, the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters and the Bingo Interest Group.

Major Contributor Gets New Term
from Perry on UT Board of Regents

Governor Rick Perry has appointed Robert Rowling to another term on the University of Texas System Board of Regents. A Dallas businessman who's been one of the most generous contributors to Republican politics on the state and national levels in recent years, Rowling was appointed to the UT board initially last summer. His re-appointment extends his term on the board for another six years.

Rowling runs TRT Holdings and is the chairman of the board for the Omni Hotel chain. During the past five years he's donated about $350,000 to Republican candidates in Texas including $150,000 to Perry. Last year Rowling gave $1 million to the Progress for America fund, a 527 organization that could accept unlimited amounts in its effort to help re-elect President George W. Bush. That contribution pushed Rowling's total donations for the year to Republican candidates and committees to $1.5 million.

But Rowling has donated to other causes besides Republican candidates - and he's done more for UT than simply help run it. Four years ago, for example, he gave UT a gift of $5 million to build an indoor football training facility in honor of his dad.

Rowling was a corporate lawyer when he went to his work for his father's oil company in the 1970s. He bought the luxury hotel chain.in the 1990s and still invests oil and gas exploration. Forbes magazine last year estimated Rowling's net worth to be more than $2.5 billion.