Norman Roy Garza, Jr. joined Texas Space Commission (TxSC) as the inaugural executive director on July 1, 2024. Previously, he served in several capacities at The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) since 2014.
During his tenure, he held two titles: assistant vice chancellor of government relations and external affairs for three state agencies funded by the Legislature – Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES); the Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) ; and the Transportation Institute (TTI) – as well as vice president of government relations for the flagship campus, Texas A&M University in College Station, as well as its remote sites in McAllen and Houston and D.C. and the Branch Campus in Galveston.
While at Texas A&M, Norman supported major initiatives such as: partnering with U.S. Army Futures Command to create the Bush Combat Development Complex; obtaining management contracts from the NNSA for Los Alamos National Laboratory as well as the Pantex Plant; securing state appropriations to build the Center for Infrastructure Renewal at The RELLIS Campus in Bryan; implementing an advanced manufacturing workforce training program with the Port of Brownsville; establishing The A&M Semiconductor Institute as well as The A&M Space Institute. Prior to service at TAMUS, Norman was an Associate Legislative Director at Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) and had also worked for a state senator at the Texas Capitol.
Born in Harlingen, Norman is a native Texan with roots across the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas. He is a graduate of Pleasanton High School, as well as St. Edward’s University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Additionally, he studied at the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and earned a certificate through the Governor’s Executive Development Program (GEDP) from The University of Texas at Austin.
Norman has volunteered his time in leadership roles with several statewide non-profit organizations, such as Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation/Stewards of the Wild; Texan by Nature; Texas Agriculture Land Trust; as well as locally at Saint Mary Cathedral in Austin.