John D. Colyandro, Executive Director Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute John Colyandro is Executive Director of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI), a leading state-based think-tank. He also serves as Executive Director of the Texas Conservative Coalition (TCC), the conservative caucus of the Texas Legislature. Colyandro has extensive experience in local, state and national politics as well as experience in the public and private sector. Most recently, Colyandro served as Director of Policy and Research for Greg Abbott’s campaign for Governor (2014). Colyandro served as a campaign policy advisor to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (2002), and has had an active role in numerous campaigns throughout the United States including Texas Senator Phil Gramm's campaign for President (1996). Colyandro served as a member of Attorney General-elect Greg Abbott’s Transition Team (November/December 2002). Colyandro served as Chief of Staff at the Comptroller of Public Accounts, leading the Comptroller’s efforts to reorganize and realign the 2,600-person agency focusing on streamlining, operations reform and human resources issues. He also served as a director of the e-Texas Commission (December, 2000) and oversaw the Public Education Integrity Task Force (January 2001), which was formed in the wake of standardized test cheating scandals. Colyandro served as Chief of Staff at the Texas Railroad Commission, where among other things, he was a reviewer of the Texas Natural Resources Study a study aimed to increase oil & gas production in Texas. Prior to joining the Railroad Commission, Colyandro researched, drafted and published, "Putting Texas Back on Track," a 40-page agenda for reform at the Texas Railroad Commission. At the Commission, he helped develop Texas Energy Awareness Month, and worked with the State Board of Education to include energy education in the curriculum. Also, he participated in the Hemispheric Conference on Energy Regulation (July, 1996; Mexico City, DF). He has written editorials, which have been published in Texas newspapers. He served as contributing editor to Texas Republic, and was founder and editor of the Texas Review, an alternative journal of opinion at the University of Texas at Austin. He was also published in New Literati (Number Six, 2007), the New College Literary Journal of St. Edward’s University. Colyandro has been interviewed by the state and national media, including appearances on CNN’s “Lou Dobb’s Tonight” and was interviewed by Time Magazine’s “Time.com.” Colyandro is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. Colyandro also received a certificate of completion in the Marketing Certificate Program offered by the University of Texas at Austin, Continuing & Extended Education (May 1, 2000). Colyandro is a lector and parishioner at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin, Texas. He is also a Major in the Texas State Guard assigned to Headquarters at Camp Mabry in Austin. .