More About Dr. Rich Watkins - 

Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins

Decorated Vietnam Veteran - Army Officer Aviator Helicopter Pilot

Purple Heart and the Air Medal with Eight-Oak Leaf Clusters

Retired Prison Warden and Educator - Texas Department of Corrections

Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins received his Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 1995. Previously, he received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas Southern University in 1975 and his Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science from Prairie View A&M University in 1965.

Dr. Watkins is a decorated Army Veteran who served in Vietnam as an Officer Aviator. His helicopter was shot down during the Tet Offensive and he was missing in action for a brief time. He received the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal with Eight-Oak Leaf Clusters. While in the military, he received extensive training and responsibility in training program development and validation along with curriculum design and development. Dr. Watkins has been a research technician with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a professional sales representative, business owner, university and public schools administrator and for over 20 years a prison administrator. The Executive Director of the Texas Prison System recruited Dr. Watkins in 1984 to re-design the correctional officer’s training program to make it comply with a federal court order. Dr. Watkins retired February 2005 from his last position at The Texas Department of Corrections as the Senior Warden of the Holliday Transfer Facility, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division with an annual budget of 9.3 million dollars. Dr. Watkins and his wife operate a training and management consulting firm. He serves on numerous board and councils and truly believes his motto “A life of service is the life that counts!”

More About Dr. James Matthew Douglas

James Matthew Douglas was born in 1944 in Onalaska, Texas, the third of nine children to Mr. and Mrs. Desso Douglas.  He grew up in north Houston and attended Houston public schools, graduating from Kashmere Gardens High School in 1962.  He graduated from Texas Southern University in 1966, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics.  Mr. Douglas earned his Juris Doctorate degree in May 1970 from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University where he graduated number one, was a member of the school’s Moot Court Team, and was the recipient of ten American Jurisprudence Awards. He continued his legal studies at Stanford University School of Law where he received a J.S.M. degree in Computer Law in June 1971.

James Matthew Douglas began his professional career with Singer General Precision - NASA in Houston, Texas, where he was a computer analyst assigned to the Lunar Module Mission Simulator and was specifically responsible for program development and analysis of the Environmental Control and Interface, and the Reaction Control Systems for five years.  Mr. Douglas began his teaching career as an Assistant Professor of Law at his alma mater, Texas Southern University, in September 1971, where he taught the first course in “computer law” offered in American legal education.  He continued his teaching career at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in September 1972, where he became the first African-American member of the law faculty in the history of this law school.  While at Cleveland-Marshall School of Law, he began his career in law school administration in the Fall of 1974, when he became the law school’s first African-American administrator,  serving in the capacity of Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. Mr. Douglas extended his legal education career at Syracuse University’s College of Law in September 1975 where once again he became this law school’s first African-American faculty member and its first African-American administrator.  During his tenure at Syracuse, he served as Associate Professor of Law and Associate Dean.  Mr. Douglas received tenure at Syracuse during the Fall of 1977 and in July of 1980, he continued his career in legal education at the Northeastern University School of Law as Professor of Law until returning to his alma mater, Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.

In August of 1981, Mr. Douglas became the seventh dean in the history of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law.  Mr. Douglas also served as a professor of Contracts Law and as the Ex-Officio member on several faculty committees.  He has dedicated his life to the continuing legal education of students from all ethnic backgrounds.  During his tenure as Dean, he was not only involved in issues that affected the Law School and the University but also in issues that affected the community as a whole.  He served as president and member of numerous boards and committees both in the legal profession and the community at large.

In August of 1995, Mr. Douglas was appointed Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas Southern University.  After two months as Provost, he was appointed Interim President of Texas Southern University.  On December 8, 1995, Mr. Douglas was appointed the ninth President of his alma mater.  In the Fall of 1999, Mr. Douglas returned to legal education when he became the Distinguished Professor of Law at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

In the Summer of 2000 Mr. Douglas was hired by Florida A&M University to develop plans for its newly approved law school.  His plans included all curriculum designs, humans resource needs, facility designs, and budget preparations.  In other words, his work included all plans necessary to start up a new law school located 250 miles from the university campus.  The Florida A&M Law School opened in the Fall of 2002 and received ABA provisional accreditation in the Summer of 2004.  In June of 2005, Mr. Douglas returned to the Florida A&M Law School as its Interim Dean where he remained until January of 2007.

In January of 2007 Mr. Douglas again returned to the Thurgood Marshall School of Law as the Distinguished Professor of Law  In February of 2008, Douglas again moved back into university administration when he assumed the position of Interim Provost under the newly appointed president of Texas Southern University. He remained in this position until October of 2008 when he was appointed Executive Vice President.  In June of 2009, Douglas added the duties of the Interim General Counsel to his set of responsibilities.  In March of 2012, Douglas’ duties would once again change and so would his title.  

He became Vice President for Governmental Relations and Community Affairs. This was a totally new office for the university and required the design and development of all necessary processes.  In the Fall of 2013, Douglas once again returned to his beloved Thurgood Marshall School of Law where he influences the minds of future lawyers.  Always on the move, Douglas returned to an administration position in the Fall of 2016 as Interim Dean of The Thurgood Marshall School of Law.  In November of 2017, Douglas once again returned to the law faculty as a Distinguished Professor.  

Mr. Douglas has served or is currently serving as a member of numerous boards and professional organizations such as the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association, National Bar Association, Gulf Coast Legal Foundation, Hiscock Legal Aid Society, Law School Admissions Council, The Homeless, Boy Scouts of America, NAACP, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, 100 Black Men of Metropolitan Houston, and the Advisory Board of Butterworth Legal Publishers, to name a few.  He is a member of several professional organizations including The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, the Texas Bar Foundation, the Houston Bar Foundation, the National Bar Foundation and was voted Outstanding Alumnus of Texas Southern University in 1972.  He has received various prestigious awards including the National Bar Association’s Profiles of Prominence Award, the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Award, the Texas Bar Foundation’s Outstanding Contribution to Legal Education Award, and Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America Award.

Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins

Decorated Vietnam Veteran - Army Officer Aviator Helicopter Pilot

Purple Heart and the Air Medal with Eight-Oak Leaf Clusters

Retired Prison Warden and Educator - Texas Department of Corrections

Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins received his Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 1995. Previously, he received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas Southern University in 1975 and his Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science from Prairie View A&M University in 1965.

Dr. Watkins is a decorated Army Veteran who served in Vietnam as an Officer Aviator. His helicopter was shot down during the Tet Offensive and he was missing in action for a brief time. He received the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal with Eight-Oak Leaf Clusters. While in the military, he received extensive training and responsibility in training program development and validation along with curriculum design and development. Dr. Watkins has been a research technician with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a professional sales representative, business owner, university and public schools administrator and for over 20 years a prison administrator. The Executive Director of the Texas Prison System recruited Dr. Watkins in 1984 to re-design the correctional officer’s training program to make it comply with a federal court order. Dr. Watkins retired February 2005 from his last position at The Texas Department of Corrections as the Senior Warden of the Holliday Transfer Facility, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division with an annual budget of 9.3 million dollars. Dr. Watkins and his wife operate a training and management consulting firm. He serves on numerous board and councils and truly believes his motto “A life of service is the life that counts!”

More About Attorney Michael Harris -

Michael Harris’ service, dedication and commitment to the City of Houston, its constituents and the people at-large began as a Police Sergeant for the Houston Police Department in 1986.  Since that time, commitment and community involvement has been evidenced in every area of his work, profession and career.  Harris is known throughout the City and State in business, legislative, political and community arenas.  This lends well to his ability to network, connect and organize people collectively to work toward targeted causes.  While on the police force, Harris received the honor and distinction as “Officer-of-the-Year” and was also recognized with law enforcement’s “Outstanding Texan Award.”  

Harris brings over 20 years’ business management, community relations, government affairs, public finance, public policy and public service to his law practice at The Harris Law Firm.  A 1996 graduate of the Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Harris earned his degree while working as a Sergeant with the Houston Police Department.    

After graduation from law school, he became an associate with Barnes & Turner Law Firm and served as a government affairs consultant with Locke, Liddell & Sapp, LLP and Of Counsel with McCall Parkhurst Horton. 

In 2003 Harris founded The Harris Law Firm; he represents and counsel clients in all areas of Texas law.  This work includes tending to the day-to-day functions of advising, defending and strategically planning individual caseloads for individuals, businesses and governmental entities. Both corporate and business law complements Harris’ legal practice where he engages in various civil litigations in State and Federal Courts.   

Civic and educational causes are equally important to Harris, where he is involved with organizations such as the National Head Start Program, Texas Children’s Hospital, Gulf Coast Community Service Association, My Brother’s Keeper Outreach Center, Star of Hope Mission, The 100 Club, Texas Association of Business, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and the Greater Houston Partnership.  

Michael and his wife Tammy are active members of Hope City Church and are the proud parents of two children, Hannah and Sydnie.

Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins

Decorated Vietnam Veteran - Army Officer Aviator Helicopter Pilot

Purple Heart and the Air Medal with Eight-Oak Leaf Clusters

Retired Prison Warden and Educator - Texas Department of Corrections

Dr. Richard Kimball Watkins received his Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in 1995. Previously, he received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas Southern University in 1975 and his Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science from Prairie View A&M University in 1965.

Dr. Watkins is a decorated Army Veteran who served in Vietnam as an Officer Aviator. His helicopter was shot down during the Tet Offensive and he was missing in action for a brief time. He received the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal with Eight-Oak Leaf Clusters. While in the military, he received extensive training and responsibility in training program development and validation along with curriculum design and development. Dr. Watkins has been a research technician with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a professional sales representative, business owner, university and public schools administrator and for over 20 years a prison administrator. The Executive Director of the Texas Prison System recruited Dr. Watkins in 1984 to re-design the correctional officer’s training program to make it comply with a federal court order. Dr. Watkins retired February 2005 from his last position at The Texas Department of Corrections as the Senior Warden of the Holliday Transfer Facility, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutional Division with an annual budget of 9.3 million dollars. Dr. Watkins and his wife operate a training and management consulting firm. He serves on numerous board and councils and truly believes his motto “A life of service is the life that counts!”

More About Liesa Hackett - 

U.S. Army Veteran

Member DAV, VFW Honor Guard &

HEARTS Veterans Museum Board Secretary

Liesa Hackett is a US Army Veteran and founder of Crystal Resolutions, LLC.  After serving in the military in Criminal Investigation and Finance/Accounting, she is now a retired Accountant from the City of Huntsville.  Liesa holds a BA in Business from Excelsior College.  As a strong believer in the power of positive actions and service, Liesa spends her time volunteering as a mediator, veterans' advocate, and community betterment projects.

To name a few, Liesa currently serves the following organizations:  Texas Department of Family of Protective Services Council (appointed by Governor), Montgomery County Dispute Resolution Center, HEARTS Veterans Museum Board, Disabled American Veterans Honor Guard,  Lions Clubs International District 2-S2 Chaplain, and Huntsville/Walker County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.