TSHL Foundation
Board of Directors
2006-2007

Sharon Smith
TSHLF President
Dell Computer Corporation

Susan Merrick
TSHLF Vice President
AT&T Communications

Jim Hine
TSHLF Treasurer
Commissioner,
Department of Aging
and Disability Services,
Retired

Lynn Shank
TSHLF Secretary
Texas Assurance Care

Al Campbell
TSHL Comptroller
College of Education
Texas A&M, retired

Michael Crowe
Attorney Austin

Betty Streckfuss
Deputy Speaker
Pro Tem TSHL
Houston, Texas

Alice Latino
Board Member Austin

About the TSHL Foundation

As a volunteer, unpaid, member-driven organization, the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature is not supported by state taxpayer funds. Accordingly, the TSHL Foundation was chartered in 1986 as a Texas non-profit corporation meeting the requirements of Section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code to solicit funds from tax-deductible gifts, grants, and donations to meet the operating and special training expenses of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature. It is important to note that none of the TSHL Foundation's funding may be used for campaigns or campaign travel by the Texas Silver-Haired Legislators. The TSHL Foundation is not a political action committee.

Our Mission

The mission of the TSHL Foundation is to provide the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature with the resources to improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of its membership in formulating their public policy recommendations.

To accomplish our mission, the Foundation seeks: to increase legislators' access to higher education faculty advisors on specialized policy matters; to provide leadership and advocacy training opportunities for the members of the TSHL to participate effectively in the unique democratic processes of the Silver-Haired Legislature and in communicating directly with the Governor and Texas Legislature; to expand and improve communications, materials and document preparations, and web-based technologies; and to expand new recruitment methods for encouraging senior citizens to learn about and participate in the TSHL and its election processes.

Purposes and goals of the TSHL Foundation

1. To hold and manage all funds and property received by the TSHL Foundation for the sole benefit of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature, including the investing, reinvesting, exchanging, purchasing, and selling of such funds and property;
2. To use the income from such funds and property held by the TSHL Foundation to meet the annual operational expenses of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature;
3. To increase the value of the funds and property in order to improve, expand, and provide for greater training opportunities for members of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature, so that they may better understand and execute their legislative and policy-development duties and responsibilities.

Giving Opportunities

The Foundation actively solicits tax-deductible gifts, grants and donations that will support the operational expenses of the TSHL Legislature for their training and orientation meetings, and its research and policy-development activities.

Click on the button above to make a donation to the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature. Using Paypal.com, your tax-deductible donation can be made safely and easily with any major credit card. You can also mail in your donation by downloading the "Friends of the TSHL" Application.