Geoffrey Scott Connor (born July 24, 1963) is an American public servant, attorney, historian, and businessman from the state of Texas. Connor has been an aide or appointee of several Republican
Governors of Texas, including
William P. Clements, Jr.,
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, and
Rick Perry
James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republi ...
. Most notably, Connor served as the 104th
Secretary of State of Texas
The Secretary of State of Texas is one of the six members of the executive department of the State of Texas in the United States. Under the Constitution of Texas, the appointment is made by the governor of Texas, with confirmation by the Texas S ...
under Governor Perry. Connor's tenure in this position was especially noteworthy for his efforts to build strong diplomatic and trade relationships between Texas and foreign countries.
Since leaving the Texas Secretary of State's Office, Connor has been active as a
consultant
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting servi ...
,
lobbyist
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...
,
academician
An academician is a full member of an artistic, literary, engineering, or scientific academy. In many countries, it is an honorific title used to denote a full member of an academy that has a strong influence on national scientific life. In syst ...
, and
attorney. His current public service includes positions with
The William P. Clements Jr. Center for National Security,
Alamo Board
The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Anto ...
of the
Texas General Land Office
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is a state agency of the U.S. state of Texas, responsible for managing lands and mineral rights properties that are owned by the state. The GLO also manages and contributes to the state's Permanent School Fund. ...
, and
Texas State Guard
The Texas State Guard (TXSG) is part of the state military force of Texas, and one of three branches of the Texas Military Forces. Along with the other two branches, the TXSG falls under the command of the Governor of Texas and is administered by ...
. He remains active internationally and with the diplomatic community in the state of Texas.
Background
Connor was born and reared in
Runnels County, a predominantly rural county near
San Angelo, Texas
San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Pla ...
. In 1985, Connor received a B.A. from
Texas State University
Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest universit ...
(formerly Southwest Texas State University) in
International Studies
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...
. Connor also studied abroad at
Birkbeck College
, mottoeng = Advice comes over nightTranslation used by Birkbeck.
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £4.3 m (2014)
, budget = £109 ...
,
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degre ...
. He later attended the
University of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law (Texas Law) is the law school of the University of Texas at Austin. Texas Law is consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the United States and is highly selective—registering the 8th lowest ac ...
in Austin, from which he received his
J.D.
JD or jd may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''JD'' (film), a 2016 Bollywood film
* J.D. (''Scrubs''), nickname of Dr. John Dorian, fictional protagonist of the comedy-drama ''Scrubs''
* JD Fenix, a character from the ''Gears of War'' vi ...
degree in 1988. He has been board certified in
administrative law
Administrative law is the division of law that governs the activities of executive branch agencies of government. Administrative law concerns executive branch rule making (executive branch rules are generally referred to as " regulations"), ...
since 1995.
He completed a graduate certificate course from the
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
Bush School of Public Service focused on
Intelligence Studies Intelligence studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that concerns intelligence assessment and intelligence analysis. Intelligence has been referred to as the "lost dimension" of the fields of international relations (IR) and diplomatic hist ...
. In 2016, Connor received his PhD in history from the University of Texas at Austin with a focus on modern U.S. diplomatic and national security history. Connor was a member of the Delta Epsilon chapter of
Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma (), commonly known as Sig Tau, is a United States college social fraternity founded on June 28, 1920, at the University of Central Missouri (then known as Central Missouri State Teachers College). The fraternity was founded as a re ...
while attending Texas State University.
Connor lived in the United Kingdom in 1985. During this time, he served as an analyst for the
British Government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_est ...
and was a top aide to the Chairman of the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster ...
Foreign Policy Committee (The
Earl of Kimberley
Earl of Kimberley, of Kimberley in the County of Norfolk, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1866 for the prominent Liberal politician John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron Wodehouse. During his long political career, he n ...
) and the Chairman of the Lords Defence Committee (
Lord Chalfont).
Early political career
Connor began his career in American public service as Assistant General Counsel to Governor
William Perry Clements, Jr., in 1988. By the time he departed the Governor's office in 1991, Connor had advanced to Deputy General Counsel. In 1991, Connor joined the
Texas Department of Agriculture
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is a state agency within the state of Texas, which is responsible for matters pertaining to agriculture, rural community affairs, and related matters. It is currently headed by Agriculture Commissioner ...
as assistant commissioner and general counsel under then Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry. In 1995, he became
general counsel
A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department.
In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...
for the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the environmental agency for the state of Texas. The commission's headquarters are located at 12100 Park 35 Circle in Austin. The fourth largest environmental agency in the United States (a ...
, a post he held until 1999.
During the 1990s, Connor also served as a member of the State Emergency Communications Commission (appointed by Governor Clements in 1990) and as a member of the Coastal Coordination Committee (appointed by Governor
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
in 1995).
After more than a decade in government, Connor took a break from the public sector and accepted a position with the Austin office of the international law and lobby firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld (1999–2001).
Texas Secretary of State’s Office
When Rick Perry became Governor of Texas in January 2001, he tapped Connor to serve as the Deputy Secretary in the office of the Texas Secretary of State. This office, which evolved out of the Secretary of State of the
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from M ...
, has a diverse portfolio that includes supervising
elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
, serving as chief
protocol
Protocol may refer to:
Sociology and politics
* Protocol (politics), a formal agreement between nation states
* Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state
* Etiquette, a code of personal behavior
Science and technology
...
officer for Texas, acting as the Governor's liaison on
border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political bo ...
and Mexico affairs, as well as maintaining a variety of corporate and commercial filings.
With the departure of Secretary of State
Henry Cuellar
Enrique Roberto Cuellar (born September 19, 1955) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he is considered one of the most conservative representatives in the ...
in October 2001, Connor served four months as Acting Secretary of State until the swearing in of
Gwyn Clarkston Shea as Secretary of State in January 2002. Following Shea's swearing-in, Connor resumed his duties as Deputy Secretary of State.
Upon Shea's resignation, Governor Perry appointed Connor to be the 104th Secretary of State of Texas. Connor's swearing-in ceremony was held on September 26, 2003. His tenure was noteworthy as the first Texas Secretary of State in recent history to use the office to promote Texas business internationally. He made use of the Secretary's role as chief protocol officer for the state to encourage
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct exch ...
and
foreign investment. During his time with the Secretary of State's office, Connor led around a dozen trade missions to countries, including China, Mexico, Brazil, France,
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, small ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...
and
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the Er ...
.
During Connor's time with the Secretary of State's office, Texas overtook California as America's largest exporting state. From 2001 to 2004, Texas exports grew by 23.4% to $117.2 billion. While there are multiple factors behind the state's increasing prominence in exports, the focused and active promotion of Texas exports by the state's chief international officer played a role.
[ ]
At the beginning of 2005, Connor resigned from the Secretary of State's office to pursue a variety of private sector activities.
Private Sector and Later Public Service
Shortly after returning to the private sector, Connor cofounded
Texas Global, an international strategic consulting firm that advises clients on government affairs, economic development, and corporate growth. Connor's partner in establishing Texas Global is
Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
Sada Cumber
Sada Cumber is a Pakistani–American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and diplomat. He is an expert on US foreign policy and national security issues. In 2008, President George W. Bush named him the first U.S. special Envoy to the Organisatio ...
, who served as the United States
Special Envoy
Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...
to the
Organization of the Islamic Conference until January 2009.
Simultaneously, Connor returned to practicing law with the Texas-based law firm of
Jackson Walker
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Qu ...
, LLP.
[ ] Connor's time at Jackson Walker focused on business transactions law.
The same year, Connor also cofounded CACH Capital Management, a boutique investment advisory firm offering wealth management and investment advisory services.
Since leaving the Texas Secretary of State's office, Connor has maintained a strong international focus and his ties to a variety of international communities in Texas and the United States. He is frequently sought as a
speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** In ...
on issues of
international politics, the
world economy
The world economy or global economy is the economy of all humans of the world, referring to the global economic system, which includes all economic activities which are conducted both within and between nations, including production, consumpti ...
, and cross-cultural cooperation. He also serves as a contact and advisor for foreign businesses and organizations seeking to achieve business or policy goals in the U.S., as well as by U.S. entities looking to enhance their performance or impact abroad.
His continued work with international clients has taken him to
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
, the
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, New Zealand,
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate ...
, Pakistan and India. Connor served as an international
election monitor
Election monitoring involves the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or from a non-governmental organization (NGO). The monitoring parties aim primarily to assess the conduct of an elec ...
for presidential elections in
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It ...
in 2006,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
in 2008, and
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
in 2010.
In 2011, Connor was commissioned as an officer with the Texas State Guard. Currently holding the rank of Lt. Commander, he serves as JAG for the
Texas Maritime Regiment
The Texas State Guard (TXSG) is part of the state military force of Texas, and one of three branches of the Texas Military Forces. Along with the other two branches, the TXSG falls under the command of the Governor of Texas and is administered by ...
(TMAR).
Connor serves as Director of Strategy for the William P. Clements Jr. Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin. His responsibilities include developing the institution as a training center for national security officials and scholars of national security as well as promoting awareness of the center in both public and private sectors. Connor also oversees the compiling and curation of the defense and national security papers of Governor
Bill Clements
William Perry Clements Jr. (April 13, 1917 – May 29, 2011) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served two non-consecutive terms as the governor of Texas between 1979 and 1991. His terms bookended the sole ...
from his service to Presidents
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was t ...
,
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
, and
Ronald Reagan.
In 2015,
George P. Bush
George Prescott Bush (born April 24, 1976) is an American politician and attorney who served as the commissioner of the Texas General Land Office from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Bush unsucces ...
, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office named Connor as his special advisor to the Alamo Board. Overseeing the
Alamo Mission in San Antonio
The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Anto ...
, site of the
Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San An ...
, is part of the Land Office's mandate.
Connor is active in a number of civic, educational, and professional organizations. He is a member of the International Affairs Committee of the
National Association of Secretaries of State
The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), founded in 1904, is the oldest non-partisan professional organization of public officials in the United States, composed of the secretaries of state of U.S. states and territories. Currentl ...
, on the Board of Directors for the Asia Society of Texas, the Texas Leadership Council of the World Congress on Information Technology 2006. He is a former member of the national Board of Trustees of
Sigma Tau Gamma
Sigma Tau Gamma (), commonly known as Sig Tau, is a United States college social fraternity founded on June 28, 1920, at the University of Central Missouri (then known as Central Missouri State Teachers College). The fraternity was founded as a re ...
and the Board of Advisors of the International Center of Texas State University. Connor is also a member of the
Asia Society
The Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States (Manhattan, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) and around the world (Hong Kong, Ma ...
,
British-American Business Council
British American usually refers to Americans whose ancestral origin originates wholly or partly in the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Cornwall, Orkney, and the Isle of Man). It is primarily a demographic or histor ...
, the American Council of Young Political Leaders; Austin Council on Foreign Affairs,
Freemasons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
,
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon ( la, Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici), also known as the Order of Solomon's Temple, the Knights Templar, or simply the Templars, was a Catholic military order, o ...
,
Order of St. John,
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States often omits the ''and'', while the English Constitution in the United Kingdom omits the ''Scottish''), commonly known as simply the S ...
, Dallas Safari Club, and
Explorers Club of New York.
References
External links
''Office of the Texas Secretary of State website''
''Press Release: Connor takes oath as 104th Secretary of State''
''Geoff Connor 2004 Press Releases''
''Geoff Connor 2003 Press Releases''
''Texas Global Consulting website''
''CACH Capital Management website''
''Video: Geoff Connor speaks during Texas trade mission to Ethiopia''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connor, Geoff
Living people
1963 births
Secretaries of State of Texas
Texas lawyers
Alumni of Birkbeck, University of London
Texas Republicans
People from Winters, Texas
People from Austin, Texas