BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Feb. 22, 2024 — The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University is pleased to announce three new members are joining the Bush School Advisory Board. The new board members bring years of government, international, and business experience to enhance efforts to continuously elevate the Bush School while ensuring President George H.W. Bush’s legacy.
Founded in 1997 under President Bush’s philosophy that “public service is a noble calling,” the Bush School has continued to reflect that notion in curriculum, research and student experience and has become a leading international affairs, political science, and public affairs institution.
The new board members are:
- Marjorie Adams, president and CEO, Adams & Associates Inc.
- Tiana Sanford, division chief, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office
- Paul Stafford, partner, Stafford Moore PLLC
Marjorie A. Adams is president and CEO of Adams & Associates Inc., an international consulting entity based in Dallas, Texas. Adams has been instrumental in working with international leaders and CEOs providing strategic advice building global reputation, political and commercial strategy, trade and investment promotion, managing issues, and developing initiatives to meet key objectives. Her work has been focused on efforts in the Middle East and the United States, developing viable and sustainable partnerships between the two regions while bringing together influential decision-makers.
Adams served as president of the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce based in Washington, D.C. from October 2001 through September 2003 during a period critically important to the U.S. and the Middle East. Prior to establishing Adams & Associates Inc., she served as a staff assistant to U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (Texas) in Washington, D.C. in the early 1980s before relocating to Cairo, Egypt, to work for a privately held U.S.-Egyptian joint venture company. Adams was later appointed the marketing manager of the Dubai Free Trade Zone and Promotion Board, United Arab Emirates, and continues to work closely with decision-makers in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the Middle East region. Adams serves as the vice chair of the Middle East Institute and co-chair of the Middle East Institute International Advisory Council.
Tiana Sanford received her undergraduate degree in political science from Texas A&M University in 2004, and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center in 2008. Sanford serves as division chief in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. In this role, Sanford supervises and directs the work of multiple court teams, including attorneys, investigators, and support staff, and focuses on the support, education, training, and development of prosecutors.
In addition to her traditional prosecutorial duties, Sanford has been given the opportunity to apply her passion to nontraditional prosecutorial roles, including serving as a legislative liaison and community liaison. Sanford has worked with stakeholders to develop legislation that gives communities the tools they need to combat crime and support survivors. Sanford is an active member of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association where she serves as a member of the Diversity Recruitment and Retention Committee as well as the Training Committee and has previously represented assistant prosecutors as a member of the Board of Directors and as the Training Committee Chair. Sanford serves on the Criminal Pattern Jury Charge Committee for the State Bar of Texas, as a member of the Prosecutor’s Working Group on the Governor’s Sexual Assault Survivors Task Force, and as an adjunct member of the Baylor University School of Law faculty. Sanford believes everyone has a responsibility to use their skills to influence their environment for the better. Outside of the realm of the practice of law, she places her energy into endeavors that encourage and inspire people to identify their unique talents, reach for their full potential, and use their influence.
Paul K. Stafford received his undergraduate degree in political science from Texas A&M University in 1990, and his Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech School of Law in 1994. Licensed in Texas and in all four United States district courts in Texas (Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western), as well as the United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit), Stafford has served the Dallas-Fort Worth community as an attorney for over 28 years. Stafford focuses his practice primarily on complex commercial and business litigation, as well as insurance policyholder and coverage litigation.
Stafford is a leader in the legal profession and community servant, having served as president of both the J.L. Turner Legal Association and the Dallas Bar Association, and currently serving on the State Bar of Texas Diversity in the Profession Committee, the State Bar Insurance Section’s Insurance Council, and as Chair of the State Bar’s African American Lawyers Section. He has served on various boards and commissions, including The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University Board of Directors, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Business and Community Advisory Board, and as a trustee on the Dallas Bar Foundation. Stafford serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, Dallas Symphony Orchestra Board of Governors, and as a trustee on the Texas Tech School of Law Foundation Board.
The addition of these three members will further strengthen the Bush School’s position as a leading international affairs, political science, and public affairs institution. The new members will bring their expertise and experience to help the school continue to provide an exceptional education to its students and to make a positive impact on the world.
Interim Dean Frank B. Ashley III remarked, “The addition of Ms. Adams, Ms. Sanford, and Mr. Stafford to the advisory board represents professional experience in all education areas of the Bush School. This expertise, along with their selfless service to serve others in their communities, state, nation, and world, directly aligns with President Bush’s vision for his beloved school.”
