 |
 |
|
TOM BASS
Chairman Harris County  Also known as the “Father of 9-1-1,” Mr. Bass has been the Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network board chairman since its inception in 1983. In addition, he has served this community as a teacher, college professor, U.S. Army Reserve officer, state representative, Harris County Commissioner, author of textbooks and as a volunteer to numerous nonprofit organizations.Bass' teaching experience includes eight years with Houston Independent School District. Also, he was a full professor (currently professor meritus) at St. Thomas University and an adjunct professor at both the University of Houston and Texas Southern University. His political career spanned 1963-1985, during which time he served in the Texas Legislature for ten years. Bass worked hard on legislation for reform laws and to expose governmental wrong doing as an active participant of the “Dirty Thirty” involved in the Sharpstown scandal. As Harris County Commissioner from 1973-1985, he was instrumental in: • Strong financial discloser and ethics rules for all county officials • Redistricting that allowed the first minority to be elected to the Commissioners Court • The establishment of the Network In the late 1970s, Commissioner Bass and his staff worked closely with Bill Anders, Lavergne Schwender and other interested parties in the community–elected officials, many area cities, organizations and private citizens–to establish the first enhanced 9-1-1 system in Texas. |