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AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Association of Business (TAB), the state’s leading business advocacy organization and the Texas State Chamber of Commerce, today announced that Kelly Keel has been named President & Chief Executive Officer, effective October 2, 2026. Keel currently serves as Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and will bring a quarter century of Texas state government and regulatory leadership to TAB’s work representing employers at the Texas State Capitol.

“There is no better time to be leading the most dynamic and important business community in the country,” said Kelly Keel, incoming President & CEO of the Texas Association of Business. “Texas employers are the driving force behind the world’s 8th largest economy, and deserve a strong, unified voice at the Capitol that can navigate the complex legislative and regulatory challenges our businesses face as Texas continues our unprecedented population and economic growth. I am honored to take on this role and look forward to working on behalf of Texas business to ensure our state remains a global leader and the national model for cultivating a pro-business environment.”

“Kelly knows how Texas works, and she knows what it takes to keep Texas working for job creators,” said Jo Betsy Norton, Chair of the TAB Board of Directors “Our members expect Texas to be ready to welcome new businesses and investment, and that means strengthening our infrastructure, growing our workforce, and expanding educational pathways that connect Texans to high-demand careers. Under Kelly’s leadership, we are extremely confident that TAB will advance pro-business priorities and reforms to keep Texas the best state for business.”

Kelly Keel has led TCEQ as Executive Director since December 2023, managing the agency’s day-to-day operations, including approximately 3,200 employees, 16 regional offices, and an annual budget of roughly $665 million. A 25-year veteran of the agency, she began her TCEQ career in 2001 in the Office of Air, was named the first Director of the Water Quality Planning Division in 2008, and from 2012 to 2018 served as Area Director for Coastal and East Texas in the Office of Compliance and Enforcement, overseeing regional offices in Houston, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, and Tyler and leading the agency’s response to major events including Hurricane Harvey. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Keel directed TCEQ’s Office of Administrative Services, overseeing the agency’s budget, finance, information technology, and human resources functions. Across those roles she has worked directly with members of the Texas Legislature, statewide officeholders, and employers in nearly every major Texas industry on the permitting, water, air, and infrastructure questions central to the state’s continued growth. A native Texan, Keel earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Texas A&M University and a Master of Public Service and Administration from the Bush School at Texas A&M. She lives in Austin with her family.

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