Terry Keel serves as Deputy Commissioner, the top appointed position in the agency, overseeing the day-to-day operation of all of TDA’s programs and its workforce of over 700 employees.

Prior to joining TDA, Mr. Keel served from Dec 2009 to Jan 2015 as executive director of the Texas Facilities Commission.  TFC administers for state government all facets of professional real estate services, space planning, project management for design and construction and surplus property asset management.

From May 2007 to Jan 2009 Mr. Keel was Parliamentarian of the Texas House of Representatives, serving as the counselor to the Speaker and Texas House members on matters of legislative procedure and applicable provisions of the Texas Constitution and state statutes.

Mr. Keel served five terms (Jan 1997 to Jan 2007) as a State Representative (District 47, Austin) in the Texas House.  He chaired the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, the Select Interim Committee on Sex Offender Statutes and the Select Committee on Election Contests.  Rep. Keel also served as Vice Chair of the Committee on Public Safety, a member of the General Investigating and Ethics Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the House Administration Committee.  Representative Keel was the lead House rules author in the 79th legislative session.

Mr. Keel was Sheriff of Travis County from Nov 1992 to Jan 1997, supervising a staff of over 1,200 personnel.  Sheriff Keel successfully managed inmate populations exceeding 2,500 during the worst jail over-crowding era in Travis County history and established a program for housing jail prisoners in tents. He implemented the construction of corrections facilities using inmate labor and expanded inmate agriculture, labor and education programs.

From July 1984 to Nov 1992, Mr. Keel served as a Travis County Assistant District Attorney.  He was lead prosecutor in over fifty contested felony jury trials and held the position of chief prosecutor over several high-level programs, including major crimes, narcotics, organized crime, the repeat offender program, child abuse and juvenile prosecution.

Mr. Keel holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston (1983) and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas (1980).  He is a licensed attorney, a licensed master peace officer, and licensed instructor of peace officers by Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.