THECB Chairman Farias resigns, assumes new role with UTRGV

June 25, 2025, Austin, Texas – Dr. Fred Farias, chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (Coordinating Board), resigned his position effective Saturday, June 21. 

Doctor Farias has accepted a position at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UT-RGV) as Associate Dean for External Relations, Associate Vice President for Government Relations, and as a clinical professor in UT-RGV’s School of Optometry. He will also continue to operate his private optometry practice.

“It has been a great honor to serve the State of Texas as a member and Chair of the Texas Higher Education Board,” said Dr. Farias. “I’m proud of everything the Board and agency staff has accomplished in the last decade, a time marking an incredible shift in higher education when Texas was able to set the bar and take the lead in many areas.”

Doctor Farias has served on the Coordinating Board since 2015 and was appointed chair of the board by Governor Greg Abbott on June 3, 2021. He was previously vice chair of the board and chair of the Academic and Workforce Success Committee. He is also a member of the Texas Higher Education Foundation board.

“Chairman Farias provided the Coordinating Board critical leadership in a time of great change and opportunity, helping Texas change the higher education landscape,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Wynn Rosser. “His dedication to higher education in Texas serves as an example to us all, and I am sure he will show the same leadership and dedication in his new role at UT-RGV.”

During his tenure, he played a leadership role in guiding the agency through numerous legislative sessions and leadership transitions, serving alongside three Commissioners of Higher Education. His steadfast commitment to student-centered policy and his deep understanding of Texas’s higher education landscape have significantly strengthened the agency’s role as a trusted resource, advocate, and partner within the state.