Texas Governor Names Ruth Ruggero Hughs Chair of the Texas Workforce Commission

Governor Greg Abbott has named Ruth Ruggero Hughs Chair of the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the agency announced today. Hughs has served as TWC Commissioner Representing Employers on the three-member Commission since being appointed by the Governor in July 2015.

According to the Press Release, in addition to serving as TWC Chair, Commissioner Hughs will continue to advocate for the over 500,000 Texas employers and ensure that employers’ concerns are considered in all commission actions. She is dedicated to supporting education and training that promotes a competitive workforce offering Texans meaningful employment.

“I am honored to serve as Chair of the Texas Workforce Commission,” said Ruth Ruggero Hughs. “I will continue to support employers and jobseekers in a nation-leading workforce system that provides value to all Texans.”

TWC oversees the state’s employment, training, child care, and unemployment insurance programs, and delivers these services through Texas Workforce Solutions, a network of 28 Local Workforce Development Boards.

Prior to her appointment at TWC, Commissioner Hughs served in the private practice of law and was a small business owner. She has previously served in the Texas Attorney General’s Office as the Director of Defense Litigation, advising on federal, state and local matters, and providing executive oversight for the civil litigation divisions.

Hughs received a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers Camden School of Law. In 2018, she earned a Certificate in Leader Development at the U.S. Army War College’s National Security Seminar.

Hughs also serves as the Chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Cultural Affairs, which identifies issues impacting the state’s changing demographics. In 2018, she was selected to join leaders from all 50 states at the White House for the inaugural Federal Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Summit to illuminate and advance State-Federal STEM alignment. Raised in Corpus Christi, Hughs resides in Austin with her husband Greg and two children, Sophia and Hudson.