John Montford

John T. Montford has had eight careers.  A Marine officer, practicing attorney, small business owner, elected District Attorney, Member of the Texas Senate for 14 years, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, President Pro Tem of the 73rd Legislative Session, tenured professor, Chancellor of the Texas Tech University system, and currently the Senior Vice President-Western Region Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for AT&T.  He is responsible for all regulatory, legislative, governmental and external affairs in the states west of the Mississippi, except California, as well as Connecticut.  He joined SBC in 2001 and was appointed to his current position in November 2005 at the completion of the merger between SBC and AT&T.    

Montford is the 2005 Chairman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, a catalyst for economic development in San Antonio for the past 108 years with over 3,000 members.  He is the Chairman of the Board of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.  He has been a Director of Southwest Airlines, a Fortune 500 company, since 2002.  Montford is also a Director of Fleetwood Enterprises a Fortune 1000 Company, the nation’s largest RV manufacturer, since 1999.   

Montford became the Texas Tech University's first chancellor in 1996.  He raised over $500 million for Texas Tech in five years.  In 2001, he was named Chancellor Emeritus of the Texas Tech University System.  He received the Mirabeau B. Lamar Medal for Leadership in Learning from the Association of Texas Colleges and Universities and the prestigious Founders Award from the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas.  Texas Monthly named Senator Montford among the Top 10 Best Legislators for five legislative sessions.  He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin.    

He and his wife Debbie are the proud parents of three children and grandparents to John Montford McCracken, born on Texas Independence Day, March 2, 2004.