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TDLR Executive Director Announces Retirement

TDLR Executive Director Announces Retirement

November 12, 2021

TDLR Executive Director Announces Retirement

AUSTIN – Brian E. Francis, the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), has announced that he will be retiring effective Jan. 31, 2022.

Francis has been with TDLR since October 1999, when he joined the agency as deputy executive director, and he was named executive director on Sept. 1, 2016.

“TDLR has been more than a job, it has been a family. I count this agency one of the greatest blessings of my life,” Francis said. “I will miss the people. I will miss the honor of public service and I will miss the beautiful challenge of leading a dynamic agency. All I can say is thank you to the hardworking employees and Commissioners of TDLR for this great journey.”

During his stint as executive director, Francis saw the agency grow from overseeing 24 licensing programs with 652,000 licensees to one with 38 programs and almost 1 million licensees. The agency’s growth over the years in large part was due to program consolidations mandated by the Texas Legislature.

“You can’t replace a Brian Francis,” said Rick Figueroa, the chair of the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation. “You can’t replace the culture he’s created here, and you can’t replace the processes he’s implemented here. We can only hope that Brian’s replacement will be able to stand on his shoulders and continue to grow the agency.”

Before joining TDLR, Francis was assistant administrator of the Texas Real Estate Commission and a senior securities analyst at the State Securities Board. He started his more than 30 years of public service at the Texas Savings and Loan Department.

Francis earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University) with a major in Finance and a Master of Business Administration from St. Edward’s University with a concentration in Financial Management. He is also a graduate of the Governor’s Executive Development Program and the Transformative Leadership Program at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs and the University of Adelaide in South Australia.

The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation will oversee the selection of a new executive director.

About TDLR

TDLR provides regulatory oversight for a broad range of occupations, businesses, facilities, and equipment in Texas. The agency protects the health and safety of Texans by ensuring they are served by qualified, licensed professionals. Inspections of individuals, businesses, and equipment are done on a regular basis to safeguard the public. Currently, the agency regulates 40 business and occupational licensing programs with more than 1,000,000 licensees across the state.

Visit TDLR’s website for more information and resources. You can search the TDLR licensee database, and also find past violations in which a final order was issued against companies or individuals. TDLR’s Customer Service line is available anytime between 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 1-800-803-9202. TDLR representatives are fluent in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
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